Railay Viewpoint Resort

Booked a room the night before our booking. Definitely paid a lot more than booking in advance!

Quick check in. Staff spoke decent enough English for tourism. Generally basic service but girls at breakfast were nice. Got beach towels we could return later.

Breakfast buffet was the best breakfast we’ve had in Thailand with lots of options and fresh eggs cooked for you too. The staff were topping up the buffet with freshly cooked food Pad Thai lunch was actually the best I have had in Thailand so far too. Great you can get food and drinks on site!

Location was great to get to with luggage, perfect to pop in and out throughout the day and sunrise mornings. Their complex is easy to wheel cases but the steps / slope down to reception are not up to standard, steep and unsafe and a basic that could easily be improved for the comfort and safety of every client booking with them.

Rooms were basic, a bit outdated and wear and tear which could be improved however it was clean and no bug issue as seen in other reviews.
No hand soap or hand towel but there was mini shower gel and a shower towel. Basic hand soap dispenser would be great. Beware can’t flush toilet tissue here. Rusty shower fixtures. Beds were not great but slept well. Air conditioning was good.

Optional room service, leave your key at reception if you want it. Great way to do it. We don’t do room service but had a fresh water and toilet paper delivery waiting at our door. Very nice!

Pool was lovely and relaxing. We used in the day and after sunset.
Parts of the pool is peeling off and the shower beside the pool smelt of urine.

Lots of nice animals well cared for on the complex.

Overall a lovely experience in railay

4 for location purely due to stairs, which I think is a feature of many reviews. If you have any mobility issues. This is not for you. However if the stairs don't put you off you will be rewarded with one of the best views from your bedroom you can get on Railay. Staff are kind of invisible, but message them and they are quick to respond and helpful. Even helped us with our bags from the boat. Room is bright and clean, somewhat basic, but perfectly functional. Typically in Thailand these kind of rooms can be dark and gloomy, but not here. An alternate route down takes you past a pool and bar that are available to use, even though it is not technically part of tbis hotel. Views are great here too. A good spot for sunset. Get your fitness up and enjoy Hilltop. Recomended.

The room was dirty, the floors and walls were filthy, there were stains on the bedding, and the duvet had a very strange stain. The bathroom was disgustingly dirty, with brown water deposits everywhere due to high iron content. While using the shower, it cracked. Fortunately, they did not charge us for it and didn’t even seem surprised, so I guess it wasn’t the first time. The room smelled of dampness and sewage. Thankfully, we only stayed there for one night, we wouldn’t have spent a second night there even for free. In the photos it looks fine, but the reality is completely different. The breakfast was tasty, but there was little choice and not enough seating. The breakfast was tasty, but there was little choice and not enough seating. The breakfast was tasty, but there was little choice and not enough seating. Breakfast was tasty but very limited choice.

Railay is a very special place, mainly because of its location. The entire area can only be accessed by longboat, which already makes the experience feel quite unique and disconnected from the mainland. The hotel is located on the eastern side of the first beach and is built slightly on a slope. It has a very small reception area and a large dining space in the lower part of the property.

The hotel itself has a small pool and well-built bungalows. Each bungalow is divided into four rooms, and the rooms were good overall, with a correct bathroom and a fairly comfortable bed. Everything was clean and functional.

Breakfast at the hotel was very good, with a wide variety of options, both savory and sweet. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the overall service was very pleasant throughout our stay.

One of the highlights of staying here — and in Railay in general — is the natural environment. The area offers amazing walks, and the visual contrast between the beaches, the jungle and the dramatic limestone cliffs is truly impressive. At sunset, around 6:30 pm, you can sit at the hotel bar and watch thousands of bats flying out of the Bat Cave, filling the sky like a black tide. It’s a powerful and unforgettable natural event.

For me, there are a few must-see spots in Railay, but above all, this is a place to truly enjoy the raw and almost aggressive power of nature. The landscape feels intense and overwhelming in the best possible way. And if you’re into climbing, this is absolutely the place to be — Railay is a paradise for climbers.

As a general downside of Railay as a destination (not the hotel itself), there are a lot of marijuana shops, and it’s quite common to see people smoking in public areas. This can be a bit uncomfortable at times and slightly breaks the natural, peaceful feeling that the place otherwise has.

Overall, both the hotel and Railay itself offer a very memorable experience, especially if you’re looking for something different, wild and surrounded by nature.

Few positives, many negatives:

Positives: Rather quiet at night, given how crazy the surrounding is. Clean. Comfortable bed.
Negatives: I was asked to view the room first before check-in. I realised it smells molding. I told them and they said I can leave without payment or take it, no alternative, no discount. But leaving is not an option in Railey, as everything is very expensive and often fully booked.
I wanted to talk to the manager and this person was very uninteressted and unfriendly.
Luckily, the lady that showed me the room acknowledged the mold. So all of a sudden, then they had a different room available (no. 207), which was then good (different building complex). However, the lady was shouted at and might loose her job for having been supportive and honest.
The attitude of staff there is very unpleasant!
The room itself was ok, but the AC is placed right opposite the bed, so you're laying fully in the airflow.
No light switch next to the bed, only at entry door.
Bathroom is old, no hooks to hang something, and there is no shower cabin; everything gets wet when showering.
BREAKFAST: big variety, poor quality!