Club Stella is easy to mistake for a kids club when you first see the games, but that is not really what La Solaya Khao Lak has built. It’s an indoor game cafe and social lounge for hotel guests, with everything from Mario Kart and PlayStation to pool, air hockey, board games, coffee and cocktails.

That makes it useful for a much wider mix of guests than families with young children.

Teenagers Are an Most Obvious Fit

Teenagers can be difficult to impress with standard resort activities. A colouring table or children’s pool is not going to keep them busy for long. Club Stella makes much more sense for that age group. PlayStation, Mario Kart racing stations, arcade games, pool and air hockey give teenagers somewhere they can spend time without feeling like they have been sent to a kids club.

For families staying several nights, that can be genuinely useful, especially during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Families Can Use It Together

The space is also designed for families rather than separating children from adults. Board games, table football and the other competitive games are easy things for parents and children to do together. That gives families an indoor option when everyone has had enough sun or the weather turns.

La Solaya says Club Stella is suitable for children, teenagers and adults, so parents do not need to treat it as a drop-off activity. It can simply be somewhere the family spends an hour together.

Adults and Groups of Friends

The cafe and drinks side is what stops Club Stella feeling like a children’s playroom. It serves coffee, tea, smoothies, milkshakes, bakery items, cocktails and mocktails, so adults can sit down with a drink while other people play. Friends can also use the pool table, board games or gaming stations themselves.

For a group travelling together, it is a casual place to meet before dinner or spend some time when nobody feels like going back to the room.

It Is Handy When the Weather Changes

Khao Lak is a beach destination, but not every hour of every day is beach weather. Club Stella is fully indoors, so it gives hotel guests somewhere to go during a heavy shower or when the afternoon heat gets tiring. The lounge is currently open from 10 in the morning until 7 in the evening, which covers the part of the day when guests are most likely to want a break from the sun.

That makes it particularly useful during longer stays, when relying on the beach and pool every day can start to feel repetitive.

It’s Not Aimed at One Age Group

The useful thing about Club Stella is that it fills a gap between a kids club, a bar and a games room. Teenagers can play console games, younger guests have plenty to do, adults can have a coffee or cocktail, and families can use the space together. It is also reserved for La Solaya hotel guests, so it functions as part of the stay rather than a public attraction people need to travel to.

For guests wondering whether they would actually use it, the answer probably depends less on age and more on whether they like having an indoor place to play, sit and take a break from the beach.