We stayed at The Emerald for the second time in two years in May, 2011. I'd recommend emailing the resort to get accommodation quotes. The staff are always quick to reply and you can organise airport transfers and pay online. The prices from the manager were better than any I could find on the internet and unlike other resorts, they will offer a genuine quote and a good rate. We stayed at a neighbouring resort in 2009, and The Emerald beat their prices hands down.

We stayed in Villa 16, the same room we had in 2010, which has a private pool, overlooks the beach and is a short walk to the beach bar and grill. We had a lounge room and outdoor shower, but spent most of the time in the pool, at the beach, at the bar or exploring the surrounding area.

The beach bar and grill has a huge menu with food from all over the world, though I'd stick to Thai for taste and value for money. Happy hour is 4pm-6pm and you'll be very happy after a stunning sunset and a few free-pour cocktails. The buffet breakfast is as good as any around the world and the international buffet dinner is designed with families in mind. Again, I'd stick to the beach bar and grill for dinner. The BBQ seafood platter is an experience in itself.

The staff are great fun and always happy to have a chat. You'll make friends in no time – hello to Nui! Yes, there is the occasional problem with the language barrier, but this has absolutely nothing to do with the staff being rude or incompetent. As one of the cheeky locals said to me, "you don't have very good English!" These things happen, and no one is at fault.

There’s heaps of little bars and restaurants within walking distance of The Emerald. Try Mr Tiger’s Tiger Bar – literally 10m from reception – and Mr Paub’s Elephant Bar. You’ll also find everything from Thai food to pasta. The more you walk the cheaper it gets, so check out some of the places along the main highway. Don’t be put off by what you see from the outside, these humble kitchens turn out the best Thai food you’ll ever have.

The Emerald has an ATM and Turtle Mart next to it and there’s a money exchange up the road. There’s the usual array of shirt, suit and massage salespeople trying to get a bit of business, but they’re all good natured and enjoy a joke. There’s probably five tailors in the street, compared to 500 in Phuket. Khao Lak is not your stereotypical Thai holiday. You won’t get The Hangover experience here, but that’s not to say you won’t wake up sore and sorry. Thai beer packs a punch and at AUS$1 each it’s kinda hard to say no.

You can rent a car and drive to the tsunami memorial, elephant treks, White Sand Beach, golf courses, waterfalls and national parks. Driving can be a little daunting at first, but after 20 minutes you’ll have the local road rules – or lack of – sorted and be on your way. Tours can take you to James Bond Island, Krabi and beyond. The Emerald has a free daily shuttle bus to the city centre, where you’ll find produce markets, restaurants, bars, convenience stores and souvenir shops.

All in all, The Emerald was the perfect place for a value-for-money holiday. Travelling in low season means even better rates and fewer guests – there were about 50 people in the entire resort when we stayed in 2011 – but low season coincides with wet season, so you’re rolling the dice on the weather. It's well worth it though.

My wife, two year old son and I stayed here for two nights earlier this month. We had a number of issues with the place and certainly wouldn't recommend staying here.

The first issue was that our key card stopped working a few times a day and we had to walk back to reception (in a different building) each time to get a new one reissued. The one time we phoned from the poolside phone and asked somebody to drop a replacement down, they said they would do so and then didn't bother turning up. Judging from previous reviews, this is an ongoing issue.

The other, and far more serious, issue is that upon check-out we were asked to wait while housekeeping checked our room. We were then accused by the reception staff of having stolen a number of items from the room, namely an umbrella, a torch and a glass. We assured them that these items were not in our room upon arrival, but they insisted that we had stolen them and were going to have to pay for them. The staff were rude and confrontational. After 10 minutes of arguing with them, our two year old son started getting upset, so we just had to walk away. The calm manner in which the staff accused us of stealing suggests that this isn't the first time they've done this to guests. Perhaps they try this trick every so often to try to wrangle a few extra Baht from guests, so be warned.

This was by far the worst and most offensive we've had in three months travelling through Malaysia and Thailand. Avoid this place.

We were a little nervous after reading bad reviews on trip advisor, but were pleasantly surprised. Set on a lovely beach, the resort pools are great for children, the grounds are well maintained and staff were helpful. The breakfast was good and for $50 per night per room we were very happy with our choice to stay. We were upgraded on arrival to family rooms which overlooked the pool. There is a good choice of restaurants outside the resort and there is a free shuttle bus into Khao Lak central each day, just make sure you book a place early.

Had a two week stay at the Emerald over Songkran. Having read mixed reviews I was a little pessamistic however the price we paid vs the stay did not warrant it at all.

The Hotel is located on a sandy stretch of beach with a number of restaurants and bars in the near vicinity. This is a laid back resort area and attracts older couples and families. Not suited to those looking for nightlife. Check in was smooth and we were escorted to our rooms. These were lagoon view and overlooked beautiful gardens. The room was large, clean and well appointed with a nice balcony, ideal for evening drinks. It had a fridge which was unstocked but the hotel has a minimart attached so no problems. Rooms were well cleaned and aircon very efficent. Only downside for me was the bed was too firm.

The hotel has two restaurants,one near the beach and the second where breakfast is served up near the lobby. Breakfast was good with a variety of fruits, cold cuts and an omelet station however did lack Thai food as the hotel mainly caters for German and Scandinavian guests. Food at the beach restaurant from the A La Carte menu was good and tasty. There was a happy hour from 4-6 with drinks at a 50% discount.

The hotel has two pools. One on the beach and the second near the lagoon with slide. The later was quieter but did not benefit from the sea breeze which was welcomed mid day.

Staff in the hotel were very friendly and we had no issues in communication. The surrounding area has a number of restaurants and bars inc Italian, Seafood, Indian and Western. There were a few bars where one could drink to around 01:00.

All in all I would certainly return to the hotel and I would like to say the Khun A, who speaks excellent English was always pleasant and helpful.