We wanted to stay somewhere, for a few days a little special. The rest of the accomodation on our trip was to be good...but on a budget.
The Sri Lanta was all we had hoped. Really nice. Back to nature, as expected. The public areas are great and the local beach bars brilliant.
Yes there are bugs....this is the jungle, well almost.
However, and sadly, one thing really spoilt the whole stay for us and unfortunately it came in the form of the manager. On the first afternoon with a magnificent sunset we spoilt ourselves with cocktails. The young waitress was obviously new and asked me to sign a room receipt. I did this however discovered I had money with me and asked to pay there and then.
On check out I was informed I had an unpaid bill. I informed the manager of the issue. He then told me I should point out the girl so he could investigate her and then fire her if she had made the mistake. We are talking about 7 pounds here!
Needless to say I paid again!, And left, with then manager telling me that if he discovered a mistake had been made he would return the money. I take exception to being called a liar. This is a large hotel group and I must say being told it was my responsibility to ask for the recipt back and ensure it was cancelled properly was a bit surprising.
Great place, good area, lots of bugs, lovely staff, awful management....shame.

We showed up as walk-ins as we were in Lanta, and wanted a nice place for boyfriend's 40th birthday. Whole resort is quite stylish, in a wallpaper magazine (concrete, wood, water) kind of way. Public areas were all very well done. Pool is beautiful, and big lawn next to ocean was great. Rooms were also very beautiful and simple bungalows - wood and white linens. There were some critters as the rooms are in the jungle (no sea views, unfortunately) - but overall was a very peaceful zen room. Breakfast was great, and abundant. Beach was clean and nice, but snorkeling is not great right in front of hotel (best to book a boat tour for amazing snorkeling). Then again, don't know anywhere else as nice in Lanta. Staff had trouble with English, which was unusual - as most other places we stayed (for less money) were better at that. Overall loved the place, and loved being there, but IS overpriced for Thailand. Can't help but recommend it!

Second visit, still love the public areas, old spa area has been converted to very trendy bar with daybeds etc. But rooms still very dark (everyone complains about this, why can’t they sort that out?). Service levels are hopeless, especially at breakfast; no one is in charge or seems to care, hotel was very quiet but that shouldn’t mean it’s OK for staff to lie around in the new bar chatting and smoking.

And be aware a new bar was just setting up – and testing their sound system - right next to Sri Lantas restaurant which is not going to do much for the ambiance

I fear it will be all downhill from here largely due to poor management.

When we first went to Sri Lanta in December 2004, we were absolutely delighted by the service, the zen-atmosphere, the beautiful flowers and the always-smiling staff. We met and spoke with the German owner who was really proud of this place. Everything looked so perfect there.

Logically we then decided to go back there last January, and what a disappointment...! The staff had changed and did not even speak english enough to understand a simple query.
We always had to ask 3 times for a service (room service, we waited an hour to get 2 beers); the room was noisy (becaus eof the road and although we were in the villa up the hill - star path). We were harrassed (every day!) to indicate when we wanted the massage included in the package. I used the hotel laundry for a pair of Juicy Couture pyjamas on which I attached a note mentioning that they should not iron and dry it; guess what: they ruined it! And when I spoke to the girl at reception she did not even apologize as she did not understand what I was taliking about. The room was dirty, they did not change the sheets once (during 10 days!) although we requested it. I met a cobra in front of my room and had a giant gecko in my bathroom (I know, it is supposed to be a nature lovers place, but when I asked the staff to help me with the gecko, they never came).
Also at breakfast (which was gorgeous 2 years ago) we ALWAYS had to ask 3 times for a spoon or something missing on the table...
I think that because of its success (it was full), the hotel is not as good as it was before. There's not enough staff.
Now that the travel agencies work with the hotel, they are always full and therefore they think they don't need to be as good as before... And the prices are not even less high...
There are lots of new places there (unfortunately, the Island is not as wild as it used to be, you don't meet monkeys on the road anymore and the jungle looks like a forest now) so my advice would be that you book your first night somewhere and then you rent a motorbike to find a better place to stay. Do not book for the whole holidays at one place.