Being the only guests we had this wonderful little resort which was in the process of being sold, all to ourselves.
The cottages had a comfortable bed with mosquito net, A/C and fridge.
The staff were charming and helpful and the food, as soon as they understood that we want tahi not european thai, was supurb. A masseuse is available from the mainland, the pool was a delight. Beach combing was top quality.
The Hotel boat can take guests to sandy beaches or to cral island (advised).
If you want action go somewhere else. If you want to unwind, walk the beach, doze in a hammock watching the sunset
or laze by the pool doing nothing slowly then this is the place for you

When we arrived on the island which was just before the new year, the tide was out so there was very little of the sandy beach visible, and it was mostly the exposed rocks and seabed which could be seen. To compound the problem there was a large group of family and friends celebrating a family wedding with young children which ruined the idyllic peaceful image that we were both looking for.

The room although it was overlooking the beach, it was dark and small with barely enough space to place our luggage and the restaurant menu was basic and limited in choice bearing in mind that this was the only place one could eat, I would have thought that the range should have been wider.

The only swimming pool was green with algae and as the tide was out during the daytime hours, it was not possible to swim.

It is evident that the place has been neglected for some time and there has been very little interest in maintaining a basic standard of accommodation bearing in mind that this is not a cheap place to stay in.

On a more positive side, on the second day, the large group left and we were the only guest on the island apart from one other couple, we were also told the pool will be cleaned and it will be available for use in a couple of days.

We also found out that we could use the hotel boat to take us to other parts of the island where there were larger sandy beaches which was a relief.

The staff were excellent and did what they could to help, it is a shame that there seem to be little interest from the owners to keep the place well maintained and professionally run.

Overall, I would say that we were not disappointed with the 5 days we spent on the island, but this was because we were fortunate enough to be the only couple on the island for some of the days we stayed there and not because of the standard of accommodation. One couple that arrived a few days after us and were booked for a week left after 2 days so be warned.

Food and beverage prices are a bit more expensive than on the mainland but this is understandable especially as everything has to be brought over on longboats, the trip to coral island was worth doing especially if you like snorkelling but the place was very busy with day trippers which seems to be a daily occurrence and a benefit of staying at Baan Mai.

My advice would be if you are looking for a peaceful location, Baan Mai could be the ideal place but check in advance if there are any large groups at the time staying over. Also do not expect that the daily rate you pay will in any way reflect the standard of accommodation, I think the main issue with the place is that our expectations were not met in terms of the standard of accommodation, I de believe if the price was substantially less and it was made clear that the accommodation is basic and functional, we would not have had the initial disappointment when we arrived.

We stayed at Baan Mai for New Year before joining our live-a-board diving trip and found it a great place to relax. The hotel has a new manager - Sammy - and from the moment we stepped off the longtail from Chalong he and the team did everything to make our stay as relaxing as possible.
Accomodation was comfortable and very clean and the 'jungle' style bathroom is fun - expect the odd tree frog as a guest when you take a shower!
Food is very good and is cooked fresh to order so expect to have a small wait - but hey a great excuse for a cocktail watching the world go by! if you are worried about spicy Thai food don't be simply ask for the dish to be cooked with less spice and you can always have a go at cooking it yourself.
The beach was very clean OK its a little bit rocky in the water in places but take a pair of water shoes and you won't have any problems and the hotel pool is really nice surrounded by palms and trees so a nice place to sunbathe or relax in the shade.
The New Year party was superb with a seafood BBQ and all the guests joined in making New Year wishes as we sent Chinese lanterns floating up into the sky from the beach.
We both had massages which were very good and are made by the side of the beach.
Found it interesting to wander along the beach exploring and to meet some of the local fishermen living on the island.
If you forget any everyday essentials don't worry just ask, and one of the longtails will take you to the mainland and back where there is a 7-Eleven store.
Really if you are looking for a place to relax and get away from it all and avoid those nasty big hotel concrete jungles and the tourist traps of Patong etc this is a place you should enyoy.

We have stayed at Baan Mai several times, and always find it relaxing and quiet. It's a perfect place for romance. So much so that our daughter chose it as the site for her wedding in December 2006. The manager was extremely professional and helpful in the many planning emails, and even more so when the event eventually occurred. We booked the entire resort, which allowed 26 of us to stay there together. They got in extra staff for the three-day event, and everything went smoothly. We had a total of 35 guests, but I think there have been bigger weddings as well. The food is quite good - and for the wedding, they expanded on their usual offerings. I think the pictures tell the story best. The manager at the time of the wedding was named Nan, and she was fantastic. As we haven't been back since then, I don't know the current situation.