Pros

  • Secluded beachfront location close to Khao Lak’s shops and restaurants
  • Spacious rooms with soaking tubs, outdoor spaces, and tasteful decor
  • Some rooms have private pools; beachfront bungalows have pleasant sunset views
  • Wet-edge infinity pool with whirlpool area and several loungers
  • Two restaurants serving Thai and international cuisine
  • Well-maintained gym is open 24/7 and has sea views
  • Beautifully designed, open-air spa
  • Meeting facilities available
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout the property
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Cons

  • Beach can be dirty and swimming isn't possible in the rainy months
  • No elevators and many steps around the resort
  • Spa treatments and spa staff not up to par
  • Breakfast area gets crowded, and it's difficult to get a table
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Bottom Line

The luxury, 95-room Moracea by Khao Lak Resort has spacious, well-designed rooms in a secluded location that's about a 10-minute walk to restaurants and shops in Khao Lak town, and a short taxi ride to nearby markets. Discretely built into the hillside amid a jungle setting, the resort affords relative privacy, while the beachfront bungalows offer pleasant sunset views. The numerous pools are also popular, though the spa gets poor reviews for both the quality of treatments and the staff's limited English. Restaurants serve a variety of breakfast dishes, but finding a table in the morning can be difficult. While the beach is pleasant in high season, it's less so during the rainy months when it's sometimes dirty, and erosion-prevention measures mean unattractive sandbags along the beachfront's boundary. Be aware that there are no elevators in the resort, and the numerous steps might pose a challenge to those with limited mobility. Travelers looking for a more intimate boutique property could try the Chongfah Beach Resort.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Moracea By Khao Lak Resort

Scene

Elegant, grand design throughout -- though unattractive beachfront in low season

The Moracea by Khao Lak Resort is designed in a contemporary Thai style and offers relative privacy thanks to its hillside location amid a jungle setting. The two restaurants make the most of open-air sea views, such as the Malila's imposing grand-stand-style pavilion, with a fountain centerpiece. And the wet-edge, infinity pool is fringed by grassy areas and traversed by a wooden bridge. The lobby uses the resort’s characteristic high-beamed ceilings to good effect. Its black-and-white checked floor tiling and black and dark-wood furnishings are spruced up with bright upholstery and cushions in shades of yellow that match the exterior of the villas; the lobby’s large pillar structures add more grandeur to the space. As expected, the Moracea seems to draw a lot of couples on a romantic getaway. It's worth mentioning again that the low-season sandbagging does detract from the otherwise pleasant views here, and the beach also gets somewhat dirty in the rainy months, making swimming impossible. 

See More Scene

Location

Secluded, almost isolated, but a 10-minute walk to local restaurants and shops

The Moracea is a 10-minute walk to Khao Lak town’s restaurants and shops, and a short taxi ride away from nearby markets, though the setting is somewhat isolated. The resort offers a beachfront location, though swimming is not possible during the off-peak wet season. Phuket Airport is about a 70-minute taxi ride away.

See More Location

Rooms

A variety of room choices, all with generally chic, airy, and spacious designs

Allamanda Pool Villa Rooms are elegant and spacious, and make the most of plentiful natural light, with white walls, crisp white linens, and navy-blue upholstered furnishings. Rooms come with flat-screen TVs, and elevated daybed seating reached via steps. Hanging lanterns, decorative tile, and headboards with Asian latticework add attractive regional touches. In the bathrooms, dual vessel sinks are topped with Venetian-style mirrors, and massive freestanding tubs and roomy walk-in showers complete the look. On the balconies, another navy-blue sofa sits in the shade with a low table, and there are sunbeds too; steps from the balcony provide access to private infinity pools.

Hibiscus Deluxe Rooms are much like the Allamanda Pool Villas, but offer more space, and the bathroom doors open fully to create one attractive large space. There is corner day seating by the window, while the balconies have small tables and chairs, but no pool.

Terra-cotta tile flooring adds to the muted tones of the Jasmine Superior Rooms, where triptych artworks and bamboo furnishings bring in warm regional touches. Bathrooms are less attractive and less modern than in other rooms, with built-in bathtubs and overhead showers, and single sinks and the toilets are in the same space. Balconies are the same as those in the Hibiscus Deluxe Rooms, with a mix of garden, sea, and pool views.

The Zeavola Deluxe Bungalows blend neutral walls with plenty of dark wood on the ceilings. The built-in concrete wardrobes are also more design-conscious than the closets in the resort’s other rooms. Terra-cotta floor tiling complements the white linens and the cream sofa that fits snugly into an alcove by the window. The overall feel is something akin to that of a country cottage. Bathrooms have built-in corner bathtubs with handheld showerheads, plus chic, modern walk-in rainfall showers -- though toilets aren't separated from the rest of the space. But large vintage-style mirrors, vessel sinks, attractive tiling, and windows with garden views give the space a sense of elegance. The bungalows are set in lush gardens along a path to the sea, with balconies similar to those in the Hibiscus and Jasmine Rooms, though from the exterior the dark-wood doors and tinted glass admittedly look dated. That said, these rooms offer great sunset views.

All rooms come with safes, mini-fridges, tea kettles, but on our inspection, only the Allamanda Pool Villas had a coffee machine. Note that loud wildlife noises can be heard from some of the hillside rooms -- meaning a beachfront location might be preferable for light sleepers. Guests also complain about a lack of storage space in rooms and towel rails in the bathrooms.

See More Rooms

Features

Great pool and 24-hour gym; poor spa, and mixed reviews on restaurants

The hotel's best feature is its beautiful, open beach, although swimming isn't possible in the rainy season. As an alternative, the long and pleasant wet-edged infinity pool has plenty of chic, modern sunbeds and parasols, and also has step access into the water. The pool includes an area with whirlpool-style jets. The Baimai spa is wonderfully designed -- the lounge area alone features beautiful tile flooring, high-vaulted ceilings, and orange-upholstered seating, and it's open-air on all sides. But it gets poor reviews for its herbal treatments, whirlpool, sauna, and wet and dry rooms. The well-maintained gym is open 24 hours, and has pleasant sea views. The hotel has two restaurants -- the Malila for Thai cuisine and the Kumpun for international fare with a focus on seafood --  which get mixed reviews. The resort has meeting facilities for up to 220 people. Free, reliable Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

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Things You Should Know About Moracea By Khao Lak Resort

Also Known As

  • Khao Lak Resort

Address

26/20 M.7 Petchkasem Rd, T. Khukkhak, Khao Lak 82190, Thailand

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

Moracea By Khao Lak Resort

Scene

Elegant, grand design throughout -- though unattractive beachfront in low season

The Moracea by Khao Lak Resort is designed in a contemporary Thai style and offers relative privacy thanks to its hillside location amid a jungle setting. The two restaurants make the most of open-air sea views, such as the Malila's imposing grand-stand-style pavilion, with a fountain centerpiece. And the wet-edge, infinity pool is fringed by grassy areas and traversed by a wooden bridge. The lobby uses the resort’s characteristic high-beamed ceilings to good effect. Its black-and-white checked floor tiling and black and dark-wood furnishings are spruced up with bright upholstery and cushions in shades of yellow that match the exterior of the villas; the lobby’s large pillar structures add more grandeur to the space. As expected, the Moracea seems to draw a lot of couples on a romantic getaway. It's worth mentioning again that the low-season sandbagging does detract from the otherwise pleasant views here, and the beach also gets somewhat dirty in the rainy months, making swimming impossible. 

See More Scene

Location

Secluded, almost isolated, but a 10-minute walk to local restaurants and shops

The Moracea is a 10-minute walk to Khao Lak town’s restaurants and shops, and a short taxi ride away from nearby markets, though the setting is somewhat isolated. The resort offers a beachfront location, though swimming is not possible during the off-peak wet season. Phuket Airport is about a 70-minute taxi ride away.

See More Location

Rooms

A variety of room choices, all with generally chic, airy, and spacious designs

Allamanda Pool Villa Rooms are elegant and spacious, and make the most of plentiful natural light, with white walls, crisp white linens, and navy-blue upholstered furnishings. Rooms come with flat-screen TVs, and elevated daybed seating reached via steps. Hanging lanterns, decorative tile, and headboards with Asian latticework add attractive regional touches. In the bathrooms, dual vessel sinks are topped with Venetian-style mirrors, and massive freestanding tubs and roomy walk-in showers complete the look. On the balconies, another navy-blue sofa sits in the shade with a low table, and there are sunbeds too; steps from the balcony provide access to private infinity pools.

Hibiscus Deluxe Rooms are much like the Allamanda Pool Villas, but offer more space, and the bathroom doors open fully to create one attractive large space. There is corner day seating by the window, while the balconies have small tables and chairs, but no pool.

Terra-cotta tile flooring adds to the muted tones of the Jasmine Superior Rooms, where triptych artworks and bamboo furnishings bring in warm regional touches. Bathrooms are less attractive and less modern than in other rooms, with built-in bathtubs and overhead showers, and single sinks and the toilets are in the same space. Balconies are the same as those in the Hibiscus Deluxe Rooms, with a mix of garden, sea, and pool views.

The Zeavola Deluxe Bungalows blend neutral walls with plenty of dark wood on the ceilings. The built-in concrete wardrobes are also more design-conscious than the closets in the resort’s other rooms. Terra-cotta floor tiling complements the white linens and the cream sofa that fits snugly into an alcove by the window. The overall feel is something akin to that of a country cottage. Bathrooms have built-in corner bathtubs with handheld showerheads, plus chic, modern walk-in rainfall showers -- though toilets aren't separated from the rest of the space. But large vintage-style mirrors, vessel sinks, attractive tiling, and windows with garden views give the space a sense of elegance. The bungalows are set in lush gardens along a path to the sea, with balconies similar to those in the Hibiscus and Jasmine Rooms, though from the exterior the dark-wood doors and tinted glass admittedly look dated. That said, these rooms offer great sunset views.

All rooms come with safes, mini-fridges, tea kettles, but on our inspection, only the Allamanda Pool Villas had a coffee machine. Note that loud wildlife noises can be heard from some of the hillside rooms -- meaning a beachfront location might be preferable for light sleepers. Guests also complain about a lack of storage space in rooms and towel rails in the bathrooms.

See More Rooms

Features

Great pool and 24-hour gym; poor spa, and mixed reviews on restaurants

The hotel's best feature is its beautiful, open beach, although swimming isn't possible in the rainy season. As an alternative, the long and pleasant wet-edged infinity pool has plenty of chic, modern sunbeds and parasols, and also has step access into the water. The pool includes an area with whirlpool-style jets. The Baimai spa is wonderfully designed -- the lounge area alone features beautiful tile flooring, high-vaulted ceilings, and orange-upholstered seating, and it's open-air on all sides. But it gets poor reviews for its herbal treatments, whirlpool, sauna, and wet and dry rooms. The well-maintained gym is open 24 hours, and has pleasant sea views. The hotel has two restaurants -- the Malila for Thai cuisine and the Kumpun for international fare with a focus on seafood --  which get mixed reviews. The resort has meeting facilities for up to 220 people. Free, reliable Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Mini Bar (with liquor)

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Spa

  • Supervised Kids Activities

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.