Having been bumped from our chosen hotel the Phu Petra, we had the misfortune to stay at the Pavillion. I am not sure which of the; 6 inches of stagnant water in the basement, or the mould on the Walls or indeed the holes in the ceilings made us dislike this hotel the most. On reflection I think it was probably the blood on my 4 year olds sheets that clinched it. This is the worst hotel we have ever stayed in. As for the gym and the spa, the damp Walls and mould would mean you were less healthy after using the facilities than before you visited. I would rather sleep on the beach.

The suite we had booked was nothing but a disaster. Big holes in the floor in all rooms, windows that could not be closed, no working security-lock on the door, broken handles on furniture with sharp edges, bad cleaning and to top it up, a large construction site outside our balcony. We stayed for one night and then moved to another hotel. We have been in Thailand many times before and stayed at far cheaper hotels than this with a much higher standard (and with a lower ranking as well).

Chose this hotel because we wanted a sea-view!Arrived at night to be shown our room...and I can't describe our feelings of disappointment as we walked out onto the balcony and looked down onto at least 3 construction sites!!

Shown 3 different rooms on different sides of the hotel and wherever you stay you cannot escape the construction...I wish that someone had written how bad it was before we decided to book it!

Good points: The pools - there are 3 pools...very attractive to look at and the first two are about 25 meters and 12.5 meters respectively.Quite nice for swimming BUT be warned there are no steps to enter or exit the 2nd level pool so if you dont want to hoist yourself in and out from the side of the pool then just focus on the top level pool!Very quiet when we stayed so were able to enjoy the pool to ourselves!

Sea-view: if you lie or sit on the bed and look straight out then you do indeed get a sea-view....unobstructed by the cranes and construction.. the hotel has a good location to see some of the unusual shaped islands and you can see the longtail boats making their way out to sea!

Location: You are about a 5 minute walk downhill to the main strip...not a bad walk and you can take tuk-tuks from in front of the hotel and back again for 20 Baht per person.The hotel offers a free shuttle service down to Ao Nang beach about 5 times a day...we didn't use this though

Reception staff: Very friendly and accommodating on the whole.

The Montra Spa: We had 1 treatment at the spa in the hotel..right now they are offering a good deal on treatments...the spa is located on the 1st floor and the treatment rooms are indoor so you don't really get any of the noise from the construction sites..it was adequate BUT yet again the staff were not particularly enthusiatic or professional..there are so much better places to go for spa treatments!

Bad points: Construction: I would say that this will be a problem for at least another 6 months....I guess that many of the hotels hope to be completed in time for the peak season....but that is highly unlikely and because this hotel is on the top of the hill there seem to be many more possible sites for further construction in the future.I would strongly suggest that you use something like google earth to try to check exactly what the situation is for your hotel or choose a hotel which is near the main strip or on the beach side..in this way I think at least you know that nothing is being built in front of you!

General decor: This hotel needs a good lick of paint and has certainly seen better days..it is not 4 star by any stretch of the imagination!The other reviews were right....if you see certain areas at night the hotel can look quite impressive BUT do not look too closely in the day-time...everything is stained and worn,the buildings are in need of painting and the windows need cleaning!Towels are provided for use around the pool..BUT again they were ripped and torn and a very poor quality!

Breakfast: When we stayed the choice was extremely poor..there is a chef on-site to cook your eggs how you like them BUT the accompanying foods were not appetising at all!!!On the 2nd day they thankfully changed the system and decided to cook all the Thai/Asian options freshly in the kitchen..this was the best food we had at the hotel!The restaurant has an outdoor seating area and it does give you rather nice views out to sea....this would be a plus point when the construction work is fully completed!

Overall: I would say that if you find a really good deal for this hotel and want to stay for a couple of days and plan to be out for most of the day then it might be adequate...but there are far better options in Krabi at a much lower price than the Pavilion.We would like to go to Krabi again at some point BUT we wouldn't choose the Pavilion again!

Spa tips: Take a tuk-tuk to use the Chaonang Spa at the Vogue Resort..another world...a wonderful spa experience...the price is a lot higher BUT you get what you pay for!

Boat trip tips: You can join a number of tours to see the islands BUT if you want a little more freedom then take a tuk-tuk down to Ao Nang beach and hire a longtail boat privately..you can do so for about 2000 Baht to cover the 5 islands off Krabi..you can take as long as you like and do what you like!

It was a very good price that I got this hotel, so was concerned. But I rate it as one of the most memorable hotels I have stayed in (and I generally stay in the likes of the Sheraton, 4 seasons, Taj, etc). The service was very friendly and the value for money was superb - the first hotel in the world where you can eat and not feel fleeced. Great view from the room and huge rooms. The place was not luxurious, but really gave you a comfortable at home feel. Only slight downside is that it is a good 10 min walk to the beach and main shopping area.