My Experience Staying at Irene Resort in Koh Lipe in 2024

Irene Resort is one of only a handful of luxury resorts in Koh Lipe, but does it live up to the price tag? Read my full review to find out whether it’s worth your money

Usually the one to be sat at home at the start of the year, jealous of friends who had decided to book a trip somewhere sunnier, this year I decided to change that.

I’m spending the first few months of 2024 on a bucket-list trip around Asia, and I’ve dedicated an entire month to exploring Thailand.

My search for places less touched by tourism led me to K oh Lipe, a small island in the Andaman Sea, often dubbed the “Maldives of Thailand”.

I spent two nights at the recently opened Irene Resort, ideally located on the most beautiful beach on the island.

So if you’re planning a trip to Koh Lipe and considering a stay at Irene Resort, I’ll cover everything you need to know in this review.

My stay here was gifted, but all opinions are my own. I don’t accept stays in places I wouldn’t pay for myself, and I write honestly about the experience I had.

First impressions

After a very long journey from Krabi to Koh Lipe, I arrived on the island a little fed up. But that soon faded away when I was greeted on the beach by a member of the team at Irene, who helped me with my bags and drove me to the resort, which is less than 5 minutes from the pier.

I reached Irene Resort in the middle of happy hour, and there was a great atmosphere throughout the hotel. Guests were enjoying drinks at the swim up bar, the sound of dance music filling the air.

I was welcomed with a refreshing cold drink and ice cream, and then shown how to use the hotels app. Everything you need can be found here, including the very handy option to speak directly to staff through a live chat.

For someone who loves a fairly hands-off approach to service, this was a very welcome addition.

It’s hard not to be impressed when you arrive here, the hotel is immaculate, with a beautiful restaurant, large swimming pool, and views over the ocean.

Where is Irene Resort?

Irene Resort is in Koh Lipe, a small Thai island close to the Malaysian border.

Located on Sunrise beach, you’d be hard pressed to find a hotel with a more idyllic setting. This was my favourite beach in Koh Lipe, with powdery white sand, bright blue water, and long-tail boats lining the shore.

Unsurprisingly, the sunrises here are spectacular, and people flock from around the island to catch one, so being able to watch it from bed is amazing.

Everywhere in Koh Lipe is walkable, and Walking Street (where the majority of restaurants, bars and shops are) is just 10 minutes from the hotel, but they’ll drive you there free of charge until 9pm.

Getting to Irene Resort

Koh Lipe’s location near the Malaysian border means the journey can be quite long, depending on where you’re arriving from.

In peak season, speedboats run daily from the surrounding Thai islands like Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket.

If you’re travelling from Bangkok, you’ll need to fly to Hat Yai or Trang, and then take a minivan or bus to Pak Bara Pier, which is the main gateway to Koh Lipe. From Pak Bara, catch a ferry or speedboat to the island.

But once you’ve arrived on the island, it’s just a short walk (or an even shorter drive) to the resort.

Tell me about the hotel

The resort opened in 2022, and is one of only a handful of luxury resorts in Koh Lipe. There’s 16 villas, each with a private pool, as well as a main swimming pool, swim up bar, and a “Med-Asian” restaurant.

There isn’t a gym at the resort, but there’s a free shuttle service to their sister hotel if you’d like to use one.

Room categories at Irene Resort

Irene Resort has three room types available: a Tree Pool Villa, a Sand Beachfront Pool Villa, or a Sun Beachfront Pool Villa.

TREE POOL VILLAS

The Tree Pool Villas are the cheapest rooms available at the hotel, starting from £375/16,982 THB per night. They’re very spacious, with a large bedroom and living area, separate bathroom with a bathtub, and a private pool and decking area. There’s also a second floor with a stargazing platform.

The clues in the name that these rooms sit amongst the trees, so they aren’t on the ocean, but you’re only a short walk away from the beach. It’s worth considering though that they are set back slightly from the actual resort, and there’s a rather unappealing building site that separates them from the hotel.

sand beachfront pool villa

The Sand Beachfront Pool Villas are the smallest rooms at the resort, but they still feel incredibly spacious. They’re laid out differently to the Tree Villas, with the bathroom at the back, a living area in the middle, and the bed at the front to benefit from views over the beach.

Doors lead out to your decking, where you’ll find a private pool, a spacious daybed, table and a chair. You also have direct access to the beach with these rooms, through a side passageway next to the room. Room rates start at £434/19,654 THB per night.

sun beachfront pool villa

The Sun Beachfront Pool Villas are the most expensive room category at Irene Resort, with rooms starting from £493/22,326 THB per night.

They have a similar layout to the Sand Villas, but with the addition of a private garden at the back, and an ocean loft with sea views. You also have a private pool in these rooms, but it has a glass panel along the front, and you have direct beach access via steps down from your decking.

My room at Irene Resort

I stayed in a Sand Beachfront Pool Villa, and my initial impressions of the room were overwhelmingly positive.

There’s more than enough space for two people, a large, comfortable bed, a widescreen TV with Netflix, a well stocked minibar, and a spacious bathroom. And I’d challenge anyone not to be impressed with the views, you’re looking out over one of the most beautiful parts of Koh Lipe.

After getting settled in the room, a team member arrived with cocktail ingredients and prepared drinks for me to enjoy on the sun deck – a very welcome start to my stay.

The views over the ocean are beautiful, and aside from a small stretch close to the shore that’s open to the public, the majority of the beach is private for guests of Irene Resort.

For a hotel of this price point though (these villas cost around £500 a night), I felt as though not enough attention was being paid to the details.

The wardrobe door was bent, the blinds in the bathroom were broken in some places and the bed on my sun deck was fraying and ripped.

The main pathway to the villas runs behind the bathrooms, so if you wanted to open the blinds, you’re directly overlooked. When the blinds are shut, the room is very dark.

Food and drink

Unfortunately, I found the food at Irene Resort to be very hit and miss. On my first night I enjoyed a lovely dinner on the beach to the backdrop of the hotels resident musicians (they have live performances every night here which really adds to the atmosphere).

There’s a good selection of Thai and Western dishes, and I ordered the Beef Salad with Mango Dressing and Chicken Pad Thai. Both were good, but they didn’t have the level of refinement I’d expect from a 5* hotel.

For breakfast, you’re only able to choose from a set menu, with 8 different options, each one including a main dish such as an omelette, vegetarian tacos, or a fry up, as well as fresh fruit, yogurt and toast.

On my first day I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and I had several issues with my food – the toast was barely cooked, my order wasn’t correct, and the ingredients didn’t look fresh.

I ordered room service on my second morning, which took an overwhelmingly long time to arrive, but it tasted much better, so I can only assume that it was cooked fresh, and on the previous morning it wasn’t.

Things to do at Irene Resort

There’s plenty to keep you entertained at Irene Resort, although I spent the majority of my stay relaxing by the pool, they offer a great range of experiences.

KAYAKING + PADDLE BOARDING

The hotel has paddle boards and kayaks available to use free of charge (there is a surcharge if you want to rent the clear kayaks), perfect for exploring the incredible waters around the resort.

SNORKELLING + SCUBA DIVING

Koh Lipe is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park, made up of 51 islands and renowned for its clear turquoise waters and diverse marine life, so it’s the perfect place to go snorkelling or scuba diving.

Irene Resort provide snorkelling equipment if you’d like to discover the vibrant marine life near the hotel, and they can also help arrange a scuba diving trip.

PAINT BAR

Take some time to relax at the beach café, where you can spend an afternoon painting.

MASSAGES

During my stay I had a massage in my villa, which was the perfect way to unwind.

I normally find it quite hard to switch off during a massage, but having one in the comfort of your own room was so relaxing I ended up falling asleep.

PRivate dinner UNDER THE STARS

Customise your own menu and enjoy a romantic dinner under the stars, either on your private decking in your room, or on the beachfront.

Service at Irene Resort

The service at Irene Resort was mostly good, but there were some areas that need improvement.

Whilst most team members were friendly and helpful during my stay, there were a couple of instances where I felt as though I was inconveniencing them by asking for something (simple things like arranging a taxi into town).

During breakfast service, there was just one team member running it alone, and there simply weren’t enough staff members to deal with the number of guests.

This meant that tables were left cluttered with dirty plates for a long time, making the beachfront seats (where most people want to sit), unusable.

Things I’d ordered were forgotten about, and I had to ask quite a few times before I received them.

Would I recommend a stay at Irene Resort?

Despite being one of the only 5* hotels in Koh Lipe, I think Irene Resort still has work to do before it can command its current price tag.

Whilst there are things that make this a brilliant choice for your trip to Koh Lipe – the location is unrivalled, the rooms are spacious, and the private pools are an excellent addition, both the service and food is inconsistent.

The hotel has a lot going for it, and I’m hopeful that once it makes some improvements, it’ll better reflect its price point.