Sofitel Krabi Thailand Review

If you’re planning to head to Krabi, you’ll find plenty of accommodation options, with the two most popular locations tending to be either Krabi Town or Ao Nang. Sofitel Krabi Thailand is located in neither. Instead it’s in a more remote location. It’s accessible from Ao Nang in approximate 25 minutes, and from Krabi Town in approximately 30 by car.

Prior to booking we we were worried that the location would be difficult, but in the end we were very happy with our choice. From Krabi Airport we opted to take the shuttle service to the hotel. This was 150baht each (€4), and on our return we negotiated a taxi from a tour shop close to the hotel to the Krabi Town ferry port. This cost us 500baht (€13).

Arrival

Upon arrival we were shown to the Club Millésime lounge, due to my Le Club Accor Platinum Status, here we were offered a choice of soft drinks, presented with our key-cards and shown to our room.

The Room

Unfortunately, despite the hotel being far from full, we weren’t given a proper upgrade. We were instead allocated a ‘Superior Room with Club Millésime Access’. The only difference between this and the standard Superior Room would appear to be the addition of an espresso machine.

This isn’t anything special, particularly when it’s possible to get complimentary hot and soft drinks from the lounge up until its closure at 8pm. As such, although technically an upgrade of sorts, it didn’t really feel as if the hotel was playing by the spirit of the Le Club Accor programme. This said, the room itself was of a high standard, well sized, and with a nice balcony area. It could have done with some modernisation, however.

As always the MyBed by Sofitel gave us a good night’s sleep. The room appeared to be well soundproofed, meaning we had no problems being able to relax. Internet was complimentary and worked well, and we were able to stream content without issue. The bathroom was dated, and the shower in particular could have done with being replaced, and lacked power. Whilst the amenities provided were of a very high standard (L’Occitane) the bottles were tiny, and certainly not enough for two people. More were provided quickly and without issue upon request, however.

Leisure

The Sofitel Krabi, Thailand apparently boasts the largest pool in Thailand. We enjoyed using it. There were different zones, and additional features such as a water volleyball net. There were also plenty of sunbeds. I imagine even during peak season it wouldn’t be an issue finding one, nor would it feel crowded.

The hotel is located right next to the beach, and also provides sunbeds here. There’s an attendant permanently stationed at the beach offering towels. The beach itself isn’t amazing, but it was still a nice addition.

There were also daily organised activities. Although we didn’t end up trying any, they were pretty varied and we were tempted by the Thai classes.

Bars and Lounges

Being a resort, the hotel offers a number of onsite restaurants and bars. We didn’t try any of the restaurants. If you do, there are 3 to choose from (Italian, Asian and International). The hotel also has a pool bar which operates throughout the day and offers drinks and snacks. There’s also another bar in the main hotel.

The bar was very nice, and I particularly liked the décor. Our reservation included a complimentary cocktail, and in addition to this we had a welcome drink voucher. On a couple of nights we also noticed there was a singer/band, which was a nice addition (and not overbearing).

As previously discussed, there is also a Club Millésime lounge. This is available to Le Club Accor Platinum members, as well as those booking a room with access.

The lounge was very impressive. You can choose to take breakfast either in the lounge, or in the main restaurant. This is the case even if you don’t book a package which includes breakfast

Throughout the day soft drinks are offered. Between 5.30pm and 7.30pm complimentary cocktails and wine are offered, along with a very good selection of canapés. We really enjoyed using the lounge, and found it to be a really nice addition to our stay.  I’d definitely recommend booking a room with access, if you’re able to. It should be mentioned that all of the staff were superb.

Local Area

We were worried that we’d feel a bit isolated due to the hotels location. Primarily, we were concerned it wouldn’t be possible to find places to eat outside of the hotel. In the end, we needn’t have worried. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to both Ao Nang and Krabi Town. You need to book this the day before though.

Alternatively, if you walk just 10 minutes from the hotel, you will come to a small village. Here there are a number of beach bars. We particularly recommend ‘Sunset Bar’ where we enjoyed a couple of very good meals and drinks.

There are also a number of small tour/travel shops. Here you can book excursions, as well as any transportation you might need when departing the hotel. These are all at far better prices than those offered by the Sofitel Krabi, Thailand directly.

As an example, we paid 2000baht (€50) to hire a private longboat to travel to Hong Island. The boat departed five minutes from the hotel, and it took forty or so minutes to get to the island.

Conclusions

We enjoyed staying at the Sofitel Krabi Thailand. If we returned to the area again we would definitely consider a repeat booking. We visited Ao Nang during our stay.  Although it was interesting to spend an afternoon there, we were both glad that we opted not to stay in the town itself.

The Sofitel offers an expansive number of facilities, with the pool being a particular highlight. The Club Millésime was particularly good, and the staff were all more than helpful.

If you choose to stay here, it is important to factor in the location though, and decide whether or not it’s right for you. For us it worked perfectly, and we enjoyed the quieter local bars and restaurants.

The rooms could do with a refresh, but that’s not to say they weren’t very good. I’d have no problem recommending the Sofitel if your travels take you to Krabi.