Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi — A Rooftop Infinity Pool over the Andaman and the Karsts
If you've ever scrolled past a photo of an infinity pool whose edge seems to spill straight into the sea, with limestone karsts rising out of the bay behind it and stopped to look twice — there's a good chance it was Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort. The selling point is right there in the name: the resort sits on a rise above central Ao Nang, which is exactly what gives the rooftop pool and the sea-facing rooms their open view across the Andaman and the karst islands. At the same time you're only a few minutes' walk downhill to Ao Nang Beach, the restaurants and the boat pier — quiet-resort views without cutting yourself off from anything. Guests put it plainly in their reviews: they come for the pool and the view, and that's the part Avani genuinely delivers.
Avani Ao Nang Cliff opened around 2014 and runs under the Avani brand within the Minor Hotels group. What sets it apart from the row of beachfront resorts in Ao Nang is its clifftop position, lifted above the main road, which buys it a high vantage over the sea that same-price properties down at street level simply can't get. There are 178 rooms across four main types — the standard Avani Room, Superior, then Sea View and Superior Sea View, where the balcony faces straight out to the water. Most rooms have been refurbished and run roughly 40–48 sqm, which is comfortably spacious, each with a balcony and a sitting area. Guests who book the sea-facing side tend to say the price difference earns its keep.
The real headline act is the rooftop infinity pool, where the water's edge lines up with the horizon and the sea beyond it. Early in the morning the surface goes still and mirrors the sky, with the karsts in the middle of the bay sitting there as a backdrop — it's the spot guests photograph most. There are two pools here, the main infinity pool and a second Orchid pool, which keeps things from feeling crowded even on a busy day. Sun loungers and a poolside bar ring the deck, so a cold drink at sunset is an easy thing to organise. Plenty of reviews land on the same word for the view — 'wow' — and once you're standing there, it's not hard to see why.
Guests describe it best: "They got in the pool early before the crowd — the water was so still the edge looked joined to the sea, with the karsts off in the distance. They sat in there for an hour and didn't want to get out."
The main restaurant is The Cliff, which handles both the breakfast buffet and dinner. It's an open-air space catching the breeze, with the sea and karsts visible through the trees, and breakfast on the cliff edge is something a lot of guests single out. There's a made-to-order egg station and the Thai desserts pick up frequent praise. To be honest, food is the one area where reviews don't fully agree — some love the spread and variety, others find a few sections (the Indian counter gets named) fairly ordinary. If you want a change of scene, the walk down into Ao Nang opens up a huge choice of restaurants, both seafood and street food, at friendlier prices than dining in the resort.
Location is the advantage that's easy to underrate. It's a 5-minute walk downhill to Ao Nang Beach, and right in front of the resort sits a small plaza with a McDonald's, Starbucks, a bank and a convenience store all in one spot. From Ao Nang you can pick up a longtail boat to Railay, Koh Hong or the islands easily, with the pier close by. The trade-off worth knowing: the resort is on a rise, so the walk back up is a steep one — though there's a buggy shuttle running guests up the hill. Krabi Airport, for reference, is about 30–40 minutes away by car.
The Trip.com score sits at 8.5/10 from 173 reviews, with location rated highest at 8.8, followed by cleanliness at 8.5. The honest feedback that recurs, and is worth knowing before you book, includes music from the bars on the road side carrying late at night (around 10–11 pm), which on some nights reaches the front-facing rooms. A few rooms — particularly those that don't catch much sun — can smell a little musty with some damp on the walls, which is a familiar issue in tropical seaside buildings. And some guests feel the high-season rates climb higher than they should relative to other options in Ao Nang. These are real points to weigh before committing.
On price, Avani Ao Nang Cliff starts around ฿2,700/night for a standard Avani Room in low season, which is genuinely accessible for a sea-view resort of this kind. Sea View rooms move up to roughly ฿3,800–4,500, and the Superior Sea View with the most open outlook runs about ฿5,500. The larger Avani Pool Villa with its private space sits well above that. High season (November–April) and long weekends push rates up noticeably, so book 3–5 weeks ahead and compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com every time — the gap between platforms can run several hundred Baht in some windows.
The bottom line: Avani Ao Nang Cliff works best for travellers who want Andaman sea views and a rooftop infinity pool in a spot that's still walkable to the beach and Ao Nang's restaurants. It's strong value for couples and families who prioritise atmosphere, photo-worthy views and central convenience over full-on 5-star polish. If you do book here, spend up for a Sea View room — the view is the whole reason people choose this place, so it's worth experiencing properly.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Sea views and infinity pool genuinely beautiful, especially mornings and sunset
- ✓ Great location — 5-minute walk to Ao Nang Beach and restaurants
- ✓ Rooms spacious and clean; the sea-facing side is worth the rate
- ✓ Attentive staff, buggy shuttle up the hill
- ! Bar music from the road side reaches front rooms late at night
- ! Some rooms that don't get sun can smell musty
- ! A few breakfast sections feel ordinary for the price
- ✓ Rooftop infinity pool framing the karsts is the signature of the place
- ✓ Central Ao Nang — quiet on the cliff, convenient down below
- ✓ Sea-facing room balconies are easy to relax on all day
- ✓ Close to the pier for Railay and island trips
- ! Resort is on a rise, so the walk up is steep (buggy helps)
- ! High-season rates climb — worth comparing against alternatives
- ! Some internal walking means going up and down a few levels
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — request a room on the inner side or a higher floor, away from the road → front-facing rooms can pick up bar music on some nights around 10–11 pm. Packing earplugs is a sensible backup.
- 💡If you're here for the sea view specifically — book a Sea View or Superior Sea View directly → some standard rooms face the garden or hillside rather than the water, and the price difference is worth it when the view is the reason you came.
- 💡If musty smell bothers you — ask for a room that gets sun and run the air-con for a while after check-in → in a tropical seaside building, some rooms that don't catch sun can feel damp. You can ask to switch if it's not right.