From the pick-up at the ferry, to the drop off 6 days later, we loved nearly everything about Ko Phangan and Sunset Cove Resort. We had me and my partner, and a friend of ours staying, so we booked a Seaview Cottage for us all to hang out at, and basic Cottage for our friend to sleep in.
They were all very nice and clean. The Seaview Cottage has a big wooden bath and an outdoor but totally private shower. We found the shower water temperature a bit variable, but because of the heat, it wasn't really an issue. The bed was King Size, and very firm, as are all beds in Thailand.
As mentioned by others, the rooms are serviced every three days, which is told to you upon check-in, but they will clean or change anything if the need arises.
The obvious first thing to comment on is the pool, which is large, and cool, and stunningly beautiful, especially at night and at dusk. There didn't really seem to be an issue getting a sunbed, until the day we checked out, when there was a influx of new guests.
The food at Sunset Cove was nice, if a bit basic sometimes. The service (both for food and drinks, and in general) on the other hand was first class, always quick, friendly and efficient, and always with a big smile. Not to mention a pretty good grasp of English by a lot of the staff. It was never a big deal if you left without paying for a coffee, as we either remembered, or were gently reminded on our next visit.
I hired a kayak from the resort for an hour to do a bit of exploring. The beach is picturesque, but it is very shallow for probably a hundred metres out, until you get to the coral. Very nice to swim in and cool off though.
Internet is available at the resort (although a little more expensive than just down the road) and very efficiently added to your final account upon checkout. The resort 2 minutes walk to internet cafes, laundry, massage, motorbike rentals (My Hut Rentals across the road were excellent), mini-supermarkets, and restaurants, and another 10 minute walk to 7-11 and ATMs We found the best food to be at La Dolce Vita down the south end of the beach, and we were a little disappointed in The Village Green. Fellinis at the nearby town was also very good, as was Sandy Bay Restaurant at neighbouring Haad Yao.
Other thing to note is no TV reception in the rooms, although there is a large range of recent DVDs to watch if you feel the need. The Olympics started while we were there, so they wheeled out the communal TV in the restaurant/bar area for everyone to watch, nice touch.
The resort was very quiet at night, and depending on how many families with kids were there, sometimes during the day by the pool as well. Try the yummy fresh coconuts for the juice and flesh served by the resort!
