One of the newer links in the chain of hotels along Khao Lak’s Andaman coast is the X10 Khaolak Resort. Having opened it’s doors in November, 2016, the X10 uses straight-lines, modern design, and a simple grey palette to let nature speak for itself. With lovely gardens and a series of pools which lead you to the ocean, this resort was easy on the eyes.
The resort is roughly U-shaped with the parking, lobby, and some hotel rooms at the bottom of the U, pools down the centre, and rooms on either side all reaching towards the Andaman Sea. Upon entering the lobby, you’ll already appreciate the high ceilings, open design, and splashes of colour. After checking-in, we were offered complimentary welcome juices – which we later enjoyed in the Seaside Restaurant. From the lobby, you’ll exit into an open area where you can find a mini market (and beyond that the Kids Club, but more about that later).
Crossing a small street (an access point for the neighbouring resort), you’ll be greeted by pools and a water slide. You can walk the hallways of the buildings to your room or wind through the gardens and pools on the pathways. Around each pool are loungers and umbrellas. These tended to fill quickly with people using the over-sized and wonderfully yellow pool towels to mark their territory. Be out there early or be okay with waiting for a lounger.
There splash pad was a big hit with all of our kids. The adjacent pool is a great depth for kids to get wet and be safe. The other kid pool is located by the Kids Club. All of the pools are relatively shallow and so if you’re taller, be prepared for knee to nipple depths. Our only other note for pools is that there are no stairs leading into any of them. It is ladders only and so if you have mobility issues, please take note of this.
Though not explicitly designed for families, this resort does seem family-oriented. Even the size of the resort felt family appropriate as our 7 and 9 year olds could navigate their way to set places within the resort without us worrying about their whereabouts. It freed us up to help the littler littles and to create trust building moments with our bigger littles.
Khao Lak wants to be explored. Read about it here and then go out and experience Khao Lak.
Our family of 6 (4 kids under 10 years of age) fit well in a ground level, Two Bedroom Suite in the Beach Wing. It was great to stroll from our patio to the pools and back again.
With only one door into the hallway, you enter into the main room. With a rain head shower, sink on the outside of the washroom, well appointed closet, wonderfully stocked tea and coffee bar, bottled water (restocked daily), a larger fridge, and a large bed, this room was a welcome sight. It also has a pull-out sofa bed. In the end, we actually made this room home to our three oldest children.
Passing into the adjoining room, there were two single beds and a baby cot, provided by the hotel. The bathroom in this room has a tub and the sink is inside the washroom. Also of note, the sink is very low – which is ideal for children but rather knee height for adults. If we were using the room as intended, this would have been perfect for our kids. There are TV’s in both rooms, but neither had kids channels and so they were rarely on.
Both rooms have their own patio with 2 chairs, foot rests, and a small table. There was also a clothes rack and so one of our patios looked like a bathing suit drying operation and the other was used for quiet evening moments while the kids slept inside.
These rooms are well thought through with space for luggage, generous towels, slippers, sandals, and some of the biggest pool towels we’ve ever wrapped ourselves in. The pillows said “soft” and “firm” on them and if that choice was insufficient, there was an entire pillow menu to order from.
The X10 features very playful accommodation for families with rooms that have an adjoining kids room kitted out with bunks and bright colours. For us, the two bedroom suite was the better fit, but if you have two kids, this may be the better route for you. We should note, most of these rooms are in the same block as the lobby and therefore on the other side of the small road.
The common areas and the spaces between buildings are designed with purpose. You can relax on open air couches, play a round of table tennis, seek out quiet in the library, or enjoy all the greenery from the winding walkways. You could easily be headed to the pool and stop to take it all in along the way.
The pressure and pains of low tourism (thanks COVID) were felt during our visit. The AC’s in our room needed cleaning and so would turn off in the night. It was a challenge that they tried to fix several times during our stay but never quite got it. We arrived before Songkran (Thai New year and the BIG holiday in Thailand). Those first few days had us in the smaller restaurant ordering from the menu. Food was slow to come and often cold. The AC in the library also did not work for the beginning of our stay there and when they did, there was an odd smell. On our first day the Kids Club was unstaffed. On the second day it was staffed. By the third day it was staffed and they wanted to charge us 150 Baht/hour for our kids to use the Play Station. The batteries in our room safe also did not work, but maintenance was quick to replace them.
As we moved closer to Songkran, guests began arriving in larger numbers and breakfast was moved to The Main Restaurant and was served buffet style. With more customers, we saw the hotel come to life and it gave us a better understanding of what a typical stay at The X10 looks like. Good hospitality is like riding a bicycle – you just get back on again!
Beside the lobby building, the Kids Club has indoor and outdoor spaces tailor made for children. The outdoor areas have sand to play in, a pirate ship to climb on, and balls to kick around. We appreciated the shade as the pools and splash pad are very sun exposed. Inside, there is a play room with ample toys and a TV / game system room. Each day, from 15:00 to 17:00, free popcorn and soda was on offer at The Main Restaurant for the kiddos.
The Main Restaurant, as the name says, is the main restaurant. With a small indoor seating area and a larger outdoor covered area, this space will provide you with views of the pool and water slide. The breakfast buffet had enough variety to keep it interesting during our stay. The Seaside Seafood Kitchen is smaller also had indoor and outdoor seating options. From here you dine alongside a different pool and can catch ocean glimpses through the trees. We enjoyed typical lunch fare outdoors here. The X10 also has a swim-up bar, but it was closed while we were there.
Passing through a line of trees from the pool area, you walk onto Nang Thong Beach. The sand here is brown and ever so coarse. In some places, the sand is even black. It’s not a wide beach, but it stretches most of the coast in the Khao Lak area. The X10 provides complimentary body body boards and kayaks. The waves can be fun, but the surf is often rough here so be careful with your children.
Take a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel gate and you’ll find yourself on the main road for this area. This 4 lane road is wide, with fast moving cars, and seemingly never-ending construction along the sides of it. You can cross it, but be quick, alert, and nimble. There are restaurants and shops along the road where you can grab a meal, buy snacks, book tours, or pick-up any needed items. At night, the road is poorly lit and the walkways are uneven so be extra mindful if it rains while dark.
Looking for other hotel options in Khao Lak? Read about our time at the Suwan Palm Khao Lak Beach Resort.
As a modern and family-friendly property, The X10 could be your next vacation as a tribe. Depending on the state of COVID restrictions, we strongly suggest calling before booking to confirm what is open and what policies are in place.
Too bad not everything was properly when you where at the resort. For the rest it does look like a beautiful resort to stay at.
COVID certainly has created so many growing pains in the tourism industry. We try to extend as much grace as we can. We have no doubt that they’ll get back into the swing of things again and those challenges will be resolved. Like going to the gym again after Christmas!
Looks like a great place to take the kids. Would love to visit someday.
our kiddos thoroughly enjoyed it. Splash pads and water slides are a crowd pleaser. The older two really liked the measure of independence they had there.
omg such a dream! would love to go here as a family!
our kiddos really did like it a lot. As parents, we seem to love places more if our kids love them too.
It looks like you had the place to yourselves! 🙂 Very fancy. I would love to take a trip to some place warm. I am tired of being surrounded by water that is too cold to enjoy! LOL 🙂
COVID travel restrictions have been rough on tourist dependent businesses, but it has been unique for those of us in Thailand to experience places without the crowds. Hopefully you can come and enjoy it soon too!
It was definitely quiet while we were there. Thailand has been in and out of lock-downs for all of 2020 & 2021 so its had a huge impact on tourism.