Last month, we spent an enchanting week in Pimalai and would like first to thank the whole team lead by Franck and Mirko for all their efforts to make our stay aboslutely flawless. Indeed we had a great and faultless stay. From the initial airport pickup to the final - private yacht - tansfer, everything went really smoothly.
We - my wife, myself and our 4 kids aged from 6 to 14 - stayed for 7 nights in a huge and immaculate 2 bedroom - private pool beach villa in the lower part of the resort. Everybody really loved it and felt really relaxed. Indeed, living in Hong Kong we very much enjoyed the sound of the breaking waves - the only thing we could hear basically - and were delighted to be so close to the beach where we spent almost all our afternoons. The beach itself is lovely, very natural, harmomiously combining white sands, palm trees and rocks making it the perfect setting to stare at lovely sunsets on distant Ko Haa. In addition, free of charge, peole can go for an Optimist, Laser, Windsurf or Hobbie Cat ride. Our kids very much enjoyed it and should thank all the staffs for their friendliness and professionalism. All the beach personel never hesitated to come with the kids to make sure they won't sink.
We must alos say a couple of words about the property itself. This is indeed a huge resort but moving from the lower part where we were staying to the upper part where we very much enjoyed having delicious and plentiful breakfasts at the Seven Seas Restaurant proved effortless as there was always a club car to take us where we wanted to go. Regarding the restaurants, we tried all of them and also had frequently home dining and were very pleased with the quality of food not to mention the smiling service. Some reviewers complained about the prices. I wouldn't say food at Pimalai is cheap but I would say it's fairly priced for a 5 star resort and Pimalai is clearly one. In addition we had Thai - at Spice & Rice - and BBQ buffets - at Rak Talai - and found they were pretty good value for money especially due to the fact 3 of our kids payed only half price.
We also decided to go for some side trips and had them booked by the hotel. People would argue this is outragesouly expensive I would reply that once again, high quality service comes at a price. We went fro the Ko Haa sunset cruise and snorkelling, did the elephant trekking and finally the mangrove kayaking. The 3 of them were very enjoyable and very well organized.
Usually the key question is would you consider coming back, and here the answer is a clear yes. Another usual question is does this hotel really deserves its 5 stars ? To me, its once again a yes. Indeed having tested a couple of 5 star resorts in dream countries ranging from Mauritius, West Indies or Seychelles, I must reckon our stay at Pimalai clearly stands out.
Thanks to the whole team and we really do hope to come back soon.