La Vela Khao Lak - SHA Extra Plus

I stayed at La Vela for two weeks during low season. The hotel is directly on the beach, at the end of a street dotted with small shops and restaurants that are decidedly better and much cheaper than the ones inside. The complex is built from stone, wood, metal and immersed in a tropical garden, giving it a minimalist, eco-friendly atmosphere. It has banned single-use plastics and provides two free glass water bottles per day, which you can refill in the public areas. Breakfast is a real banquet held at the Spice Cafe, elbow-to-elbow with tropical birds. It's truly spectacular - honestly one of the best I've experienced at a hotel of this level. There's an entire room just for 20 types of breads, pastries and brioches; two huge buffet lines where they make soups, noodles and every possible egg dish you can imagine on the spot; a sushi corner; a station for hot and cold beverages. In addition to the Spice Cafe there is a bar with a library (which makes great coffee and terrible cakes, even though they look nice) and a restaurant and cocktail bar on the beach. The hotel has two beautiful pools plus one near the beach. It also offers a small gym, a fabulous spa, a skate park, equipment for water sports (for a fee), free beach towels, and a daily program of free soft activities like yoga on the beach, which I highly recommend. The room was equipped with every possible comfort: a beautiful tub on the balcony (not a hot tub), a walk-in shower, a huge bed that was almost as tall as me, a minibar area with a large fridge and kettle, wine glasses and various amenity kits. You can adjust the lighting with a panel. During the day you can hear some noise from the nearby hotel under construction, at night just the music of the waves. Outside the hotel, as I said, there are many shops and excursion stands. I also recommend taking a taxi to the most beautiful beaches, since the one at the hotel is a bit disappointing. The staff is incredibly kind and helpful.

Valen