The ShellSea

We stayed in 8 different hotels on our trip throughout Thailand and this was by far the most expensive and most disappointing g. The hotel was a very nice hotel, but for the price and location I would not stay here again. This hotel was 2.5X more expensive than the hotel we stayed at in Ao Nang beach, so I was expecting a whole lot more luxury and service. It is out of the touristy area and not easily accessible to anything local in Ao Nang. Save your money and book someplace else.

Shell Sea is a beautiful new resort away from the bustling crowds. The beach is private and clean. The staff was terrific. So why the "but?" The food was a big disappointment. You expect it to be pricey at an expensive resort, but that quality should match. It wasn't. We ended up buying food at a Thai restaurant in Ao Nang and asking the hotel to heat it up for us in the morning for breakfast. Although the breakfast buffet had lots of choices, the unripe fruit wasn't replenished when they ran out. Also, the internet can be improved so you don't have to log in every time you turn on your computer.

A beautiful property, with a few operational kinks to work out. While I would highly recommend it, patience will be of value. Also...the hardest bed I've slept in, in some time. Free paddleboarding was nice, and the two pools give some variety.

Amazing property, great service.

We stayed for 4 nights in April and overall had a nice time at the resort. It's obvious that everything is still quite new and in great condition, the room was sizeable and nicely decorated. The two swimming pools are quite big and two restaurants provide options for lunch and dinner. There is also a beautiful beach in front of the resort and daily activities offered by the resort can be used if you want to be active. However there are some elements, which are not quite 5 star. The AC units in the room are fairly noisy, which shouldn't be the case in a brand new resort that's positioned at the high end of the market. F&B is quite expensive, but the quality is rather average. The team in the resort are certainly friendly with the desire to create a nice experience for all guests, but some seem to lack experience. For example, you'd expect a 5 start resort to organise a motorbike on your guest's behalf rather than advising them to get to AoNang to find one. Services such as the shuttle service to AoNang are great, but the schedule is not ideal. If guests want to have dinner in AoNang, they would need to take a shuttle at 7.30pm with the only option to return at 9pm or take a taxi later at their own expense. It should rather be a 6pm shuttle with a 9.30 or 10pm return option. Overall a nice and comfy place, which could be even better with some improvements over time.