Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach

Loud, happening, and fun is what the Holiday Inn here is all about. There are three monster-size swimming pools; almost everyone at the resort will be at one of them for most of the day. The kids' pool, with its large waterslides and waterfalls, is the busiest. The adjacent adults-only pool has a more mature vibe -- its pool bar has seats right in the water, so guests can keep cool while they drink. While the spacious open-air lobby houses a restaurant and great chill-out bar, most guests just head across the street to watch the magnificent sunsets from the beach. It's a pretty casual hotel, well-maintained, and clean. A holiday vibe pervades -- there's little formal attire, and a whole lot of noisy fun going on. 

The Holiday Inn Krabi Ao Nang Beach has a quiet setting in the middle of Ao Nang Noppharat Tara Beach Road, right across from the beach. It might sound perfect, but the beach area here is nowhere near as nice as the sandier spot at the eastern end of Ao Nang. That location is also where most of the restaurants and shops are, and it is at least a 15-minute walk from the Holiday Inn to get there. Taxis and tuk-tuk transport wait outside the hotel. Locally, there are some great seafood restaurants and bars nearby, and gorgeous sunsets over the water. Even though the hotel is right on the beach road, it quiets down here at night, so traffic and noise isn't much of a problem for sleeping. 

There is a tremendous selection of room types here. Guests can choose between the Couples Wing and the Family Wing. Both wings have rooms overlooking one of the many pools, and they all come with free Wi-Fi, rainfall showerheads, flat-screen TVs, daybeds, and mini-fridges. For total opulence, the Penthouse Suites offer about 900 square feet of space, while the Kids and Family Suites are almost as large, and offer some novel setups such as kid-size sinks and showers. All the rooms include great views of the pools below, and in the Couples Wing, some rooms have direct access into the swimming pool.

It's all about the swimming pools here at the Holiday Inn. There are three of them, all big, with the standout being the kids' pool, which has large waterslides, waterfalls, a playground, and an incredible amount of shallow swimming space. If it gets too frantic here, the couples pool is a quieter option, with some of the rooms offering direct access right into the water. There are also several fun pool bars here, where one can sit on a stool in the water and enjoy cocktails. In addition to the water bars, there is also an open-air bar adjacent to the lobby for sunset drinks. 

As the resort caters to families and children, there is a large indoor/outdoor kids' club here that is stocked with games, arts and crafts, and staff-supervised activities. There is also a fitness center and spa. The Inn Asia is the resort's only restaurant, mainly used for the included breakfast buffet, but it also offers all-day dining overlooking the sea across the street.