Southern Lanta Resort Hotel in Lanta Island

My partner and I had a good stay at this Hotel and have made fond memories of our time in Koh Lanta during our 1 month travels around Thailand. We stayed here for 3 nights overall in one of the huts. The hotel is only a 5 mins drive from the boat we got from Phi phi or from the large bridge going to the 2nd island. The island is much larger so we rented a moped which is a must to get around. It’s about 45mins north to south of the island. The hotel is right on the beach, has 3 pools, a gym and restaurant. The staff are friendly and helpful. Having a hut is also fun and different from anything else we have stayed in. Unlike other reviews I read the hotel was empty. When we first got there we only saw 8 other guests that day! Therefore they let us use any of the pools even though we were not in top tier area. However, what is not clear is that during low season about 80% of things to do are closed and not open again until November. Most of the beach bars and restaurants are all shut. The beach is also COVERED in rubbish even outside the hotel which upset me. They also had up a tarp so from the pool u didn’t get a view of the beach and were doing lots of work around the hotel. Finally we had loads of ants in our bathroom as there was a gap between the mosquito cover on the window frame and the wall. There is also no glass in the bathroom just that net which means that u can hear other guests if they are outside. We didn’t use the restaurant so I can’t comment on food. The gym was fine- had AC and we were the only people there. Overall I would come back if the beach was clear, restaurants were open and hotel was in a nicer condition.