Watercolours

We spent nine very enjoyable days at Watercolours in Koh Chang in February 2026. This was our first visit to Thailand, and after the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Watercolours was a peaceful and welcome change of pace. It took us a little while to write this review, as it wasn’t easy to put into words how much we enjoyed our stay. The property has the feel of a quiet retreat, with a small, boutique charm that sets it apart from larger resorts. From the moment we arrived, Thanya’s warmth and personal touch made everything feel easy and welcoming, and her team were consistently helpful, friendly, and natural throughout our stay. Our room was spotless, thoughtfully designed, and very comfortable, ideal for a longer stay. The quiet surroundings made it easy to fully relax and sleep well each night. The food was simple and very good, and we really appreciated Thanya’s local recommendations. The riverside deck was a highlight, a calm place to sit and watch life on the water, and the location made it easy to reach the beach with a short canoe ride. We also enjoyed having the canoe to explore the river and surroundings.

The only minor downside was the access road, which is a bit basic and uneven in places. It wasn’t a major issue for us, but something to be aware of when walking into town. A bonus, though, was seeing a troop monkeys along the road.

Tout, très bon accueil, très calme, l’emplacement, le personnel charmant et très prévenant, les chambres très agréables

Tout etait bien

Disponibilité et gentillesse du personnel, établissement très bien placé entre la mangrove et la plage. Idéal si l’on veut se reposer et être au calme.

Tout était très bien

We booked five nights, looking forward to staying there and meeting the previous owner, Eric, who had received stellar reviews. However, we were disappointed when we arrived and were made to feel unwelcome by the new management who had taken over the hotel just about one week prior to our arrival. Upon arrival, we were exhausted after a long transit and asked the receptionist to confirm we booked the twin room with a private balcony. She informed us that the room we booked did not come with a private balcony and that the description online was incorrect. We felt it was reasonable to ask if the management could consider a discount, to which the owner, Lina, offered to cancel the booking and refund the room, but it was high season, so we decided to stay in fear of not being able to find alternative accommodation on short notice. Lina then offered to request a credit from Bookings, which we agreed to. Instead, she gave us 1000 baht, and we expressed our gratitude for this. Later, we asked for a bucket to handwash our clothes and inquired about the availability of complimentary beach towels. We were told there was a 30 baht rental fee for the towels, so we used our own. Later, we heard a sound in the bathroom that sounded like someone having a shower, and when we checked, we found that the bidet hose was spraying water everywhere. We reported the issue to the receptionist, and the matter was resolved. That evening, we went to a shared seating area by the river to have a quiet drink, but Lina's husband Usev informed us that we had to buy drinks from them to have them in the communal area, so we returned to our room as per his wishes. Out of respect we then thought it best to ask if it was OK to smoke in the shared areas, and were told it was fine.

The next morning, Lina accused us of breaking the bidet hose and implied that we were lying about not misusing it, concluding that our handwashing was the cause (we hadn’t even used the bidet hose for this). She demanded that we pay 500 baht for the repair and admit fault. We paid for the damage in attempt to avoid further conflict, but refused to admit fault for something we did not do. However, Lina continued to accuse us of being terrible guests who looked for faults and of taking advantage of her. We started to feel unwelcome and eventually asked if she wished us to leave, to which she said no. However she continued to make accusations which felt unfair, unnecessary, and unhelpful such as comparing us to children adding that we were guilty until proven innocent, that she was not happy we had our own drinks on the terrace (despite us being unaware about this implied rule), and that we probably took her towels, which we didn’t. In the end, we stayed for only one night and left, feeling disappointed that our stay had been ruined by the new management's attitude. Our day was lost to this negative experience but we just feel lucky to have found another place to stay where we feel welcome despite having to pay more money at the last minute to feel comfortable. Finally Lina and Usev agreed to refund the balance of the nights unstayed. However, If you do choose to stay here, beware that if anything goes wrong you could be blamed and have to pay for something you didn’t do. It feels that your stay will be dependent on the new management’s judgement of you. We are seasoned travelers, having mostly great experiences with accommodations we have booked, and we try to leave fair and accurate reviews. This was our worst experience in many continuous months of traveling, as well as over the years.