Phanom Holidays from AU$1,480

A genuinely beautiful hotel surrounded by dramatic mountains and lush greenery - so stunning that I’ll be returning next year! I genuinely want this hotel to succeed, so I’m sharing some constructive feedback that I hope management will address as the hotel matures. The biggest areas for improvement are room cleaning/maintenance, service and the restaurant. Room cleaning was surprisingly disappointing, and despite being a new hotel, my room already had several scuffs, chips and scratches which is a huge shame as these are beautiful rooms and what guests see most. Staff were kind, caring and well-intentioned, but there often seemed to be more staff than guests, but still confusion in the service at times. The restaurant prices felt a bit high for the quality, and the mandatory 10% service charge is naughty when guests have no realistic alternative options and have already paid to be there. Service could also be much more polished (even just assigning one member of staff to always serve that table would cut down much of the staff confusion). Separate drink/food/desert menu too. Would love to see a poolside drinks/food service, a small gym, a better snack selection, laundry notifications when items are ready, clearer airport transfer information and WhatsApp communication with reception. Overall, a fantastic hotel with enormous potential and I really enjoyed my stay. With a few operational improvements, it could easily become one of the standout places to stay in Khao Sok.