Again we had a wonderful stay at the Merlin Beach, this is the first xmas stay we have had but really enjoyed it. Have to say nice to see the rooms had been updated and refreshed and all the pool umbrellas have been replaced also. And a really cool little pool slide has been installed which my husband really enjoyed as he is a big kid... Over xmas and new years they have evenings to celebrate, my only complaint is that they are aimed towards the Scandinavians and not much in english so we lost interest but i guess you go with the crowds. anyway still a great hotel and it never let us down thanks again merlin we loved our holiday again!!

Stayed at the Merlin Beach for 10 nights from the 23rd of December. It is a big resort about ten minutes out of Patong Beach. Location is great - nice and quiet away from noisy Patong Beach, but still close enough to get into twon easily. There is a shuttle that runs at certain times there and back. However coming back is not as regular, so very easy to get a taxi - abot $A10 for the trip back to the hotel.

The resort has three pools. Pool 1 and 2 could get very noisy - lots of kids and families. Pool 3 a lot quieter. Even though there was signs up saying you couldn't reserve sun lounges, everybody did it. A bit frustrating at times, when people just dumped towels on the sun lounge and didn't actually use them for hours at a time.

Food was available in variety of locations within the resort at reasonable prices - make use of the discount card - because by the end you could save 35 per cent of each bill. Breakfast was plentiful and included in the rate.

The service is generally good, however could be very slow at times. if you have children wanting to be fed at specific times, i would go a little earlier than originally planned, in order to be fed at your preferred time. You need to show patience as well when ordering - you don't aways get what you want first time around. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Rooms were clean and spacious. Could have done with an iron in the room, but understand this relates to employment and the rates for getting ironing done were quite reasonable. Would though prefer to do it myself as sometimes things only need a quick press and you need to allow a whole day for the ironing process.

The spa facilities on-site were lovely. Very professional and hygienic. We also tried the massages available on the beach - a lot cheaper andf absolutely fine, but atmosphere wasn't the same as the on-site venue.

We were there for new year and the resort put on a fantastic night - lovely food and entertainment. For families it was a nice and safe way to celebrate the new year.

You can't swim at the beach - very rocky. There is a beach though opposite the resort (Tri Trang) about a 5- 10 minute walk which looked very nice - we only discovered it on our last day.

On the whole, Merlin Beach is a great place to stay and would recommend it. If you were perhaps on your honeymoon or wanted quiet time - perhaps the busy christmas/new year time wouldn't be ideal as there weren lots of children and families.

Stayed here with my husband, daughter and grandson and agree with all the reviews - loved every moment of it. Worth while getting a swim up room as so convenient. Used the day spa and a bit expensive - but we are on holidays and it was worth every cent!!
Breakfasts need to be changed as after a week - bit sick of the same food everyday.
Positive side - loved being away from Patong Beach and staying at Merlin Beach Resoirt- Patong Beach just too hectic.
Beware of the scammers - especially the taxi drivers and of being pick pocketed - only take to town the money you need. It is a shame that this still goes on and you cannot go out without your drinks being spiked or being robbed or assaulted. I think it is time that the Thai authorities really look closely at this as it will deter the tourists from coming here. My choice is Koh Samui over Patong Beach as it is not as commerialised and busy but you can make a choice and just stay at the Merlin Beach resort and relax and stay away from the bars.

We visited the Merlin for the 3rd time in September 2011and stayed 10 days. The warm welcome we received made us feel like we had come home. The staff are always friendly and smiling and this makes you feel very relaxed. The rooms as always are cleaned daily and cannot be faulted and the pools are just beautiful. We had very lazy days where we ate breakfast late which lasted most of the day. Little Tiger up the hill was the pick of the local restaurants this time although it was hard to choose between Windsurf, which has been completely upgraded since last visit and Tri Trang Beach restaurant. All have fantastic food and drinks at very reasonable prices. The massage ladies on the right hand side of the beach were fabulous and do your washing for a fraction of the resort price. We used the shuttle service to visit Patong Beach for shopping and night time trips and if we missed the shuttle back a tuk-tuk will cost around 250 baht. Bangla Road is a must see after dark!! Friends were staying at the same time and we had the most amazing tuk-tuk ride with stereo thumping back to the Merlin. We had our doubts about getting there due to the fact we had 8 people in the back and a very steep hill to climb but our lady driver was awesome. We used a private driver from the front of the resort to take us on day trips around the island. This is a great way to go as they have inside knowledge on places to visit. We made a trip to the butterfly house which was lovely. We will definitely return to the Merlin again as we like being away from the hustle and bustle of Patong. All in all we had a great stay and must thank our special barman Em for befriending us and remembering every drink we liked. All we had to do was catch his eye put up our hands and the drink was on its way.