Railay Bay Resort

Independant Review

This resort's main draw is its superb location at the southern end of West Railay beach, which is absolutely magnificent. At one end of the beach the Thaiwand Wall rears its majestic heights out of the bay, whilst at the other the kilometre-long Sleeping Indian Wall slumbers on its back, his headdress set ablaze by the fiery sunsets which are an almost daily occurence here during the high season. The Railay Bay is justifiably Railay's most popular resort, as it has moved steadily upmarket over the past decade, every year rebuilding or refurbishing some of itsaccommodation units and adding a second pool. The result is a superb resort whose brilliant location is complemented by a wide range of accommodations, all in immaculate condition. The only down-side of this resort is the service in the restaurant, which is notoriously slow. This needn't be a problem is the visitor is forewarned and thus ensures that he never arrives hungry, but hungry guests can and often do become impatient and vocally annoyed by having to wait an inordinate length of time for their food. For those who order before hunger strikes too hard, however, the wait for dinner is no hardsip at all, as the restaurant fronts the beach and has a location that takes full advantage of the resort's pride of place on the lovey West Railay beach.

In addition to an over-priced spa and two pools, the resort has the following accommodation options.

Accommodation

Beachfront Suite

These magnificent units have a good seaview and are well-equipped and very comfortably furnished. The outdoor showers are particularly attractively fashioned in an ancient Asian style, but are less than a year old. The over-sized bed, sofa, jacuzzi and terrace (complete with two comfy loungers, from which the sunset is visible) complete the picture of a bungalow which only the uber-pampered will be able to find fault with. This writer can find only a single fault - he used to love staying in the predecessor of one of these cottages, which was knocked down six years ago, and can now no longer afford to stay here. As an impecunious travel journo, he still gets free inspection stays, but not in these top-end units.

Suite Cottage

These are decorated and equipped to the same superlative standard as are the above Beachfront Suites, but do not have seaviews.

Deluxe Double

These well-appointed rooms are comfortable, tastefully decorated and well appointed. They are however rather expensive by comparison to other oprions available on Railay, and are rather gloomy, so are not particularly highly recommended.

Triple

These are the same as the Deluxe Double rooms, but contain a double and a single bed. They also suffer from the lack of lighting that afflicts the Deluxe double rooms.

Privacy Cottage

These superb bungalows, reached by sweet little bridges over koi carp ponds, are great honeymoon options. Completely surrounded by high walls, there is no reason for love-birds to ever get dressed. the romantic possibilities are extensive - not only do they have an oversized bed and chaise longue to get intimate on, they also benefit from a pair of outdoor loungers, a shower and an outdoor jacuzzi. In high season the resort's room service staff are almost run off their feet, delivering cocktail trays and food to amorous couples ensconced in their very own temporary love-nests. Honeymooners are advised to come up for air occasionally and check out the Railay peninsula, tho', as it would be almost a crime to come here and not at least take a night-time wander round, at least once. Some of these bungalows are over-shaded by trees - whilst it's beautiful to watch coconut trees swaying in the breeze, it's not so great when the bungalow is completely shaded by them, making the gardens a bit gloomy. If you book on this site we'll request one of the bungalows that are not gloomy.

Pool Villa

These units consist of two bungalows, sharing and separated by a small swimming pool. One of the bungalows is a twin, the other a double. For well-heeled families, these are one of the very best options on Railay - only the stratospherically expensive Rayavadee resort offers better. The villas are equipped and decorated to a very high standard and make thoroughly enjoyable family retreats, for those families lucky enough to be able to afford them.

Deluxe Cottage

These bungalows are some of the best on Railay in their price bracket, and are highly recommended. Their interiors were renovated a year ago and were attractively decorated in bamboo wainscoating and a bamboo frame above the bed, over which subtly-hued oriental fabrics are draped. The overall effect is classy and tastefull - and has a definite Asian feel to it. The oversized beds are complemented by the large bathtubs and oversized terraces. Some of the bungalows are a bit too close for comfort to the peninsula's main thoroughfare from the east to the west sides, so their terraces suffer from a lack of privacy, as the occupants are visible to the constant stream of visitors walking along these paths, some of whom aren't as quiet as they could be desired to be , particularly when returning from a night out. If you book through us, we'll request one of the quieter bungalows for you. These are great bungalows - book early, book often.

Prices

The above rates are net per room per night and inclusive of service charge and breakfast for 2 people.

Compulsory gala dinner:
Compulsory gala dinner on 31 Dec 09 is Baht 3,500 per adult and Baht 2,200 per child

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