I loved the pictures in the design hotels book where I first saw this place, but was afraid it would not hold the expectations after reading a comment further below saying the place has not been maintained since opening.

As a result I wrote to the hotel asking them to comment on the review. The response I got convinced me that the impression was a result of a storm which made a tree fell into the pool whose rescue seemed to have been a challenge.

Upon arrival, I very much liked the calm and beautiful atmosphere. The house boxes are very special, the pool and the restaurant are beautifully set in the environment.

You would wake up.... later then have breakfast, read a bit, decide to swim in the sea or pool (or both :-), read a bit, have lunch, relax, take a nap, go for a walk on the beach, swim again, then have a Thai massage, outside, with a view to the sea, which I loved very much and which was inexpensive, then watch the sunset with a glas of white wine, followed by dinner. It is perfect to unwind and spend time with whom you love. And you can just watch the sea, all day long.

The restaurants design is great, not sterile,the food was excellent, fresh, light... the staff is young locals who are employed all year and trained on serving and language during the low seasons. They are lovely, misunderstandings are a dialy given, but it is funny rather then irriating. It is not 5 star service, of course.

The only thing that I found was subject to improvment was that some of the materials used were already rusty (e.g. the nails, some details in the bathroom), also, you should not be afraid too much of some bugs living there too and: the sea was not cristal clear, something I simply expected.

A unique, interesting and fantastic design & concept - that really works!
Comfortable and relaxing with all the fine touches that tend to make a difference.
I was hesitant to stay here after reading all the negative reviews ... but so glad we did.
The rooms are well appointed. The beach is great. The staff were friendly enough (I agree many needed some training on being friendly, welcoming and maybe a few more smiles all round, but it was not as bad as all the reviews here have painted it - and 90% of all staff we came across could speak English) ... maintenance and cleanliness were fine (it was low season, so it made sense that regular upkeep and maintenance was being undertaken - no disturbance to us though) ... and there is a great pool! ... but the stand out experience was the food ... inspiring, fresh, healthy options and tasty, DELICIOUS!
A great getaway with a difference - makes a change from all the other traditionally styled resorts - if that is what you are seeking. We will be back.

I totally agree with those saying that Costa Lanta experience is not so idyllic as one may expect from a design hotel like this.
Resort is really nice itself and rooms cubic design is actually one the best we have experienced so far. However, maintenance and cleaning are two aspects that do not apply for Costa Lanta resort. There are quite a lot of materials that need urgent repairs (broken woods, metal stuff full of corrosion…), pool is dirty and no-one from the staff seems to care about any service given to customers, ie. we had to tell them about cleaning our sunbeds at the pool since they were completely dirty and they did not care.
Staff cannot communicate in English at all, which is actually quite annoying and none of them are neither friendly nor nice with customers (you walk around and do not expect to hear a simple “Good morning” or “Good evening” from any employees you may cross by). Personnel at the restaurant are also quite incompetent, sometimes even rude. On our first night we arrived 45 minutes before the kitchen was supposed to close and even though we were the only guests having dinner, they delivered the dessert to our table before finishing our main dish, just because they wanted to close the restaurant. This would never happen in a real design hotel !!
After all these real warnings, if you still want to experience Costa Lanta once in your life, I will recommend you to stay not longer than a weekend and avoid meals at the hotel, unless you want to be really exasperated with the terrible service and long waiting times. There is a new resort nearby called “Cha-Da Beach” which not only looks very nice but also their staff is really nice, friendly and efficient. After our first dinner experience, we had all our successive meals there, food was very tasty and prices very reasonable.
Moreover, iIf you can afford it, go to any other gorgeous resorts at Koh Lanta, ie. Pimalai Resort, where you will find exquisite service and superb accommodation.

Yes, the design of this hotel is stunning and the rooms are unique. The whole resort is one of the most excellent design hotels I have ever been at. However, quite a few things have to be renewed here and – given the climate – need much more attention. The wood used throughout the resort is looking old and dirty (which is a bit of an issue when the faucet is made from wood….), the rooms in general look somewhat tired, the lawn is not green etc etc.
Service is a disappointment, nobody seems to care too much about anything – something which is actually rather hard to find in Thailand. Food was great, though.
I would still recommend the place for its design, though - you will not be disappointed on that!