The Waters Khao Lak by Katathani

We spent 7 nights at The Waters and had a lovely relaxing break. Great location, friendly staff, good amenities.

Gorgeous hotel, we had 2 pool access rooms which were comfy, clean and had everything we needed. Such a relaxing stay stepping from room to pool which was always crystal clear. Great buffet breakfast options, used room service a couple of times and food was good. Pina colada's at the swim up bar were delicious!!
Great location right on the main village street. Staff very friendly and helpful.

We loved this hotel. From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, the staff can’t do enough for you. They are so friendly and welcoming. The hotel is lovely, very modern, very clean and in a great location. The pool is amazing. We had a very enjoyable 4 nights stay here at the start of our trip. We wish it had been longer and will definitely return.

From the moment we arrivd to the moment we left we had a totally fantastic 14 day break. Everything was superb, from the rooms to the staff.

Breakfast was always very good with plenty of choice for all nationalities including fresh egg station, pork sausages (as well as others) and bacon. Lots of staff around in restaurant should you require assistance . The pools were cleaned daily and the rooms were extremely comfortable and maid service was superb in keeping everything nice. Everyone is so friendly in the hotel, bars, restaurants & supermarkets.
In fact we used a little family run supermarket just to the right of the hotel main. The hotel is not positioned on the beachfront but some 400 metres or so towards the town, which suited us. If you walk out of main hotel entrance and turn right you are immediately amongst shops, bars & many restaurantsand 5 minutes walk from the market. We cannot recommend this hotel enough, in fact, we have already booked for next year.

We’re here at the moment and trying to find a beach with sunbeds nice hotel but disappointing to find its a beach with no sunbeds

Negatives: wifi very unreliable. Don't get booked in rooms 106, 107, 108.
Positives: beautiful hotel, good for swimming, clean, excellent customer service. All other rooms perfect

The Waters is a very well run hotel, staff always helpful, efficient & friendly, We were allocated in room 1631 behind the massage section, but didn’t get any sun after midday so asked to be moved, this was done with no problem. Rooms are larger than normal and the bathroom is huge. Fridge, kettle and pool towels available. Bath robes & flip flops in room. Swim up room is fantastic, perfect to cool off in. Felt sorry for those above having to walk downstairs to enter pool. lol
Breakfast was plentiful, lots to choose from and fill up on for the morning. Tasty breads, egg & bacon station, fruits and lots more. Room service meals were delivered quickly & were good. Umbrellas in room for those occasion heavy showers.
Shops very close by, 7eleven supermarket good to stock up with drinks & snacks. Recommend the hot toasties for lunch. Also if only wanting a sandwich Juice from Mars made great food, including full English, pie & chips & roast dinners in case you miss a bit of English food. Restaurants are plentiful & all excellent also very good prices. If you order something you don’t like you’ve not wasted a huge amount.
All in all this was one of the best holidays we have had due to the different experiences and culture. We will definitely be going back to the Waters next year.
Although the hotel on the whole is clean, I do think a deep clean is needed in some parts.

Great hotel, location good, everything you need is nearby, except the beach! Had a lovely room on the upper floor with pool access. Breakfast good, plenty of options and of course the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff was outstanding. Would definitely return.

This is our second stay at The Waters and it definitely won’t be our last. We stayed in a Pool Access room this time, which was required as I am recovering from a broken leg which impacts my ability to climb stairs. We stayed in one of the newer rooms, which are amazing, however, are quite some distance from reception and Amici (restaurant and breakfast venue). This was never a problem, though, as the hotel has golf carts that can pick you up at any time. A special mention to JJ, who was often the one to pick us up or drive us back to the room. What an absolute credit to the hotel. In saying that, all staff are so attentive and pleasant.
The location of the hotel is fantastic. Close to many restaurants, spas, shops and bars. Our favourites are Tuk Tik (lunch/dinner), Be Bob Bar, and of course, Amici.
Can’t wait to return again when I am fully recovered and can experience a few more delights of Khao Lak.

Our stay at The Waters Khao Lak was an enjoyable experience with some genuine highlights, though there are a few things worth knowing before you book.
The rooms themselves are lovely and were kept spotlessly clean by the housekeeping team every single day — a real credit to the resort. The staff throughout were consistently attentive and friendly, always greeting you with a warm smile, and this was undoubtedly one of the best parts of our stay.
The resort is clearly popular, which speaks to its appeal, though this does mean the main pool “Bubble” gets busy and sunbeds tend to fill up early, so arriving before breakfast gives you the best chance of securing a spot. Similarly, breakfast was a lively affair with a fantastic spread and plenty of choice to keep everyone happy, even if the bustling atmosphere means it’s worth heading down with a little patience.
One practical tip for light sleepers — we’d recommend bringing earplugs, as the external air conditioning units on the outside wall of the rooms can be noticeable at night.
The restaurant’s position near the main road means it’s not the most tranquil setting, though the quality and variety of the food more than make up for it.
The staff warmth and exceptional cleanliness are real strengths here, and guests who enjoy a lively, sociable resort atmosphere will likely have a wonderful time. For us personally, we prefer something a little quieter and more intimate, so while we had a pleasant stay, it may not be our first choice to return to.
This keeps all your points but frames them as helpful tips rather than criticisms, and softens the ending so it reflects your preference rather than a firm rejection.

The Waters is a hotel with super nice big pools, rooms and the staff is the best ever!
Pool access rooms are clean and very comfortably, housekeeping every day.
Only short walk to the beach, but instead the hotel i s near all other services as restaurants, shops and the evening market.
And if you wishes to visit some beaches as Memory-, Coconut- och Whitesand beahes, you can book the cheap tuk-tuk from the reseption and it takes only about 15 minutes to this beaches.

Lovely adult focused hotel right in the heart of the action, step outside the gates to a multitude of restaurants and bars, very close to night market and only a short walk to the beach.
Swim up rooms are a delight as is the plentiful breakfast.
Drinks are reasonably priced.
I travelled here with my elderly father (86), we had a room each in the wing behind the massage area, the location within the resort was perfect for my father as it was within an easy walk to bars, restaurant and the gates to the resort. We had a rooms with shade all day on the balcony and found this to be a blessing given the heat.
Sai at the pool bar was a delight, extremely professional and a credit to the resort. We loved it so much that we will return again in 4 weeks time for 10 nights - can’t wait.
Having no children and a previous stay at The Little Shore with my wife, I found this property comparable but in an easier location.

Excellent service from JJ and Pun! Both very friendly, helpful and attentive during our stay.

Very nice and clean hotel, good breakfast, nice rooms / we have pool access and it was outstanding. Nice personals and staff.
Near beach and restaurangs. Highly rekommended

This was our first time in Khao Lak. We chose The Waters as it seemed to be more adult orientated, and it's central location.
Pros:
The staff - every member of staff we came across were friendly, and nothing was too much trouble. Special mention to Joe, predominantly at the Bubbles Bar, but also present at breakfast too. He had a very pro-active attitude, nothing was a problem, only solutions 😊
Good choice at breakfast, and a great egg station. Always a choice of Western and Thai options.
We had room service when we arrived as it was late and we were tired. The service/food were excellent. We didn't eat in the restaurant in the evening, but we did enjoy a few cocktails during happy hour, which were excellent.
Pool areas were clean, and well maintained. Never any problems with sunbeds.
Cons:
The reason for 3 stars, was our room. We had a ground floor pool access room. The space was adequate and housekeeping kept it spotless. However, it was extremely tired and worn out. It's obvious, that the rooms had once been amazing, but definitely now in desperate need of a major upgrade - chipped flooring, rusty mirrors, chipped furniture, just generally very tired and 'tatty looking'. This is a shame, because we loved everything else about the resort.

Food selection and staff very nice, room nice and spacious loads of beds and space for all. Lots of nice restaurants literally on the doorstep.
TV in the room wasn’t digital and despite retuning the TV all channels were very grainy and really unwatchable. I only stayed for a few days so I never complained or questioned. However all the 3 other resorts I stayed in ( I am still in Thailand) had digital TV!!
Come on Waters ….. sort it out 🙌😉

love this hotel and location. we are in a direct access pool room which is absolutely idyllic. the hotel is well spread out around several pools and is walking distance to the beach, many restaurants and the night market. All the staff are friendly and so helpful especially the tour desk lady. we are due to leave in a couple of days to continue our holiday in Phuket. I did make enquiries about changing our itinerary and staying here but unfortunately the hotel is sold out for next week. its a shame but just means we will have to come back another time.

fantastic staff acomation fantastic location all staff go above and beyond even a friendly smile from behind the scenes staff rooms comfortable beds 🛌 externally clean caunt wait to spent my birthday again mike@tom st helens

We have had a fantastic week here at The Waters. We were pleased we paid the premium for a swim up ground floor room. Our communal Swimming pool was 50metres long! Room 1331 was perfect as we had the sun all day whereas some of the other room balcony’s opposite seemed to be in the shade for longer. The rooms were large with a huge 8ft wide bed. I found the bed firm even with a topper on so requested a second one which arrived quickly and made it perfect. Air conditioned rooms worked very well and most welcoming after a sun bathing session. Rooms were cleaned daily and bottles of water replaced if needed. All the staff were so friendly and helpful. One of the reception staff made a phone reservation for a recommended beach front restaurant for me. Great service. Considering the hotel is located in the heart of the vibrant town of Bang Niang it had such a calm serene feel about it which was lovely. Didn’t really use the beach but it was only a couple of minutes away if you wanted to see the sunset. All the fabulous restaurants were a short walk away serving up a wide variety of menus. So reasonably priced! Could have a full blown meal with cocktails for £20/£25 per couple! My only issue with the hotel is the canteen culture of breakfast time which has been mentioned by others. At peak times you had to wait a long time for a hot drink and queue for the buffet food. Something I didn’t experience at the previous hotel. Quality of the breakfast was ok but nothing to write home about. Didn’t find it a pleasurable relaxing experience even when we left it much later to eat. Drops a star for this but I would still return because everything else was first class.

As my wife and I near the end of our 3 weeks stay at The Waters in Khao Lak, we look back on another fantastic stay. This is our third visit in three years and we are planning to return next year to escape the British Winter.
The staff here are wonderful, under the leadership of the resort manager ‘Chita’ and the Reception Manager Fon.
We book an upper pool room, which is very spacious and has a massive bed. I particularly like the large balcony that easily fits two sun loungers and gives private access down to the pool, of which there are several at the resort.
Whilst I highly recommend this hotel, I feel if you have older children, their sister hotel The Sands, is a better fit as it has far more family focused utilities.
The Sands Hotel also has a beach front that the Waters lacks. However, that is made up for by being in the centre of many excellent restaurants and bars.

Worth a visit if you are coming to Khao Lak!