The Lanta Sand Resort and Spa makes a humble first impression: Passing under a simple wooden archway baring the resort's name, guests arrive at a small square parking lot rimmed with greenery and a low-rise white building beyond, fronted with slim rectangular windows. Inside, the open-air lobby with marble floors and low, hardwood ceilings is comfortable and pleasant, but not grand. Slat-wood benches and woven patio chairs offer ample seating for guests. Two massive urns stamped with the resort's name in gold paint open onto a modern square pond. The grounds are pleasant to wander through, full of tropical foliage, a carp pond, handcrafted wooden seats, statues, and shady palapas. A paved walkway leads from the lobby to the beach (though it's dimly lit at night). Families are drawn to the resort for its playground and kids' pools, while groups take advantage of the conference and function facilities. But all guests appreciate the relaxed, low-key vibe.

Lanta Sand Resort is located right in the middle of Long Beach, which, true to its name, is the longest beach on Koh Lanta. The resort is accessed by a small dead-end lane off of the main west coast road, and other than one other restaurant and pub next door, it's rather secluded. There are plenty of resorts along the beach offering food and drink, as well as small independent bars for watching the beautiful west coast sunsets -- all within a 10-minute walk. But exploring neighboring towns, like the village around Phra Ae (Long Beach) or Sala Dan, requires a short taxi ride of less than 10 minutes. Phuket International Airport is four hours away by car.

Like the rest of the resort, guest rooms are simple and comfortable. White-tile floors and dark-wood walls are offset by a accent walls above the bed painted a vivid purple, green, or red. All rooms have mini-fridges, safes, electric kettles, coffee and tea, bottled water, free Wi-Fi, and DVD players. (A DVD library is available at the front desk.) Rooms also have flat-screen TVs, though they're the old thicker, smaller models, and the cable setup has no channels in English. Beige-tiled bathrooms are amply sized with wall-mounted hairdryers, toiletries, black vanity sinks, and open showers that can leave the rest of the bathroom damp.

There are a number of room categories, but most are quite similar in terms of amenities and decor and mainly vary with their outdoor spaces. The Deluxe Balcony Rooms have pool views and are extremely spacious, with a sleeping area and a sitting room. Unfortunately, the sleeping area is quite dim, and the TV is misplaced here instead of in the far more pleasant sitting room. The room's little deck is furnished with a daybed and a small tiled tub, but the resort is renovating this, and the tubs are scheduled to be removed by the end of 2015. Deluxe Pool Access Rooms on the ground floor have sliding doors leading directly into the pool and poolside daybeds for lounging. These rooms are pricier with the same features as the Balcony Rooms, aside from pool access. The top-tier Deluxe Villas don't have pool access or views, but they do have private gardens in the back with open-air showers and soaking tubs. 

Lanta Sand Resort has two sizable pools. A swordfish sculpture crowns the sky-blue, free-form spa pool, which also has a small circular kiddy pool, a hot tub, and a wide paved sundeck with loungers. The rectangular cobalt-blue main pool flanks the building with pool-access rooms; a wooden deck with loungers splits the pool in half. Another small square kiddy pool is here as well. Children can also play in the resort's playground. While the resort has no fitness center, it does have a decent size spa, with massage treatments and beauty services like manicures and pedicures available. There are several meeting rooms for group functions and conferences -- it's one of the few resorts on Koh Santa big enough to offer this feature.

For dining, the Rabiang Lanta restaurant sits right out by the beach. Free buffet breakfasts are served here, along with a mix of western and Thai food for lunch and dinner. There is also the Hansa Lanta Bar out on a wooden deck next to the beach, although it closes during the low season from May until November.

The beach itself, arguably the star attraction, is a broad stretch of white sand with unbroken views out to the edge of the horizon. A line of padded loungers face the waves under the shade of the resort's trees.