Best value: clean, friendly, electricity all the time
Pros: Maybe the best location in the Railay Peninsula, definitely the best in Tonsai Bay. The premises are well kept and nicely gardened, the staff are exceeding in friendliness and service. They communicate well and organize transport, the hotel restaurant has the best beachfront setting and the food, while marginally more expensive than the options hidden further back, is well presented and good after a day of climbing. Breakfast buffet is very good value, especially if you are a climber.
The room at the main resort is excellent value. Contrary to reports, we had electricity all day almost every day in two separate one week stays in November. Amazing for a cooling afternoon nap when the conditions are too hot to climb anymore. We were warned that electricity would be down between 3-5pm, but I only noticed this 3 times in 14 days, so I think Tonsai Bay is running its own electricity generation.
We received drinking water every day, the beds were made and room cleaned daily, and fresh towels were always available. Scented liquid soap and shampoo is provided.
The room itself is simple, discrete and clean. The double mattress is firm and seemed quite new, and the sheets were smooth high grade cotton. The bathroom has an electric shower for hot water, a nice looking sink, new toilet and its own ventilation. Ive stayed all over Railay and for the price, this set up is great value and very comfortable.
Lastly, if you are a climber, at the doorstep of the resort is the Rock Shop whose owner writes the Thailand guide for rock climbing. He currently has the most comprehensive gear rental on the peninsular, and definitely the best local knowledge on routes which he is happy to share. There is a shop adjacent where you can buy large 6L bottles of water and do laundry. The popular climbers bar under the Tonsai Roof is a short walk around the corner and thankfully out of ear shot, so sleeping at Tonsai Bay Resort was always deep and quiet.
Cons: Not something I didnt like, just something to be aware of:
You need to arrange your arrival and departure by longtail boat carefully. Give yourself margin for error especially if leaving to the airport.
To arrive, it is only a ten minute longtail boat ride from the main Ao Nang boat station. Just tell them you are going to Tonsai Bay.
If you get dropped off on Railay Beach West for some reason, it is a 20 minute walk down the beach, over the peninsula trail, and then up Tonsai Beach to the resort.
To leave, boats need 6 people to depart. You can let the resort staff know in advance and they help to put together a boat with enough people to leave at a specific time. Alternatively, you go to the boat station at the far end of Tonsai beach and wait there until enough people show up to depart - both locals and visitors need to go to Ao Nang every day. Getting there by 8am gives the best probability for a short wait (15-20 minutes). Most people are leaving by 10am. After that, you can pay for a whole boat (it seems to make sense if you are a group of 4+).
If you want to increase your probability of certain departure outside the early morning period, it is best to walk over to Railay Beach West, where the main bulk of boats to Ao Nang depart. Boats need 8 people to leave, and this happens very quickly from 8am onwards all day until 6pm. Average waiting time is probably 10 minutes.