Baan Talay Resort

( 3 stars , Koh Samui , Thailand )

We (group of 4 incl a 19 year old and a 3 year old) stayed in 2 rooms for 5 nights and it would have received much higher ratings if we hadn't paid quite such a premium price for a mid-range resort. On Koh Samui it seems virtually impossible to get reasonable prices for advance bookings through a reputable travel agent, so we knew we were paying over the odds. But travelling with a 3 year old we valued not spending a day wandering around the island looking for accommodation. The pool is excellent - larger than many nearby resorts and a good kiddy pool with some inflatable and floating toys. It also has great views of the ocean as the pool surrounds merge directly to the beach. There are plenty of great restaurants a short walk along the beach or main road. We were very impressed with the broadband wireless internet access at reasonable prices. The policy of allowing people to reserve a pool chair for the day infuriated us, and is the main reason we would not go back - people were up before 7am to reserve a chair which they then didn't use most of the day but got extremely upset if anyone else sat on it, and the staff endorse this reservation policy even when all the chairs near the kiddy pool were empty but 'reserved' by people without kids. The hotel laundry service is very expensive but a fantastic and very cheap local service is next door. The staff were generally friendly and helpful. The resort is at the quiet end of Chaweng beach, which was great for us as a family and it is still within walking distance of nightlife for the teenager in our group.

Hey This place was ok. We had some issues with the toilet but I think that was mainly due to the fact that it is the end of rainy season on Koh samui in december. A bit of overflowing. The pool was nice and the staff were nice. However the restaurant is definitely on the expensive side. Also this far south on chaweng beach the roads were less than impressive when coping with the rain. We had to wade up to the main areas. But to be fair this is hardly the hotels fault and I am sure at a more appropriate time of year this would have been an amazing place. Room size was surprisingly small for the price paid.

The stay started pleasantly. There is very little privacy as cabins/rooms are located very closely, and you have to pull all curtains (thus live in the dark) if you want to be sure you are not putting on a live show for your neighbour across from you! Had a fall between the stones on the walking pad. The resort did not have a first aid kit or indeed any sort of band aids. They did absolutely nothing to help, did not check if we needed to go to the hospital. Due to this could not swim in the ocean for the last 3 days - a waste of vacation days really. The Management (a young girl) also did nothing, and did not feel any sort of responsibility. We asked to speak to the manager of the resort but was just told by the staff that he was not available (throughout our entire stay of almost 2 weeks!). The staff if fine with their standard chores, but anything out of the ordinary, they are not equipped to handle. The service and the level of english spoken in the restaurant is very poor. Last the beds are like stone. You actually will wake up because you need to turn yourself during the night as your one side is totally numb! This fact should be informed by travel agents.

Baan Talay was nice hotel with good location. The pool area was extremely nice and the beach was right next to the hotel. Language was slightly a problem - most of the staff did not speak English at all or only a few words. The two ladies at the reception and the ladies at breakfast shift were excellent. Good value for money.

Initially I was expecting the room to be of a higher standard (more luxurious), however by the second day I had adjusted and was happy with it. It was very clean and large, especially for twin share, and the staff were extremely helpful. The restaurant is located on the beach front and a fabulous start to the day. It is very quiet being located on the southern end of the beach which is great. Families were staying there and made no impact on the stay, the children were a lovely addition to our stay. I feel the layout of the rooms had a lot to do with this. The resort is single storey only, unlike most of the other resorts. Everyone to do with Baan Talaay were fantastic, couldn't be more helpful. Even the massage women and the people selling their goods were great. All had a wonderful sense of humour, and within the week had developed a relationship with us. The only thing that could be better was the hot water for tea/cofee, needs instructions to put on well in advance, and that it is not free. Otherwise I would stay there again because the staff were so good and it was clean.

This resort was very dissapointing for me. The rooms are ok, but the staff is not friendly at all. The restaurant was really bad, the staff are just walking in normal jeans and are not service minded. I have been in many resorts in Thailand and for the price I paid at Baan Taley resort it was the worst one. -Tom