Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, 🇹🇭 – a paradise (only) for families?

The Anantara Koh Yao Yai is a beautiful resort in Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay with modern villas, a great beach and excellent service. It is a clear recommendation for families, as the resort offers numerous facilities for them, but couples and solo travelers might be disappointed, especially because of the noisyness at the main pool and the unclear target group approach. Read more down below.

Review #52

Location

The Anantara Koh Yao Yai is located on the east side of the more southerly of the two Koh Yao islands. The resort is relatively isolated and there is not really much to be found in the surrounding area. The public pier is a good 10 minutes away by car.

Getting there

The Anantara Koh Yao Yai is not located on Phuket’s mainland, but on the island of Kho Yao Yai in the Phang Nga Bay. This requires a trip to the more southerly of the two Kho Yao islands. You can either take a privately organized speedboat shuttle to Kho Yao Yai or you are lucky enough to have a return trip on the hotel’s own speedboat included in your room rate. This is particularly practical because you can also enjoy the hospitality lounge, where all guests gather and are then taken to the boat at the pier together. You can see the location of the lounge here:

How to get to the resort

The vast majority of guests will certainly start at Phuket International Airport (HKT), from where you can get to the jetty by transfer in less than 20 minutes. I also arrived there, but decided against a transfer organized by the hotel and opted for a grab for the short journey. Fabi came by grab from the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort and joined us in the hospitality lounge of the Anantara Koh Yao Yai.

You will also be checked in directly in the hospitality lounge. Your passport will be taken briefly and you can freshen up in the lounge or refresh yourself with small snacks and drinks.

Tip: As already mentioned, the transfer was included in our rate. However, this is not always the case and especially not, as far as we know, if you do not book directly with the hotel itself, but via an intermediary such as Booking.com etc.. So ALWAYS check the rate conditions, whether the transfer is included, because it is not uncommon, that the hotel charges for getting there and back approx. 100 euros/dollars per person.

We were picked up from the lounge in a small, open bus and then made our way to the speedboat with all the new arrivals. We could have walked the short distance, but the crew from the Anantara Koh Yao Yai wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for us and of course we didn’t say no to that.

Once we arrived at the boat, we took our seats, put on our vests and headed across to the island. We reached our destination in a good 45 minutes and were once again chauffeured to the open lobby in an open-top bus of the same design. Past the small temple and through the grounds, we made our way directly to reception, where we were greeted by the sound of the traditional gong!

Striking the gong is normally Micha’s job, but the friendly member of staff had quickly jumped the queue 😉

Check-in

We weren’t checked in at reception – that had already been done in the lounge – but were kindly given a refreshing cold towel, a delicious welcome drink and a small welcome snack. We also had to sign a form here, which emphasized the resort’s no-drone policy and threatened us with penalties if we let them fly anyway. That’s really cool, isn’t it!

Once we had cleared up the formalities, a friendly member of staff took us on a short tour of the resort in a buggy and then to our room.

Anantara Koh Yao Yai at a glance

The Anantara Kho Yao Yai just opened in September 2023, making it the latest addition to the Thai hotel brand.

Anantara Hotels & Resorts was founded in 2001 by the Thai hotel group Minor Hotels. The name “Anantara” comes from Sanskrit and means “incomparable” or “unique”, which is intended to reflect the company’s philosophy of offering exceptional experiences. Anantara initially began with luxury resorts in Thailand and then expanded worldwide to destinations such as the Maldives, Bali and Dubai. However, this hotel shows that expansion is also possible on the domestic market.

On the resort map you can see a large main pool (C) and four larger houses near the main pool for the regular rooms and suites. Then another three houses for the family suites (J, K, L, N) and at the very bottom on the beach the beach villas, as well as the lagoon villas at the back of the resort!

The resort may look huge, but in reality it’s really not that big and therefore very nice to explore on foot.

And the special thing about houses I & O is that there is a duplex penthouse villa with its own pool right at the top. It’s a bit like the W Sentosa Island Singapore.

Suite

Due to our GHA Platinum status, we were entitled to a one category upgrade at the Anantara Koh Yao Yai – in this case it would have been the Family Suite. However, as we arrived without children, the hotel wanted to do us a favor and upgrade us by two levels to a Lagoon Pool Villa. Normally, this would have required Titanium status.

Unfortunately, we didn’t like the Lagoon Pool Villa very much and so we went straight to the room category we had actually booked – the suite.

Our suite, number 3305, is located on the third floor.

Welcome

The Platinum status in the GHA Discovery program comes with a welcome gift for most stays and so at the Anantara Koh Yao Yai this consisted of fresh fruits, small pieces of chocolate and because we decided against the villa, the hotel wanted to do us some extra good with a bottle of white wine. Very thoughtful, wow! Even though the wine unfortunately didn’t taste very good and the bottle opener wasn’t provided in the suite, we really appreciated the gesture.

Living- and bedroom

There is a couch in front of the bed with a table and a view of the balcony outside. All of this gives the room a homely feel. And the best thing is that here in the living room you not only have a view of the outside, but because this is a corner room, you can also look to the right towards the Thai- or breakfast restaurant and the pool. That’s really great.

When you enter the suite, there is a kind of open closet on the right-hand side. There is a safe and a hairdryer, as well as a flashlight and an iron. You will also find the ironing board and two bathrobes there. From there you can also go straight over to the bathroom if you don’t want to take the actual entrance next to the shower.

Bathroom

So the bathroom has two entrances, if you like, and there is not only a free-standing bathtub including bath salts, but also a walk-in rain shower, which we always find very good.

Two washbasins had all the amenities you can imagine. From a comb to mouthwash to a nail file, there’s nothing missing here.

The toilet is separated from the bathroom.

Turndown

There is a daily turndown service at the Anantara Kho Yao Yai. While you are out for dinner in the evening, the curtains are drawn, the bed is freshen up and the used towels are changed.

View

The view from the balcony faces east, where the sun kisses you in the morning if you haven’t closed the curtain the night before. It was really great. All greenery, little concrete, lots of palm trees. This is our idea of a modern resort!

Here on the balcony you can also sit at a table or make yourself comfortable in the lounge chair. You can light a small candle to keep the mosquitoes away.

Resort activities

Pool

In the middle of the resort is the main pool, including the adjoining pool bar, which you can also see if you look towards the sea from the open-plan lobby. Here you have a great view of the same and partly also of the mountains. There are a few sun loungers around the pool, but unfortunately not nearly enough to offer all of the resort’s guests a place to lie down.

In this case, however, this is not so bad, as all villas and duplex suites have their own pool anyway and families should normally spend time at the family or kids’ pool. For the remaining guests, however, the sun loungers on the beach or even at the pool should be enough.

Unfortunately, the main pool is a double-edged sword. There is actually a fairly large separate area reserved for families, but unfortunately it wasn’t used by them at all. Instead, the families also used the normal pool. At least during our stay, the main pool was transformed from a place with a relaxed atmosphere and lounge music into an area with screaming children and screaming nannies.

That families use the main pool is basically okay, don’t get us wrong. Families can of course spend time with the children anywhere, but as there was unfortunately no designated area for adults only, it was difficult to find alternative options. The only alternative for all guests who wanted peace and quiet was the beach. However, all the sun loungers there were occupied – certainly for the reason mentioned above.

The situation really annoyed us and so we escalated the situation via the Anantara app, which initially didn’t seem them to be interested in. After a phone call and personal conversations, the problem was accepted and we were offered 100 dollars hotel credit as compensation, but the actual problem was not solved.

As a last resort, we always went to the spa pool from then on. Here the situation was a little more relaxed, but the noise from the main pool next door could still be heard.

Kid´s Pool

The Kids Pool also has an adjoining Kids Club. These can all be found here in the family block, where the family suites are located.

Beach

The beach here at the Anantara Koh Yao Yai was really beautiful and really fine sandy. You can swim and splash around here without water shoes, animals and seaweed. However, if you’re expecting waves, you’ll be disappointed here, but you can walk onto a sandbank at low tide, which you can see in our video.

Gym

You can do intensive endurance and strength training at the gym. Thai boxing courses are also offered here at the Anantara Koh Yao Yai, which also take place here.

Spa

The beautiful spa pool is located on a lower level next to reception in the spa area. This is separated from the main pool by a little greenery, making it a little easier to block out the noise from there.

For the first anniversary of the Ananatara Koh Yao Yai, there was a special offer where you can choose from a wide range from the list, which you can then use for just one dollar! That’s great, isn’t it? Have you ever had an offer like this? Or have you even used this one? Let us know your experiences in the comments below.

We each opted for a 30-minute facial treatment and these 30 minutes could not have been better invested. This experience was great!

Before and after a treatment, you can enjoy the fantastic spa pool and pay a visit to the sauna or steam bath. Of course, the spa pool can also be used without a booked treatment.

Tours

If you are ever on one of the two Koh Yao islands, you should definitely take a boat tour, as we did during our stay at Cape Kudu. The Anantara Koh Yao Yai will also be happy to help you plan and carry out such a tour. The nature around the hotel is really breathtakingly beautiful and it is definitely worth taking a trip.

Specials

In order to be able to explore the small island outside the resort, at least to some extent, the Anantara Koh Yao Yai also provides you with bicycles free of charge, which can be borrowed from reception.

Restaurants

The Anantara Koh Yao Yi has a total of three restaurants and the pool bar. We’ll go through them one by one here:

Pakarang

This is the Thai- and all day dining restaurant, where breakfast is also served. There is an indoor and outdoor area with a view of the main pool. Pakarang is a little apart from the other two restaurants as it is located opposite reception.

Japanese Restaurant

Like the Beach Restaurant, the rather small Japanese restaurant is located in the very south of the resort, on the left-hand side of the resort map. As the name suggests, Japanese delicacies and sushi are served here.

Beach Restaurant

The international restaurant is located right next to the Japanese restaurant in an indoor and outdoor area.

The food here is of a super standard and we can really recommend it. Only the mozzarella was unfortunately frozen on the inside.

Breakfast

Here in the Pakarang Restaurant, breakfast is served as a buffet only option with a small menu of egg dishes, which you can view on the iPad provided and order from the friendly service staff. There is a large selection of dishes that you will also find in other hotels in this price range. Muesli, cakes, egg dishes, cold meats, cheese, salad, fruit, juices, but also various delicacies that you would be more likely to find in the Far East.

Due to our noise complaint, we were seated outside on the second day, far away from the noise. It was very busy at the breakfast buffet and the noise level was correspondingly high – unfortunately similar to our experience at the Kimpton Maa-Lai in Bangkok.

Although we appreciate this gesture, the hotel should pay more attention to quietness in the air-conditioned area or divide the breakfast room into different areas. Because of course we were able to have breakfast in peace and quiet, but also outside in the heat, which ultimately misses the point a little. Because 31 degrees is all well and good if your are in the pool, and rather now if you have breakfast! But of course – it’s a matter of taste and if that suits you, then that’s great!

Check-out

To check out of the Anantara Koh Yao Yai, we walked to the reception with our suitcases. We had called for the pick-up service, but somehow it took too long. There were corresponding faces when we arrived at reception. I mean – the path is a maximum of 200 meters long, you can walk that, but of course the hotel staff are not supposed to let guests bring their luggage to check-out themselves.

Everything was already prepared at reception and we were able to settle our bill quickly and easily.

Costs

For the two nights in the suite category in October 2024, we paid 660 euros including the speedboat transfer. At the time of our stay, it was Golden Week in China and therefore very busy.

Departure and onward journey

We traveled on from the Ananatara Koh Yao Yai to the Small Luxury Boutique Hotel Cape Kudu on Koh Yao Noi. To get there, we had to take a speedboat from the public ferry pier to the northern of the two islands. As a little extra compensation, the hotel driver took us to this jetty.

Conclusio

The Anantara Kho Yao Yai is a beautiful, compact and not TOO big resort on one of the still relatively untouched islands in the Phang Nga Bay. Everything was spotlessly clean, great beach, great suite – we liked the product itself and were impressed. However, our impression was that the hotel had not yet fully found its positioning, because of course they want to please families, solo travelers and couples all at the same time. But they don’t quite manage to do that here. At least not yet.

At check-out, the general manager came up to us, apologized for what had happened and explained that the hotel was still relatively new and was therefore still looking for its niche in the market. It was a bit funny that he described exactly what we had been thinking during our stay.

If you want to come here with a family, then we would say: absolute recommendation. You can also book the Anantara Koh Yao Yai as a solo traveler or as a couple, but then be sure to reserve a villa. Be it the Lagoon Villa, the Beach Villa or the Duplex Penthouse – otherwise you might be just as disappointed at the main pool as we were.

Our recommendation

Yes – but with restrictions! As I said. It depends on the purpose and how many people or children you come here with.

Rating

This is definitely a premium hotel with some room for improvement. If the profile is sharpened in the near future, we would almost be inclined to give the Anantara Koh Yao Yai the label Luxury. After all, a private return transfer included in the rate at such a price, in such a great location, deserves to be appreciated accordingly.

Hotel Homepage

Anantara Koh Yao Yai

We award the Anantara Koh Yao Yai a very good 8 out of a possible 10 points.

We deduct one point for the child noise situation at the main pool and another point because the hotel has simply not yet found its place on the market.

YouTube Review

If you would like to find out more about the Anantara Koh Yao Yai and, above all, get more detailed pictures and original sounds, please take a look at our YouTube review.