The overall experience with Soma Palmshore was very pleasant. Upon arrival, I was treated with a garland of flowers. My second party was arriving the next day, and arranging a taxi for his pickup was uncomplicated (though a little expensive in comparison - all the taxi rides arranged were expensive, try to walk or take a rickshaw as often as possible for nearby locations). I was taken to a beautiful little room, with a breathtaking view from my cute porch. It was unexpectedly gorgeous for the price I paid. The room itself was great - clean, the fridge worked too well; the bed was comfortable - the hot water ran out pretty quickly, and the TV reception was variable, but otherwise, I was pleased. The private beach was perfect. No other words necessary. The pool staff worked hard to keep the pool spotless, but due to the other guests (who didn't clean before entering) using the pool, we refrained. The food was decent; breakfast could have been better (and cleaner), but overall, it was ok. The service was good, however I am able to speak Malayalam, so communication was fairly easy. I think it would have been difficult otherwise. Most of the service we ordered was prompt; I had to ask several times for someone to clean our room, and they never cleaned our plates from room service, which was annoying - The local men are generally trustworthy, and we took an incredible boat ride with two local fishermen. Many touristy locales are very close by, only a short walk away