No doubt when this hotel was new it was phenomenal.The pool access room interiors are spectacular, although our room was starting to show signs of needing some TLC in places. The staff could be more friendly and a be a bit more attentive. Most of the time when we asked them questions, it felt like we were bothering them. The swim out of room pool was great, our daughter loved it, even if the water was a bit on the cool side. Unless you get to breakfast early, the dishes of food are often near empty, but in general the local dishes are tasty enough. The hotel seems to cater for mainly Chinese guests, or at least when we were there it did. Overall, it is a small piece of paradise nestled amidst the hustle and bustle of Kata, with lots of restaurants and spa massages nearby. The beach is a 10 minute walk and was decent enough. Word of warning, if you need to use the local taxis, once they know you are staying at Sawasdee, they hike the price of the fare up! All said and done, with some minor renovation and staff training, this hotel would deserve to be rated 5 star.