Cousins might have been good in the past, but at present it is pretty run down. It is a bit grubby and frayed around the edges and we didn't find the staff as friendly and helpful as we have come to expect in Thailand. We only stayed two days of the four we had originally planned. You can find a lot of nicer places, in the same price range in Khao Lak.

We booked this bungalow early in the year and were pleased with the size of the bungalow and cleanliness. The owners and staff go out of the way to help you, We had trouble getting wifi in our room and they had an additional mast erected to boost the signal. We wanted to have a drink and breakfast in our bungalow and they gave us a kettle and toaster. It is very close to the beach and restaurants. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a laid back stay.

We stayed at Cousin Resort for a total of 6 nights during March 2011. Since we would be away on a couple of 3-day tours, and only wanted to pay for the days we actually stayed at the resort, we had to check in and checkout 3 times. Some resorts don’t like you doing that, but that was no problem at Cousin’s. The staff was very kind, smiling and always helpful. The rooms we had, lived up to our expectations, they were clean and with nice fans (we don’t like air conditioning).
There is free wireless internet in the reception area (good speed) and there is a nice restaurant in the resort (especially we liked their Phad Mama with chicken). The resort is like one big garden with lots of trees, bushes and flowers. There is a nice looking pool – we didn’t try it, since the beach is only a 5 minute walk away. A good tip: instead of just going through the Sudala resort and using their beach – try turning right (north) and go to the last bar/restaurant on the beach (can’t remember the name, it is something like 500 – 700 meters from Cousin’s). This is a really nice place and a lot less touristic
And if you like “beach trekking” then continue further north along the beach. There is a couple of rivers to cross (wear swim suit) but it is really beautiful and you won’t meet many people. There are a couple of nice bars/restaurants, so you won’t starve!

We stayed one week at The Cousin Resort and we enjoyed every minute.
The Cousin Resort is close to the beach and near to restaurants.
The pool is nice and the garden lush and well maintained. Rooms are spacious and very tidy. The terraces have comfortable chairs and it's very relaxing to sit there and look out over the garden after a day at the beach.
The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Later we stayed one week at the five-star J W Marriott. Of course, Marriott was very luxurious, but the fact is that we were happier at The Cousin with its intimate atmosphere and perfect location.