Originally Posted by
kt74
Just back from a few days at JWKL, very much off peak, so no issues with crowds or families that others experienced; there was a big wedding, but generally they kept out them of the way, except for one day all the loungers in front of the pool were removed, presumably so as not to ruin their photos from the beach...
On the plus side, the post-renovation rooms are great, a big improvement, fresher decor, well thought-out with sockets galore etc. The extension and new pools don't affect the atmosphere - plenty of quiet places to relax, and doesn't feel like a "mega resort". The beach continues to be fantastic as others have said, and yes the THB300 beach massages too
On the minus side, hard to put my finger on it, but feels like it's lost some of its mojo... Service is still good, but has lost some of the natural spontaneity that set it apart from the Phuket / Mai Khao properties. Feels like everyone is working to a script, and focused on upselling (e.g. "still water?" is Evian unless you remember to tell them otherwise...); at the end of every meal you get a card with a QR code linked directly to the Tripadvisor page; there were flyers encouraging you to vote in the Business Traveller awards. Also the buzzing of drones, followed by Insta influencer stories... Perhaps it's off peak, but most of the old beach restaurants were closed; the beauty salon, Italian restaurant and Blue Mist on the strip outside have closed down for good
In case it helps anyone work out how the extension / Suites fit into the picture, here's the latest resort map:
Did you stay in the Suites or in the regular part?
I'm specifically curious about the Suites that are in "Suites Wing 1" (according to the map that you very kindly shared), the higher floors which technically are ocean facing even if at a not insignificant standoff from the beach. These might well be the only non-villa accomodations with a modicum of a view of the beach/ocean. Roughly how far would those buildings at the back be from the beach: the Lobby, Suite Wing 1, etc.?
And surely those in Suites are taking their breakfast in Sala (No.24 on the map) unless those guests have to schlep it across town to the Waterfront (No.16, on paper the hotel's breakfast resto)?