Hotel and Beach Bungalow at Lanta Resort

The bungalows seemed fairly new, clean, and well maintained, with pleasant space that would work well for a longer stay. Still, after four nights at the Hotel and Beach Bungalow at Lanta Resort, I left with mixed feelings. I ended up staying in three different bungalows because the air conditioning was unbearably loud. It sits right in front of the bed and blasts air like a wind tunnel. The remote’s “sleep” setting didn’t seem to help. I checked seven bungalows, and the same problem was common. On the last night, I finally reduced the airflow by covering about 60% of the outlet with a beach towel. I looked at most of the places along Long Beach, and this one is among the better choices, or at least the least disappointing. I also couldn’t work out why hotel guests leave the beachside bar and restaurant nearly empty in the evenings and go to nearby places instead. The atmosphere felt like a retirement home, perhaps because many guests are older.

The friendly staff were there even in low season, when we nearly had the whole resort to ourselves until another family arrived just as we were leaving. The cafeteria, bar, and children’s centre were closed then, and monkeys in the garden added to the charm. We rented a scooter to explore, though restaurants and massage places were also within walking distance. At first, arriving late and tired, I wasn’t impressed. The bedroom didn’t feel especially new or fancy. But seeing the pool access and the nearby beach won me over. My family swam in our “private pool” every day. There were lots of mosquitoes, likely because trees and grass surround the pool, but dragonflies and butterflies fluttering over the water made it feel magical. If we come back to koh Lanta, this will definitely be our choice.

The location is close to everything, though I’d still recommend renting scooters to get around the island. The rooms surprised me in a good way, but only because previous reviews had set my expectations very low. We also got two free bottles of water each day. The resort has a neglected, almost abandoned feel. Some areas are closed and look it, and the place badly needs renovation. It may have been amazing 10-15 years ago, which makes its current state a bit sad. Cleaning meant the bed was made and the floor mopped, but the bed linen and shower and pool towels weren’t changed once during our four nights. The air conditioning was extremely old and took nearly 30 minutes to cool the room, and the WiFi was unreliable. We paid around 200 euros for four nights, which still seemed fair for somewhere to sleep, and I’d give it three stars mainly for the location. We didn’t even try the breakfast we’d already paid for, so I can’t comment on it.

The staff were really kind and helpful. When the AC in our room stopped working, they upgraded us to a bungalow at no extra cost. Then, when we had a medical emergency, the manager drove us to the next clinic and helped us out. It’s a great hotel right on the beach, with clean, spacious rooms. We’d definitely come back and highly recommend it.