The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani - SHA Extra Plus

This was an awesome hotel that exceeded all of my expectations. The resort is on the beach and all the amenities (pools, slides, breakfast) were great.

Huge buffe, good restaurant on the shore, lots of kids activities, big kids club

The room

1. Front desk reception was rude try to tell me I made a mistake and booked my rooms to 2026 although I showed him my booking.com confirmation. 2. No ice machines or water except in the gym

An Exceptional Family Friendly StayWe had an exceptional experience at this hotel. Although the property is large, it never feels crowded. The atmosphere is calm, the layout is well designed, and everything is easy to access.Pools and outdoor areasThe hotel offers three main pool zones. You have an infinity pool right by the beach, adult only pools for quiet relaxation, and a full family area. Each zone has showers, a bar with alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, and plenty of sunbeds.We spent most of our time in the family area. It has a large pool with a jacuzzi, small fountains, and light water activities. There is also a toddler pool with excellent water features, including slides, fountains, and tipping buckets. Another pool serves the water slide area, which our kids loved.Kids ClubThe hotel’s Kids Club is outstanding. It is spacious, well equipped, and full of activities. The staff members who run it are wonderful. They are responsible, warm, genuinely love children, and even remember their names. The club includes excellent soft play equipment and many games, and everything is run in a thoughtful and professional way. Our children enjoyed it every day.ActivitiesThe hotel provides a full daily schedule of activities for adults and children. Each day includes two separate programs. Nothing feels forced: there are no loud microphones and no intrusive entertainment team. You can join activities if you want to, or simply relax in peace.DiningThe main buffet restaurant is located in the central dining hall, and several additional restaurants are spread across the property. We ate breakfast at the main restaurant every day, and it was excellent. The buffet is rich, varied, and delicious, with both Western and Thai dishes, as well as plenty of options for children.The other restaurants serve Thai and Western food at prices typical for southern Thailand.Service and attention to detailService throughout the hotel is exceptional.

Pools were great. Kids club a bonus. The buffet breakfast was amazing. The buffet dinners were very tasty - but much more expensive than going out. Very helpful in arranging short notice excursions. Overall a great place to stay with a family and we'll very likely be back.

The rooms feel quite small, and the facilities seem a bit outdated. However, the main issue is the breakfast experience — it’s extremely crowded and not at all suited to the number of guests. It feels overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.

The pools, the location, food, staff

The water park and friendliness of the staff.

Laundry machines and dryers were faulty. Bed were too hard on first night.

Good location close to restaurants. Nice Pool and breakfast buffet. Customer service was good.

The beach was really bad. Literally, we couldn't get to the water. High waves and rip current. There are other hotels with better locations even during the same time.

Very clean, also the outside, very beautiful. Good pools and facilities, nice breakfast.We took a room with exit to the pool, and it was great - almost like a private pool.The parents' bed is huge

The room was a little small for a family.The dining room was very crowded (we usually went around 8:30-9am). Maybe it is best to schedule hours for rooms.

nice pool for the kids. but the pool ground for the kids area is abit rough...better use a pool shoe they sell it over there too. kids club our kids love it! the room with slides is fun for the kids. but the air con is too cold and alot of condensation

there are flies at breakfast area

The hotel is very nice , specially for kids , they can be entertained all day . Pools are nice , beach is not that nice but you can still walk around . Location is great . Walking distance to plenty shops , restaurants and massages . Hotel is pricey , better to eat outside .

The beach is full of rocks , you need to walk a bit to find a safe spot forSwimming .The housekeeping very very bad , they don’t actually clean , they only tidy up beds , I had to ask them to remove trash and replace towels and others .The swimming pool in the room has very dangerous edges ( for kids ) , they need to repair them .

Great pools, pool access family room a big hit, kids club staff and facilities excellent

Drinks and food expensive

Location breakfast staff excellent always friendly and very helpful

Great water park keeping the kids entertained.Daily activities available, in particular enjoyed the Thai boxing sessions.The app for managing our room and stay was great.The morning buffet, in particular the made to order noodle soup.

All the pools were hot, which made it difficult to escape the heat of the day.The night time buffet food was overcooked, old, and lacked any Thai options and was by far the most expensive meal we had in Thailand.And my wife complained there was no gluten free bread for breakfast.

We had an absolutely fantastic stay at this hotel and would highly recommend it for families! There were so many great activities to keep the children entertained throughout the day – from exciting water slides to multiple pools, they were always busy and having fun. It really allowed us adults to relax knowing the kids were happy and safe.The food was another highlight – a wide selection of options meant everyone in our family found something they loved, and the prices were very reasonable for the quality and variety. The cocktails were also a lovely treat, beautifully made and perfect for sipping by the pool in the evenings.Our room was stunning – modern, spotless, and incredibly spacious. The best part was having our own private pool, which made the experience feel extra luxurious and gave us some lovely moments of quiet and privacy.Overall, the hotel offered everything we needed for a memorable and relaxing family holiday. The combination of great food, drinks, activities, and luxurious accommodation made it truly special. We’ll definitely be returning!

Great 5* hotel at an excellent price. No chance to find these services, foods, pools and good stuff at the same price in Phuket. Khao Lak is a beautiful location, quiet and clean. And close to Khao Sok national park. Great.

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Everything, the room, the facilities, the breakfast and great staff

Great kids club and pools facilities. Kind and helpful staff.

The room had a very odd arrangement. It was on the 3rd floor, far from the lift and far from the main places and the beach and it was quiet exhausting to walk with 3 kids all the time. Also the room has a very bad smell.The shower is kind of in the middle of the room. I don't understand why the all the pool activities along with the kids club goes for an hour - two hours break in 12 - that's very strange decision and was pretty disappointing for our kids on our last day.Overall the kids enjoyed the place but us parents did not like the place.

If you're looking for a family friendly resort, with lots of activities and good facilities this could be the place. The water park and swimming pools were good, the restaurants also and the room was very good. We stayed in a family room with direct access to one of the pools.

If you're looking for a tranquil and authentic thai experience this is not the place. Not per se bad, however, we like smaller hotels with more connection to staff and other guests. So, nothing bad to say really, it was just not my taste.