We had the most relaxing 8 nights ever at the Rasananda and loved every minute of it !! We didn't know how we would get on with very little to do but soon got into a great routine of eating and lying around, with a few massages thrown in. When we arrived, the manager told us that you don't need shoes and this sums up the whole hotel - relaxed luxury.
We stayed in a ground floor garden villa which was beautiful. The bed was large and really comfortable and the separate dressing room was perfect for keeping our messiness hidden ! The bathroom had floor to ceiling glass overlooking the terrace and a plunge pool which was interesting. It was a bit exposed as the plants have not yet grown enough to provide enough of a screen from the second floor villa which was slightly overlooking our room. I didn't realise this until I saw someone on their balcony and realised that if I could see them, they could probably see me - especially at night with the bathroom light on. However, I figured if they wanted to go out of their way to hang over and look, good luck to them ! I would imagine in a few months this won't be a problem.
Our breakfast was included and it was lovely, from the excellent, friendly service provided by John, Fon and Rat to the variety of freshly cooked dishes on the menu. Breakfast was served in the restaurant which was set on sand and was a lovely way to wake up.
We also ate in the restaurant twice in the evening and had a mixed experience, the first time the food was excellent. The second visit was a bit of a let down, there was only three tables eating but the food took ages to be served and even the restaurant staff were embarrassed at the length of time it took. One dish was totally cold so we sent it back and when a new one was provided it had clearly been rushed and wasn't anywhere near the same as the previous one. I would probably not recommend eating in the hotel's restaurant, there are better (and much cheaper) places to eat in the village and on the beach.
My husband used the gym regularly and said it was small but well equipped, the air conditioning was not very good but if you use the gym in the evening it is not too bad.
The beach is beautiful, the sand so soft and the water perfect for swimming in and generally bobbing about. We took out a kayak, the water was so calm and we paddled around to the next bay for a look - this was fun. There are some dogs on the beach, they were fine, some really friendly and the staff chase them away if they become bothersome. All riddled with fleas but looked fairly healthy, we named a few - look out for 'Mavis' and 'Sprout'.
As we stayed in low season, some of the village restaurants were shut, however we found Luna to be excellent (try the mixed starter), Baan Pong on the beach served great Thai and Burmese dishes and at the BBQ restaurant at the end of the beach we had a delicious bbq steak in a really pretty setting.
We didn't try the hotel spa as it seemed expensive and we found Tanaporn Massage House in the village (you'll see the signs). We visited there quite a few times and had the most amazing massages - 1hour for 300 baht. Run by Porn and her British husband, Greg, it is in a peaceful relaxing setting and you get the best lemongrass tea ever at the end !!
The biggest asset to this hotel is the staff, amazingly friendly and genuine, not just smiling because they've been told to - Fon in the restaurant always seemed to be happy and was a delight.
Overall, we had a wonderful stay at the Rasananda and would definitely go back, it was everything we hoped.

We've just got back from a 2 week stay- had a fantastic time and would def recommend it for the price it is going for at the moment, BUT travellers should def not expect 5* service. I must stress that we had a fantastic time and that the niggles I am about to describe in no way impacted on the enjoyment of stay- however had we paid a 5* price for this I would have felt cheated.

We had booked the speed boat transfer but as all the other guests we spoke to had been told it was out of action due to the weather, and that the public ferry was the only option. This was fair enough, worked well for us and we were expertly ushered from airport to the Samui sister hotel, then to ferry, and met at the Phangan ferryport and very comfortably (the atrocious weather taken into consideration) driven across the island to the resort.

We were given a free upgrade to a beachfront terrace room, and the room was stunning. The problems other people seem to have had with privacy in the bathrooms was not an issue on this floor level, despite the floor to ceiling windows- in general we enjoyed great privacy right on the seafront, so this type of room is recommended.

Fairly limited choice of TV channels unless you want to pay up for apple TV- the hotels alleged 'DVD- library' stretches to 20 pirate copies of random films and a couple of box sets. Wireless connection generally good but would not rely on it for work purposes.

Minibar selection is great- as were the complimentary spirits, but why anyone would bother paying 4x the price of a beer bought from the hotel compared to the price in the shop up the road beats me. Also beats me why the hotel, who is quite eager to promote a 'green ethos’, ships water from Norway and France- hardly a very sustainable practise?

The breakfast was a mixed experience- we tried most things on the menu, and most of what seemed edible from the buffet. Twice we sent coffee back as it was full of coffee granules and undrinkable, once the tea jug came without and tealeaves -hardly 5* attention to detail. Neither is being asked your room number when you have been staying there for 2 weeks. We had overcooked Eggs Benedict, with scrambled hollandaise, and even had the all-important muffin substituted for toast twice without anyone checking with us that this was ok. Again- hardly 5* stuff. We had mushroom omelette with no mushrooms and soldiers with rock-hard boiled eggs. Like I said earlier, nothing that spoiled our experience but basic stuff to get right!

We booked a trip through the hotel which was great, although they do charge 400bhat more than any of the people in the village for the same trip we thought it was worth it to not have the hassle.

We didn't bother with the spa although it looked lovely. They must be joking charging what they do when you can get fantastic massages from qualified masseurs at Tanaporn Massage House in the most serene surroundings you can imagine, just up the road- at 300bhat for 1 hour! I had one a day for 10 days and it was bliss- Greg (on reception) and Tanaporn are lovely people who brews the best lemongrass tea on the island, and Tanaporn gives amazing massages. We tried most things on the menu, from Thai massage, to the full body treatment & Thai herb massage- all highly recommended. I also had decent, but not outstanding, pedicure and manicure at another massage house in the village at 100bhat each.

We did try the hotel restaurant and did order room service, both quite uneventful, and again priced at approximately 4x what the other restaurants on the beach charge for similar food. I would particularly recommend the restaurant at the bottom of the beach (with colourful lanterns in the trees) for dinner if you fancy eating top food (some straight from the bbq) under the moon with your feet in the sand. Average price for 2 with 4-5 courses to share & beers was 600bhat- you'd be lucky to get 1 main for that in the hotel restaurant. The deceptively named 'Pizzeria' right next to Rasanda is less charming but Thai food again outstanding. As is the 'Beach club' top end of the beach- best Pad Thai & papaya salad on the beach.

The beach is amazing- have seen a few but this was incredible. You can snorkel around the corals and rocks at the bottom of the beach although not great, it was ok enough between organised snorkelling trips. You can borrow kayaks from hotel which was great fun.

Gym is ok- air condition not great so once you get more than 2 people working out it becomes very stuffy, but all equip decent. Library decent enough- what you'd expect at a resort like this.

All the staff were fantastically friendly, smiling and helpful. The little treats they leave you when they turn down your bed is a nice touch, as are the little treats they bring when you are lying in sun beds on the beach. Some very basic staff training is needed though- one night we got woken up by the night manager attending to a complaint of alleged noise from our room. Seeing that we were asleep this was obviously unfounded and it is pretty basic that you verify the complaint with the complainant directly before you ring someone’s doorbell after midnight. Again- didn’t spoil our stay but reeks of amateurism.

We would def go back- not at the quoted walk-in price, but felt we got good value for money for the current going price. The combination of Rasananda, local restaurants and Tanaporn Massage makes a fantastically friendly, luscious, indulgent, beautiful and dreamy place to holiday. Rasananda on its own has got some way to go, but I would like to come back in a couple of year’s time and see how it’s fared.

I desparately needed a holiday and chose Rasananda because I wanted to go somewhere where I could completely relax. It is a bit of trek to get to the resort, the speed boat transfer was excellent, but not recommended to anyone who is likely to get seasick! The resort itself is lovely, has a laid-back vibe to it, with generous rooms and quite funky decor. I did find that for a 5* resort the service delivery could be quite inconsistent - there was a mix up with my arrival time, with no one to pick me up at the aiport, on the odd occassion when I used room service it was difficult to get through and the staff were abrupt, and at the check out time of 12 noon I had staff standing outside waiting for me to leave! And bizarrely, the resort charges for milk to make your coffee! I did receive a room upgrade because of the airport mix-up which was appreciated, and I generally found the staff to be attentive and friendly. I enjoyed the breakfast each morning - there was plenty of variety and excellent quality. I dined at the hotel most evenings, but again, found my dining experience could be inconsistent in terms of the quality of the food. The rooms themselves were well laid out, and air-conditioned with plenty of extra touches. My only issue was the fact that anyone walking up the path facing my particular room could see straight into the bathroom as it was floor to ceiling glass - looked great , but not that practical. I used the spa once - the layout etc is lovely, but I felt the spa choices were a little limited. I definately left feeling fully refreshed, and was happy to ignore some of the issues because I had not paid full price. I think the resort has some great potential, they just need to sort out some of the little details.

Myself and 3 friends stayed here for a 2 night stay in November whilst the full moon beach party was on and I cant praise it enough. I booked the rooms last minute through work (Destinology) and I am so glad I did. To the moment we arrived from Koh Samui we were met and taken by private car to the resort (all included in the price). The staff are so attentive and looked after your everything need. The spa is unbelievable. I have seen many spas around the world but this one topped them, it was so secluded. The beach is one of the nicest I have ever seen (and I have seen some very nice ones).

Overall I would say that if it is a relaxing getaway you are looking for or you are celebrating your Honeymoon I would definately recommend it. I would suggest that you book a beach villa as they only cost a little more than the garden villa's and they are just that little more special! I hope this helps!