We choose to book the Iyara for the last few days in Koh samui after looking on the internet and walking along the beach looking at hotels. The Iyara is good value for money, cheaper then the more expensive hotels along the beach but still well presented and good facilities. Staff on reception were v helpful and to our delight we were upgraded to a beach cabana on arrival. These are v nice rooms, right on the beach with a terrace overlooking the sea, large beds, clean and a good bathroom. Hotel is situated at the slightly quieter end of the beach which is good although only a short walk along the road to bars/restaurants. The only slight negative is that the Iyara is towards the end of Chawang beach where the sea is not quite as nice due to a natural sea wall which keeps water in, however the set up with beach chairs is v good.

The Iyara was definitely a great hotel for the price. We received a very comfortable room with a plate of fruit to welcome us when we first got there. Housekeeping did a wonderful job everyday and we noticed nothing to find fault with. The breakfast was more than adequate. The spa is pricey for Thailand but it was nice to have more privacy than the usual Thai massage establishment. I recommend the hot stone massage. Overall a very enjoyable experience.

This hotel may have many good qualities, which I would certainly praise, if it wasn’t for fact that my girlfriend and I were robbed during our sleep. I normally put on the door chain and place a rolled carpet at the door before going to sleep. The carpet is to keep the hallway light and noise from disturbing my sleep and place the “do not disturb” sign at the door. Unfortunate, on that particular night I forgot the door chain. So how, the thief(s) knew that and found a way to open the door without leaving a trace of forced entry. The only way I knew that someone came into the room was my rolled carpet. In the morning, it laid away from the door. Because of all this fact, the police suspected an insider job. Fortunately, they didn’t do any harm to the both of us and I had most of my precious belonging in the room safe. Needless to say that it was my last night in this hotel and my 2nd last day on Koh Samui, because I left on the next possible flight. For those of you who are planning to stay there, I would like to recommend this: use the door chain, keep all precious belongings in the safe and don’t make people think you have something worth taking.

We had a great time at the Iyara. We were staying at the Amari down the street which had excellent service, beautiful grounds and great restaurants. But the price was high. So we found the Iyara which at the time was brand new. We moved there for 3 nights and found them very accommodating. The room was wonderful, even though we chose not to have an ocean view. The front desk was very nice and helpful, plus the people in the restaurant were top notch. And although it was not as 'polished' as the Amari, certainly the rooms were far superior and being a little smaller place it was more pleasant. The location was great - in that area of Cheweng beach it is not that crowded and loud, plus the ugly smells typical of Thailand are at a minimum. The breakfast buffet was very good, service was excellent in general and location was great. Overall, we thought it was wonderful and would recommend it.