LK Emerald Beach

The 'Emerald', as far as I am concerned, is the nicest hotel that my husband and I have ever stayed in and we have stayed in a lot of nice hotels in lots of different countries. We knew from the photographs on the Internet that it was very ornate and it didn't disappoint so if 'modern, contemporary' is more your style, then perhaps you wouldn't appreciate its 'ornateness'! Our room (2712) was perfect in that it was tucked round the corner from the three lifts, with no neighbours and no passing traffic so extremely quiet. The room was big enough for the two of us, with lots of storage for clothes etc. We had requested a walk-in shower and our bathroom was a wet room with a very large rain-shower. We had twin beds which were extremely comfortable, as were the pillows and the bedding was top quality, as were the fluffy white towels in the bathroom. The daily maid service was exceptional and bottled water was replaced daily both in the bedroom and the bathroom. The air-conditioning was quiet and didn't disturb our sleep which isn't always the case. There was a touch-screen consul between the beds which controlled the lights and the air-con. There was also a USB port in the wall next to the dressing table. The balcony was small but just about adequate, however the balcony chairs were cast-iron, extremely heavy and extremely uncomfortable. Room 2712 comes with the added bonus of a partial sea view. The three lifts were quick to arrive when called but that could be because the hotel was extremely quiet during the whole of our four week stay. This did mean that sunbeds were always available, despite the usual 'towels on the beds' at silly o'clock. I didn't like that the sunbeds were 'regimented' in that they were all in a straight line, in two's, from one end of the pool deck to the other. Fortunately, we had taken our own beach chairs which meant that we could sit on the promenade in front of the hotel, literally by the beach, and enjoy the view and the sea breeze. Perfect! The choice of dishes at the buffet breakfast was extensive, particularly if you are a fan of Asian cuisine. However, there was an 'egg station', cooked to order as well as streaky bacon, a fairly efficient toaster, cereals, jams, honey, pastries, teas and coffees etc. so we didn't go hungry. My only disappointment was the very limited choice of breads. The only baguette was like a brick! and no soft rolls. The hotel shuttle to and from the Dolphin Roundabout i.e. the main road, ran every half-an-hour. It was walkable for the able-bodied but a bonus for the less mobile. Every member of staff was friendly and welcoming, especially the restaurant manager who told us that he 'serves from the heart'. Unfortunately, our checking-out process at 4 oclock in the morning was somewhat stressful due to the fact that following the obligatory room inspection and before we were refunded our 1,000 Baht deposit, we were told that we were being charged for 'two waters' from the mini-fridge. News to me! To cut a long story short, the receptionist eventually accepted the fact that we hadn't drunk two bottles of water (which were still in the fridge) and refunded our deposit. Sadly, it did spoil our departure for which the hotel has since apologised. Other than that, we had the best time.