The Sands by Katathani

Hannah Trotman

We stayed in a swim up pool suite family room which was lovely and so spacious. Big bed and two single beds (one slid underneath the other so could be tucked away). Loads of towels for shower/pool and water provided daily. Aircon very powerful, bath was a nice addition too. Nice toiletries provided. Staff were lovely especially the pool guys and pineapple bar staff where we spent most our time. BUT our initial impression of the hotel wasn’t as good - the young guy who checked us in wasn’t very welcoming/friendly and when he led us to our room he was chatting to the luggage guys for ages and I kept asking him ‘are we getting on this buggy, is this for us?’ Whilst holding our baby in the heat and he just ignored us and kept talking Thai to his colleagues, then after making us stand there for like 5 mins he eventually walked us to our room. Despite this the hotel redeemed itself by being so good. The splash pad and lazy river are great for kids (and adults)! We didn’t use the swim up pool much but was nice view over the play area and splash pad. Kids club area is a nice addition for a rainy day. Did laundry cheaply for 50 baht but is very competitive to get a machine so you have to keep going back and forth. The cocktail buckets and pizzas are great. Appreciated happy hours too! Breakfast buffet is plentiful but a bit chaotic and flies everywhere. Would be better to have individual yoghurt pots for kids, didn’t want to serve yoghurt from a huge open bowl left out for hours. Would be better to have more evening bar places to go as I think only the reception bar is open late? And not much of an atmosphere. Walking distance from lots of restaurants/bars but we were there in torrential rainy season and it was quiet. Appreciated the room umbrellas! Didnt use the buggy’s to top of hill as needed to push our baby in pram but lots of people did. Beach/waves were very treacherous in rainy season so not usable. Overall a lovely hotel but it was chilly in rainy May in the pools so would definitely recommend thermal wetsuits for babies/rash vests for kids and adults as often got cold and had to go and buy our toddler an extra layer!

OrionIndigo

We went for a 6 night stay and had a lovely time. It rained, a lot, but you get that going in May. Our kids had a blast on the lazy river and water slides, and the pools were great. There is a beach, but it was too windy for us to really enjoy it, plus it’s far from the family rooms compared to the pools. The ladies working in the Kids Club are brilliant, but the activities are mostly add-on pay and are only on the hour, so the club itself is mostly a play area. They have a TV playing which we weren’t big fans of as we limit screen time for our kids and hoped KC would have more staff to play and interact with the kids. Only 2 staff makes it a challenge for them. The restaurants have a good selection and none of us got any problems from the food. The bars are ok, but if you’re on a “free happy hour” package, they have a smaller more limited menu than normal, and frankly aren’t great drinks (though the Tin Lounge voucher for bar directly next to the Talay restaurant is a must: it was lovely!) No free water at the restaurants—but you can order free water in your room—is really odd to us, as we had to genuinely bring our water bottles to dinner (which the food was part of our stay). Really odd and really inconvenient. All in all, a good stay and we enjoyed it, but a few little things could be better.

Patcharapol Petchyotin

Amazing! Everything about our stay was perfect. The experience started with a quick and seamless check-in handled by Khun Mika. We immediately felt warmly welcomed and were impressed by her professionalism. The room was spacious, comfortable, and fully equipped with all the amenities we needed. The swimming pool was our favorite part of the hotel, especially the water park area. It was large, well-maintained, and offered plenty of fun facilities for both children and adults. The hotel also provides a variety of activities for guests of all ages. The kids’ club was clean, well-organized, and filled with a wide selection of toys. The different activity zones were thoughtfully separated. We would also like to compliment the short-haired female staff member at the kids’ club (apologies for not remembering her name) for her politeness and professionalism. Breakfast offered a wide variety of choices. The dining area was comfortable and pleasant, and the restaurant staff were friendly, cheerful, and welcoming. Overall, this is an excellent hotel and a wonderful choice for families, especially those traveling with children. We will definitely return for another stay. From Guest room 5208 Period stay 15/06/26

Sheppy1959

Just spent a week at this hotel in a Seaside Junior Suite and we enjoyed a perfect stay. The room was large and modern with a huge bed and even had english style plug sockets. This is a family hotel with lots of children but the childrens pool was in a separate part of the hotel and we ate our breakfast in an adult only dining room so we had no issues as 2 adults with no children. First time we have visited Thailand and I knew Thailand is known as the land of smiles. However, we were blown away just how nice and polite and friendly the staff are and they do everything in their power to improve your holiday experience. Hotel grounds were immaculate and the Khao Lak area was very nice and laid back. It was easy to get around the area cheaply via a Tuc Tuc or taxi. Don't often say this but I would definitely return to this hotel as the experience was so good.

Eleisha Cosby

The Sands Khao Lak is a wonderful place! We stayed in a family room for almost 2 weeks through luxury escapes. The room space was enough with our 2 young kids. Having lunch or dinner included through the lux deal was so handy and really made it easy to relax. The food was mostly good…with pizza a standout. The massages depended on who you got and whether you upgraded to an oil massage at the spa. It was great how easy it was to book since it was quiet season. The Free flow drink hours included in our deal were at set times. 3-4pm and 4-5pm. Being back to back meant we usually only enjoyed 1 per day and is a set drink menu so kids couldn’t get what they wanted. This part of the deal felt unclear and as always comes down to fine print. Other than this all other aspects of the resort were great! The kids club was amazing for our preschool aged kids. They loved playing in the space and the free activities were fun! Finally the staff make this place a home away from home. They are so friendly.They made our stay so memorable! We will be back!