Golden Beach Resort

Very exciting place and resort fecilities.

We were unfortunate to travel during low season, which in Koh Rong means 99% rain everyday, by conversations with locals they are fully aware of this yet all bookings and activities are business as usual but cannot be enjoyed, such as snorkling, BBQ boat etc. because of the weather we were stuck in the hotel 90% of the time, there is NO TV (it does say in room amenities, I read too late) so just be aware, specially if travelling with little ones. The pool is not an option because of thunder and lighting. It costs 15USD to get to the hotel from the pier. There is no ATM on the island only one stall that lets you use your card to pay the local then they give you the money, this is charged at 8% 😡 This is important because for lack of internet connection you cant always use card to pay at restaurant for your lunches and dinner, also when you can, there is a 3% fee to do so. All activities must also be paid in USD but old rugged bills are not accepted even if they have been given to you by other traders ib the island or if the bills got a bit wet in the rain, which was a frequent problem.So come with plenty of new dollars or you'll find yourself stuck with little options. the night before check out, we asked the staff to please let the ferry company know we would be taking the 9:30am ferry to Sihakouville (as instructed by the ferry company). We booked a 9:00am return trip to the pier as recommended. However as we arrived the ferry was leaving, at 9:15. We were not the only ones left behind. Some people had a flight to catch later that day and were made to pay another 17USD per person as according to them it was "impossible" to fit them into one of the almost-empty-boats of one of the other many ferry companies, because they dont work together, some families payed up to 70USD to not miss their flight despite it not being their fault. The hotel was standard, for a beach hotel, nice huts, the beds were clean and comfortable and the highlight was definitely the food at the restaurant, over the 4 days, we tried many dishes all of them delicious. I can imagine during sunny season it must be a beautiful location and a beautiful hotel. saying this, I already thought it was overpriced for low season compared to similar hotels in Thailand and Bali, so for me the price you would pay in high season I would not consider it, specially given the whole experience with the ferry and USDs. ☹️

We stayed at Golden beach for 5 nights and loved it. The staff were incredibly helpful, they helped us figure out where to go on the island and how to best use our time! The food was good too. Sok San was a great home base for exploring the rest of the island.

Simply loved it. You can pick out minor areas of improvement if you want (breakfast & WiFi) but really that sounds nitpicking. The staff were BRILLIANT, simply couldn’t do enough. The only problem was wrenching ourselves away after 6 nights 😢