After an 11 hour flight & 80 min transfer from Phuket airport we were quickly checked in by the efficient & friendly reception staff, given a welcome drink then taken to the main restaurant for breakfast before it closed at 10.30 am. The rooms weren't ready until 3 pm but we were given beach towels which we took to the quiet pool, reception side (no bars this side but there is a coffee machine and water dispenser in the lobby).
Our bungalow rooms were close to the pool bar & ready at 2 pm. They were large with a walk in shower & a bath with shampoo, conditioner & shower gel supplied, 2 large king sized beds squeezed into 1 huge bed, a fridge with 2 bottles of water, tea/coffee making facilities, flat screen TV, robes, slippers, flip flops, safe & a fruit bowl on arrival. The maid kept it exceptionally clean & fresh beach towels were supplied daily.
Food in the main restaurant was of a good variety & hot, breakfast had plenty of juices including 2 that were freshly squeezed, fruit, cereals, pastries, plenty of hot food including stir fries & a great egg station (omelettes were superb), coffee was always piping hot. Lunch was A La Carte with a variety of options & the evening meal was a buffet...soups, fruit, cheeses, lots of hot plates but the majority of desserts ran out & were not replenished even though the four of us were seated at 8 pm.
Both the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve galas had a good selection of food. New Year's Eve included a band & a fireworks display on the beach.
The gardens are extremely well manicured & the pools are well maintained. For children these include a slide/flume pool a small shower park & 2 children's pools. There are 2 table tennis tables, a pool table, play area, a kids club, 2 computers & a library.
The beach is yellow sand, easy access to swim in without any real waves, no sunbeds are allowed on the beach but there are enough just inside the hotel property. You can walk for quite a distance in both directions on the beach with a good restaurant if you walk out to your right.
The hotel is situated at the end of the Khao Lak strip but takes only around 8 mins to walk into the centre with lots of shops, bars & restaurants. The bars and restaurants serve great food & drinks all at very cheap prices. If 8 mins is too much for you then there is a shuttle bus for 50 Baht (around £1.25) or taxis at 100 Baht (around £2.50)
We stayed 2 weeks over Christmas & New Year & the temperature hovered between 29 to 35 each day with just 4 out of the 14 days being overcast. It only dropped to around 25/26 degrees in the evenings so no jumpers are required.
Entertainment is repeated weekly & only every 2nd or 3rd nights but this included Polynesian nights, Thai dancing & fire shows.
The staff here are exceptional & extremely friendly....especially Katai, May & Jane in the main restaurant.
However, we noticed that very few guests at this resort had the all inclusive wristbands & after 2 weeks we now know why.
X10 management please take note, your "limited" all inclusive offering is extremely poor compared to your competitors.
1) Limited drinks on the all inclusive drinks menu...the majority of hotels do any cocktail using local brands, here you are limited...unless you pay extra.
2) No alcohol served before 12 noon...unless you pay extra.
3) Soft drinks are available 10 am to 10.30 pm...but between 10 am until 12 noon you cannot have smoothies, juices or milkshakes...unless you pay extra.
4) No alcohol after 10.30 pm...unless you pay extra (New Year's Eve gala staff suggested we purchase an extra wristband costing 1599 Baht (around £40 p.p) for drinks from 10.30 pm to 1 am)
5) All inclusive guests CANNOT eat at the beach bar, only drinks (we can only eat in the main restaurant)...unless you pay extra.
6) The main restaurant prioritises take aways over all inclusive guests, 4 times out of the 8 we ate lunch at the hotel we waited over an hour for a meal to arrive whilst polystyrene take away meals were being shipped out regularly.
7) Ordering drinks at the pool & beach bars, paying guests are prioritised over all inclusive guests...took us so long to get a drink at the pool bar when people arrived without wristbands (paying) that we rarely bothered.
8) All inclusive stops at 12 noon on your departure day even if on your arrival day you arrived much later in the day.
We cannot therefore recommend the limited all inclusive offering at the X10 KhaoLak beach resort.
This hotel is beautiful, as are it's staff, but our recommendation would be to save yourself just under £1500 per couple & board as Bed & Breakfast & eat & drink at the bars & restaurants in KhaoLak centre...just 8 minutes walk away.
