We stayed a week at the Tropicana resort and had a great week. This was our first trip to Koh Chang so we don't have much to compare with but I would classify it as an ok/good mid-class resort with a good pool and good beach. We stayed in a second floor suite which was very spacious and clean and the children each had their own bed.

Our children - 4 and 6 years old - loved the pool and the beach (for us adults a less shallow beach would have been preferred) There is small channel that goes out next to the resort that is exciting for the children to play at, just beware of current when the tide comes and goes + there are some obstacles on the bottom to look out for. The kids can paint plaster figurines by the beach and there are also kayaks, ping pong and darts available. Staff is friendly and helpful but the resort is too big/too much staff to really get to know any of them.

There are lots of beach chairs and some pool chairs, would be enough for all guests but unfortunately the hotel (as many hotels) allow reservation of chairs so this means almost all chairs are already taken by the time you get to breakfast and half of them remains reserved but unused during the day. There is sort of a a remedy however in the fold away sun chairs that are available. We would usually find a single pool or beach chair and add a fold away chair and we would be ok without having to get up with the rest of the crowd to reserve chairs at sunup.

Other resorts and restaurants are close by, just a few minutes of walking on the beach or up to the street. On the street there is the usual - laundry by the kilo (at resort laundry is by item), a 7 eleven, dive centers, travel agents but no shopping.

We stayed in Tropicana 6 nights. We got upgraded to Grand Deluxe room that was absolutely fantastic! The room was close to the beach which is hotel private and very clean.
Before our journey we read a lot of average/bad opinions about the hotel but now I would not agree with anything bad written about the hotel. This place is very romantic, very convenient, you can use spa on the beach, they help you to book your trips.
Breakfast was OK - nothing special but fair enough.
Dinners are a bit expensive in this resort but within 10 minute walking distance, you can go to the main street and there you will find at least 5 very good restaurants.
I would definitely recommend this resort to everyone. In my opinion it is generally one of the best resorts on the island.

Typical resort type holiday destination, based around artificial landscaped gardens and regimented accommodation blocks. Popular for families in school holidays and with plenty of arrogant and aggressive nouveau-riche from former Soviet states. Staff generally helpful but notably unsupportive should any disputes arise. Sewage smells pervade several areas disturbingly close to the restaurant. Internet access v.unreliable with no refund. Definitely overpriced by normal Thailand standards - seek better value elsewhere.

We have been to AANA, to Amari, to the Spa Koh Chang and now to the Tropicana Resort. Overall reviews were ok, but I was afraid that it will be one of those large faceless resorts catering for huge groups of moderately well-off tourists from Eastern Europe or Scandinavia. This time I had my old mum and my overworked sister with us, so we wanted this to be the ultimate cure for them - and it was management (they must be laughing at me by now).

room. We booked a room in a block (around $130), but you can have a more expensive villa. Is it worth it? Not to me. I went to look at it and it was only slightly larger, however if you get the right position, it can be very romantic - at the sea side or facing a charming canal. The room was reasonably large and reasonably well appointed. The touchy moment was when we discovered that there are no shelves or drawers to put clothes in. There were also only 5 hangers for myself and Brian, however when the receptionist saw my displeasure, they supplied an extra table and 20 hangers. My more patient sister, Olga, took a girl scout attitude and unpacked on the floor in the closet. This was the only dark cloud in our 8 day long stay, however I do hope they will stop taking the mickey and fit some shelves in. After all it is not a dirt cheap guest house. The bathroom was fine, and there was a hot shower with a very good pressure, always a nice surprise in hotels. The balcony was large and comfortable and there was enough light to read - another luxury that we, the reading travellers, can't get enough of. Just a week before Tropicana, I was getting blind in the Heritage Silom in Bangkok and writing for the 8th time to the

The cleaning standard was fine, staff was friendly and helpful and a never ending stream of towel arrangements on beds was mind-boggling. I can never decide if I should start discouraging staff wasting time sculpting swans and elephants from a large number of towels and serviettes, covering them with flowers. Am I the only person who thinks that a set of snow white towels in the bathroom is so stylish....?

The swimming pools. Tropicana has two lovely pools. My favourite is the furtherst from the sea, a large Turkish-style basin boasting several jacuzzis with strong jets, which were positioned in just the right places and which you can switch on and off individually. A genuis design. After 6.30 this pool was lit from inside and there were never many people around it. My sister and I swimming alone mentioned to each other that this is as private Hollywood as you can get without being Angelina Jolie.

The pool near the sea is also lovely, and although it does not reach the Amari's 50m Olympic stretch, it is of a reasonable size and has an infinity edge which allows you to look at the sea and the sunset. The kids pool is not far enough, so when one 8 years old girl decided to bark as a dog for a couple of hours - we were not able to escape, but then most of the time she was sitting quietly painting plaster rabbits (sold by the pool) in green and purple colours.

Good news - there are enough sun beds everywhere and there is natural shade under the trees.


The room. We booked a room in a block (around $130), but you can have a more expensive villa. Is it worth it? Not to me. I went to look at it and it was only slightly larger, however if you get the right position, it can be very romantic - at the sea side or facing a charming canal. The room was reasonably large and reasonably well appointed. The touchy moment was when we discovered that there are no shelves or drawers to put clothes in. There were also only 5 hangers for myself and Brian, however when the receptionist saw my displeasure, they supplied an extra table and 20 hangers. My more patient sister, Olga, took a girl scout attitude and unpacked on the floor in the closet. This was the only dark cloud in our 8 day long stay, however I do hope they will stop taking the mickey and fit some shelves in. After all it is not a dirt cheap guest house. The bathroom was fine, and there was a hot shower with a very good pressure, always a nice surprise in hotels. The balcony was large and comfortable and there was enough light to read - another luxury that we, the reading travellers, can't get enough of. Just a week before Tropicana, I was getting blind in the Heritage Silom in Bangkok and writing for the 8th time to the Quiet pleasant traders pass by to the delight of Russian tourists who call them to their beds, then sit for hours in large circles choosing cheap beads or sarongs. Exactly at 12 noon there is a commotion related to the first happy hour of the day (12 - 2 pm). We all dutifully bought fruit shakes at B93 for 2 (about a dollar per glass).

The sea and the beach. Tropicana is in a middle of a large bay with hills behind and a few big rocks sticking out of the water in the distance. The landscape is absolutely beautiful. The Klong Prao beach stretches for miles in both directions, it is empty and is full of natural life - dogs running, shells and little stones are varied and interesting, tides are in and out, palms are hanging in the water and there is sand to walk on looking at unpopulated resorts here and there.

Sunsets are dramatic, so you need your camera between 5.30 and 6.30pm, to photograph the changing by the minute sky and sea, clouds and birds. It is difficult to imagine a better beach. We have been to the beautiful and boring deep sands of Caribbean, to Australia, Papua New Guinea and South Africa, Philippines and the Mediterranian. I loved the Tropicana beach most of all.

However, if you want to wade into the water without cutting your feet on sharp stones, move a 100 metres to the right, the bottom is much smoother. You can try and test all the resorts along a couple of miles - jump into the Dewa and the Amari pools, have a look at the Panviman's manicured lawn, at the huts of KP resort, sit under the blue umbrellas of Barali, pick at everyone's spa and partake in happy hours from place to place.

Massage. I am a massage junky and my mother and sister are new converts - we had at least a massage a day. Thai massage is B300, oil - B400 - all excellent. All masseuses are good and several are outstanding, among them Bua and Pinpan. The women work from 8am to 7pm (yes, insane) but I was delighted to see them busy, they deserve their seasonal fees. Have manicures and pedicures, but beware of facials. Both varieties satisfy Thai dream of having a completely white face, so if you are planning to boast your sunned cheeks in the snow of London and New York, do not let the whitening masks ruin your expensive tan.

If you would like to read more of this story please go to the full version on my travelpod site
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lenay/1/1265843599/tpod.html. There are a lot pictures there too.

There is another story about Tropicana there called "Tropicana and their cats"
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lenay/1/1265843249/tpod.html.