We spent a very enjoyable six nights at the Racha over the Chinese New Year period in February, 2013. We found the natural beauty of the location (the sea and sand is amazing), rooms, resort amenities, the transport links excellent. Drawbacks were the popularity of the beach and inconsistent standards of service. From the lounge at Chalong Pier, to the speedboat ride to the resort, through check-in at the Racha the process was efficient and seamless. An impressive first impression. Yet our second impression upon arriving into the bay where the resort is located was one of surprise. We had failed to realise that the beach is full of day-trippers and the bay full of boats. At least before about 10am and after 5pm the place empties out again and becomes the lovely, secluded spot we'd hoped it would be. Some people might like the activity on the beach. It's just that the loud music off the boats, the tour guides blowing whistles and shouting, and the crowds wandering around aren't our scene. You can easily escape the din of the beach when you're within the resort grounds. If you don't want the loungers at the edge of the property, by the sand, you could opt for spending time around one of the two pools. The infinity pool overlooking the bay is spectacular. The design and layout of the Racha is gorgeous. I endorse its efforts to be environmentally sustainable....We spent a very enjoyable six nights at the Racha over the Chinese New Year period in February, 2013.

We found the natural beauty of the location (the sea and sand is amazing), rooms, resort amenities, the transport links excellent. Drawbacks were the popularity of the beach and inconsistent standards of service.

From the lounge at Chalong Pier, to the speedboat ride to the resort, through check-in at the Racha the process was efficient and seamless. An impressive first impression. Yet our second impression upon arriving into the bay where the resort is located was one of surprise. We had failed to realise that the beach is full of day-trippers and the bay full of boats. At least before about 10am and after 5pm the place empties out again and becomes the lovely, secluded spot we'd hoped it would be. Some people might like the activity on the beach. It's just that the loud music off the boats, the tour guides blowing whistles and shouting, and the crowds wandering around aren't our scene.

You can easily escape the din of the beach when you're within the resort grounds. If you don't want the loungers at the edge of the property, by the sand, you could opt for spending time around one of the two pools. The infinity pool overlooking the bay is spectacular.

The design and layout of the Racha is gorgeous. I endorse its efforts to be environmentally sustainable. Our villa was well appointed, sizeable, and the outdoor shower was a great touch (we didn't use the inside one once). The room attendants did a very thorough job and turn-down service set nice mood lighting.

The breakfast room was a bit tired. You don't notice that if you manage to secure outdoor tables. The food was decent but not remarkable.

Numerous staff were as attentive and helpful and efficient as you would expect at a top-end resort. I refer specifically to the wait staff. Others were far less competent. We were surprised at the lack of spoken English, to the extent that basic menu ordering resulted in incorrect dishes being brought to us on multiple occasions. Beyond minimal English, a few staff paid little attention to diners and we sometimes had to ask to be given a menu so we could order. I wish to stress that there are very capable employees here. It's unfortunate that some of their colleagues can't keep up.

It is to be commended that young Chinese children playing in the pool know to exit the water when they want to use the toilet. Urinating on the side of the pool, however, is hardly to be encouraged and staff should not tolerate such behaviour.

All the ingredients are here for the Racha to be a really top-notch accommodation experience. More comprehensive staff-training to pull lagging wait staff up to scratch in terms of customer service should be a priority. More openness, e.g. in images of the beach on the resort website, about the fact it's a public beach attracting a lot of visitors wouldn't go amiss.More