Just returned from three nights at SS Yao Noi and we had, overall, an excellent stay. The resort was only at 75% capacity, as it was green season, so perhaps that helped with some of the service issues that people have noted above and in other threads. Our GEM, Woody, was terrific - gave us good suggestions, let us take a peek at some of the bigger villas, worked to upgrade us to an oceanview room, and even helped us rent a moped to check out the island for the day.
The resort itself is gorgeous - very secluded, very intimate, but with a fairly large footprint. The boat ride into Yao Noi is definitely a highlight, as you feel a bit like a character in The Man With The Golden Gun, coming up close to the steep, limestone islands. Upon arrival you're whisked right off to your room. We booked a garden view room but almost immediately regretted it, so on night 2 we switched over to an ocean view and were extremely happy with the decision.
The villas are quite spacious, with large plunge pools, sunbathing areas, a sala, a large outdoor bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, and an air conditioned bedroom. We never minded the outdoor bathroom but I know it is much-maligned on this site! The one issue we did have was a malfunctioning bathtub, but it was quickly fixed.
As perks through our travel agent, we were provided a complimentary massage, chocolates, a bottle of champagne, a fruit basket, as well as a private dinner in our villa - by FAR the most generous of all the hotels we visited during our honeymoon! The private dinner was perhaps the highlight of the whole trip to Yao Noi, with superb service and really impeccable, traditional Thai food. They even brought our desserts down to the beach for us so we could watch the movie they were playing on the outdoor projector!
Food overall was excellent, with only a few minor faults. The breakfast buffet was massive and the best we had while in Thailand - Thai, Western and Indian hot options, muesli/granola/yogurt, cereals, fresh juices, and a massive list of fresh pastries and breads (and all-day free ice cream!). The Mediterranean restaurant (the Dining Room) was a bit more polished than the Thai restaurant (the Living Room), while food at the Hilltop Reserve was unspectacular and overpriced.
That said, despite the mediocre food, the view at the Reserve is completely unmatched anywhere we have visited. Truly unbelievable! It is worth going to SS Yao Noi just to see it.
The whole resort is beautiful, with vegetable gardens sprinkled everywhere, a stunning spa (with good quality massages), tennis courts, kayak rentals and easy access to check out the rest of the island via moped. There's also a beautiful mangrove littered with geckos and other lizards. The only downer to the grounds themselves was some construction going on at the beach to help shore it up. I would also note that there were more children here than I expected this resort to have, though the number of couples/honeymooners far outweighed the families - I was simply surprised to see any kids!
Overall, it was the nearly perfect way to finish off our honeymoon - felt very exclusive, very intimate. Since Yao Noi is so quiet itself, it might not be somewhere to visit for 7-9 days, but for 3-5 it was exactly what we were looking for.