We visited Koh Phangan on our Honeymoon as the second stop. Our trip consisted of 6 nights Koh Samui, 6 night Koh Phangan and 4 night Bangkok.

I must say Rasananda in Koh Phangan tops it all.

We booked our package holiday through an Agency and I’m glad we did as we got a lot of freebies along with our package one of which was a free upgrade to the Ocean Pool Villa.

My review.

Getting to the hotel:

The boat trip from Koh Samui to Koh Phangnan was quick and comfy and it docks straight on the beach where the hotel is located.

Welcome:

We were given a very warm welcome along with a welcome drink. After a quick introduction to the hotel facilities we were taken to our room and WOW!!! When I say room I meant an actual Villa.

Hotel room/ Villa:

It consisted of a very big bedroom with Apple TV, Flat screen TV, An absolute beautiful decoration on our bed along with a free complimentary bottle of sparkling wine. A small bar and a work desk. Then there was a walk sizable in closet and big bath room Outside we had another shower, table and chairs our own pool facing the beach/ocean and another double bed under a canopy facing the pool and beach. Best of all was that we could actually walk straight to the beach without ever getting out of our villa. Also we had 2 deck chairs reserved for us.
Also a plus is that the in room bar had complimentary Vodka, Gin and Whiskey which were topped up for free every night that’s was a big benefit especially when most of your time is spent in your own villa.

Hotel Food:

The food in the hotel is excellent. Breakfast had anything you can think of and dinner was always based on a different theme. We also went out in the village to try out some local restaurants which were s also good and very cheap.

Hotel Staff:

The hotel Staff were some of the best staff I have ever encountered. Very warm, helpful and will go the extra mile to make your holiday a dream come through.

They even make a weekly free cocktail party with finger food and free wine, beers and cocktails where you get too meet all the hotel managers.

Tony Wrigley who I believe to be either the Head Chef or food and beverage manager, (not sure) was extremely helpful. He gave us a list of things we could do on the island and also places to visit while we’re in Bangkok. Every single morning he was in the restaurant during breakfast and he came to have a chat asking how are we doing and if there is anything he could do for us. What a brilliant guy.

Hotel Location:

The hotel is located on a very quiet and un-spoilt beach/village probably the main reason is because it’s not as easy to get to it from the main harbor on the Island. The one and only downside I found about this hotel is that if you want to explore the island it’s a bit of a mission to get to the other side of the island as most of the main road connecting to the other side of the island is very rough and muddy and could be dangerous when wet and raining but the good news is that they are currently building the road. When I was there it was about 50% completed.

The island:

The island is an absolute paradise. There are beautiful views where ever you look, and plenty of places to explore. I would recommend renting a small bike/scooter and explore the island there is plenty of things beaches to try out, but be very careful how to drive as roads are very steep and has very sharp corners.

Conclusion:

All in all I would recommend Rasananda and the island Koh Phangan to anyone. If I could I would go back there in a heartbeat!!!

Well done for Rasananda Staff you really made my stay a memorable one, KEEP IT UP!!!!

Just spent three glorious days at the Anantara Rasananda and should have made it weeks. Location is stunning, right on the beach, soft sand forever, azure water. Wonderful rooms, beautiful teak wood details, indoor and outdoor showers - tough choice. We were beachfront and fell asleep to the sound of the surf. Plunge pool, sala, beach chaise, too many decisions to be made. The hotel management were at the cocktail party on Friday evening, very friendly and good listeners. Food was wonderful, Chef Tony outdid himself. Breakfast on the beach, toes in the sand, how decadent. Yes this is Heaven. Will we be back, oh yes, booking right now.

Just returned from a wonderful trip to Anantara Rasananda and it was fabulous. The resort is lush and tropical and maintained perfectly.

Staff/Service- the staff at the resort are wonderful. The service provided in every aspect is what makes this an amazing place to stay. Toke, the audio/visual tech, spent a hour fixing our speakers so we could listen to music! Pla and Ice provided great beach service and would set up sunbeds and deliver food and drink. All of the wait staff and cooks were so good and so nice. It is obvious that a lot of time is spent on training and it really shows. So many small touches that makes this resort stand out.

Room- we had a pool suite and it was wonderful. Plunge pool at the room would be much more useful if it was a little warmer as we would have used it at night. The bed and linens were very comfortable. Apple TV was great as we had some rainy nights. Cold A/C, hot water, complimentary spirits, water, and snacks replenished daily.

Food- Amazing breakfast and food in general. Very nice touch with the beach snacks passed around mid day. Scallops and risotto, AMAZING! Sea bass, hamburger, Tom Yum, awesome. Very nice wine selection eventhough it's a little pricey.

Nice little town for dinners outside the resort (and a fraction of the price). Luna, Jip, and the Beach BBQ (down the beach to the left of resort) were our favorites. Sex on the Beach and Hacienda were pretty decent.

Pick up at airport was very easy and we were taken to the cabana to wait for the boat. After a short wait we landed on the beach in the cove next to the resort as the waves were too big to land at the resort. Short 5 min car ride and we were there. Our flight departure was at 2:55 pm and the mid day boat ride probably wouldn't have given us enough time at the airport. So, we took the early boat and then were taken to their sister resort on Samui which is a short 10 min car ride. Once there we changed into suits and enjoyed the pool and beach before we showered, changed and headed to the airport.

Pros/Cons- When I asked my husband to name his favorite thing he said it was the service. When I asked him what his one complaint would be he really had to think hard (and I forced his to give me one) and settled on two occassions when they forgot wash cloths when making up the room. This was of course fixed instantly with a quick phonecall. My favorite was the service, and since I am forcing myself to put a Con I guess I would say that I wish the plunge pool could be heated. So as you can see we really didn't have any issues/complaints at all and really have to dig deep to find faults !!!

All in all, a wonderful vacation and I would certainly return!

Apologies for the delay in writing this, we stayed Oct 2011.

After spending 10 days of honeymoon hell at the Centara Grand in Samui (see other review) the Rasananda was absolute bliss, the only bad thing being the fact we only stayed 4 nights.

We were met by Mark the manager and from the moment we arrived we were very well looked after, Mark and his team were always available to discuss any requests. We also loved how attentive Tony the chef was, again he took the time to introduce himself and ask about our dietary requirements.

The team at Rasananda went above and beyond the call of duty, and when we checked out at 11am it was the Rasananda (not kuoni who were utterly useless throughout and ruined our trip of a lifetime) who arranged for us to spend the day at one of their sister resorts the Anantara in Samui, before we flew home in the evening.

Our room was just beautiful, not on the beach but was a two story with own pool, beautifully decorated (if not a little dark) and was exactly the blissful retreat we needed.

The food was out of this world, great selection at breakfast, if there was anything more that could be provided then they happily would help. We found the food at the hotel far superior to that at any nearby restaurant. Tony and his team do a brilliant job and were faultless.

If Kuoni hadn't treated us so appaulingly and left such a bad taste in our mouth regarding Thailand then we'd book to stay here again in a heartbeat, just not through them.

Perfect honeymoon resort, perfect staff, perfect location.

Thank you guys so much for making what started off as a honeymoon hell, into a honeymoon from heaven (if just for 4 days)


I would say that