5 Best Hotels in Koh Lanta, Phuket and the Andaman Coast

The Best House lobby, an inviting high-ceilinged room with comfortable chairs, white tile floors, and wooden beams, offers a good sense of what you can expect from the accommodations. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The place isn't on the beach, but it's very close to it. 

This budget-friendly resort is made up of basic bungalows on stilts in a tropical garden. All bungalows have single or double beds with fans and mosquito nets, hot water, and free Wi-Fi. It's nothing spectacular but it is charming and in a quiet location not far from the beach. The attached coffee shop serves excellent coffee and a choice of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Mr. Bamon, the owner, is extremely friendly and helpful and quick to give sightseeing tips. 

The affordable beachside bungalows at the Lanta Miami are clean, spacious, and with big beds and have nicely sized tiled bathrooms. Try to snag a beachfront bungalow for the best experience. Some are right on the sand.

If you like your huts to be of progressive design, go Somewhere Else---the six octagonal rooms in the front of the clearing are particularly cool, with fold-down windows, wooden floors, and loose-pebble bathroom floors. This resort is nothing fancy (expect cold water and fans), but it has a great vibe, and you'll enjoy playing Ping-Pong with friendly staff in the common room or just watching the sunset on the chill-out pillows strewn on various wooden platforms. Note that there's no hot water, but your shower will be warm from the sun.

With a fun slide plunging into a big pool and several two-bedroom villas (each with large multi-bed rooms), Southern Lanta is understandably popular with families. Standard rooms are bungalows built closely to each other with slightly run-down exteriors but comfortable interiors. Seaside rooms are newer and have sofas indoors and deck chairs outdoors for maximum lounging.