We stayed in this resort after reading all the good comments about it, also considering the price was a reasonable one in that area. We had our first meal at this resort and the thai food we had didn't taste good at all. The resort itself looked rather shabby, not to mention as well that the sunloungers were so stained that we did not want to sit on them. On one night, there was a cockroach crawling on our bed (nice!), but as soon as we called up the staff, he immediately came to rescue us.
If you are not planning to rent a car (bike could do in daytime but when it gets dark the route to the hotel could look dangerous), then you should reconsider other options for 1000thb more or so for somewhere centrally located. The hotel is situated in the middle of nowhere, not walkable at all. The buildings itself needed a lot of maintenance, from the pond to the walls.
One thing though i need to mention, is the wonderful staff service in this hotel. The staff were always happy to help out!

We started our two-week vacation with four days at this resort, and can really recommend it for anyone who want to just reset everything for a couple of days in a very nice location. The Phuket airport taxi driver went very fast through the Khao Lak village and overshot the left turn from main road with some kilometers until I pointed out we had missed it. The small dirt road the last few hundred meters made me wonder if really correct, but then it was there! We had a really relaxing and nice stay. The restaurant was quite allright, we had all lunches there, and the breakfast was absolutely good too. But for variety, I still recommend renting a vespa just for the freedom of going in to the village for alternative restaurants for dinner, and other small excursions in the area when staying longer than a couple of days. Spacious rooms, but the best part was of course the beach which was so quiet and beautiful. It was amazing to be sometimes the only one out there swimming, although in peak season.

On this holiday we were keeping to a budget but wanted a hotel on the beach so the Andamania fit the bill. As such our expectations were not high. Fortunatly the hotel exceeded them and we had an enjoyable stay.

We had a deluxe room on the ground floor (although we did ask for an upper floor room when booking through Sawasdee). The room was spacious with hardwood floors, though a little short on storage options. The bathroom/wetroom was adequate but came in a disturbing shade of brown. Air-conditionong was excellent. The bed was firm and comfotable and house keeping obliged when we asked for further pillows. The TV was a older flat screen CRT type, with a limited choice of channels - no movie channel or dvd player. Our terrace looked out onto attractive gardens and ponds and each room had a couple of oversize decks chairs to sit on - looked fun but not that comfortable.

The hotel is small (but larger than it looks on the website) with gardens, pool, restaurant and beach bar area. Wifi and a couple of computers are availabe for free at reception and while we were there further Wifi was being installed so we we could use my netbook all over the resort. There are also reasonably priced massages available within the hotel grounds.

The beach in front of the hotel was fine, but as with most other parts of Khao Lak the waters were not clear due to the amount of sand being stirred up by the waves.
Breakfast was taken at the hotel restaurant, adequate is probably the best description. Lunch and Dinner we had at the Beach bar area which meant you could eat with your toes in the sand watching the waves. Thai food was fine if a little toned down spice wise and fairly inexpensive for a hotel. The hotel is remote but turn right and walk a few hundred yards and you'll find local rustic beach restaurants by the J.W Marriott. Due to a sprained ankle we unable to make much use of these, though the two we tried were fine for Thai food.

The staff were very obliging and friendly but don't expect five star levels of service. The resort provides a transfer service to the main Khao Lak shopping areas for 90 baht per person. You have to make your own arrangements to get back.

All in all a simple three star hotel, comfortable with friendly staff and a great place to chill for a few days on a good beach.

Tip. There is an ATM at the J.W Marriott if you dare to enter the hotel - but no shop.

On the whole, it is a great place - we have enjoyed our stay - rooms are clean and spacious. The actual builing needs some attention to bring it back to what it must have been a while ago - When you drive in to the entrance you think you have arrived at a tsunami wreck but once you get up the steps, you realise it isnt what it first appears! basically:
Pros:
Nice long and quiet beach- about 15 mins out of the main hub-bub of the town and other resorts
Small enough to have personal feel and not be over-crowded
Staff very friendly and try to help
Tranquil and relaxed feel
Rooms are huge and each has a nice verandah
Great local restaurants and massage places just along the beach
Drinks and meals are very reasonable for a resort

Cons
Most staff dont speak english so it can be difficult to get things across -especially drink and meal orders
The barman is very very very slow - sometimes 20 mins to get a drink..... and that is on a quiet day
The food is pretty average - breakfast is the same, day after day
No tea or coffee making facilities in the rooms (as it states there is on the website)


Would i come back - yes - breakfast is included so we ate it at the hotel - all other meals we had down the beach at the little restaurants - great food and reasonably priced