Khaolak Merlin Resort

Khao Lak, Thailand

Star rating

Pool Access Rooms
Superior Room
Garden Pool
Deluxe Twin Room
Pool Access Room
Waterfall Pool with Swim up Bar and Kids Pool
Tropical Garden Restaurant, Khaolak Merlin Resort, Thailand, Far East,
Superior Pool
Superior Room
Lagoon Pool
Deluxe Family Room
Deluxe Family Room
Pool Access Room
Pool Access Rooms
A video preview image
Superior Room
Garden Pool
Deluxe Twin Room
Pool Access Room
Waterfall Pool with Swim up Bar and Kids Pool
Tropical Garden Restaurant, Khaolak Merlin Resort, Thailand, Far East,
Superior Pool
Superior Room
Lagoon Pool
Deluxe Family Room
Deluxe Family Room
Pool Access Room

The hotel

A deluxe hotel, inspired by Thailand’s rich culture, Khaolak Merlin Resort also enjoys a divine rainforest location on a gently sloping hillside and is surrounded by well-manicured, lush gardens. Enjoy direct access to a private stretch of beach, perfect for relaxing in the afternoon sun. More of a pool person? We've got you covered. As well as four swimming pools, there’s a kids' pool complete with water slide and a kids' playground. And speaking of kids, they can even have their own spa treatments to unwind their bodies after a days running around - they'll love getting involved in this! When it comes to dining, the aptly-named Tropical Garden is open all-day and serves International favourites as well as local fare. For something a little more romantic, head to Veranda, a beachside restaurant serving delicious seafood. The village centre is just a stroll away and offers more eating options. Alternatively, take a taxi to the centre of Khao Lak for a wider choice. And if shopping appeals check out Bang Niang Market, there are plenty of souvenirs to stock up on!

Amenities

  • Tennis
  • Babysitting service
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • Laundry Service
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Beachfront location

Where is it

In Khao Lak, overlooking the beach and a short walk from the village centre. Transfer time from Phuket Airport: 1 hour.

Hotel information

236 rooms. All with air-conditioning, balcony or terrace, satellite TV, telephone, complimentary WiFi access, mini-bar*, kettle, mini fridge, slippers, safe, bathroom amenities, flip flops, and hairdryer. 

Superior Rooms have garden and resort views, with either 1 king-size bed, or twin beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 child.

Board basis options:

Half Board Plus/Full Board Plus options: Half Board Plus includes breakfast and à la carte set menu dinner at The Garden or Veranda Beachside Restaurant or themed buffet evenings. Full Board Plus also includes lunch from à la carte set menu at The Garden or Veranda. Both includes one drink per person per meal (choose from house wines, local beers, juices, soft drinks and drinking water).

All Inclusive option (available May-Oct) includes: buffet breakfast, set menu à la carte lunch from Tropical Forest Restaurant or Veranda and set menu à la carte dinner at set outlets (these may change depending on day) and themed buffets three times a week on the Beach Lawn. Drinks include house wine, local beer, local spirits, juice, soft drinks, coffee/tea and drinking water in the Pool Bar, Veranda Bar, Beach Bar and Lobby Lounge (11:00am-11:00pm).

Room upgrades:

Deluxe Rooms are slightly larger in size, and feature a separate walk-in shower and bathtub, with 1 king-size bed or twin beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 child.

Family Superior Rooms and Family Deluxe Rooms consist of two interconnecting Superior/Deluxe rooms, with 1 king-size bed and twin beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 3 children.

Garden Pool Access rooms offer direct access to the Hidden Pool from the private patio, with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 people (children 12 years and under are not permitted in this room category).

The Garden (open for buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner; International and Asian cuisine), Veranda Beachside Restaurant (lunch and dinner, Thai and International cuisine), Sunset Hut (Cocktail Bar and light fare), Pool Bar (Swim up bar), Lobby Lounge (nightly live music).

Themed buffet nights and live entertainment available seasonally. 

4 swimming pools, plus a kids' pool with slide, and a jacuzzi pool. Spa* with 5 treatment rooms, 2 outdoor pavilions and a sauna. Kids spa*. Fitness centre. Tennis court. Kids' playground. Table tennis. Pool table. Kayaking*. Stand up paddle boarding*. Night walks. Bird watching. Regular organised activities include tie-dying, stamp ralley, fruit carving, and natural water painting. 

Complimentary WiFi throughout the resort. Souvenir shop. Beauty salon*. Babysitting*. Laundry/dry-cleaning service*. Room service*.  Spa services*.

*Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1047)
  • Very good (426)
  • Average (99)
  • Poor (17)
  • Terrible (16)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Paradise

Jul 1, 2025 FoodJunkiemonkey Southbank, Australia

We loved our stay at the Merlin, we arranged to be picked up from the airport with the hotel and this made it so easy, and we were warmly welcomed to the hotel. Check in was seamless and easy, we were g restful our luggage was taken to our room as there were a lot of stairs to get to our room, which was large, overlooking a private feeling… Read more
We loved our stay at the Merlin, we arranged to be picked up from the airport with the hotel and this made it so easy, and we were warmly welcomed to the hotel. Check in was seamless and easy, we were g restful our luggage was taken to our room as there were a lot of stairs to get to our room, which was large, overlooking a private feeling courtyard, garden and swimming pool, the room was very well appointed, and I really loved the shower / bath combo, the only issue was it was difficult to enjoy the balcony as our neighbours were smokers and the smoke drifted into our balcony, making it a bit unpleasant, i am unsure if there were rooms where smoking on the balcony is not permitted - but could be a good idea! We were celebrating our birthdays and were delighted to come back to a decorated room on our birthday and were presented with a beautiful cake, complete with birthday song from the team member who delivered it - this made my day 😁 Breakfast was great and plenty of choices. i loved the tiny fried bananas with vanilla sauce mmmmm. The resort grounds were simply stunning with expansive grounds, and so many pools to enjoy! When the tide is out, the beach is lovely to walk along. During our time, renovations were taking place, there was a bit of noise, espically around our room, but on the whole did not impact our stay and enjoyment. The wildlife around the resort was plentiful and we saw everything except the slow loris - and we looked really hard every night - oh well, this means we have a reason to return to the Merlin. Overall we enjoyed everything about this resort, and the location. We look forward to returning. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Lovely, relaxing hotel

Jun 21, 2025 andrew m newcastle upon tyne

Had a fantastic time at this lovely hotel. We are a family of four, so had interconnecting rooms which overlooked the main pool. The rooms were beautiful, really spacious, comfortable beds and cleaned every day. This hotel is stunning set in beautiful grounds and has such a tranquil feel about it. It really is 'where the rainforest meets the… Read more
Had a fantastic time at this lovely hotel. We are a family of four, so had interconnecting rooms which overlooked the main pool. The rooms were beautiful, really spacious, comfortable beds and cleaned every day. This hotel is stunning set in beautiful grounds and has such a tranquil feel about it. It really is 'where the rainforest meets the sea' as it says on its site. It was totally different to anywhere we have stayed before. We stayed bed and breakfast, loads of choice at the buffet, and also ate a couple of times in the evening at both the buffet and verandah restaurants. Both were excellent in terms of choice and tastiness! There are plenty of restaurants just a couple of minutes walk from the hotel too. We found the hotel bar and restaurant prices pretty reasonable (far cheaper than you pay in Europe). All the staff were great - reception, bar, housekeeping, gardeners, restaurant. Very friendly, attentive and helpful. Part of the reason this is such a lovely relaxing place is that there is no entertainment programme. There are some nature walks, which are good, and also some evenings where they have traditional Thai dancing at one of the restaurants. We really enjoyed it. The bar has singers on in the evening, mostly just someone with an acoustic guitar, but again - we enjoyed that! The whole place has a chilled out feel to it. There are some bars in the little town down the road that show sports, or you can get a taxi to the main part of Khao Lak which is about 10 mins away by car and has a lot more in terms of restaurants and bars. We had such an amazing time here and would definitely recommend this hotel! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great hotel but could be better

Jun 7, 2025 Martin K

The reason we give it 3 out of 5 is because we think the hotel could be better with minor changes When we arrived at nine after a long flight from the uk , we had to wait until 11 for our room, I think the room should be ready for people when you arrive, also you won’t get your all inclusive card until 11 so when you wait for your room you can’t… Read more
The reason we give it 3 out of 5 is because we think the hotel could be better with minor changes When we arrived at nine after a long flight from the uk , we had to wait until 11 for our room, I think the room should be ready for people when you arrive, also you won’t get your all inclusive card until 11 so when you wait for your room you can’t get a drink unless you pay, The room was great with a walk-in shower,fridge with water and softdrinks, coffee and tea facilities, tv, airconditioning, We only had one restaurant due to renovations, the service was fantastic, always with a smile and the food was excellent and plenty of choices, from Thai food , to European food I personally loved the breakfast with rice dishes, don’t expect a fool English breakfast but than again you are in Thailand The pools were clean and there were plenty of sunbeds, I think opening of the swimup bar at 11 is to late as people get thirsty while sunbathing ( I’m not talking about alcoholic beverages) Also I think that there should be service at the pool side at the other pool , especially when the restaurant is empty In the evening its boring just a man playing a guitar singing the same songs, they have a ballroom, so they could make that into a nightclub/ karaoke bar or something The wildlife is fantastic especially the big water monitor Also a big thank you to the family who runs the taxi service, they are lovely and very helpful Checking out was not great, we paid for late check out because we were being picked up at 1700 , to me it’s strange that your allinclusive stops at 11 and that you have to pay for a drink and food,I’ve never experience that before in a hotel, It’s a shame that those little things spoiled a great stay a bit Loved the country, loved the food and loved the people, but the hotel management should do better in accommodating its guests Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Honeymoon stay

May 30, 2025 34abbiem York, United Kingdom

Weve just retuned from an amazing week at this resort. We travelled for our honeymoon and arrived to some wonderful towel art on our bed to celebrate which was a nice touch to mark our special occasion. We stayed in a superior room at the back of the hotel which was basic but had everything you could need and was cleaned daily to a high standard.… Read more
Weve just retuned from an amazing week at this resort. We travelled for our honeymoon and arrived to some wonderful towel art on our bed to celebrate which was a nice touch to mark our special occasion. We stayed in a superior room at the back of the hotel which was basic but had everything you could need and was cleaned daily to a high standard. The pool access rooms looked great and if i were to come again id book there. We stayed on an all inclusive basis which i couldnt recommend more. The food is cooked a la carte and the entire menu is included with a good range of drinks. The staff were so friendly for each meal and the quality of food was exceptional. Kabis and Ice were excellent bartenders, we really enjoyed our afternoon in the pool bar watching them make cocktails - in a storm as per the season. The resort is beautiful. We stayed during the period of maintenance and were offered to change hotels as a result but we're so glad we didnt. The sunset on the beach was amazing and we enjoyed the wildlife, it really felt like being in Thailand rather than a sterile hotel that could just be anywhere. We appreciated the mission of sustainability that the hotel focuses on. The hotel is a little run down in superficial aesthetic in some places but this appears to be the part they are upgrading. We barely noticed the noise during our stay, only when walking through reception or down at the sunset hut, but otherwise it was a peaceful and relaxing trip. We also really enjoyed the night time jungle walk and the gym facilities. All in all i cant give this place less than a 5 because i couldn't have had a better time! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Just Amazing place

May 27, 2025 529mazb

Was amazing place to visit brilliant location staff was amazing had a brilliant trip to Hidden Forest to see Elephants and Khao Sok national park wish had longer such a Beautiful Country Well Done Merlin such an amazing place to stay Beautiful rooms amazing wildlife