When we arrived we were disappointed - the hotel is on a main st, not on the beach, and felt more like a motel than a hotel. Not the beautiful resort entrance/grounds you're used to driving into in Phuket or Bali.
However the room was perfectly nice and clean and the infinity pool on the roof is v nice. Also the beach and all the island boat ferries are an extremely easy 5 min walk away, maximum.
Besides the Centara there are no beach-front hotels in Ao Nang and w the price difference this is a pretty great deal. I believe there are 2 parts to this hotel and that's why the mixed reviews - we booked the more expensive room options (99 vs 69 USD) and were satisfied.