Mai Khaolak Beach Resort & Spa

K.T.

We had a pleasant stay here. The rooms are very large and spacious. The beds could be a bit softer, but that’s just a personal preference. The main pool had plenty of shade, which was great, however the other two pools got quite hot during the day as there wasn’t much shade. The staff were extremely helpful whenever we had a query. That said, there were a few details we weren’t told about at check-in — such as the hotel app with the daily timetable and bookable activities — which we only discovered two days into our stay. Otherwise, the staff were lovely and always had a smile on their faces, especially Shine and Tracy at the pool bar. The resort is a bit further from the main town centre where the markets and restaurants are, but there is a free daily shuttle. The restaurants at the hotel are also quite good.

Toby Spark

We stayed at TUI Mai Khao Lak as two adults, a toddler and a baby, and had a really lovely experience. The location is perfect if you’re looking for a calm, relaxed holiday focused on pool and beach rather than somewhere busy. We had just come from Phuket, so this was exactly what we wanted — a chilled, peaceful week. There’s great entertainment for children, especially slightly older ones, but our toddler absolutely loved the evening entertainment. There was always something going on and it felt very family-friendly. Breakfast was excellent with loads of choice. There’s a fresh egg station for omelettes, plenty of hot options, fruit, pastries, cakes — you really are spoiled for choice. The only small negative was that they’re quite strict about not taking any food away from breakfast. We ate lunch at the hotel a couple of times — it was fine, with some Western options available, but nothing particularly special. However, just a 5-minute walk along the beach there are some really lovely beach cafés and restaurants. They have fairy lights in the evenings and toys on the sand for the kids to play with, which made dinner really easy and enjoyable. We ended up eating down there most evenings. We visited the night market one evening, which was definitely worth seeing. We got a taxi there and back for 300 baht. There were plenty of taxis available both at the beach and outside the market, so it was very straightforward. It’s worth checking which day the market runs before you go. There’s also an elephant sanctuary about 5 minutes from the hotel if you’re looking to do excursions. The hotel has multiple pools, including an adults-only pool which connects into a long pool running up towards the top of the hotel — great for swimming. There’s also a large inflatable slide and climbing feature which both kids and adults were using and enjoying. There’s a splash park-style pool with slides which was fine, though we didn’t use it much as we preferred the larger pool and beach areas. There’s another pool close to the beach too, with lots of activities for both kids and adults throughout the day. The beach is directly behind the hotel, which is really convenient. Outside the hotel on the beach there are plenty of massage places, small shops and food spots. We stayed in a Premium Double Room with a balcony, a very large king-size bed and a large sofa bed, which worked well for us as a family of four. The room was spacious, clean and tidy, cleaned daily, and water was refreshed every day — exactly what you’d expect. Overall, we had a really good experience and would definitely recommend TUI Mai Khao Lak if you’re looking for a relaxed, family-friendly stay in a quieter area.

Cecile Filleur

A hotel that is not worthy of what it claims to be. In Thailand, we stayed in 7 different hotels and TUI was the most expensive. The service staff is very good. We chose half board thinking it would make things easier with our two children. In the end, it became a real constraint: some meals were not included, water was not included either, and we had to wait 1.5 hours. We didn’t have time for this because we had an excursion very early the next morning with the kids. The kids club: if you don’t book through an app that nobody introduced to us, children cannot access it. In addition, the kids club activities are paid (dinosaurs, etc.). I was not relaxed like on our previous vacations. It feels like a money-making machine. Yet the hotel desperately needs renovation: the buildings are neglected and dirty, and even some staircases are uneven. I do not recommend it; there are much better options. The beach is not the most beautiful as the reviews claim — it is just average. However, Surin Beach and Kata Beach are much better.

Toni Junk Mail

Luxurious resort, with great staff and friendly service. Mohan shone as an exemplary employee. Say 'Hi' to him of you catch him at 'The Bar'. Plenty of restaurants offering a full array of Thai and Western foods. From breakfast to dessert the food was delicious and plentiful. I had a chicken parmigiana and my daughter had a carbonara pasta that were easily the best that we have ever had. Don't shy away from the green and white pizza or the kimchi bacon pizza, they may sound weird but are delicious. We had fun engaging in the activities, however I would have liked to see more water sports such as kayaking available to guests and it would have been lovely to see tours to visit a local village to experience the real 'Thailand'. Tip - Ensure you bring a power adapter if needed, there are no USB charging ports.

David

Very nice resort with clean rooms, awesome staff and everything was open + in working condition. I would go back. Just be aware like any other hotel - there could be renovations in the low season. We went at the beginning of the high season which was the end of November and I read comments 3 weeks before that someone had issues with renovations during their stay. We haven’t seen any renovations during our stay though. We went with our 4 months old baby and took our pram with us. Pram access was possible everywhere and they have lifts as well. the cot provided was very good and the staff offers mosquito spray in the room. Don’t leave any food or dirty napkins in your room as the ants will be there very quickly and could ruin it for you and also for the people staying after you’re gone! Unfortunately I got very sick during my stay and had to use the 24/7 medical Center located within the hotel premises multiple times and had to be on IV Drip. It’s a very good doctor and team that are doing everything they can to get you back on track! They have their own clinic called Bangkok medical clinic where they offer X-ray as well. They can order medication quickly from Bangkok if required and it will be there the next day. The resort is really beautiful and big! very family friendly staff and they have a big program with lots of different activities. I would recommend to download the TUI Blue app and search for your hotel, then you can see the daily activities which could change daily! We booked half board and were very happy with the food options in all the different restaurants! The only thing that was disappointing for the buffets is that the potatoes are not fully cooked through and all „crispy“ food options are soft and soggy. I think they should change the way they keep their food warm for crispy options. The buffet itself has a good variety of food including a kids corner. They offer lots of different juices and smoothies for breakfast which taste amazing! as we all know there are different types of 5* hotels. Please don‘t expect pure luxury. There is nothing wrong with this hotel and it fully met and even exceeded my expectations. It is a great value option if you look for good deals and compare prices.