If you are planning on visiting Koh Lanta then this article is intended to provide you with an unbiased overview of the top hotels, resorts and budget options on the Island. We have spent considerable time on Koh Lanta, and one thing is for certain: if you want convenient access to Lanta’s nicest beaches, then you should try to book a room along the western shoreline. The challenging part about finding the correct room on Lanta is selecting the right beach to suit your preferences. Koh Lanta has numerous stretches of sand making it somewhat challenging to narrow your choice down to only one. In general, we felt the beaches became more remote and exotic as you progress towards the southern tip of the island and Mo Koh Lanta National Park. The beaches up north near the pier are still nice enough and convenient to access, but they lack the frontier feel that Koh Lanta is truly known for. Koh Lanta is quite undulating in certain areas, therefore if you are not located right near the beach, expect some steep climbs to your room especially in the southern region of the island.
Here is our unbiased overview of the top hotels, resorts and guesthouses on Koh Lanta Island:
Top Luxury Resort on Koh Lanta: Layana Resort and Spa
Conveniently located on Pra Ae Beach, Layana Resort and Spa is without question one of the top resorts on Koh Lanta. At the time of writing is had a superb guest review score of 9.3/10 on Thailand’s top accommodation site. Guests rave about their service and they have been known to serve spontaneous treats to their guests while they chill out on the beach. If you have the room in your budget, you will most likely appreciate the spacious rooms at Layana Resort and Spa. Since this resort is located roughly half-way down the western shoreline of Koh Lanta, it is perfectly located for exploring both ends of the island.
Best Combination of Scenery and Location: Pimalai Resort and Spa
During our time on Koh Lanta we stayed on Kantiang Bay (sometimes called Ba Kan Tiang Beach). It is a long, wide stretch of beautiful sand found in the southwestern corner of the island that still manages to retain a laidback vibe despite its growing popularity. Pimalai Resort and Spa is prominently located right in the middle of Kantiang Bay. The resort itself, is beautiful, but its location is hard to beat. When you also consider the positive reviews it receives, it comes as no surprise that this is one of the most sought after resorts on all of Lanta.
Travel Checklist: Do you have everything you need?
Find the Cheapest Flight to your Destination
Book Your Ideal Hotel: Booking.com or Agoda.com
Travel Safely, Get Travel Insurance
Rent a Car: Not all places have good public transport
Find the World’s Best Bus Tours
Use the best travel guides: Lonely Planet
Best Budget Guesthouses near the Ferry Pier on Lanta: Jetty Place and Lanta MP Place Hotel
If you’re arriving late, leaving early or you just simply want to check out Saladan’s local culture then these two affordable options get rock solid reviews. As its name suggests, Jetty Place extremely close to the ferry pier which is perfect if you plan to go to from Lanta to Koh Phi Phi. At the time of writing it had a guest review score of 9/10 with many reviewers speaking very highly of the management.
Lanta MP Place Hotel is also in the same price range and location as Jetty Place, so ultimately it comes down to your own preference. At the time of writing, it had a review score of 8.4/10. Expect spacious and clean rooms at either one of these budget options, and not to mention great Lanta hospitality.
Where did we stay on Lanta?
To be honest, we really had a difficult time selecting a place to stay on Koh Lanta. There are simply so many beaches and so many accommodation choices to select from that it can became a bit of a headache. Eventually, we narrowed it down to Baan Lanta Resort and Spa because it was well priced, received positive reviews and is located on arguably the nicest beach on Lanta – Kantiang Bay. We don’t have an affiliation with this property or any of the properties on Koh Lanta.  Therefore, we have no bias towards any of the properties discussed.
Would we recommend it?
If you are looking for a top-end resort it’s not for you. But, if you are fine with mid-range amenities, then you will enjoy the pool, very friendly staff, and its superb location. They also serve a decent  American or Asian-style breakfast. If you can book this resort for under $60 USD, go for it! At the time of writing it had a review score of 7.8/10 based on over 200 verified guest reviews.  We consider this to be an accurate representation of this property.Â
Additional Top Budget Options on Koh Lanta
Pinky Bungalows – centrally located with a rock solid guest review score of 8.5/10.
Panorama Bungalow – if you are looking for a super chilled out vibe in a quiet area of Lanta with superb sea views.
Hostaria 239 Budget Bed and Breakfast – centrally located, breakfast included for under $20 USD with a review score of 8.7/10.
How to find the cheapest rooms on Koh Lanta?
When we booked our room on Lanta we referred to the three sites that we thought would provide us with the best opportunity of finding the cheapest prices: www.hotelscombined.com, www.agoda.com and www.booking.com. All of these sites offer massive selections, but www.hotelscombined.com is unique because it is a price comparison site. Â Therefore, it can compare room prices from multiple sites at the same time. Â I have created links to their respective property lists to save you some time:
Compare Room Prices on Koh Lanta – www.hotelscombined.com
Room Prices on Lanta – www.agoda.com
Room Prices on Lanta – www.booking.com
Top Rated Properties on Koh Lanta
Based on Verified Guest Reviews
Important: Mobile Users must swipe from left to right to see entire table.
| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating:Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Agoda.com (Koh Lanta) | Booking.com (Koh Lanta) | |
| 5 stars/Luxury | Layana Resort and Spa – 9.4/10 | Layana Resort and Spa – 9.6/10 | |
| 4stars/Comfort | The Houben Hotel – 9.1/10 | Alanta Villa – 9.4/10 | |
| 3 stars/Mid-range | Baan Thai Lanta Resort – 9.2/10 | SER-EN-DIP-I-TY – 9.5/10 | |
| 2 star/ Budget | Thai Smile Bungalows – 9.7/10 | I-Style Lanta Boutique House – 9.5/10 | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | Hostaria 239 Budget Bed and Breakfast – 8.6/10 | KeereeLay – 9.4/10 | |
| Compare all room prices on Koh Lanta using www.agoda.com | Compare all room prices on Koh Lanta using www.booking.com |
Criteria:
- Properties rated based on ‘overall’ review scores from each respective website’s verified guests.
- Minimum of 50 verified guest reviews required to be considered eligible for comparison.
- All star ratings and verified guest review scores are tallied at the time of writing, and therefore, are subject to change.
We are always dedicated to providing unbiased, informative articles about locations in Thailand. Click here to access an ever-growing list of articles about Koh Lanta and Thailand.
Be sure to have an enjoyable journey in southern Thailand!