Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas

We arrived by the shared speedboat with the Buri Rasa guests - be aware it does not feel like an exclusive experience when you arrive with 21 other people. However the greeting on the beach for the Anantara guest was excellent with our pre selected sparkling wine waiting for us. The rooms are a good size and well appointed. The beds are very comfortable. Sun beds at the pool are hard to get as there are not many and always taken up by families with children. Loads of sun beds on the beach so that’s no problem and the swimming in the sea was fine whilst we were there. Quite a lot of upselling which can be irritating. Breakfast service is not particularly good. We would also expect fresh orange juice as standard. Our villa host SANH was very good and our room attendant Kookai excellent. We requested a 9 am clean everyday and it happened without fail - very good. The local village is close by about 2 minutes walk and given the poor service at breakfast we did not bother eating in for dinner or lunch as prices were high (which you expect in a hotel but these are excessive compared to other hotels we have stayed in - Sala Samui, Choeng Mon, Cape Fahn, Choeng mon, Sarojin, Khao Lak). We really enjoyed our stay but in honesty this hotel is not 5 star - it is not in the same league as Cape Fahn and The Sarojin. The Minor hotels group which Anantara are part of appear to be extremely profit oriented. We appreciate profits are necessary but it is very blatant here and does effect the guest experience. Nevertheless you would be hard pressed to find a better beach in Thailand and I do think the quality of the rooms are good. Plunge pools a bit of a waste time but we knew before we booked they were small, not deep and in a lot of cases cold. We did not choose the hotel for its plunge pools. If you want a private pool to swim in you need to choose a different hotel. We would probably stay at the Anantara Rasananda again as the local village is close and for the swimming in the sea and ease of getting sun beds on the beach. It is a lovely setting. We have travelled extensively in Asia and other parts of the world so our expectations may be higher than some guests. One final plus point we both ordered a Rose sparkling wine for our arrival drink and were very impressed that in fact the welcome bottle in the room was changed to Rose before we were shown to the room - now that is excellent.

We enjoyed every part of our stay. the service was amazing, the room was clean, the beds very comfortable and the pool and beach are amazing

We stayed 4 nights in July after a week on Koh Samui, in a beachfront villa. We caught the shared speedboat there and back and the arrival at the pier was the beginning of the excellent service. We were checked into our room at the pier, welcome drink ordered and all details checked. The boat ride took about 30 mins and is a great way to arrive. The beach the Anantara is located on is so beautiful. It is so relaxing and you have your own reserved Sun loungers. Our villa also had a daybed with views of the beach. Most days we just swam and paddle boarded and just relaxed. The restaurant where you have breakfast (and lunch and dinner if eating at the beach restaurant) is super relaxing. We ate lunch onsite but generally went to one of the many local and great restaurants in the village behind the resort. The village is small but loads of restaurants, massage places, laundromats and tour operators. The Anantara is a really lovely property in keeping with the tropical environment. I will definitely return again. (We had stayed previously before covid). I would say the only slight drawback is the pool area which is a little small so feels crowded and overlooked. This would not stop me going back though as I love the beach area so much and the feel of the property.

It’s a dream hotel. Start with the treatment for each customer and personal attitude and the cleanliness of the hotel. Perfect breakfast. The best sunrise I have been. The beach villa is really a dream!!

A truly wonderful stay. The setting is beautiful but what makes it exceptional is the staff. Ping helped me with my lost luggage which hadn’t arrived from London, but she kept me updated and turned around a stressful situation, thank you Ping!