Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort & Spa

After arriving in Koh Phangan and planning to book the Anantara Rasananda, I was delighted to stumble across this hotel via the maps view on Hotels.com prior to booking — and I’m so glad I did.||What can I say? Wow. The Santhiya is an absolutely stunning, eco-focused resort. I was unsure what to expect after making the reservation, but as soon as I arrived I knew this traditional hotel would provide a solid stay at excellent value.||I cannot recommend the hospitality and presentation of this beautiful hotel enough. The entire experience was seamless -– from the warm welcome and check-in to being dropped off at the stunning swim-up room (highly recommended). The room itself was exceptionally spacious and included luxurious touches such as silk nightgowns and ornate carved-wood details, all centered around a four-poster bed. Elegant and charming with true Thai authenticity!||Nestled into the hillside and a rocky cove, the hotel’s layout is sympathetic to the natural landscape and provides an intimate, secluded atmosphere. The views were unparalleled (also visible from the elegant bathroom), and the rugged, lush scenery reminded me very much of the views offered by Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain in Saint Lucia. ||I would strongly recommend this hotel to anyone wanting to truly “get away from it all,” particularly if you’ve been travelling through vibrant Thailand and feel in need of a night or two of relaxation. This hotel offers a genuine retreat experience at exceptional value. If this were located anywhere else in the world, you would comfortably expect the price of this stay to triple - and rightly so.||Additionally, my meal in the By the Sea restaurant was excellent. Fresh cerviche and spicy Tom Yum presented with beautiful detail. It’s all the extra touches and immaculate finishes that make this hotel stand out. I seldomly offer reviews but genuinely want to share such a warming experience! ||Final tip(s) - due to the tropical location and particular geographies of this hotel being surrounded by greenery, please bring extra mozzie spray, you’ll use it! |Try to book a swim-up room if available and within budget - I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

We absolutely loved our stay. The room is one of the best we have both stayed in (we had the pool suite). We also feel the restaurant gets a bit of a bad review. Whilst the food is more expensive than elsewhere, its still very high quality and delicious. We knew that food would be more, but you should expect food and drinks to be more than bars outside of the resort. In all, was great - would recommend. Quick note, we came off season (in November) and the room was much cheaper than it can be. We paid £100 a night between two, so we may be reviewing it against that price. Was a great stay though!

This is a beautiful hotel, set over a large and hilly area of verdant jungle and gardens. We stayed for 5 nights. The choices for breakfast are extensive and delicious with a mixture of western and local dishes. The pool area is large and the beach is stunning with a large number of loungers. The hotel has it’s own bespoke transfer service by speedboat from Koh Samui which is very efficient. |The staff are absolutely outstanding, Jimmy is the manager and is ably assisted by Mini. I managed to injure myself by falling on some rocks. Although it was entirely my own fault Jimmy arranged for me to have a free taxi service to and from the local village as many times as I wished and Mini arranged a free taxi to and from a local medical clinic. Aside from that, Jimmy’s entire team are very efficient, friendly and helpful.|The location might not suit everyone – it’s on the north side of the island which is far quieter than the south which is where all the large towns are located. But if you’re looking for a quiet and beautiful setting I would highly recommend.

My partner and I booked a 10-night stay at Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort in November, with a total value of around €1,000. Unfortunately, we were forced to leave the resort after only one night due to serious hygiene and health concerns.||At first, the room looked beautiful, with traditional wooden interiors that give a high-end impression. However, upon arrival we discovered live and dead insects in the bed. We immediately informed the reception and the bed was re-made.||Despite this, we barely slept that night. The next morning, we again found both live and dead insects in the bed. We requested another bed change. When checking the freshly made bed, ants were once again crawling around the headboard.||It also became apparent that the wooden walls, doors and furniture are poorly sealed and have large gaps, allowing insects to enter the room easily. This issue appears to be well known to the resort, as pesticides are sprayed throughout the property every few days using a vehicle. Combined with insects repeatedly appearing in the bed, this represented a serious health concern for us.||From a 5-star resort, we expect proper hygiene, cleanliness and a safe sleeping environment. Unfortunately, this was not the case. We therefore requested a cancellation of the remaining stay, which was refused. We were informed that no refund would be provided.||As a so-called gesture of goodwill, the resort offered to pay for a taxi to our next stay. In this context, we were presented with a document stating that we would waive any right to a refund, which felt highly questionable. We did not sign this document.||We are extremely disappointed by how this situation was handled and by the lack of accountability shown by the management. Despite the visually appealing property, we cannot recommend this resort based on our experience.

This is one of the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. Every inch of Santhiya is carved wood : doors, pillars, ceilings, even staff cars; telling stories of Thai history and mythology through its details. It feels less like a resort and more like a living artwork suspended between jungle and sea. The villas feel private and peaceful, surrounded by jungle and birdsong, yet fully soundproof for perfect rest (quiet is rare in Koh Phangan) Service is exceptional: quick, kind, and seamless through WhatsApp with perfect english. The infinity pool blends into the forest, the food and cocktails are excellent, and the 24-hour wooden taxis make every ride part of the experience. Special thanks to Kai, Party, Belle, and Lily for making my stay flawless. A place that achieves a rare balance between luxury, peacefulness and authenticity.

What a glorious resort. I wish I could be there again, and am very excited to go back! The staff were incredible accommodating and kind. We were well taken care of at all times. I did sunrise yoga every morning at 630am with Narisa! She was wonderful. We had two spa treatments each - I had a anti-aging facial and my ultimate favourite: gold body scrub! It was the best scrubbing massage I've ever had. My esthetician/masseuse even did my chest, breasts, and stomach which I loved, because most spas won't dare touch you there. It was incredibly easy to walk all over the resort and to the beaches. People who complained about needing to be driven around are lazy! Unless you're injured, it's only a few hills and you probably need to exercise. Loved the gym and went most days - very clean and lots of great equipment. We adored swimming and playing around by the pool, hanging out in the shady little hideouts. We walked to the small village twice a day to eat amazing food. It's only 15 minutes but be aware of the waves when you cross the rocks. Wear decent shoes, or be ready to take them off if need be once you get to the other beach. It's so dreamy to wander through the resort day and night. We didn't want to leave. The rooms were as lovely as the photos. Even during the magical rainy days it was warm. Lots of cute animals all around: puppies, monkies, lizards, and cats! The only thing we didn't try was any of the food as it was a bit pricey, so again we found ourselves buyig all our food, fruits, drinks and snacks at the village. Laundry there is also only 100bht for our bag. Very quiet, very little noise or partying which is the way we wanted it. Some of the patrons smoke A LOT of cigarettes and ruin some of the areas by not being aware of how it affects others.

Unfortunately, our stay at this hotel was one of the most disappointing experiences we had during our travels.|I will start with the only positive aspect – our villa with a private pool and sea view. It was very large and comfortable, and the pool was clean.||From the very beginning, we were struck by the absolute lack of organization on the part of the staff. We were informed that the driver would be waiting for us near the 7-Eleven store (about a 5-minute walk from the pier). However, it turned out that the driver was waiting at the pier. No one informed us about this. We stood by the store for 30 minutes, trying to reach the hotel by phone. Each staff member kept transferring the call or asking us to stay on the line, which took a very long time.||Throughout our stay, we repeatedly encountered the attitude of “it can’t be done.” For example, at 8:40 we asked to exchange beach towels, but were told it was only possible from 9:00 – with no flexibility or willingness to help. Another time, ordering a taxi at the reception took 30 minutes. A ticket was required for the ride, which we were informed about at the reception, but we were not given one, which caused completely unnecessary confusion.||What is particularly problematic is that the hotel offers no real assistance with renting scooters or cars. Given the hotel’s isolated location, this is a major drawback. Guests are essentially forced to rely on hotel transfers or their own improvisation, instead of receiving the basic logistical support one would expect from a place like this.||The hotel is located very far from anything, so it is suitable only for guests who do not plan to leave the property. Yes, it is possible to walk about 15 minutes to a small village, but the exit from the hotel leads over rocks and is genuinely dangerous. What is most disappointing is that several years ago, guests already suggested improving this exit in their reviews, yet the hotel has done nothing about it to this day.||There is also a lack of freedom of movement within the property. To get to the pool or the reception, you need to call for a golf cart due to the large size of the resort. The carts arrive efficiently and we never had to wait long, but having to call each time takes away a sense of comfort and independence.||The most disturbing experience, however, was the situation in the room. During the night, we heard alarming noises, so we called the reception. It turned out to be a rat that had gotten stuck in a glue trap – one of the most inhumane methods. The animal was making sounds that are impossible to forget. A staff member removed the plate with the rat, and the sight itself was truly traumatic and absolutely unacceptable in a hotel of this class.||Finally, I would like to add that during check-out, none of the staff asked us how our stay had been, even though it was after the nighttime incident with the rat. Guests checking out next to us were asked. The reception did not mention a single word about the incident that had occurred during the night.||This stay left us with a strong sense of chaos, lack of empathy, and lack of responsibility on the part of the hotel. It is a pity, because the place has potential – however, without real changes in organization, approach to guests, logistical support, and safety standards, we cannot recommend it.

Must avoid!! Terrible hotel!! If I could have rated this as 0 then I would have done that.||This hotel does not deserve the five stars that it claims to have!! I have no idea how they can maintain their five stars either.||We were a group of 25 people who made a reservation with them to have lunch. We were staying on the other side of the island and the drive there took about 45 minutes.|Upon arrival we were met by the hotel security guard who seemed quite unfriendly when he saw our group. We told him that we had a reservation for lunch and he just pointed out the direction of the restaurant but no one took us there or showed us the way to the restaurant. ||When we arrived at the restaurant there were a bunch of staff hanging around also not looking particularly friendly but at least our two tables were already set up and ready for us. Once we sat down one of the waiters ask all of us for our passports and told us that each person needed to spend a minimum of 400 Thai Baht per person which we all thought was quite rude and completely unnecessary considering we were 25 hungry people who were there for lunch. Anyhow we said that was okay and asked them why they needed all of our passports and if it was okay just to give them one passport as of course, not everybody had their passports on them. They were very rude and blunt and just told us that it was the hotel policy and they could not do anything about it. We asked them why they did not tell us this when we called them earlier and made the reservation. They were not able to answer this and just insisted that they needed a physical copy of all 25 passports!! Insane!!||I tried to explain nicely to them that not only had I never been asked to provide my passport when having lunch in a restaurant ever before anyway in the world but we had traveled 45 minutes to get there and now they would not serve us because we did not have all our passports with us after not even telling us that when we made the reservation with them for lunch that we needed everyone to bring their passport!||We found basically all of the staff were all very rude, not smiling or being courteous at all, and when we told them that they are losing out on a lot of money with such a large group, they just stared at us blankly…||We left immediately and went down the road for five minutes and had lunch in an absolutely amazing, beautiful, and extremely friendly hotel, the Anantara which I would without a second thought give a perfect 5 star review for.