Layana Resort And Spa

“Island Paradise 🏝️”

Amazing experience… compliments to the staff for making our Honeymoon fantastic… the food the beach villa and the smiles will forever remain with us…. Thank You Layana

“Idyllic”

Another idyllic stay at Layana which certainly is why we keep returning to this beautiful Resort as the location and the Resort team make it for a most memorable stay. The rooms are well appointed with luxury inclusions which make for a most comfortable stay along with the quality of cuisine from t… more

Another idyllic stay at Layana which certainly is why we keep returning to this beautiful Resort as the location and the Resort team make it for a most memorable stay. The rooms are well appointed with luxury inclusions which make for a most comfortable stay along with the quality of cuisine from the restaurant and the most satisfying cocktails to be had especially at sundown with beautiful sunsets to take in . All the team from gardeners , housekeeping, restaurant, bar, spa, pool and beach team,car boat transfer team, security and team at reception who all make your stay a most relaxing and memorable holiday. The beach and pools are so inviting and always spotlessly clean and gardens are beautifully maintained. Thank you GM Franck and everyone. We look forward to another stay next year. Kate & Robert McPherson

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“10/10, service is impeccable.”

We had an absolutely wonderful stay and received incredible service from all the staff at Layana. We were there for seven nights and I’m so sad to be leaving such a wonderful place. We stayed in the garden room on the ground floor, and it was perfect. It’s a good size, has a comfortable bed, a … more

We had an absolutely wonderful stay and received incredible service from all the staff at Layana. We were there for seven nights and I’m so sad to be leaving such a wonderful place. We stayed in the garden room on the ground floor, and it was perfect. It’s a good size, has a comfortable bed, a big bath and shower and a terrace with private sunbeds and a table outside. Sitting out there in the mornings is so tranquil and quiet, only listening to the birds and wildlife around you. The absolute best part of this hotel is the service and the staff. Nothing was ever too much trouble, they were all kind, smiling and very happy to help. Honestly the best service I’ve ever experienced. The restaurant staff remember your drink orders and favourite table and take the time to get to know you. I don’t remember the name of the main man in the restaurant, but he was brilliant, very warm and hospitable, so thank you. We were celebrating a birthday, and the staff took us to a specially decorated table and arranged a birthday cake surprise. We even had a decorated bedroom with a towel cake! Housekeeping is fantastic and comes twice a day. The laundry service is quick and reasonably priced. The manager Franck came to greet us at check-in and to say goodbye at the time to leave. He also came to help us when we had some difficulty with riding a moped. We really appreciated his help and advice. The spa is lovely, and the staff are very skilled. I was nervous to have a traditional Thai massage, but it was amazing and nothing to be nervous about at all! I’d also recommend the coconut scrub and massage, but definitely book slightly in advance as it was fully booked on one of the days. At the pool, the staff are amazing too. They lay out the towels for you on your chosen sunbeds, bring ice water and ice cream or fresh fruit during the day and there’s a little call button so you can order food to the poolside. We found that the restaurant for breakfast was wonderful, sitting with the doors open overlooking the sea. It’s a good selection of food, juices and drinks. If I had to give any constructive feedback, it would be about the restaurant during dinner. If the weather is not cooperating with a nice outdoor setting or if it is windy, the restaurant might feel a bit less lively. Some nights had live music at sunset or a fire show, but others were a bit quieter. In the end, we rented a car and explored some of the other restaurants on the island. For anyone planning a trip, I would suggest renting a car because it is quite a challenge to walk around in the heat and having a car means you can explore a little further. We also used the hotel’s private transfer service from the airport, which was fantastic. It was a large, comfortable van with reclining seats, cold towels and water. The food and drinks are pretty good overall, not the cheapest but that’s to be expected given the resort we were at so not a criticism. We were signing checks and not really checking prices so did come as a little surprise at the end of the week to see how much we had racked up. Holiday money though so doesn’t count 😉 Overall, I would say this hotel is perfect and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. It is the ideal place to unwind, disconnect and enjoy a truly peaceful and relaxing stay in a luxurious setting.

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“Layana Resort - a lot to improve!”

Our first (and last) stay in the Layana Resort. It starts right after the welcome with you being asked to take a seat on a sofa that has more stains than an old carpet in an Irish pub. Not the best start, as you only get one chance to make a first impression. The room we got was nice and modern, f… more

Our first (and last) stay in the Layana Resort. It starts right after the welcome with you being asked to take a seat on a sofa that has more stains than an old carpet in an Irish pub. Not the best start, as you only get one chance to make a first impression. The room we got was nice and modern, fitting to the pictures seen before when booking. Our first evening with dinner on the beach; the food was delicious and of good quality, although, when ordering a starter plus main course, with the starter actually more like a main course in terms of portion size, the restaurant manager who took the order in person should point that out. Unfortunately, he did not, meaning you end up leaving lots of food on your plate, which is an unnecessary waste. The breakfast next morning: In a 5-star hotel, you’d expect a decent selection of cold cuts, cheese, ham, salami and so on. The Layana offer’s exactly ONE type of sliced cheese, ONE standard salami and ONE artificial-looking ham, thats all on the so called buffet... a more than limited selection! Gluten-free bread you get on request; but only one kind of, served already toasted to death without being asked and therefore rock-hard! Unfortunately, the orange juice, which was offered as freshly squeezed, had already spoiled. When I mentioned this to the Restaurant Manager, he brought a glass of fresh juice, offering excuses but no apology. All in all, the selection is very small and limited, especially for a 5-star Hotel! I don’t expect salmon, although that’s by no means unusual in Hotels like this. But it would have been nice to have at least f. e. some simple crispy bacon or other standards. Yes, they can make some specials when asking for it, but it should be on a buffet available without asking. Furthermore, juices and milk are offered in plastic bottles, and spreads such as jams are not labelled at all, so you always have to ask or do not know what you choose. At check-in, guests are asked about any allergies, which implies that, as is common in many 5-star hotels, care will be taken during meals (breakfast and dinner) to ensure that guests are not served dishes containing the allergens in question. Unfortunately, this is not the case; which is understandable, given that the room number is not asked at either breakfast or dinner. Instead, even though we specified a gluten intolerance at breakfast, they served Egg Benedict with ordinary bread! It’s obvious that both the Restaurant Manager, and, above all, the Hotel Manager Franck Delen, react immediately to every objection and complaint with explanations, counter-arguments and discussions. Example given: I told the Mr. Delen at the breakfast that the water in the shower wouldn’t get hot. He then showed me photos on his mobile of which way to turn the tap to get hot water! I’ve been travelling around the world as an International Sales Director for over 30 years, have visited 59 countries so far and have stayed in countless hotels. When I told Mr. Delen that I didn’t think I was too stupid to operate a shower, he replied that he had often guests complaining about cold water, but had simply been operating the taps incorrectly… quite impudent and arrogant! You should never start a discussion with a guest who has a legitimate complaint; it is the worst you can do! All day long, you see Mr. Delen strolling through ‘his’ Resort, obviously with the intention of seemingly fishing for compliments. Instead, he should focus on keeping the resort in the sort of condition you'd expect from a 5-star hotel, even in the off-season. This includes well-maintained gardens and sunbeds by the pools that are set up for guests; that is to say, the parasols should be open and towels are available on the sunbeds, the salas should have sunshades fitted, and so on. Unfortunately, none of this is to be found, nor is there a member of staff on hand to assist the guests on the upper pool! In fact, the staff seem very intimidated and frightened, presumably due to a rather unprofessional or arrogant Management. The staff’s lack of enthusiasm is particularly noticeable everywhere but especially in the Restaurant; except when the Restaurant Manager has a day off… then all staff is extraordinary friendly, attentive and noticeably cheerful. The housekeeping: On the first morning, housekeeping knocked on the door at around 8.30am. We asked for 10 minutes and then went for breakfast. In the meantime, the room was cleaned. The next morning, we had a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, which we removed at 9.00am when we went for breakfast. When we returned at around 10.45am, the room hadn’t been cleaned yet. We waited until 12:00pm and then called, asking for the room to be cleaned. We were told that someone would be sent straight away. Another hour later, nothing had happened, so we called housekeeping again. We were assured that they would take care of it immediately. After another 20 minutes, we got a call and were informed that it would take another 30 minutes because they were busy elsewhere first. At 02:00pm, the room was finally ready… unfortunately, the minibar hadn’t been restocked, even though that was included in the booking package! So we had to ring them up again! Finally, in the evening, there are several insistent knocks on the door to hand out leaflets, even though the ‘Do not disturb’ sign is hanging on the door. Perhaps the staff should be explained the meaning of „Do not disturb“! In summary, it must be noted that the Layana is significantly lower in quality compared to other 5-star resorts such as e. g. the Pimalai Resort, which is located just 20 minutes away on the same island; particularly in terms of service, the breakfast buffet, the general condition and especially the competence and courtesy of the Management. Again, getting into an discussion with a guest who is making a legitimate complaint is the worst thing you can do as a Hotel employee in general and as the Hotel Manager in particular! And to make the guest look like a fool on top of that is an absolute no-go! But when someone is so arrogant and ignorant not even knowing the most basic rules in Hotel business, there's no helping him.

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