GajaPuri Resort Koh Chang

Their beach is subpar. A very narrow strip of sand which disappears when the tide is high. However, the high tide is also the best time for swimming. Most time, it is low tide though. We had to struggle getting into water without falling on slippery stones under foot or get scratched by rocks protruding almost to the water surface. 200 meters walking out and still too shallow to swim. On that beach, water shoes is a must. The facilities are rundown. Grey asphalt paths through the property are depressing, a beach hut was probably built 70 years ago and has no curtains, there is no pool bar and the only restaurant would benefit from remodelling. In spite of occasional issues with plumbing, the villas are adequate, but sound proofing is non-existent. You can hear people talking inside when passing by. Two pools are OK yet unimaginative. The "adults only" water reservoir is more like a puddle of dirty water, so I do not count it as the third. This hotel's management could benefit from learning modern ways to manage the property. First time in 30 years I was not given a choice of refund if cancelled in advance. Once booked, you can only change the dates of your visit. I booked 6 months in advance with no flexibility at all. We have accidentally abandoned a small personal item when checking out. The very next day, I requested it to be mailed with us paying postage on delivery. The management said it was not an option for overseas mail and requested a prepayment of 500 THB by a credit card, to which we agreed . However, the hotel then sent me a "pre-authorization" form in place of a regular invoice. I had to include all of my CC information, plus the name, address and the passport number and sign an agreement for the hotel to charge my credit card with no sum indicated anywhere on the form! When I said this was like signing a blank cheque and requested to indicate 500 THB payable, the hotel had denied my request unless I was willing to sign as is.