Railay Phutawan Resort - a pampering stay above the cliffs of Railay

Some hotels are worth booking for their rooms, and some hotels where the real experience begins the moment you step out of the room.

Railay Phutawan Resort was one of the hotels we loved most on our trip to Thailand. Not because of an especially luxurious room, but thanks to the combination of a breathtaking view, a wonderful pool, an excellent restaurant and service that made us feel we were staying somewhere far more upmarket than the price suggests.

The hotel sits on a hill in the Railay area of Krabi, surrounded by tropical greenery and the striking limestone cliffs that define this part of the coast. Its elevated position gives it an exceptional view, but it is also one of the things to take into account before you book.

For us, it was one of the best choices of the trip, and a hotel we would happily go back to.

What you should know about Railay Phutawan Resort

The pool - one of the main reasons to choose the hotel

The pool at Railay Phutawan is one of the things that make the hotel so special.

It sits on the upper part of the grounds, facing green hills and impressive limestone cliffs, with a sense of space and quiet that is hard to find at hotels inside a crowded tourist area.

It is the kind of place where you do not have to do much to enjoy yourself. Just pick a seat facing the view, order something to drink and stay put.

We really loved the atmosphere around the pool. There was pleasant music, you could order drinks, and during our stay there were also offers on some of the drinks.

But more than anything, it is the view that makes the difference.

Railay is famous for its limestone cliffs, and here you can enjoy them from a different angle, above the trees and the buildings, without giving up the comfort of a pool and a proper place to sit.

For us, this was one of the best spots in the hotel.

The restaurant - excellent food facing one of the most beautiful views in Railay

If the pool was one of the reasons we loved the hotel, the restaurant was another reason to want to stay in.

The restaurant looks out over the area's spectacular scenery, and the atmosphere is especially romantic.

We clearly remember how much we enjoyed sitting there, not only for the view but also for the food.

The food was excellent, and the prices felt reasonable to us for the experience we got. There was no sense that we were paying over the odds just because we were eating in a hotel restaurant with a nice view.

That matters, because at many hotels the restaurant is mainly a convenient option for anyone who does not want to go out. Here, for us, it was a significant part of the stay.

Even though there are plenty of restaurants in Railay, you do not always feel like leaving the hotel in the evening, especially after a long day on the beach or out exploring.

At Railay Phutawan we enjoyed being able to stay on the grounds, eat a good meal and take in the view and the atmosphere.

Breakfast - a great start to the day

Breakfast was another pleasant surprise at the hotel.

The spread was generous and varied, with plenty of options for putting together a meal to suit your own tastes.

We especially liked that it never felt like a basic breakfast meant only to give you something small before heading out for the day.

Real care had gone into the choice and the experience, and sitting in the restaurant area with that lovely view made the mornings even nicer.

If you avoid gluten or prefer to cut down on it, check with the staff which dishes are suitable and what contains gluten. A varied spread does not guarantee that the kitchen caters for coeliac disease or guards against cross-contamination.

The service - the feel of an upmarket hotel

One of the things that impressed us most at Railay Phutawan was the service.

Right from check-in there was a sense that someone had thought about the small details: a welcome cocktail, refreshing cold towels and staff who treated us courteously and professionally.

These are fairly small gestures, but they make a wonderful first impression.

Throughout our stay we felt the staff genuinely made an effort to give us a good experience, rather than just dealing with requests mechanically.

They were warm, the service was attentive, and the overall experience reminded us of hotels at a higher level of hospitality.

We are not saying this is a five-star hotel in terms of every facility or every room. But in terms of how we felt as guests, the service and the experience in the public areas were of a very high standard.

And that was a big part of the excellent value we got for the price.

The rooms - simpler than the facilities suggest

Here it is important for us to set expectations.

If you only look at the photos of the pool, the view and the restaurant, you might expect especially luxurious rooms.

In reality, the rooms at Railay Phutawan are simpler than the standard of the public areas.

That is not necessarily a major drawback, but it is definitely worth knowing in advance.

For us, the hotel's value lay in the experience as a whole: the view, the service, the pool, the restaurant and the atmosphere.

The room was mainly the place we came back to rest and sleep, while the public areas were what made us fall in love with the hotel.

During our stay our room arrangement also changed after a problem came up with the booking, and we were given an upgrade and a credit. So it is important to distinguish between the room type we originally booked and the room we stayed in once the problem had been sorted out.

Our recommendation is not to rely only on the photos of the pool and the view, but to look carefully at the photos and details of the specific room category you are booking.

The location - an amazing view, but you have to climb up to it

Railay Phutawan's location is both one of its great strengths and the main drawback worth knowing about.

The hotel is built on a hill above the central part of Railay, and getting there involves an uphill walk.

On the one hand, this is exactly what gives it the lovely view and the feeling of being slightly removed from the bustle.

On the other hand, at the end of a long day, after hours of walking in Thailand's heat and humidity, the climb can be tiring.

In our experience, the walk from the food market area was relatively short, under ten minutes, but bear in mind that it is not a flat walk.

During our visit the hotel also ran a shuttle at certain times, which made getting around easier. Check the service and the current timetable with the hotel before you book.

We felt comfortable walking around the area, but anyone who struggles with slopes, is travelling with small children or prefers to step out of the room straight onto the beach should take the location into account.

To compare the areas to stay in Railay: Where to stay in Railay - Railay West, Railay East or the hill

The hotel is not directly on the beach, so it suits people who are happy to walk a little in return for the view and the quiet.

Value for money - one of our biggest surprises

We stayed at Railay Phutawan at a time when demand for accommodation in Railay was high, and prices in the area were a major factor in choosing a hotel.

We wanted to find somewhere that would let us enjoy a pampering resort experience without paying the prices of the most luxurious hotels in the area.

In hindsight, we felt we had made an excellent choice.

We got a spectacular pool, an exceptional view, a good restaurant, a generous breakfast and wonderful service.

True, the rooms were not the most luxurious part of the experience, but for us that was a gap we were happy to accept.

We preferred a hotel that offers such a pleasant experience in its public areas, even if the room itself is fairly simple.

Of course, hotel prices vary with the season, the room type and when you book. So compare prices for your own dates rather than assuming you will get the same value we did at any time of year.

Who would we recommend Railay Phutawan Resort to?

Couples looking for a romantic break: the view, the pool and the restaurant create a wonderful atmosphere for a couple's holiday, without having to book a particularly expensive luxury hotel.

Anyone who loves pools with a view: if you want to spend part of your holiday at the hotel itself and not just go out to the beaches, the pool is a significant advantage.

Anyone who values good service: for us, the staff and the hospitality were among the strongest parts of the experience.

Anyone looking for good value for money: if you are willing to compromise a little on how luxurious the room is in favour of the public facilities and an impressive view, this is definitely a hotel worth looking at.

Who is it less suited to?

We would not choose it for anyone who struggles with slopes or needs especially easy, level access.

It is also less suited to anyone looking for a hotel right on the beach, or for whom a luxurious, modern room is the most important part of the holiday.

In those cases we would suggest looking at other options in Railay.

Would we go back to Railay Phutawan Resort?

Absolutely. Without thinking twice.

There are hotels we remember for one outstanding detail, but at Railay Phutawan we loved the whole experience.

The pool facing the cliffs, the restaurant with its romantic view, the food, the breakfast and the attentive service all added up to a truly pampering holiday.

Even taking into account the climb up to the hotel and the fairly simple rooms, these are not things that change our recommendation.

Railay Phutawan Resort is one of the hotels we loved most in Thailand, and one of the first places we would look at if we went back to Railay.

It showed us that a pampering stay does not have to begin and end with a luxurious room. Sometimes it is the view, the people, the food and the atmosphere that turn a hotel into somewhere you never forget.

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