Sarah
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During my trip to Thailand with the Tourism Authority of Thailand in March/April 2019 we visited Bangkok, Phang Nga and Phuket. There is some pretty good reasons why you should visit Bangkok as well when traveling to Thailand!
In Phang Nga I had the chance to stay at Natai Beach Resort & Spa for two nights and decided to do a review about this beachfront property!
Natai Beach Resort & Spa is located at Natai Beach (surprise!) in the southern Thailand province of Phang Nga, not far away from Phuket and provides accommodation in rooms and beach houses (mini villas). Don’t confuse Phang Nga with the island Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand – although exploring Phangan island is highly recommended as well!
I was lucky enough to not only get a beach house but even one in front beach row which was a huge plus. However, there were also some points where I think Natai Beach Resort & Spa could improve and that I will point out in this review.
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The location of Natai Beach Resort & Spa
As mentioned, Natai Beach Resort & Spa is located along Natai Beach facing the Andaman Sea. It is part of the Phang Nga province just north of Phuket.
The closest airport to Natai Beach Resort & Spa is Phuket Airport which is around 35-45min driving.
Although the beach is really pretty, there is not a lot of development around – which means you’ll likely have the beach entirely to yourself!
Phang Nga province offers plenty of activites, including the world famous Phang Nga bay with its amazing lime stone formations. We also visited Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi where we stayed at Santhiya Hotel.
Also read: Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa Review
The hotel grounds of Natai Beach Resort & Spa
Natai Beach Resort & Spa is stretched out along a long fine sand beach.
Most beach houses and rooms are north of the big central pool and the lobby. There is two main restaurants, one located at the south end of Natai Beach Resort & Spa directly at the beach while the other is between the main pool and the beach houses.
The gardens were beautifully arranged and well maintained, so I did like the setup a lot. And the lobby is stunning – it’s an open concept with a big rooftop and a beautiful view on the pool.
The Room / Beach house at Natai Beach Resort & Spa
Natai Beach Resort and Spa has different accommodations – ranging from rooms to beach house. I was lucky to stay in one of their beach houses – in the first row, facing the beach. Thus, I was able to hear and see the beautiful Andaman Sea right from my room as well as my balcony.
The beach houses are two story buildings with a combined living and sleeping room and a bathroom on the ground floor. The upper floor is your personal rooftop terrace and offers stunning sunset views!
The bathroom comes with a shower only and a separated toilet.
I really liked the design and the colors of the beach house but I couldn’t ignore to notice, that some smaller parts of the room need renovation. An example was the shower which’s temperature was really difficult to control – and one of the knobs kept falling off.
It’s not a mayor issue – but needs to be pointed out in an honest review. And most of the things could easily be fixed – it’s sad to see such a beautiful property slowly detoriate.
New: Explore the beach house in 3D!
Pictures don’t do hotel rooms justice all the time? Well, then I have something new for you!
I have partnered up with Wolowo – an online tour creator that makes it possible to create 3D Tour that you can navigate around. There is even additional pictures and info spots that you can click – If this doesn’t give you a feeling of the room, well, then you need to visit the place yourself I guess! 🙂
To move around simply drag the image – and click the white hotspot (the white dot with the black border) to move to another room / panorama!
If you are a blogger and are interested in taking 3D panoramas like this with your smartphone too – then contact me or Wolowo. They have a product called the Wolaptor to make this super easy.
And if you are a hotel that would like to have a similar tour for your hotel: Shoot me an email to [email protected] – I can do this for you too!
The In-Room Amenities
The bathroom is fully equipped with everything you would expect, including shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and shower gel.
In your living room you can find a kettle and tea making facilities which I always value having.
A really nice gesture was the fresh fruits that greeted me upon arrival – as well as complimentary water.
Also, there is not only a cozy bathrobe and slippers but also an umbrella and beach flip flops in your room – so you are equipped for any weather Thailand might greet you with!
The Food at Natai Beach Resort & Spa
I only had breakfast and dinner at one of the restaurants (the one on the beach at the south end of Natai Beach Resort & Spa) and I have to say the food was the main point of concern in this review of Natai Beach Resort & Spa.
Both dinner as well as breakfast is served as a buffet.
While the quality of the food was okay, the selection was simply not up to the standards of a 5* property. It would have been acceptable MAYBE for four stars – but I simply expect a wider range of food options from a five star luxury property.
Also, I don’t think all restaurants mentioned on the website were operating when we visited in April 2019.
The Pool and Beach
I definitely liked the big central pool – especially at sunset it just looks absolutely stunning!
The pools were clean and well maintained and had a beautiful waterfall pouring in. There is also a kid pool with a slightly tacky red mushroom (which in my eyes disturbed the otherwise beautifully designed pool).
The beach itself was really beautiful. It was clean, with fine sand slowly falling into the ocean. The ocean seemed to be really good for swimming and looked very inviting with its green-turquoise shade that is so typical for the Andaman Sea.
The Staff of Natai Beach Resort & Spa
The staff was nothing but absolutely welcoming and friendly. We were greeted with a welcome drink and a fresh towel when arriving directly. They truly show why Thailand is always called “the land of smiles”.
I also spoke to the manager (who happens to be German) and you could notice that he really cares for what was going on in the resort.
One evening I got into an embarrasing situation locking me out on my rooftop balcony just wearing a towel (like in a really bad movie!) and had to yell for the security guide. He directly called reception and someone quickly arrived to save me from my unfortunate situation. Thanks for handling this so professionally!
Wrap up – My personal verdict on Natai Beach Resort & Spa
I definitely enjoyed my two nights at Natai Beach Resort & Spa and I think it is a good option for families or couples traveling to the south of Thailand. If you are a single looking for party, you are probably better off in Phuket as this was a quiet place (something I like).
There were some issues like the food selection and the minor necessary renovations in the room that, going forward, Natai should improve to make this an even more positive experience.
Nevertheless, I can recommend this property to you, especially as prices for the beach houses are really affordable for a 5* property (and you want a beach house, believe me!)
