Pimalai Resort & Spa
Soothing hillside haunt
Kicking back in Koh Lanta
With mesmerising panoramas, white-gold sands and an infinity pool that clings to a densely tree-studded hillside, Pimalai Resort & Spa is a Thai paradise where relaxation reigns supreme. The Andaman Sea’s endless expanse of shifting blues stretches out before you, and balmy breezes will soon revive you. As will the hands of the spa’s master masseurs who will pummel and pamper you in a magnificent fig-scented and forested setting. Then you’ll savour a kaleidoscope of flavours at one of the hotel’s restaurants, sip cocktails from coconuts under a pink and orange sky, and do it all over again tomorrow.
Facilities
Rooms
121, including nine suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
More Details
Rates include breakfast, which is served at the Seven Seas Restaurant or Spice and Rice Restaurant depending on where your room is located.
Also
The hotel’s many stairs and hillside setting may make it difficult for guests with reduced mobility to navigate.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
At the Hotel
Free WiFi throughout; gym; tennis, badminton, pickleball and basketball courts; ping-pong tables; running track along the reservoir; bikes to borrow; paddleboards, body-boards and kayaks to borrow; beach football, volleyball and pétanque courts; books and boardgames to borrow; and sports centre. In rooms: free bottled water, TV, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, slippers, bathrobes, beach bag and sandals, Bluetooth speaker, terrace fan, and I plus Q bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Be closer to the beach or have a spectacular mountain view… It's a tough call. The resort is split into two sections – the beachside and hillside estates. For absolute once-in-a-lifetime luxury the hillside ocean-view pool villas offer a private plunge infinity pool, oodles of space and unparalleled sea views. But even the entry-level rooms at Pimalai Resort & Spa are very spacious and all similarly elegant and luxuriously fitted out. Their largest villa sleeps nine people, if you’re in a big group.
Poolside
There are two infinity pools with sea views (both open 6am to 7pm). The saltwater pool is located 200 feet above sea level, near the hillside villas, with magnificent soaring views over the verdant mountain towards the sea. There’s a second pool down by the resort’s Beachside Estate. A shallow end makes it more suited to children, but parents need to be vigilant. An ample supply of loungers offers all guests spots for topping up their tan, And the Banyan Tree café serves up light meals and snacks. And, if you’d prefer a wilder swimming experience, Pimalai sits on a long stretch of shore, most of which is private and only available to guests, with the ocean safe to swim in all year round.
Spa
A greenery-filled haven, the hotel’s spa, crafted in stone, native wood, bamboo, iron and ceramics, is laid out like a small village. A herbal compress massage incorporates deep pressure techniques, while an ocean-salt body scrub or green-tea wrap will leave your skin feeling polished and petal-soft. There are three private double treatment rooms, each with a Jacuzzi, four private single treatment rooms, one outdoor spa sala and one outdoor Jacuzzi and steam room. In addition to courts for tennis and basketball or pétanque, you can complete the running track circuit by the water reservoir at the hotel’s sports centre, where free group fitness classes or charged yoga and Thai boxing (Muay Thai) will get your heart pumping (private classes are available on request).
Packing Tips
Make sure you’ve packed everything you need in your beach bag before setting out to sunbathe – buggies are on hand to zip you up and down the hill, but if you forget something in your hillside villa it’s a long way back.
Also
Laundry service is available with prices starting at THB35.
Children
While the hotel has a kids’ corner, babysitting services, sports and craft activities, it’s perhaps more geared towards honeymooners than families. Parents must supervise little swimmers at all times, and extra beds are allowed in rooms.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Dine right on the beach at one of the canopy tables at Rak Talay. At Seven Seas, pick a romantic spot outside on the balcony with verdant views to swoon over.
Dress Code
Casual by the beach, dapper in the hills.
Hotel Restaurant
Seven Seas is a prolific restaurant set high above the Andaman sea, with views that are a banquet for the eyes. The western-inspired menu has Koh Lanta shellfish bisque soup and Black Angus Australian beef tenderloin among its signature dishes. Rak Talay is an all-day beach bar restaurant, offering a selection of fresh seafood prepared Thai or western style. Come hungry for their surf ‘n’ turf barbecue set: a feast of fish, prawns, squid, ribeye, and lamb kebabs. Spice and Rice offers a vast menu of authentic seasonal Southern Thai dishes. Try the tom kha gai – coconut soup (with chicken breast, melinjo leaves, Thai herbs and lime juice), follow with kaeng kua goong sapparod – Phuket pineapple curry (with prawns, kaffir lime leaves, red chilli and sweet basil) and for dessert, khow niew ma-muang – sticky rice with mango and coconut cream.
Hotel Bar
Rak Talay Beach Bar serves Thai and international seafood, a serene beachfront spot where you can enjoy cocktails as kickier than a round of Thai boxing while taking in the stunning views. The bar is open from 11am to 11pm with double the happiness hours from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and 9.30pm to 10.30pm. Signature cocktails include the Pimalai Sunset (cherry brandy, orange curaçao and fruit juices) and Purple Choor Moung (rum, triple sec, blue curaçao, Malibu, coconut milk, and grenadine).
Last Orders
Rak Talay is open from 11am to 11pm. Seven Seas and Spice and Rice are open from 6.30am to 10.30am for breakfast and 6.30pm to 11pm for dinner.
Room Service
A room service menu offering Thai and international fare is available from 6.30am to 10.30pm.
Planes
The hotel provides a free roundtrip airport transfer from Krabi Airport which takes around two hours, including a one-hour private boat trip from Hua Hin Jetty. If you are heading to Pimalai from elsewhere in Koh Lanta (such as Saladan Pier where the ferry comes in), the hotel offers free pick up and drop off. If you are already staying on Krabi mainland, the hotel can also arrange to pick you up from the airport for free or from your hotel, for an additional charge.
Automobiles
There is a free private carpark at the resort which is open 24 hours. A free valet-parking service is also available.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The hotel offers free watersports with kayaks, windsurfing-boards, paddleboards and body-boards to borrow. There’s tennis, basketball, pétanque and badminton at the sports centre, plus a running track along the reservoir.
Take a cycling trip around Mu Ko Lanta National Park (situated at the southern tip of the island) on the hotel’s bicycles. Dive into the turquoise depths of the Andaman Sea at some of the most magical scuba-diving spots around (Pimalai’s Padi dive centre is operated by Lanta Diver).
Pimalai organises sailing tours and excursions from the hotel’s private pier. Their fleet of luxury speedboats will take you to some of the national park’s beauty spots. Snorkel in the clear waters of Koh Haa, discover the pristine beaches of Koh Rok, the rugged limestone cliffs of Talabeng and the island’s Lanta Old Town which offers quaint architecture, local seafood restaurants and boutiques selling pieces by local artisans.
Closer to home, grab the popcorn as the hotel runs movie nights on the beach, there are special themed dinners with live music at Rak Talay, Thai cooking classes and traditional Thai massage classes too.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
