Apart from the Holiday Inn Express Krabi, we also spent part of our trip at the Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang, a sprawling resort right across the long Ao Nang sea front. It’s location is superb, with eateries galore along the seafront promenade, and convenient transportation available nearby for both land and sea.
We were warmly welcomed upon arrival, and the girls immediately received an activity book each. Truly a resort that takes care of its little guests from the get-go.
We are great fans of the Holiday Inn brand because it is ubiquitous with value-for-money family-friendliness. In fact, both K and B’s first overseas holidays at 11 months old were both to Holiday Inn resorts. Since then, we have vacationed in no less than 5 different Holiday Inn resorts, this being our 6th. And this latest resort certainly did not disappoint!
The Holiday Inn Resort Krabi comprises two main wings with a total of 173 rooms, out of which about 30 are pool access rooms. This “Couple Wing” below is 8 years old and has a long free form pool that is slightly quieter, since it’s away from the children’s pool.
There was a slightly hidden pool bar at the more private pool at the Couples Wing too, see if you can spot the seats……
The other “Family Wing” is 4 years old, with rooms overlooking two huge pools. We had a Family Wing Pool View Deluxe Room, which overlooked the Family Pool that had large shallow areas for younger kids. This was our view from the balcony.
The Holiday Inn Resort Krabi has pool access rooms in both wings, and the photo below shows how convenient it is for those occupying such rooms to get a dip in the pool at any time of day.
I gave the girls an ice-cream treat at the pool bar on our last day there, and it made their morning. Mangosteen flavoured “ete brand” ice-cream – all natural with no preservatives!
Then it was time to have a great time at water slides. This red one was really slippery and fast! I know because I went on it too, and had the best time screaming and I slid down, haha. There are three slides in total, and the longest and steepest green one is under repair, but should be up and running real soon.
We all had a go on the purple slide, and it was fun enough for us to try again and again…… There was a little yellow giraffe slide too, which is most suitable for toddlers. The kids were thrilled with the pool. And as every wise parent knows, happy kids = happy holiday. Hurrah!
Breakfast with a view
The breakfast venue is spaciously located on the second level, with a splendid view of the sea. Longtail boats cross the shallow bay, their constant traffic a barometer of Krabi’s economic activity.
We have a leisurely breakfast daily, with a good variety of food. One of the great things about Holiday Inn is that kids don’t just stay free, they get to eat free too. Specifically, kids aged 19 and under stay for free when sharing their parents’ room (an extra bed can be added). What’s fantastic for larger families is that when parents dine, up to four kids aged 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn on-site restaurant!
Our kids wake up ridiculously early every morning, whether or not they are on holiday, so we made it to the breakfast area by 7:15am every day, which was great since it was not crowded at all then.
We felt quite spoilt for choice when it came to breakfast. From noodles with great soup that’s prepared on the spot with your choice of ingredients, to eggs however you like it from the egg station. There’s a row of toast and pastries, a selection of hot Asian food, a row of Western breakfast food and even some dim sum. I enjoyed the Bircher Muesli with my added fresh fruits, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
There was also a cold room, which is a great feature that I’ve seen in many Holiday Inn hotels, where sliced fruits, yoghurt, tomatoes, salads and juices are kept fresh and away from pesky flies that are part and parcel of tropical living.
There were ample high chairs, crockery and cutlery for kids, and a visit from a Rilakkuma life-sized mascot (pictured below!) delighted the kids.
Kid’s Club
The hallmark of a kid-friendly hotel is a good kid’s club. And this one got the thumbs-up from these two kids. Just look at the ball pit!
It was spacious, with the view of the bright garden since there was full panelled glass on one wall, and had a wide variety of toys with many different spaces to explore.
Here’s a sample of the activities in a day – the counter staff informed me that children aged three and above can be dropped off too. That’s quite a generous policy, since many other kid’s club I’ve visited require the kids to be at least 5. Shows their confidence and experience in handling young kids I suppose!
Family-friendly Rooms
I found our 64 square metre Deluxe Pool View room with a King Bed really spacious. The sofa bed was easily converted to a bed that’s perfect for kids (since it even has little ‘guard rails’ at the side). 8 year old K found it really cosy and comfortable.
The bath area was spacious with a new and modern design, with quite a large a rain shower.
There are actually 8 types of rooms at this resort, ranging from a pool access room to a Penthouse Suite room, so one can definitely find the room to suit your needs. More details on the rooms and their prices are available right here.
Let’s Relax Spa
Famous Thai spa chain “Let’s Relax” has a branch on the ground floor of the Family Wing too, and has a wide range of treatments.
As for the kids, they found some time to just relax on these cute lounge chairs in the resort.
Cocktail Party Night
6-7pm on Monday evenings is Cocktail Party time where every guest is treated to a cocktail on the house. The hubs had Shandy (Chang beer and lemonade) which turned out to be a good mix, and I had a tequila sunrise.
What I love about the hotel is that it is right opposite the sea front. Not only could we hop on and off longtail boats easily to visit neighbouring isles and beaches, it also meant that we could just cross the road to observe the loveliest sunsets.
On the second day of our stay, it was hot and sunny throughout the afternoon, a precursor to a dramatic sunset.
The sun was egg-yolk yellow, and as it lowered itself slowly behind the cliffs, the sky was awash with hues of peach, cream and lavender.
Our little ballerina struck a pose for the occasion.
We had a splendid stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Krabi, and the kids definitely gave their stamp of approval on this lovely resort! Definitely worth considering a stay here if you plan to head to Krabi.
Note: Thanks Holiday Inn Resort Krabi for the media invite! Our family had a fantastic time.
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