Upscale Resort (ie leave the kids at home)
We stayed for one night at the Mandarava on our way back from Phi Phi Island. Location wise, it's about 10 minutes off Karon beach. Overall there is not too much to do in the area and Mandarava has been designed as an all exclusive resort. You could easily spend your trip lounging by the pool, going to the spa and eating at the relatively excellent restaurant.
This is not a resort for young kids, if you have a large brood I would recommend more of a Outrigger sort of resort. The rooms are very relaxing with a separate bath tub and shower, the pool bar makes great cocktails (at 120 baht at happy hour it's a great deal for a 5 star hotel), and the overall mood is quiet serenity.
We spent our afternoon at the spa and was slightly disappointed. The 1 hour massage was fine, but the only other amenities is a small steam room and a cold Jacuzzi. Go into the steam room then hit the Jacuzzi. Neither are particularly big so if the spa is crowded I imagine space will be tight.
Overall, enjoyed our stay a lot here and would come back at the right price point.
คะแนน : 8.3 / 10
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