Gorgeous resort and facilities with friendly staff

Akaryn is a beautiful resort and the friendly service makes it that much better. If you're willing and able to spend a little more for a romantic experience, I would recommend it. We stayed here for two nights after travelling through Thailand staying at in hotels in the $40-100 range. This is quite a step up, but you get a lot for your buck. We stayed in the pool villa and LOVED it. It was nice to have the privacy of our own pool, although the hotel pool was incredible. The facilities are clean and beautiful so it was a very relaxing stay.
The private beach is very nice, although not great for snorkeling - which wasn't important to us at this point. The hotel provides free snorkel gear, kayak, and probably more that we didn't see. No need to check anything out, you just grab it and go.
The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. Their English is very good, especially at the front desk, so I'm sure any special requests can be easily met.
My only qualm is the food wasn't great. I thought at such a spectacular resort, their food would be exceptional. Their pizzas are good, though we didn't go to Thailand to eat what we can find at home. Their breakfast was a very good deal, although nothing tasted all that great - even though they give you a ton of it. They have an extensive cocktail list and a fully stocked bar of top shelf liquor, but the bartenders abilities for a good craft cocktail aren't great. I could be a snob in this area so if you're looking for a basic mojito, you will likely be satisfied.
Our favorite part of our stay was the "spa buffet". For THB 3,000, you can pick from the list of treatments for 2.5 hours. You can find massages in Thailand for a lot less of course, but this was an ultimate spa treatment that would cost five times as much in the US. If you're looking to relax and experience something memorable with your significant other, I highly recommend splurging and going this route.