Camille's Samui Hotel recommendations

Jinta City Hotel, Nathon

2012-02-10T14:39:00.003+07:00

Jinta City Hotel, Nathon

Many times I have been asked about hotels in Nathon, the Jinta City Hotel could be your choice if you just need a room for the night to catch an early ferry.

The Jinta is a typical Thai small town hotel that does the job, aircon, cable TV, a fridge and free internet service are all the basics one needs. The rates are cheap and the hotel is located in the middle of Nathon, easy walking distance to everything, the night market, the ferry and everything else that's worthwhile in Nathon.

Some people like Nathon because of it's non touristic character, which is definitely available, I love to wonder through the few streets there.

Cheap and easy, your choice.

Booking by Agoda

Deluxe Sea View

Deluxe Garden View

Standard room

Swimming Pool

O.P. Bungalow, Chaweng

2012-01-11T15:51:00.002+07:00

O.P. Bungalow, Chaweng

The location is easy to find, directly where the one way system in Chaweng starts and has been around since 1986. It was one of the early resorts in Chaweng to be around.

It's a fairly basic resort but still in the middle of the action but because it's a little bit tucked away, it's quiet. The part of the beach it's located at is nice and is known to have volley ball games on each evening.

I know this resort since a long time and have been there plenty of times. There are lots of restaurants and bars around, just outside of the resort.

The resort has a very lush garden set up all the way down to the beach, relaxing and easy going.

If you're in for a basic but good resort located directly at the beach in Chaweng, OP Bungalow may be just for you.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Deluxe room

Guest room

Path down to the beach

Chaweng beach

Baan Kao Hua Jook, Chaweng

2011-12-24T09:16:00.002+07:00

Baan Kao Hua Jook, Chaweng

Located at the bottom of the hill leading to the Chaweng Pagoda or Kao Hua Jook. Kao is mountain and Hua Jook means around the head or on top! This is also the road that leads to the Q Bar, both with fantastic views over Koh Samui.

Back in July one of my IDC candidates stayed here and it isn't until now I write about Kao Hua Jook. She loved it here and had a great time staying at this hotel.

The hotel is not located at the beach but near Chaweng lake, which comes in handy if you're not a beach person and want some relaxed and quiet atmosphere. It's not far to the hustle and bustle of Chaweng and the lake road is an easy entry or exit into Chaweng.

The apartments are comfortable, affordable and practical for long-term/short-term travelers and I can recommend them.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Standard room

Standard room seating area

Superior villa

Superior area dining area

Exterior including the swimming pool

Cocopalm Beach Resort, Maenam

2011-11-13T07:31:00.003+07:00

Cocopalm Beach Resort, Maenam

This is one of Koh Samui's well hidden secrets. Located just 10km from the airport and literally next to the Lomprayah pier in Maenam, it also boosts a small but nice beach in front of the resort with a fantastic view on Koh Phangan.

The resort is privately owned and has 70 bungalows and villas to show for; 24 Superior Bungalows, 22 Deluxe Bungalows , 3 units are Deluxe Bungalow (Seaview), 7 Family Bungalow 9 Pool Villa and 4 units Beach fronts (Seaview), plus 1 Pool Villa with 2 Bedrooms with its own private Balcony and all bungalows are smoothly integrated with their lush gardens. The resort is very spacious and the bungalow are surrounded by green.

So far the resort is usually very quiet since there are no group or tour operator bookings in the resort, so enjoy whilst it lasts!

The Palm Terrace Restaurant is a great spot located right next to the beach where you can enjoy an extensive menu of Thai, Asian, and International dishes prepared on a live cooking station.

In need of a holiday and get well rested within a budget, Cocopalm Beach Resort is the place to be, it's quiet and feels remote!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Reception

Beach front pool villa

Superior bungalow

Swimming pool

Gardens around the resort

Muang Samui Villas & Suites, Choengmon Beach

2011-10-15T08:38:00.003+07:00

Muang Samui Villas & Suites, Choengmon Beach

The newest kid on the block on Choengmon beach my favorite beach on Koh Samui. The Muang Samui has been build over the last two or three years and is finally completed and a nice piece of work it became!

The 79 villas and suites are big and nice! There are the 90 sqm large Terrace Suites or the 125 sqm pool Suites each in contemporary Thai style decor which gives warmness of wood and light.

The Pool villas or pool villas sea view are extraordinary spacious and very nicely designed; luxuriousness appointed with 160 sqm for each villa and each room comes with it's own swimming pool and a terrace that measures another whooping 72 sqm. These villas come a with separate bedroom and living room, which makes them great for families with children.

Choengmon has plenty of restaurant options to offer on the beach and outside on the road. Chaweng and Bang Rak are nearby and for some cultural diversion, Wat Plai Laem and Big Buddha are nearby.

A great location in a nice bay with a lovely beach with plenty of options to keep you busy or alternatively to kick back and relax. The villas are medium ranged priced but well worth the expense. Enjoy your stay here!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Pool villa sea view

Pool villa bed room

Pool villa living room

Swimming pool

Pool and beach view

Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2011-09-17T14:58:00.006+07:00

Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa, Chaweng

The 5 Star Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa in Northern Chaweng has 122 rooms and villas to boost and room sizes start at an impressive 61 square meters.

Luxury rules and spacious is the key word. Two restaurants cater to your culinary wishes amongst which is a restaurant called the tree tops, where you can enjoy the most luxurious setting among, well, the tree tops. A truly romantic experience. In case you would like to get some physical activity, there's a squash court in case you're in the mood.

A nice infinity pool near the beach, in case your private villa's pool is too lonely for you and free wifi complement the surroundings of this resort.

A great location just outside the hustle and bustle of Chaweng but nearby enough so you can indulge in either shopping, dining or a nightlife experience.

If you're up for luxury near Chaweng, this may suit you just fine.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Deluxe bed room

Deluxe pool access bedroom

Pool villa

Sea view pool villa

Pool

Elements Boutique Resort & Spa, Baan Taling Ngaam

2011-08-17T10:45:00.003+07:00

Elements Boutique Resort & Spa, Baan Taling Ngaam

If you're looking for luxury in a secluded area, Elements may be it for you. This boutique resort is about as far away from anything as you can find or get on Koh Samui. The Baan Taling Ngaam area is lovely and reminds me of how Samui was a long time ago and the beach is very nice out here.

Their 4 - 2 bedroom Luxury Beachfront Villas with private pool open-air jacuzzi and a sunset sala, 14 - 1 bedroom Garden Villas with a choice of private plunge pool or jacuzzi, 12 - 1 bedroom DeLuxe Sea View Apartments with sea view balcony and 3 - 1 bedroom DeLuxe Studio Apartments with balcony are built for those seeking to get away from the busy mainstream holiday areas.

Elements is not a big Samui hotel resort - and that's how it was planned. It is a small boutique resort with holiday villas and apartments emphasizing personal service according to your individual tastes!

If you're looking for a getaway place, don't look any further, Elements is it!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Garden Villa Pool

Garden Villa

Beach front Villa

Beach fron Villa pool

Beach

Kamalaya resort, Hua Thanon

2011-07-15T15:05:00.003+07:00

Kamalaya resort, Hua Thanon

It's full name is Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa Resort and is centred around a monk's cave that once served Buddhist monks as a place of meditation and spiritual retreat, Kamalaya's essence is expressed in its name, 'Lotus (kamal) Realm (alaya)', an ancient symbol for the growth and unfolding of the human spirit.

The accommodations include cozy hillside rooms, open suites, and spacious villas overlooking the coastline of southern Koh Samui. Buildings rest amidst ancient, granite boulders, streams, and tropical vegetation making the retreat at one with nature. Come here for what was once called “the cure” and the wellness and holistic therapies cover detox, yoga, Tai Chi, ayurvedic therapy and dozens more. The meals are fabulous, this is not spa cuisine unless you want it, the healthy food includes meat and wine too.

Well hidden away with hardly any outside distraction at all at a very quiet corner of the island, it's a haven for retreat and working on your wellness. Prices are at the medium to higher end range but well worth the investment.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Guest room

Beach front Villa

Rock top Villa

Swimming pool

The Passage Resort, Bang Po

2011-06-09T21:07:00.002+07:00

The Passage Resort, Bang Po

This fairly new resort, the soft opening was just over a year ago, is in a very tranquil area of the island, away from all the hustle and bustle. Nathon would be the nearest destination with just around 4 km to go.

The resort offers once a day a shuttle to Chaweng and Lamai. If you want to be more flexible in your moves, you may need to rent some wheels for your stay or the day.

The resort has two big pools for the Pool Connect villas and also offers villas with their own pools.

The Passage would suit newly weds and anybody else just fine, if they're looking for a quiet destination.

Good service in a new and quiet, slightly out of the way resort, if that's what you're looking for, get yourself a nice and quiet room here.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Pool Villa bedroom

Pool Villa living room

Pool Villa

Connect Pool Villa bed room

Swimming pool

Samui Boat Lagoon Villa's, Plai Laem

2011-05-28T17:56:00.002+07:00

Samui Boat Lagoon Villa's, Plai Laem

As already mentioned in my blog post on my Samui info and weather blog about the Samui Boat Lagoon Villa's, Joakim, one of the owners of this Villa estate, got in touch with me during the unseasonal floods in March and April and he invited me to visit the Villa estate. This was an invitation I gladly accepted and here is a blog post about my findings.

One of Samui's biggest pools is found at the Samui Boat Lagoon Villa's and on top of that, each villa has it's own private pool! The villas are located in Plai Laem, quiet enough to get all the rest and relaxation you would expect from a stay in a villa complex and on the other hand it's near enough to plenty of restaurants, bars and sightseeing attractions like the Fishermans Village for restaurants or it's weekly Walking Street and Wat Plai Laem for a nice excursion to one of Samui's most beautiful temples. It's just a 5 minute walk around the corner!

The 26 villa's are split up in single bedroom, 2 bed room and 4 bedroom villa's and the beach front even supports some 3 bedroom villa's to top it off. The prices are very interesting and it may well pay off to check one of the booking/reservation engines mentioned at the bottom of this post!

All villa's boost their own pool, kitchen, air-conditioned bedroom(s) and a living/relaxation area with a TV. The one bedroom villas have 160 sqm to offer, the 2 bedroom villas 240 sqm and the 4 bedroom villas 500 sqm.

As already mentioned on my Samui info blog, I was especially impressed with the spacious bathrooms and the architecture of the villas, which include all the amenities you would expect at a modern resort.

The rates are currently even better than the price you may get in other resorts for just a room so it's well worth to check out and I can highly recommend the Samui Boat Lagoon Villa for a relaxing holiday or stay on Koh Samui.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

One bed room villa

One bed room villa with pool, kitchen and relaxation/living area

Two bed room villa with pool, kitchen and relaxation/living area

Samui Orchid Resort, Hua Thanon

2011-05-08T08:31:00.002+07:00

Samui Orchid Resort, Hua Thanon

Located on 25 acres of coconut plantation, this resort is spacious. It's also located in a very quiet corner of Samui, down in the south eastern corner of the island. It has however two unique attractions, a zoo (with Bengal tigers) and an aquarium with lots of tropical fish. They can be visited at half price. There's also a free shuttle into Lamai. There's no free wifi though, only paid internet in the reception area, something they should really work on.

The resort is right on the beach and consists of bungalows and low-rise modern Thai styled buildings and there are 3 swimming pools.

Looking for seclusion and a truly peaceful and relaxing holiday The Samui Orchid resort is the place to be!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Superior room

Standard room

Bungalow with private pool

Hotel view

Swimming pool

Melati Beach Resort, Thongson Bay, Plai Laem

2011-04-23T21:52:00.004+07:00

Melati Beach Resort, Thongson Bay, Plai Laem

The Melati Beach Resort is located in a lovely small and idyllic bay, the Thongson Bay, which ranks amongst my fave bays on Samui.
The resort is conceptualized as a Thai Village planning integrated with 79 units around lush tropical landscape overlooking pristine white sand and a fantastic view of neighboring Koh Phangan.
This truly is a 5 star pool villa resort with private swimming pools in 41 out of 79 villas and suites. Surrounded by rain forest, rooms have a tropical decor and ambiance and are well-equipped with mod cons such as TVs and mini-fridges. The resort’s luxurious pool villas come with their own private garden and pool.

To get an idea about the rooms, here they are listed;

Grand Deluxe (1st Fl) 9 rooms 95 sqm.
Grand Deluxe (2nd Fl) 26 rooms 77 sqm.
Grand Deluxe Two Double Bed 3 rooms 95 sqm.
Private Garden Pool 14 rooms 144 sqm.
Pool Villas 12 rooms 143 sqm.
Pool Villa Suites 6 rooms 196 sqm.
Family Pool Villa 5 rooms 200 sqm.
Presidential Suites 4 rooms 347 sqm.

Samui airport is just about 10 minutes away and Chaweng with all it's offerings is just a mere 15 minutes away.

All this can be had for really fair. mid range prices.

Looking for that relaxed bungalow stay with all mod cons and a fantastic beach/bay to top it off? Don't look (too much) further! The Melati may be just what you're looking for.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Grand Deluxe Bedroom

Junior Villa suite bath room

Junior Pool Villa

Presidential Suite

Swimming Pool

Chaweng Park Place, Chaweng

2011-04-19T11:00:00.002+07:00

Chaweng Park Place, Chaweng

The Park Place has fully serviced apartments which is becoming more and more a viable option for your stay on Koh Samui or elsewhere in Thailand for that matter.

The location is good, in my opinion and especially if you don't need a beach. The Park Place is located near the junction at the lake road, at the road that takes you from the start of the one way system in Chaweng to the ring road.

The apartments are separated into two styles: Standard Rooms and Deluxe Rooms. Standard rooms are an excellent budget accommodation choice for those who demand all the conveniences and comforts of modern living. The rooms feature a king sized bed, UBC satellite television, free ADSL internet, sofa, air-con, large sized mirrors, a fridge, sink and microwave and a Western style bathroom with hot water. Choose between a balcony with views over Chaweng Lake or of the verdant topical mountain.

The Deluxe rooms are larger and feature a separate living room area, with the bedroom sectioned off by shutters. The rooms offer all the space and comfort you’d wish for from long stay Samui accommodation and these are an affordable luxury option. Deluxe rooms feature UBC satellite TVs, free ADSL internet, fridge, microwave and sink, plenty of cupboard space so that you can stock up with food, a sofa and coffee table, large balcony patio with a view of the lake of peaceful mountain face, pool side balcony, large sized mirrors, air con and luxury Western bathrooms with hot water shower and bathtub.

Not bad if you ask me and the rates are very interesting with Big C and Tesco Lotus also around the corner if you need to stock up your fridge.

Looking for a centrally located apartment for a reasonable price, this might be it!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Deluxe Balcony

Superior Balcony

Deluxe Bungalows

Swimming pool

Hotel exterior

Nora Buri Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2011-03-11T21:18:00.003+07:00

Nora Buri Resort & Spa, Chaweng

This is just one of the three or four hotels that are currently build or have just opened on what I considered once to be one of the most beautiful roads on Koh Samui, the road between Choengmon and Chaweng.

Most of these hotels are near the t-crossing to the airport when coming from north Chaweng. The next door Bhundari is just one of these resorts.

The Nora Buri has 144 rooms in a 5* setting, 48 Deluxe Garden-, 48 Deluxe Seaview-, 28 Hillside Pool Villa's-, 16 Beach side Pool Villa's and 4 Bach front Pool Villas.

The resort looks impressive from the outside and is beautifully build into the hill side.

It's near the hustle and bustle of Chaweng's nightlife but still nicely and quietly located if that's what you're looking for. Rooms start at medium range to rather upscale rates.

Booking at Agoda

Booking at Hotels Combined

Seaview room

Villa Beachside

Pool Villa Hillside

Exterior from the beach

Beach side pool

Mercure Samui Buri Resort, Maenam

2011-02-28T21:41:00.002+07:00

Mercure Samui Buri Resort, Maenam

This is a fairly new resort, just over a year and it's located just outside of Maenam in a quiet corner, away from the busy ring road, almost next to the Nah Phra Lam pier where the Lomprayah ferries leave for Koh Phangang and Koh Tao.

The hotel looks very impressive and is build in very typical Thai style, part of which just make it look so impressive with it's typical roofs.

The beach at Maenam is nice but the sand is very big and not the same powder quality as in Chaweng. The romantic Fisherman's Village is just a 10 minute drive away and can offer some nice dining options and each Friday the walking street.

For golfers it's also good to know that the Santiburi Samui Country Club Course, the only 18 hole golf course on the island, is around the corner.

For a nice quiet get away with very reasonable prices, this hotel with it's 86 rooms is just what you may be looking for.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Entrance

Guest room

Villa

Deluxe pool villa

Infinity pool

Banyan Tree Samui, Lamai

2011-02-16T21:25:00.003+07:00

Banyan Tree Samui, Lamai

This is luxury villa's at it's best in Lamai, located on a quiet and nice white beach on top of that as well. The 78 all pool villas are perfect for a nice getaway.
Cascading terraces on a private hill cove in the south-eastern coast of Koh Samui give this resort a special touch.

If you desire to leave the premises, make sure you have access to transportation, although it's near to Lamai, it's nowhere walking distance!
The Samui Banyan Tree also features 'The Rainforest', Koh Samui's only hydrotherapy wellness facility.

All this luxury and well being comes with a price tag though but if it's in your budget, it's well worth it!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Beach front pool villa

Garden pool villa

Ocean view pool villa

Restaurant the Edge

View

Samui Beach Resort, Lamai

2011-01-25T13:14:00.003+07:00

Samui Beach Resort, Lamai

This resort in Lamai has a special link to me since it's run by my cousin. After having run a hotel in the city center of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and in Pattaya in Thailand he recently moved to Koh Samui and took over this resort during late 2010.

After having done some renovation work, he's now in full swing and he, his Thai wife and a Dutch partner are running the resort in a friendly and professional way.

Their 53 rooms are on a regular base booked and they enjoy many return customers, which is always a good sign! One of their advantages in my opinion is their location at a beautiful and lovely stretch of Lamai beach that only sees a few hotels using this beach, hence it's nice and quiet with plenty of space.

They're located near Hin Ta and Hin Yai, just make sure that you don't miss the road sign!

At the time being they still have fan rooms, but soon all rooms will be air-conditioned. Enjoy their very competitive prices and if you are travelling with children, I can highly recommend Samui Beach Resort, it's very children friendly.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Guest room

Guest room Double

Swimming pool

Garden

Beach

Exterior

Sareeraya Villas & Suites, Chaweng

2011-01-15T20:29:00.003+07:00

Sareeraya Villas & Suites, Chaweng

Directly located opposite the Samui International Hospital in Chaweng and located on the more quiet northern end of Chaweng Beach, it has a great location, also fairly close to the airport.

With only 49 exquisitely appointed suites and villas to choose from you can be assured of a personalized service rarely found in such a sought-after location. 28 suites of 70 sq.m., 8 suites with outdoor jacuzzi 70 sq.m, 12 pool villas 100 sq. m. and 1 presidential villa 300 sq.m. will have something on offer for everyone.

Because of the exclusivity and limited amount of villas and suites available, the rooms are at the higher end of the medium range budget but well worth the money. This fairly new place is well worth a visit if you want on side quietness and still be near the hustle and bustle of Chaweng.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Pool Villa

Outside pool villa

Suite

Beach & pool view

Kirikayan Boutique Resort, Chaweng

2010-12-29T14:19:00.004+07:00

Kirikayan Boutique Resort, Chaweng

This fairly new resort just opened it's doors in 2008 and is located towards the Northern end of Chaweng Beach, the quieter part of Chaweng and they are promoting it's 'Asian Art' interior style. It has all the 'modern boutique' add ons including a jacuzzi suite. With 32 rooms it's size is indeed boutique.

Downtown Chaweng is a few minutes by motorbike or a 15 minute walk.

Kirikayan Boutique Resort offers artistically decorated living and public spaces that you might not find anywhere else in Samui. The price is slightly above medium range.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Deluxe

Duplex suite with a bathtub in the middle of the room

Jacuzzi suite

Swimming pool

Exterior

Baan Taling Ngam Resort & Spa, Baan Taling Ngam

2010-12-15T13:50:00.003+07:00

Baan Taling Ngam Resort & Spa, Baan Taling Ngam

This resort settles in at the high end scale of comfort and exclusiveness. The resort boasts 70 guest rooms, suites and villas which offer breathtaking views of the ocean. When it’s time to relax, the Baan Taling Ngam has you covered there as well: it’s infinity pool and spa treatments are among the area’s most-renowned and the amount of food choices is mind-boggling too with various Thai, Mediterranean, seafood, and barbecue items available.

Keep in mind that resort is relatively isolated, Baan Taling Ngam hasn't that much to offer, except for luscious green nature , Wat Kiri Wongkaram and a few restaurants. Although the resort is very well self catering, it's always nice to go out and either do some sight seeing, swimming or shopping. In that case you'll need transportation.

The villas are little places where you can create your won world, they're separate from all other villas and/or suites and rooms and one of the more famous people that I know off that stayed there is Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones fame.

Exclusive and well worth the extra expenditure, nice sunsets in the evenings and an exclusive stay is what you're looking for, the Baan Taling Ngam may be what you're looking for.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Guest room

Bath room

Beach

Infinity Swimming pool

Exterior view

Beach Republic Hotel, Lamai

2010-11-30T21:30:00.003+07:00

Beach Republic Hotel, Lamai

If you are or want to be part of the hip crowd and can hack it financially, this is the place to be on Samui. Self advertised as a sexy resort, it may well be true.

Designed as a hip, futuristic Mediterranean resort, this property is definitely set apart from the rest on the island. Lounge by the Ocean Club, take a dip in the pool, or walk down to the beach for a round of volleyball.

End your day with a trip to the resorts Asian Fusion Spa, which uses practices such as Chinese reflexology, Japanese Reiki, and Indian Ayurvedic. The accommodation here is described as St. Tropez style, with rooms starting from 95 sqm and equipped with a full kitchen.

It's happening, sophisticated and be part of the in crowd. Enjoy a relaxing day at the unique pool and it's design.

Near Lamai's nightlife (you will need transportation to get there) or slightly further away, Chaweng, you won't get bored easily. The resort can also arrange for custom made activities.

Be hip, be there.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Superior Suite

2 Bedroom deluxe pool villa

Modern pool villa exterior

Traditional tropical pool villa with private pool

The swimming pool

Langham Place Samui at Lamai

2010-11-13T20:26:00.003+07:00

Langham Place Samui at Lamai

This brand new luxury spa resort aims a bit at the hip audience and has some interesting features to boast. Located in Lamai, this first Langham property in Thailand perfectly achieves its concept of 'modern living by the water'. A lobby overlooking the beach, constant service from the beach and resort angels, wi-fi throughout the resort, and the latest in home stereo are just some of the features. Do pink pool towels count?

With 77 spacious rooms and villas, the resort can supply the accommodation that matches you:

• Essential Place
• Poolside Place
• Plunge Pool Place
• Pavilion Pool Villas
• Ocean View Pool Villas

Each with their own price tag, but that goes without saying. They had some very interesting opening offers and it's worthwhile to check on a regular for more offers.

Just be aware that the hotel is still a good kilometer or three away from Lamai downtown or at the other side of the hills along the beach road towards Chaweng even a bit more.

All in all; vibrant, playful, engaging, fun... Langham Place is the luxury spa resort that constantly surprises. Enjoy understated luxury, sparkling service and a unique Lamai Beach location.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Guest room

Ocean pool view villa

Essential place - living room

Exterior room view

Restaurant pool side

Saboey Resort & Villas, Bang Rak

2010-10-28T19:44:00.002+07:00

Saboey Resort & Villas, Bang Rak

This small and intimate resort is located pretty much opposite the local hyperbaric chamber on Samui, where I tend to teach a lot of EFR instructor level courses.

The resort boasts just 18 spaciously designed rooms, 12 well-appointed villas which slope gently down to the Koh Samui beachfront and 6 suites offering a fresh, contemporary style, located in lush tropical gardens and landscaped around a stunning double-infinity freshwater pool and cascading Jacuzzi, which both allow a stunning seamless view onto the sea.

The location is excellent, there are plenty of bars and restaurants in the lively Bang Rak area and within walking distance of various piers with passenger and dive boats leaving on a daily base to dive locations and other islands.

Big Buddha and Plai Laem Temple are also very nearby.

The only downside to the location can be the closeness to the airport and planes fly in pretty much straight over the resort.

Enjoy a well priced nice and small resort with a good location, outside of the busy tourist areas and near the airport.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Garden Villa

Ocean Villa

Penthouse Villa

Outside one of the villas

Swimming pool

Karma Resort, Choengmon

2010-10-12T14:20:00.002+07:00

Karma Resort, Choengmon

The Karma Resort is located at the road between Chaweng and Choengmon and I regularly pass by here during one of my runs, a 7.5km loop I run.

The place is fairly new and is located on one of fave roads on Koh Samui, although too much has been build on this road unfortunately. The views however are fantastic and breathtaking!

It's a short taxi ride into Chaweng or to Choengmon even shorter, if you need some action or are looking for a restaurant.

The villa-style resort sits on a gentle hillside, offering stunning views of the Gulf of Thailand. All 36 villas are spacious and beautifully furnished with Thai silks and handcrafted works, and are fitted with modern amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. Guests can take advantage of the many on-site facilities including the Lounge Bar, Poolside Bar, library and complimentary shuttle service. Karma Samui offers a unique retreat of luxury and a relaxed environment, ensuring a memorable stay.

Up scale accommodation and a quiet area but still close to shopping and action, Karma Resort may be just down your alley.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Luxury Pool Residence

Two Bedroom Pool Villa

Living room

Kitchen

Swimming Pool

Hansar Samui Resort, Bophud

2010-09-29T21:36:00.003+07:00

Hansar Samui Resort, Bophud

The Hansar Resort is not just located in Bophud but on the same beach road that leads into Fisherman's Village, which is a benefit!

Bophud Beach's newest 5 Star Resort features 74 luxuriously appointed rooms with unobstructed ocean views, free wireless internet access and oversize balconies.

A leisurely stroll down the quaint cobblestone 'walking street' adjacent to the resort, is the vibrant Fisherman's Village, with its antique wooden shop fronts, chic cafes and atmospheric seaside bars.

The name Hansar is taken from the ancient Sanskrit language and translates to mean happiness and joy.

Hansar Samui offers luxurious, beachfront, spacious accommodation with unobstructed sea views from every room, and supersize private balconies and oversize daybeds for outdoor living and entertaining. Unfortunately, for those like me who live here since a long time and know how it looked like before the hotel was build, it was apparently necessary to cut down trees that have been there for ages. I find it very sad that the trees were cut and in my opinion the trees would've supplement the great ocean view from the swimming pool.

Each room has been artfully finished with teak floors, terrazzo bathrooms and local textiles to provide a sense of place. Chic custom furnishings, large flat screen TVs balance the design's natural touches with a modern flair.

If you're looking for 5 Star quality and a nice atmosphere within walking distance, Hansar should be on your list of options!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Sea view room

Beach front

Beach front living room

Pool view by night

Coral Cove Chalet, Lamai

2010-09-10T08:55:00.004+07:00

Coral Cove Chalet, Lamai

This Chalet resort is one of the original and first resorts on Koh Samui, it is very peaceful and is nestled in the side of a mountain in amongst well kept gardens yet, it is only 10 minutes away from bustling Chaweng and Lamai beaches.

The resort boasts a beautiful and private bay but there are no shops around in the immediate vicinity, so make sure you get wheels if you want to see other things or if you want to do some shopping.

Rooms are decorated in traditional Southern Thai style and have a wide balcony view of the ocean.

A nice resort, ideal for couples who like a quiet environment with a small but private beach.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Deluxe Bungalow

Grand View Suite

Holiday Suite

Swimming Pool

View of the bay

Four Seasons Resort, Bang Po

2010-08-25T18:31:00.003+07:00

Four Seasons Resort, Bang Po

Not too long ago, a little bit over a year now, the Four Seasons Resort in Bang Po opened it's very luxurious doors. With it's location just after the hill between bang Po and Nathon, the views are gorgeous from the hotel and with 60 spacious villas to choose from, you will enjoy your stay for sure!

Definitely an away-from-it-all hillside resort and it’s idyllic and secluded location offers you the luxury of exploring the beaches, reefs, and rain forest in peace.

The resort has 3 restaurants to boost but both in Nathon and Bang Po there are plenty of local restaurants to taste some delicious local food, in case you're up for that if you choose this pampered life style that the hotel offers!

Need a peaceful surrounding, need luxury in abundance, got the dough to afford it? Than the Four Seasons Resort on Samui will be in your closer circle of options. Enjoy is all I an say!

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Guest room

Guest room at the private pool

Guest room with private pool

Lobby

Swimming pool

Bhundari Spa and Villa Resort, Chaweng

2010-08-08T19:12:00.002+07:00

Bhundari Spa and Villa Resort, Chaweng

The Bhundari Spa and Villa Resort near Chaweng is a Centara property and offers a luscious and luxurious environment just as these properties usually do.

Just be aware that the Bhundhari is not exactly in Chaweng but just outside on the north bound road direction Choengmon, which is great if you're looking for a relaxing and quiet environment but if you want action and shopping next door, this is not the place to be and a location inside Chaweng will be more to your liking.

The Resort has 124 rooms but it's good to know that they're build on a hill side which can be a bit of a steep walk and not to everyone's liking. The beach is small and rocky and if you're staying at the hill side bungalows you will need to cross the main road. There are 3 pools however to find a relaxing moment.

It's a great place as long as this medium range priced resort's location is what you're looking for.

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Guest room

Guest room exterior

Jacuzzi villa

Swimming pool with ocean in the background

Exterior

Chaba Cabana Beach Resort, Chaweng

2010-07-23T08:54:00.002+07:00

Chaba Cabana Beach Resort, Chaweng

The Chaba Cabana Beach Resort is located in North Chaweng, thus neatly isolated from the hustle and bustle of down town Chaweng, but still everything is within easy reach. It's associated with the Chaba Samui Resort, also in Chaweng.

One of the nice pluses of the location is that the beach is fairly secluded and provides a very nice view over Chaweng beach and bay, looking at it from a 90 degree angle.

There are a few restaurants available nearby, including Le Café des Arts at the nearby Papillon Resort.

The resort has 68 rooms in the Deluxe building and 10 villa's to show for and all are in the medium price range.

If you stay at the Chaba Cabana Beach Resort, you will be near all, the action but are enjoying a secluded area and beach that is less developed than the rest of Chaweng.

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Deluxe room

Deluxe family room

Beach front

Deluxe building

Beach front swimming pool

The Samui Mermaid Resort, Bang Rak

2010-07-09T10:29:00.003+07:00

The Samui Mermaid Resort, Bang Rak

This resort has been around since I came to Samui, 11 years ago by now and it's very conveniently located near the Seatran pier where the ferries leave for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao and besides being near the pier, it's also very near to the airport. Did I mention convenient already?

For my dive and IDC courses I have used this resort plenty of times and many of my customers stayed there for a couple of nights.

The resort has 78 rooms and a whole bunch of them are located at the 'other side' of the road, near their excellent restaurant. Here the rooms are very cheap, ranging from 400,-THB to 600,-THB per night, pending on the season. There's a pool at this side of the road as well but it's directly at the end/beginning of the airports landing strip, so ideal for early risers.

The room sat the ocean side are more expensive but still very cheap considering the location and you won't pay a lot over 2.000,-THB in any of the rooms. This isde also has a pool and it's own restaurant.

Bang Rak itself has plenty of Thai and Western restaurants on offer and directly opposite the resort is the fantastic Bravo Pizzeria. There are also plenty of bars and all is in walking distance.

If you need to catch a ferry or are just transiting on Samui, this is the ideal place to stay, cheap and convenient.

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Standard room at the airport side

Deluxe room, ocean side

Superior Sea View Room

Pool ocean side

Garden and rooms ocean side

Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort, Lamai

2010-06-27T09:19:00.002+07:00

Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort, Lamai

The Pavilion is an exclusive built in modern Thai style, set of North Lamai's beach, with 70 units of luxury rooms, suites and pool villas.

You can enjoy a dip in your own private Jacuzzi or lounge around on the daybed in the separate living area from your bedroom, a nice little feature.

The staff is very friendly and suits especially couples, honeymooners and prospective brides and grooms. This doesn't mean however that if you go there with your children and family you won't have a good time!

The prices are medium ranged and well worth compared to what is on offer.

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Grand pool villa

Hydro pool villa

Spa Junior Suite

Swimming pool

Beach view

Arisara Place Apartment, Bophud

2010-06-11T14:06:00.003+07:00

Arisara Place Apartment, Bophud

This 4-star hotel/apartment building has 30 rooms that are tailored to satisfy guests' needs with non smoking rooms, air conditioning, bathrobes, in-house movies, desk, hair dryer, safety deposit boxes and internet access (wireless) in each of the hotel's well-equipped rooms.

The elevator has a unique and very 'This is Thailand' level. Those looking for first-rate sporting and leisure facilities will find pool (kids), jacuzzi, gym/fitness facilities and pool outdoors. This charming property has long been a favorite in Samui for both business and leisure travellers.

The location is between Chaweng and Bophud and may be difficult to find the first time around. Also noticeable is that it's not near the beach, that would be a 15 minute walk away from Bophud beach. On the up side, the one bedroom suites have a small kitchen and you can cook your own food if required. This may come in handy since there's no restaurant at the premises.

The Arisara is ideal for children and there guests are a mix of long term residents and tourists and has real value for money prices.

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Living room

Guest room

Kitchen

Swimming pool

Arayaburi Boutique Resort, Plai Laem

2010-05-26T16:16:00.003+07:00

Arayaburi Boutique Resort, Plai Laem

The Arayaburi is located at the most Northern point of Plai Laem, and boasts an exclusive beach at Thong Samrong Bay.

The resort itself is an ideal place to escape from the crowds of the big cities. Each of the 65 villas has its own private terrace and unforgettable view of the bay. All villa's are built in an enchanting tropical garden in front of Thong Samrong beach. The resort is set in a refined beach area away from the development and overcrowded nature of other nearby resorts which makes it perfect for a couple of days pure relaxation.

There are also two pools, including a jacuzzi pool.

If you do need to go somewhere, you will need taxi or rental car or use the shuttle they run to Chaweng for some shopping, restaurants or night life.

Nearby are Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem which will keep you busy for a few hours.

Prices range from medium to high end and will give you that quiet and exclusive beach that you were looking for.

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Grand Deluxe Villa

Deluxe Villa

Villa exterior

Swimming Pool

Thong Samrong Bay

Rajapruek Resort, Lipa Noi

2010-05-11T20:11:00.003+07:00

Rajapruek Resort, Lipa Noi

This resort is located at the road to the old Raja ferry pier in Lipa Noi. That's the same road that leads to where you can obtain your Thai driver's licence, the Transport office Surat Thani, Branch Koh Samui area supervisor.

This means that it's a very tranquil and quiet area with a nice little beach in front of the hotel on one side and on the other side it means that you're about 30km away from the airport and if you want any action at all, you'll have to travel. The city of Nathon is around the corner though, with it's old style houses and slow pace.

Accommodation comprises ten spacious bungalows, one Family Suite and 68 rooms in a two-storey building. The Family Suite has two bedrooms (one king size bedroom and one twin bedroom), two bathrooms, one living room, and a large balcony. This bungalow can accommodate 4-6 guests.

For recreation, Rajapruek Samui Resort offers a free-form swimming pool only few steps from the beach with one of the best sunset views on the island. The resort is also equipped with canoes, Kit Cat Catamaran Sailing Boats and speedboat charter.

The resort will fit a medium to low range budget nicely and if you want it to be quiet, it's worth giving it a try.

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Entrance

Beach Bungalow

Beach front Bungalow

Deluxe room with second swimming pool

Sunset view

Ibis Bophud Samui

2010-04-22T21:06:00.003+07:00

Ibis Bophud Samui

After having stayed in various Ibis hotels around Europe, it was strange to see one being build here on Samui! Since it was being build next to World Resort, in which I teach about every month an IDC, I could follow the noise and progress first hand whilst diving in the pool!

Having said that, the feedback on this Ibis is good. In general the rooms are considered small(ish) but the resort is very clean and the lay out is nice, with a open and inviting reception area, a nice pool and good and easy access to the beach. The breakfast is also good value for money.

Each of the 258 rooms at this 3-star property are designed to help guests relax in comfort and style. Some of the features you'll enjoy are non smoking rooms, air conditioning, hair dryer, in room safe, television LCD/plasma screen, shower, balcony/terrace. The hotel boasts bar/pub, laundry service/dry cleaning, meeting facilities , restaurant, disabled facilities, hotel/airport transfer, tours as part of its superior facilities and services. Guests seeking exercise or leisure will be pleased to find massage, pool (kids), pool outdoor and a garden at the hotel.

For a getaway this Ibis is a good option, quiet location but not far from the airport. Some good restaurants outside the premises in walking distance or alternatively walk over the beach towards Bophud/Fishermans Village for a wide selection of bars, pubs and good restaurants.

Booking by Agoda

Booking by Hotels Combined

Standard room

Family room

Swimming pool

Restaurant

Beach view

Choengmon Beach Hotel & Spa, Choengmon

2010-04-04T11:26:00.003+07:00

Choengmon Beach Hotel & Spa, Choengmon

This fairly new hotel in Choengmon is located on my favourite beach and bay of the island, as stated regularly in my various blogs.

Choengmon bay is just nice and relaxed and plenty of pictures can be found on my Samui info and weather blog of exactly this bay. Nice sand, in general very quiet and very shallow water which makes it perfect for kids to play in the water.

Back to the Choengmon Beach Hotel though, it's exactly their part of the beach that we always use when we go and visit Choengmon!

The hotel is a beautiful, newly-opened bungalows and hotel resort, featuring a large swimming pool, tropical gardens and two restaurants. A comfortable, relaxing ambiance is created by a unique blend of the same old-fashioned simple, traditional and personalized hospitality of the owner, combined with modern facilities and amenities. Friendly, well-trained staff pamper guests with professional, personalized service.
Choengmon Beach Hotel comprises 28 Beach Bungalow as well as three low-rise accommodation wings with spectacular view of Choengmon bay.

The rooms in the low rise are basic but spacious, the restaurants give excellent choice and value for Western and Thai dishes but the breakfast is not much to write home about.

The bungalows on the beach have been around for a while.

There are plenty of restaurants on the beach and in the small village of Choengmon.

All in all an excellent budget hotel with friendly staff in a good location, near Big Buddha and not far away from Chaweng if you need to see some people or want some action.

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Superior room

Deluxe bungalow

Deluxe bungalow room

The restaurant on the beach

The 30 meter swimming pool

Le Paradis Boutique Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2010-03-24T13:57:00.004+07:00

Le Paradis Boutique Resort & Spa, Chaweng

Le Paradise Boutique and Spa Resort invites you to step back into a world of yesteryear with all the convenience of modern living. It's situated on a rich oasis of tropical gardens, night life and entertainment is a mere step away on Chaweng Bay, Samui’s most popular beach. 12 of the 26 rooms are in traditional Thai teak houses mounted on stilts with modern interiors and a full range of amenities. Fine dining is also high on the agenda with the Karebu Restaurant offering beach front dining at any time of day. Watch the sun fade and fall into the arms of traditional Thai hospitality.

The location is great, it's right in the middle of Chaweng, near a multitude of shops, restaurants, pubs and bars.

With only 26 rooms out of which 12 are old style bungalows on stilts, the resort is quiet because the space it's build on it rather large. The stilt Thai teak villa's are lovely and beautiful but be aware of the fact that they have rather small rooms although the outside bathrooms are slightly bigger. The 'old style' look is great to some and looks romantic but others may think that the resort needs an upgrade or make over.

Due to the dense vegetation, insects tend to be an issue, especially mosquitoes in the outdoor bathrooms so you may want to have repellent at hand.

The contemporary, stone build rooms are more spacious.

This resort is an either love it or hate it kind of place with the majority of visitors liking it, although a general comment is that it does not fit a 5* facility.

Prices are in the medium range.

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Guest room

Villa Guest room

Villa Balcony

Bath room

Swimming pool

The Briza Beach Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2010-03-11T20:24:00.002+07:00

The Briza Beach Resort & Spa, Chaweng

The Briza Beach Resort & Spa is located just on top of the hill on the beautiful Northern Chaweng beach. Briza is inspired from the architecture of the the Srivijaya Empire and tries to recapture the spirit, lightness and grace of its art, security and serenity.

It's been around for a few years now and the location is very nice indeed, locating the Briza in the quieter part of Chaweng beach (away from where I normally dive as well) and has it's own beach front, at the bottom of the hill it's build on.

The pool is nice and big but next to the road and doesn't has a view. The bungalows are build close to each other which seems space restrictive but the actual bungalows are therefor very spacious once you're inside.

The rates aren't cheap but if you want to be near the Chaweng action but still have a quiet and luxureous room, the Briza might be just for you.

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Srivijaya Beachfront Pool Villas are located on the beachfront.

Srivijaya Pool Villas have a total area each of 138 square meters. They consist of two rooms located on an upper floor and lower floor with separate entrances. Each room has an elegant bedroom with a king size bed and spacious sofa bed and living area. These villas come with a private jet pool, indoor shower, bathtub mad living room with sofa bed. They can house a maximum of 3 adults sharing in the same villa.

Duplex Bedroom

Pool view

Beach Front

Centara Villa Samui, Hua Thanon

2010-02-14T21:30:00.004+07:00

Centara Villa Samui, Hua Thanon

One of the places that I've visited various times through my work and I used one of their pools to teach diving.

The hotel is beautifully located in the unexplored Southern part of Samui, on Natien beach, south of Lamai and near Hua Thanon. The Butterfly Garden is opposite the resort and the Aquarium is a couple of stone throws away.

The resort is build on a hill, so be prepared to walk a bit and use stairs in order to get around . They have two pools, the larger one over looking the ocean and the beach and is in a nice small bay; Na Khai Bay.

One thing to keep in mind is that Centara Villas Samui is in a quiet but remote location, if you're looking for exactly that, this may be the right place for you since they have 2 restaurants and 2 bars on the premises for your convenience. Knowing Centara's standard, it will be good but during the evening and night time there's not much going on. Lamai will be the nearest place with some action and activities.

Looking for a nice and quiet location, look into staying here from good Garden View Villas to Pool or Spa Villas with your pool, there's something for every budget.

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Deluxe Spa Villa

Pool Villa

Deluxe Villa

Swimming Pool near the beach

Lobby

Chaba Samui Resort, Chaweng

2010-02-02T20:16:00.004+07:00

Chaba Samui Resort, Chaweng

The Chaba Samui Resort is one of the resorts that has been around a while in Chaweng and seems to be very popular with Australian tourists visiting Samui. The resort is associated with the Chaba Cabana Beach Resort in North Chaweng.

As with many resorts in Chaweng, they have a nice garden when you walk from the road or reception down to the beach and I captured this nicely in the last picture at the bottom of this post.

It's one of these places that whenever I visit it I'm surprised how nice it looks and wonder why I forgot about it.

The hotel has two wings, one located at the ocean side of Chaweng Beach and one 'across the road' at the lake side. Both wings have a pool and in total there are 88 rooms available.

The location is very good, just outside the center of Chaweng but really near to it, just a 5 minute walk to be in the midst of the action.

If you are looking for an affordable hotel in Chaweng, the Chaba Samui Resort is one of your options.

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Booking by Agoda

Ocean Wing room room

Deluxe lake view room

Beach front

Swiiming pool ocean wing

The lovely garden at the ocean wing

The Island Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2010-01-16T19:37:00.002+07:00

The Island Resort & Spa, Chaweng

This is one of the resorts where I've been driving by of since years on an end until very recently one of IDC candidates was staying there and I had a reason to go inside. I was pleasantly surprised by the spacious lay out of the Island resort and the relative low number of rooms they have, just 62.

In fitting with the tranquil ambiance the in-house spa menu derives from traditional Balinese massage, offering you an array of sensory pleasures.
Situated a short walk from the nightlife and shopping areas of Chaweng, the Island Resort and Spa offers the perfect balance between relaxation and recreation.

If you're looking for a nice, relaxing and affordable resort in Chaweng, this may be it for you.

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Booking by R24

The inside of a superior room

Deluxe room

The nice, relaxing, green and spacious hotel area

One of the bungalows with lots of space around it

A view from the pool onto the ocean and the pool bar

X2 Resort, Hua Thanon

2010-01-03T21:11:00.009+07:00

X2 Resort, Hua Thanon

You like contemporary, a peaceful, quiet and relaxing atmosphere, X2 (pronounced Cross To) on Hua Thanon beach is your answer.

The resort has opened it's doors about a year and a half ago and is build on 12 rai of land (5 acres) and hosts 27 villas. The general area is underdeveloped and makes for a peaceful surrounding of the resort and makes for an unbelievable sense of space.

It's a beautiful designed concept with eye for nature and detail. The picture above shows the reception area. The overall philosophy is to leave the guests as much undisturbed as possible and staff is almost invisible unless you need or want them.

Part of the reception area where the great combination of concrete and wood comes out nicely.

The walk way from the reception to the beach and the 4K restaurant (pronounced fork) with all the villas on each side of you.
Rooms are available as bungalow, pool villa, suite pool villa and owners' villa, all of which offer state of the art luxuries including satellite LCD Apple TV (loaded with plenty of movies and music), mini bar and internet access.

The walls that hide the villas from view are designed in such a way that no trees had to be cut but rather the walls were adjusted to allow the trees to grow.

A view over the currently deepest swimming pool on Koh Samui with 3 meters at the deep end. The pool is big and fits in to the overall design of the resort. The cubic hosts a couple of lounge like areas where it's great to just relax or read a book.

The pool is almost directly located at the beach and one of the nice things about this beach is that there are no jet ski's and no beach vendors! Nice and quiet and what a treat. Kayak's are available at no extra charge.

An entrance to one of the villa's. The entrances all look similar but behind the doors and walls is a variety of amenities, including private pools.

A sleeping room in one of the pool villas. The villas are luxurious and host private sitting areas.

One of the private pools, the outside sitting area is to the right of the picture and there's another 'cove' like sitting area on the left side as well.

Looking at the Apple TV, loaded with plenty of movies and music, even if you're caught on a rainy day, it's easy to get through the day.

The shower area, opposite the bath tub. All lusciously designed with special, locally made stone.

An incredibly big and spacious bath tub, it takes a while to fill up but almost makes for an indoor pool. relax and enjoy!

A view from the 4K restaurant over the ocean in front of the resort. The restaurant is very reasonably priced and offers a well balanced menu with some great smoothies and fruit shakes!

If you're looking for a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, away from all the hustle and bustle that Chaweng and Lamai offer, X2 is an absolute must and comes highly recommended by me. It's only 40 minutes from the airport and there's plenty of activities very near to the hotel, the Samui aquarium, The butterfly garden, the Namuang waterfall and the Magic Garden just to name a few, will keep you busy and entertained, providing you want to escape the serenity of X2.

Camille

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Booking by R24

Le Murraya Resort, Chaweng

2009-12-23T10:55:00.004+07:00

Le Murraya Resort, Chaweng

One of my dive students was staying over Christmas 2009 in this resort and had a very postive experience during his stay.
The resort is not located at Chaweng beach, which is just about a 5 minute walk away but it is located directly opposite the Laem Din market, so very centrally in Chaweng. Despite being next to a hustling and bustling road connecting Chaweng beach road to the ring road, he stated that you only hear the street noise once you're directly on to the road. Pending on where your room is located though, you may have some noise levels from one of the Muay Thai boxing stadiums that is located next to the hotel.

Every room in the hotel offers guests non smoking rooms, air conditioning, internet access, television, bathtub. Shops, executive floor, elevator, restaurant, car park are some of the extra comforts you'll find at this Samui hotel. Guests may take advantage of sporting or leisure activities such as gym/fitness facilities, pool outdoor at this hotel. With its commitment to service and focus on hospitality, you'll enjoy your stay at Le Murraya Resort at reasonable rates.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Deluxe room

Junior suite

President suite interior

Swimming pool

Lobby

Sandy Resort, Bophud

2009-12-06T21:14:00.004+07:00

Sandy Resort, Bophud

This charming, low cost resort on Bophud Beach enjoys access to a secluded beach area and is smack in-between World Resort on one side and Zazen Boutique Resort on the other side. The price difference in the rooms sets all three resorts apart with Sandy Resort being the budget option. I had a few of my IDC candidates stay here, a PADI dive instructor course that I conduct in World Resort next door and they where happy with the quality of the rooms and the money saved.

The Sandy Resort is located right on a quiet stretch of Bophud Beach, a short distance from the Fisherman’s Village, where you will find a host of reasonably priced Thai and seafood restaurants and bars to choose from. The beach in front of the resort is ideal for swimming and extremely child-friendly, as it is quite shallow and the currents are not too strong. The resort offers modest but clean and comfortable bungalows, with a choice of air-conditioning or ceiling fan to suit all types of budget. The beach-facing swimming pool is immaculate and wouldn’t look out of place in a more upmarket place.

A good budget resort with a nice and quiet location in the North of the island and family friendly.

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Booking by R24

Room

Pool

Beach

Karmakamet Aromatic Hotel, Bang Rak

2009-11-25T20:41:00.004+07:00

Karmakamet Aromatic Hotel, Bang Rak

This hotel has a couple of things going for itself, it's a guest house like small hotel with only 15 rooms, but each room is making you feel very welcome and has it's own oily smell which is very pleasant and you get soap etc that goes with the smell of your room. The place has a warm atmosphere reminiscent of the old ancient colonial style.

It's also very conveniently located near the airport, Bang Rak with all it's restaurants and (limited) nightlife and not too far away from Chaweng neither, with it's hustling nightlife if you need a change of pace but also very near the romantic Bophud/Fisherman's Village, all in all a good location indeed but it comes in handy to have some form of transportation.
The in house restaurant Le Jaroen gets excellent reviews although it's considered slightly expensive.

The 15 rooms consist of 3 beach front suites (one local and two Western style) and 12 Sea Breeze suites (6 Chinese style, 5 local style and 1 Western style).
It comes with a slight price tag but therefor you get a warm, nice and quiet environment, money well worth spending!

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Booking by R24

Bedroom local style

Bedroom Western style

Le Jaroen restaurant

The pool

Hotel exterior

The Tongsai Bay Hotel, Tongsai Bay

2009-11-09T20:47:00.006+07:00

The Tongsai Bay Hotel, Tongsai Bay

The Tongsai Bay hotel is one of the few hotels on the island that can boost it's own private beach front, the Tongsai Bay. It's also one of the very first exclusive and top of the range hotels on the island.
All of it's 83 suites and villas spread out over 25 acres of land are designed under the 'Great Outdoor Living' concept and consist of 4 main types of accommodation; 24 Beachfront suites, 41 Cottage suites, 9 Tongsai Grand Villas and 4 Tongsai Pool Villas.

Apart from the standard room amenities, each unit has a spacious terrace with a bathtub and other open-air facilities to ensure a perfect leisure stay. A range of facilities the resort provides to maximize guests’ relaxation include sailing boats, canoes, windsurfing equipment, snorkeling equipment, swimming pools, children’s wading pool, tennis court, Jacuzzi pool and a Spa with sauna room and massage treatment programs.

There are three restaurants: Chef Chom's Thai Restaurant near the lobby, Floyd's Beach Bistro where you can dine on the beach, and The Butler's Restaurant serving daily European dishes. There are also two bars for guests to enjoy.

This eco-friendly resort truly offers hospitality, privacy and a beautiful location on a secluded area of the North Eastern part of Samui island but it does come with a nice price tag, it's worth the luxury and exclusivity however that can be enjoyed here.

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Booking by R24

Pool Villa bedroom

Grand Villa bedroom

Pool Villa

View from Cottage Suite

Beachfront in front of the hotel

Anantara Resort & Spa, Bophud

2009-10-29T18:48:00.004+07:00

Anantara Resort & Spa, Bophud

This resort is located at a beautiful stretch of beach on the Northern part of the island, along Bophud beach. There are a few other fave resorts of mine along this same stretch.

Koh Samui’s version from this popular chain more than lives up to the reputations of its sister properties. With a top location on the island on Bophud beach, the Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa offers you plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the beach and water with windsurfing and kayaking topping the list of pursuits and the nearby Fisherman’s Village offers a chance to get out and about and mingle with the locals.

The lay out of the resort is also very convenient, and it's a nice walk through the resort to the beach unless you booked one of the beach villas or rooms.
With it's 82 guest rooms, 18 Anantara suites and 6 Royal Anantara suites, two with their own pool and terrace near the beach, you will find the ultimate in luxury and a perfect getaway.

In the meantime, back at the Resort, you will never tire of the staff’s extreme dedication to service, the high-class spa and the variety of delicious cuisines offered at several fine restaurants. After a stay at the Anantara, your only regret will come when you have to pack your bags and go home.

Worthwhile booking this resort for it's nice location and luxury on offer.

Booking with Hotels Combined

Booking with Agoda

Booking with R24

Resort entrance

Deluxe room

Deluxe Ocean room

Romantic dining on the beach

The pool

Santiburi Resort & Spa, Maenam

2009-10-07T21:25:00.008+07:00

Santiburi Resort & Spa, Maenam

The Santiburi Resort in Maenam is one of the hotels that I used to work at as a dive instructor and I have fond memories of this hotel. It's one of the earliest real luxury resorts on the island, being build in 1993 and they were already offering spa services before it became trendy and they're still going strong and serving an outstanding service and experience.

Their 71 rooms are amongst Koh Samui's most luxurious hideaways, the Santiburi Resort & Spa in Maenam blends 23 acres of tropical gardens with a river gently meandering down to a private 300 meter white sand beach. All units at the Santiburi Resort are superbly designed Thai-style Villas, built to be in harmony with their surroundings, and feature beautiful wooden floors, opulent Siamese furnishings, and a large private terrace. For a long time they had the largest swimming pool on the island and they have various sport facilities including tennis and squash courts.

If you like to be pampered and you can afford it, this is a good place to stop at.

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Garden Villa Room

Bathroom Garden Villa

Beachfront Villa with outside plunge pool

Ocean View villa with pool

Sunset

Samui Palm Beach Resort, Bophud

2009-09-21T19:19:00.005+07:00

Samui Palm Beach Resort, Bophud

Is located between Bophud and Maenam and is practically neighbours with World Resort.
The hotel has a spacious environment and the various wings have luscious green in between.
Samui Palm Beach Resort is situated directly on the serene beach of Bophud, a much quieter alternative to Chaweng, perfect for those in search of a quiet and peaceful holiday, away from the busy beach crowds

The resort has recently built a new Royal Wing, offering brand new stunning guest rooms with the same stunning views of the beach. The free Internet connection in the resort’s reception area comes in very handy for keeping families and friends back home up to date with your beach holiday.

The resort supports 32 Deluxe rooms, 36 Villa Rooms, Beach Front 8 rooms, 20 Garden Cottages and each 1 Presidential and Royal suite.

According to culinary excellence, the Samui Palm Beach Resort is proud on the outstanding quality of the cuisine. While the Trade Wind offers the finest international cuisine, the Tom Yam provides the true delicacy of Thai cooking and finally Guilin is a celebration of authentic Chinese dished. Additional to the restaurants are the Beach Pub, and the China gate bar to meet friends, have a chat and a drink.

If you are looking for a nice and quiet beach, away from it all, starting at medium ranged rates, this is a good option for you.

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Deluxe hotel wing

Villas

Presidential suite

Garden Cottage

Pool

Al's Resort, Chaweng

2009-08-31T21:32:00.017+07:00

Al's Resort, Chaweng

Has a perfect location, smack down in the middle of Chaweng, with a very nice stretch of Chaweng's beach in front of it, near the coral. It's also located next to or almost is part of Al's Hut. A review of this resort is to follow at a later stage.

The 43 rooms at Al’s Resort in Chaweng have a style that is both simple and charming and each is equipped with the standard amenities to make guests feel comfortable and right at home. The restaurant affords a beautiful view of the sea and both local and international cuisine is available. The spa facilities at Al’s Resort offer Balinese-style massage, various aromatherapy sessions and a selection of body scrubs and facial treatments.

Al's Resort offers 5 studio rooms (25 sq m), 21 Deluxe Garden view rooms (20 sq m), 12 Units Villa Deluxe (28 sq m) and 5 Units Villa Suite (56 sq m).

Well priced rooms for the location!

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Deluxe Garden room

Suite courtyard

Deluxe pool yard exterior

Swimming pool overlooking the beach

Resort exterior

First Bungalow Beach Resort, Chaweng

2009-08-10T20:49:00.009+07:00

First Bungalow Beach Resort, Chaweng

Is located as the only place in Chaweng at the connecting point of Chaweng Beach and Chaweng Noi Beach at the Southern end of Chaweng beach. Although this is not entirely true, since Samui First House shares the same premises making it another unique experience, two hotels sharing the same premises run by the same family.

This is another place I used to work at during as part of my ongoing dive adventures on Koh Samui and I conducted some PADI IDC's here for a short while.

Right now an old friend from the Netherlands is visiting me on Samui and he's staying at the First Bungalow resort. They enjoy it although they also have a commonly heard problem with the hotel, which is that the mattresses are very hard! Other than that, they enjoy their stay very much and the premises are really nice.

The resort was the one of the very first resorts in Chaweng, hence the name and has been around since the 1970's.

It provides 147 tastefully-designed rooms, fully equipped with air conditioner, hot and cold water bathroom, cable TV, minibar and IDD telephone. 42 beach bungalows, 14 Sea View bungalows, 11 deluxe Bungalows and 80 Deluxe rooms. The resort also boosts a very nice and big pool and the beach is wide and big with plenty of space.
This all comes in a very reasonable price range and is recommendable.

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The big and spacious pool, surrounded by green and buildings

Deluxe Bungalows

Chaweng Noi beach

Pool side bungalow room

First room

Ark Bar Garden Beach Resort, Chaweng

2009-07-26T14:11:00.009+07:00

Ark Bar Garden Beach Resort, Chaweng

The place to be if you want to be close to the action and have a good party atmosphere. Mainly frequented by a younger crowd the Ark Bar is centrally located in the middle of Chaweng beach road.

The resort has a small pool and a restaurant that is the middle point of a lot of Chaweng action each night, it's a great place to start an evening out and the place is always hustling and bustling with activity.

There are 50 rooms pretty much facing each other over two floors on the way down to the beach. Don't stay here if you want to enjoy a quiet night, this is where Chaweng is happening. Prices are under 2.000,-THB at the moment per night.

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The entrance almost 4 years ago

Guest room

At night this turns into a cosey all floor seating open air happening

The pool

The bar and restaurant at night

The Library Hotel, Chaweng

2009-07-08T23:33:00.008+07:00

The Library Hotel, Chaweng

This is probably the most stylish and hippest hotel currently in Chaweng. It's modern and minimalist concept is fascinating and wonderful at the same time and the impact on the ecology is minimal. There's some real thought put into the design of the Library and the project was inspired by the basic way of life of the hotel's belief that 'the real happiness is not complicated at all'.
One of the things the Library is known for is it's 'red swimming pool' with a great view of Chaweng beach.

The 26 suite/studio cabins that comprise the Library are spread across an area of lush vegetation. Each cabin comprises of a ground floor suit and a sea view cabin upstairs. The minimalist style of each cabin is made complete with a personal computer, plasma screen TV, a walk in rain shower and a Jacuzzi. It's luxury for sure and it also comes with a nice price tag. It's definitely upscale.

Highlight of the project is 'The Library Building' located by the beach and is named after the projects title. The white building with high huge ceiling equipped with glass window pane all around will enrich purity, serenity and peace.

The Library Building consists of three box-style units adjoining together where the middle box is an open-air serving as mini-cafe.

The other two boxes are the huge Library for not only books but also other entertainment media such as music CD and DVD.

There's also an excellent restaurant at the premises, The Page, a lovely beach front restaurant with an aircon room and open air space located at the beach.

If you enjoy a great modern, minimalist concept and you have the means to afford it, this an absolute must straight in the middle of Chaweng and all it has to offer.

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The hotel entrance

The Studio

The Suite

Restaurant The Page

The Red swimming pool

Buddy Boutique Hotel, Lamai

2009-06-24T19:27:00.009+07:00

Buddy Boutique Hotel, Lamai

The Buddy hotel and surrounding complex are brand new, probably not much older than a year right now and it looks good. A few things to keep in mind though, there are no rooms on the beach and the Buddy complex is a few minutes away from Lamai 'downtown', not necessarily walking distance.

Buddy complex, including the hotel are located at the other side of the road from the beach, if you want to visit Lamai beach, you have to cross the ring road.

Having said that, due to the blending colonial-style architecture with modern comfort, Buddy Lamai Beach Hotel is an attractive new addition to the Koh Samui hotel scene. This boutique hotel promises intimate service and utmost privacy. All rooms have their own balconies and are tastefully decorated with contemporary Thai accents, while amenities include cable TVs, internet access and luxurious bathroom toiletries and breakfast is served daily.

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Superior room

Junior Suite

Swimming pool at night

Beach front

Exterior

Lamai Wanta Resort, Lamai

2009-06-06T15:35:00.005+07:00

Lamai Wanta Resort, Lamai

One of the nice things about the Lamai Wanta resort is that it's smack down in the middle of Lamai downtown directly located at the ocean. All the action, bars, restaurants, banks, shops etc are within an easy walking distance on Lamai Beach road.

Each of the 74 rooms, divided over 10 bungalows and 7 small hotel buildings at this 3-star hotel have all the comforts and conveniences of home. Every room in the hotel offers guests Non Smoking Rooms, Air Conditioning, Desk, Hair Dryer, Internet Access (wireless). Guests will enjoy the hotel's excellent facilities and services including Laundry Service/Dry Cleaning, Restaurant, Room Service, Safety Deposit Boxes, Hotel/Airport Transfer, Tours. The hotel provides superior recreational and leisure facilities including Massage, Pool Outdoor, Garden. Comfort and convenience are the hallmarks of Lamai Wanta Resort.

The pool is rather small and there are a limited of sun deck chairs but all in all the hotel delivers the goods just fine or maybe even above that for a 3 star standard, budget hotel.

The breakfast is not buffet style but a set American breakfast, all add ons are extra.

All in all good value for money with an excellent location.

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Deluxe room

Deluxe room exterior

Bungalow

Swimming pool

Restaurant with view over the swimming pool and beach

Kandaburi Resort & Spa, Chaweng

2009-05-28T09:49:00.006+07:00

Kandaburi Resort & Spa, Chaweng

The four-star Kandaburi resort & Spa is located at the Northern end of Chaweng, just outside the hustle and bustle of the busy Chaweng beach and street scenes and life but still comfortably near enough. It's about a 15 to 20 minute walk to Chaweng and the beach in front of the hotel is great.
The hotel has actually two parts and is separated by the main beach road. Both parts have their own swimming pool, the side at the beach has a separate children's pool and there's a big 23 meter long pool on the hill side, overlooking the breakfast area.

The Kandaburi resort & Spa offers 183 rooms designed in an exotic yet modern style. You can enjoy Thai, Mediterranean and International cuisine at the four dining options available on the premises. It's possible to spend the day lounging by the poolside, or if you feel adventurous partake in the various water sports available.

The location is good and it's a fairly new resort with medium priced rooms.

For an enjoyable and quiet stay in Chaweng, I can highly recommend the Kandaburi Resort.

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The hotel interior on the hill side

Superior hill side room

Premium room

Beach side pool and view

Beach front

Six Senses Hideaway Samui, Plai Laem

2009-05-13T12:44:00.008+07:00

Six Senses Hideaway Samui, Plai Laem

This amazing resort ranks easily amongst one of the more luxury resorts on the island.
It's located on the most northern point of the peninsula at Plai Laem and every day when we return from a days diving, this resort one of the first things we see when reaching Samui.

Part of the world renowned Six Senses group, the Sila Evason hotel offers no compromise in creating refined tranquility on a tropical island setting. Set amongst 20 acres of tropical and untouched plantation with incredible views of the surrounding beach and islands. The world renowned spa offers an array of sensory pleasures to please even the most discerning of spa goers. Putting an emphasis on space, villas feature open plan bathrooms and infinity pools adding to the feeling of being in a secluded paradise. Guests are just 6km from the airport with easy access to the islands exuberant nightlife and popular sightseeing attractions such as of Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan. After a day soaking up the sun, feel free to retreat to your villa’s private pool and be met by your personal butler serving up a chilled drink.

Although dining is very good at the Six Senses Hideaway, it seems that all reviews of the resort consider it well overpriced and recommend renting a car and eat in the near by restaurants of Bophud (aka Fishermans Village) or other villages on Koh Samui.

Dining on the Hill:
The main restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is located on the top of a small hill, offering seascape views to the north of Samui Island. The restaurant theme varies from very casual and laid back through to stylish. The concept offers several dining areas varying in atmosphere, from which guests can choose according to their desires - from seated on the floor (Thai Style!) with big comfortable cushions, or the more traditional table top dining.

Dining on the Rocks;
Open for dinner and located on the tip of the headland, this restaurant offers 270 degree views of the surrounding sea and outlying islands. When the sun goes down the restaurant undergoes a metamorphosis with both a change of colour and style and recreates itself into a stylish fine dining environment.

Drinks on the Hill & On the Rocks There are two elegantly designed bars attached to the two restaurants.

Wines on the Hill;
A specially designed wine cellar with a large range of wines from many of the world’s most respected regions. Regular wine tastings and wine dinners are held in the cellar.

Six Senses Hideaway is a fantastic experience, not to be missed but it comes with a price tag and is on the high end scale for rates.

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Six Senses Hideaway Pool Villa

Six Senses Hideaway Pool Villa suite

Six Senses Hideaway Pool Villa sea view

Six Senses Hideaway dining and pool

Six Senses Hideaway Villa

Napasai Beach Resort & Villas, Maenam

2009-04-29T14:15:00.004+07:00

Napasai Beach Resort & Villas, Maenam

Napasai Beach Resort & Villas in Maenam is a secluded luxury beach resort in Maenam Beach, on the fashionable north coast of Koh Samui. It's a relatively newly opened high end resort.

Napasai is set on a graceful hillside in a secluded position, overlooking Ban Tai beach on the Gulf of Thailand, in seventeen acres of lush tropical vegetation.

It has a small, private sandy beach with a pontoon to which guests can swim, fifty-five cottages, fourteen private villas, two excellent restaurants and the indulgent Napasai Spa. Each room comes with tropical teak furnishings and cotton drapes. All rooms have air conditioning, minibar, satellite TV and fresh flowers. Luxury at it's finest!

The Lai Thai Restaurant serves Thai and international cuisine in a relaxing environment with high ceilings and stone-tiled flooring.

Beachfront Restaurant where light and casual poolside fare are served at the Beachfront Restaurant, specialising in Thai and international dishes for lunch and dinner daily. Guests can enjoy both poolside and ocean views in a casual open air environment.

Highly recommendable but it comes in the higher end budget range.

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Seaview Hill Cottage

Pool Villa living room

Beachfront Cottage Suite

Napasai features a beautiful horizon-edge freshwater pool that appears to flow onto the turquoise sea

Beach view

Maya Buri Boutique Resort, Bang Rak

2009-04-10T09:39:00.005+07:00

Maya Buri Boutique Resort, Bang Rak

A newly opened boutique resort in pristine Baan Bang Rak, the Northern part of the island. Maya Buri offers a refreshing choice in relaxing in luxury and tranquility. Designed in Thai tropical style under a backdrop of majestic island mountains, you can enjoy their natural setting but with full technologically modern conveniences at your fingertips like our Infinity Edge pool.

The location is good, on what we call the 'Ghost Raod', directly off Bang Rak. The resort is not located on a beach, but it's within a 10-15 minute walk, that's also where the restaurants and shops of Bang Rak are located. Within a 5 - 10 minute drive various other beaches are available.

Presidential Suite

This luxury comfort suite was luxuriously designed and decorated. The adjoining living room and the bedroom has a spectacular view of the pool. This suite is designed for honeymooners and is suitable for a small family as well.

Studio

The smallest but very comfortable rooms of the resort. Has a view of the pool. Double bed, cable T.V., writing desk, air-conditioning, mini-fridge, hot & cold shower, a small balcony and a parking space of its own.

Deluxe

Identical to the Standard room, with the exception of the location which is set in the corner lot. Bigger than standard but with same facilities, the room is equipped with twin bed or queen size bed, cable TV, air-conditioning, hot & cold shower, balcony.

The pool at Maya Buri

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Nora Chaweng Hotel, Chaweng

2009-03-22T09:38:00.005+07:00

Nora Chaweng Hotel, Chaweng

This is a very nice hotel, located almost straight where the one way system starts in Chaweng. It's located at the road side of Chaweng beach road, you only have to cross the road and walk down to the beach, just a minute or two away.

Nora Chaweng Hotel is named after a mystical dance. It's brand new, it opened it's doors less than a year ago and has a very pleasant, spacious feel to it with tastefully designed rooms.

All shopping and night life areas are within walking distance and the airport is within a 10 to 15 minutes from the hotel.

The 3 suites and 60 Deluxe rooms are tastefully designed, nice and have all the amenities that you expect and the hotels supports a swimming pool, a spa and a restaurant.

If looking for a nicely priced, medium range hotel in Chaweng, this may be a well suited choice.

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A Deluxe room with King size bed

Tastefully designed bath rooms

A comfortable looking and affordable suite

The stylish and spacious lobby

The swimming pool

Chaweng Cove Resotel, Chaweng

2009-03-02T21:36:00.007+07:00

Chaweng Cove Resotel, Chaweng

Come August this year and my sister is to visit Samui once more. Since this is going to be a family affair with 3 children in the 10 to 13 year range, they needed a bit more of a budget place than they used to book during previous visits. Recently I went to have a look at the resort, with my sister, who was here on a very short break visit and it got the thumbs up from both us.

My sister was back in July 2010 and stayed once more at this resort, it suited them just fine for location and also for price.

At the reception they were very accommodating by showing us the various rooms and allowed us to have a look around. Above is the main entrance, just south of Centara in Chaweng. Just outside the busy hustle and bustle of Chaweng but still near enough to be able to walk to Chaweng 'downtown'.

The pool looks spacious and has three different basins and is located near the beach as well. It looks very convenient.

My sister booked two rooms with balcony and this is how they look like, including all you need, a TV, fridge, bathroom/toilet etc.

Chaweng Cove Resotel offers something for everyone and it even has newly built air-conditioned rooms, villas, and bungalows for all these people to enjoy. Amenities at this resort include a swimming pool, available massage services, beach side dining and wireless Internet access.

There are a total 101 rooms varying in size and price.

The layout of the resort was very nice and a feature that catches the eye is this shaded hall way between the reception and the resort. A very nice touch.

Although build in a compact way, it's still comfy to walk around and looks spacious enough to enjoy.

Our impression was overall positive and my sister is looking forward to stay here.

Her final verdict after having stayed for almost two weeks here is that it's value for money and they would stay here again.

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Samui First House Hotel, Chaweng

2009-02-06T21:49:00.009+07:00

Samui First House Hotel, Chaweng

Is located in Chaweng Noi, or the most Southern part of Chaweng. It's called First House, since 'back in the days' it was the only and hence 'first' hotel in this part of Chaweng. On the same premises is also First Bungalow Beach Resort located, run by members of the same family.

The First house has two great pools and an almost exclusive part of Chaweng beach, a short stroll from the busier and more crowded main beach area. The latter because there's a 'bend' in the beach at this end of Chaweng, and the First House is just at the other side of this bend and has a secluded beach accordingly completely free of hawkers and has ample space for sunbathing, swimming, and water sports.
This makes the hotel a desirable accommodation for those seeking a peaceful holiday and families with young children. The colorful restaurant and nightlife scene is only a 15-minute walk from the hotel or a few minutes taxi ride away.

There's also the possibility of romantic poolside dining at Samui First House restaurant. All you can eat traditional Thai, Chinese, European and Seafood. After dinner, the bar staff promises that they can whip you up your own unique cocktail to enjoy with soft music most night. There's also a Thai dancing show every Monday night from 7.00 to 9.00 pm.

The hotel boosts 98 rooms comprising of 4 Family rooms, 5 Grand Deluxe rooms, 36 deluxe rooms, 27 Superios Rooms and 26 Standard rooms.

Rooms are fairly low priced and this is a great place for a budget holiday.

Standard room; The rooms are especially designed for the comfort and convenience with modern facilities. Full conveniences with air condition, colour TV, telephone , bath room , hot & cold shower , minibar and internet excess. Room size : 24 sq.m

Family room; The rooms are especially designed for the comfort and convenience with modern facilities. All spacious rooms have highly recommend for mini family, 2 bed rooms with closing door, 1 bath room, room with pool view, private balcony, air condition, colour TV, telephone, hot&cold shower, minibar and internet excess. Room Size : 50 sq.m

Lobby

Swimming Pool

The almost exclusive beach at Samui First House, a really nice stretch of beach

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Q Signature Samui Hotel, Choengmon

2009-01-10T23:08:00.006+07:00

Q Signature Samui Hotel, Choengmon

Located only seven kilometers from Samui Airport, the Q Signature Samui Hotel is a modern luxurious spa and hotel. The Q Signature Samui Hotel comprises of 20 elegant Thai design villas with private pools, 55 apartments and 3 communal pools.

The Samudra Retreat Samui Hotel is also part of this complex and was also known as The Peninsula. In total they host 132 rooms and villas.

The location is really nice and fairly secluded, it's build on a hill and golf carts take you around the place. There's also a nice beach in front of the resort and around the corner of this beach, in walking distance over the beach is Choengmon Bay, in my opinion the nicest bay of Samui island. This bay hosts plenty of restaurants and bars which can give a nice break to the furthermore excellent restaurants at Q signature;

The Royal Siam restaurant, the Aow Thai Terrace, The Royal Pool Bar and the Royal Mountain Pool Bar.

It's a vast complex with all necessary and required amenities and beautifully located in Choengmon Bay.

It's prices range from medium to high end. Well worthwhile checking out and a great location to enjoying your stay on Samui.

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Imperial Samui Hotel, Chaweng

2009-01-01T10:55:00.007+07:00

Imperial Samui Hotel in Chaweng

Is part of the same Imperial chain as the Imperial Boathouse in Choengmon and the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel in Bangkok. It's also once more a place where my wife used to work for a few months when the Imperial Boathouse underwent extensive renovations.

The Imperial Samui Hotel is located on Chaweng Noi Beach, about 1.5 kilometers from Chaweng's shopping and entertainment areas and 10 kilometers from the airport. The scenic Imperial Samui Hotel is built in Mediterranean-style and is set in the hillside with landscaped shadowy gardens tumbling down to a serene beach. The Imperial Samui Hotel has a total of 141 rooms including 108 newly renovated Premier Sea-Facing rooms, 13 Junior suites, 1 Duplex, 6 One Bed Room Suites, 11 Garden Terrace rooms and two Grand Duplex with two bedrooms and all guests have plenty of space along Chaweng Beach.

The prices are in the upper range but well worth it. The setting is gorgeous and the facilities are excellent.

The hotel supports a spa and also a flood lit tennis court, two restaurants, Le Jarmjuree for breakfast and dinner and Tara Restaurant as well as the Le Sandy, the beach bar.

The hotel exterior

Imperial Chaweng supports 2 pools, one near the ocean with unique seawater, pictured above and a fresh water pool.

All rooms come with a private balcony and stunning views and offer the very latest in resort luxury. All rooms are in low-rise Mediterranean style buildings. Most of them have a sea view taking full advantage of the cool breezes that waft in from the Gulf of Thailand. All rooms have en suite bathrooms, hairdryer, 220V electrical points, complimentary bathroom toiletries, personal safe, fully stocked refrigerate, mini bar, color TV and satellite reception, air-conditioning and IDD telephone.

Once more a hotel that comes highly recommended by me.

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Punnpreeda Hip Resort, Bang Rak

2008-09-09T21:45:00.006+07:00

Punnpreeda Hip Resort, Bang Rak

This is a fairly new resort conveniently located about 5 minutes away from the airport and near Big Buddha.
It's located at Bang Rak beach, away from the hustle and bustle of Chaweng and near all the restaurants and shops in Bang Rak.

The beach is not as great as Choengmon or Chaweng but still good.

It offers a minimalist hotel designed with love and attention to detail, maintaining a rich appreciation for Thai architecture, while focusing on industrial, modern design. Poured concrete is juxtaposed against natural Thai woods with 100-year-old slant roof ceilings. There are only 25 guest rooms in 5 categories and they're medium range priced starting at around 3.000,-THB; 12 Deluxe rooms, 4 Garden Villa's, 6 Ocean Villa's, 2 Jacuzzi Suites and a Waterfall Seaview Suite. There's an in house restaurant and all rooms have Wi-fi plus all amenities, like a flat screen TV.

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The Swimming pool

The Daaraadat restaurant

Inside a Deluxe room

View over Bang Rak bay

Bandara Resort & Spa, Bophud

2008-08-05T21:27:00.006+07:00

Bandara Resort & Spa, Bophud

This very nice resort is fairly new and has a lot to offer located between Bophud and Maenam.

With 22 standard rooms, 98 Deluxe rooms, 2 Grand Deluxe Villa's and 28 cottage villas, they also offer a wide variety of room choices.
All rooms boast stunning contemporary tropical design, extra-large private balcony or veranda with day-bed, alfresco dining facilities and ceiling fan, all modern amenities and spectacular views of the lush resort landscaping.
Set amidst a coconut grove on the golden beach of Bophud, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand and only a few minutes’ drive from Chaweng Beach and all the hustle and bustle that Chaweng has on offer, the resorts luxurious and spacious cottages and villas are tastefully decorated.

Bandara has been build very spacious and it accommodates 2 pools and a children's pool.

The resort also provides a seaside restaurant, the Chom Dao, that looks out onto the ocean and offers Thai and Western cuisine. An all-day dining restaurant, the Leelavadee, located on the ground level of the main building offers full American breakfast, lunch, dinner and special theme nights.
Dinner services are also provided as private dining at individual cabanas by the swimming pool. Very romantic indeed.
There are also a lobby and pool bar.

Bandara, a window to the stars. Now, it's a name shared with a unique resort experience.

Room rates are starting at medium rates to high end rates.

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Deluxe room

Overview of the main pool

The main pool

The Lounge area

The Chom Dao Beach restaurant

Chaweng Buri Resort, Chaweng

2008-07-25T16:44:00.002+07:00

Chaweng Buri Resort, Chaweng

Is conveniently located at the beach in the middle of Chaweng.

When one first steps onto the compound of this resort, you may think that you have wandered into an old southern Thai village. That’s because the Chaweng Buri Resort is set in a tropical paradise and made up of 117 chalets, which includes one beach side suite. But this resort is anything but old-fashioned - it offers a host of modern amenities including a free form swimming pool with Jacuzzi, a sauna, spa and massage services. Despite all this, the beach is still the main draw here and this one is not obstructed by a road and tends to be peaceful and quiet at all times.

Chaweng Buri hosts two restaurants and a beach/pool side bar;

-A poolside restaurant " The Place" which serves fresh seafood, continental and authentic Thai cuisine

-A beach-front dinner terrace "Rom-Mai" which serves light meals and the Barbecue terrace "Sai-Lom" which serves Seafood, Steaks & Salad.

-There's a Thai night show every Friday at "Harry 's Bar" (Beach/Pool Bar) - Tropical fruit shakes, cocktails, thirst quenching drinks, spirits and snacks.

There are over 220 sun deck beds with parasols and the hotel also offers baby sitting amongst other services.

Chaweng Buri has been in Chaweng for more than 15 years when I write this review and the location is perfect along Chaweng Beach. The Resort also receives very good reviews from previous visitors and I can recommend a stay in this medium priced resort.

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Peace Resort, Bophud

2008-07-11T20:09:00.004+07:00

Peace Resort, Bophud

Has been established back in 1977 by the Pupaiboon Family between Bophud and Maenam and has been growing strong ever since. Starting out as a typical simple hut on the beach place, just like for instance World Resort or Zazen Boutique Resort not too far away from Peace Resort, they have been upgrading gradually and nowadays Peace Resort counts as a nice upgrade resort with actually upscale beach villa's within walking distance of the rustique Fisherman's Village.

Friends of me stayed here and had a great time.

The tranquility on the premises and the lovely Bophud beach location with landscaped tropical gardens make for a unique stay during your vacation at Peace Resort.

The resort supports;
Superior Garden Villa, 55 units (1 bedroom ) 32 sq.m.
Deluxe Garden Villa, 31 units (1 bedroom) 42 sq.m.
Deluxe Wing , 20 units (1 bedroom) 37.5-48 sq.m.
Deluxe Veranda, 11 units (1 bedroom & living area) 49 sq.m
Beachfront Villa, 5 units (1 bedroom & living area) 49 sq.m.

Each bungalow is a mini-suite with your very own porch and furnished with modern conveniences such as air-conditioning, mini bar and bath amenities.

The resort is very child friendly with and supports a children outdoor playground and a children pool.

A medium ranged priced resort with some high end ranged beach villa's which welcome you with traditional Thai hospitality, with the added bonus of it being run by a Samui family.

Enjoy your stay.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Booking by R24

Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa, Bophud

2008-06-30T20:55:00.001+07:00

Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa, Bophud

On the Northern coast of Koh Samui Island, on the west side of Bophud Beach lies a small, charming and intimate Boutique Resort.

A resort where you can feel at home? Where you will take your partner to heaven and your family to paradise. This little hide-away invites you to relax & rediscover yourself and your partner in beautiful, natural & tropical surroundings. You will experience in our idyllic tropical resort the perfect escape. Sounds like too good to be true, out of an 8 year experience on Samui and having had various friends stay here, I can agree to this.

Zazen enjoys a secluded setting at the end of an unspoiled bay. In this tropical setting, the low-rise resort has been especially designed to reach peacefulness in harmony with its natural surroundings. Nestled on Koh Samui's quieter, more traditional northern shore, Zazen stands on the west coast of Bophut beach amid lush gardens facing its own palm-shaded beach.

Zazen also has one of my favorite restaurants on the island. This place gets my thumbs up!

With all the facilities they offer, this is one of the medium - top resorts on Samui;

• 80 Meters of white sandy beach front
• Magnificent tropical swimming pool with terrace with sun beds and umbrellas
• Jacuzzi and Children's swimming pool
• Open-air beachfront restaurant and bar overlooking the Gulf of Thailand and featuring traditional Thai dancers twice a week.
• Beach front “Rouge Lounge” Bar with pool table
• Boutique with antiques & souvenir shop
• Internet Lounge with High Speed wireless connection & business center
• Beautiful outdoor Spa offering a whole range of treatments
• An all year round beautiful beach which is safe for swimming
• Jeep and motorbike rental
• Shuttle bus service & private limousine service
• Airport Pick-up and Drop-off (on request ) and Private Parking
• Baby-sitting service
• Laundry & pressing service• Room services
• Luggage storage

Complimentary services:

• Tropical garden with game of bowls (petanque) and table tennis area
• Beach Club with windsurfing equipment and canoes
• Library and parlor games
• DVD films service
• Confirmation of flight tickets
• Internet Lounge with high speed wireless connection & business center
• Free high speed wireless connection from the guests rooms and around the restaurant, bar, pool & beach

This resort ranks high on my fave list with a great location between Bophud and Maenam.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

The Weekender, Lamai

2008-06-27T13:54:00.002+07:00

The Weekender, Lamai

This hotel is almost an institution in Lamai and has grown a bit over the years, without losing it's service and good ambiance.

The Weekender is a place where you can do as much or as little as you like. Enjoy Samui as it was meant to be. Relax & appreciate the fresh breezes off the Gulf of Thailand as you sit by the beach, enjoy a drink at the beach bar or just find one of the many quiet corners with your favourite book.

The rooms are spacious and they are furnished individually with private bathroom (shower & bathtub with hot and cold water), airconditioning with individual control, mini bar, refrigerator, telephone (IDD) and colour TV (with satellite).

The resort offers several options of accommodation, which include bungalows at resort front entrance, superior and deluxe rooms in three separate buildings and Thai styled houses. The 149 rooms are spread over a large area of beautiful landscaped tropical gardens.

The resort has a beach of soft white sand, crystal clear waters and fringing coconut palms. It is located in the middle of Lamai Beach, not too far away from the entertainment area, but secluded enough for guests to enjoy the tranquility of a restful island holiday.

Price, ranging from just above a 1.000,-THB to around 4.000,-THB, location and the tranquility, all good reasons for staying at The Weekender.

Enjoy your stay in Lamai.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agode

Booking by R24

Standard Room

Superior New Wing

Deluxe New Wing

Lamai Inn 99, Lamai

2008-06-24T15:21:00.001+07:00

Lamai Inn 99, Lamai

This is a budget hotel on the beach in Lamai. It's basic and straightforward but a very reliable place.

The Lamai Inn 99 has been in business for more than 20 years and they are extremely proud to have evolved to the point where they now have 73 rooms available while at the same time retaining their reputation for close service.

Although they have upwards of 100 meters of beachfront, they have kept the beach deliberately open with wide expanses of lawn and garden for everyone’s enjoyment. As a result, many of their bungalows which are not on the beach have clear views of the water.

They have 6 much sought after beachfront rooms, 51 rooms with air-conditioning, 14 with air conditioning and hot water and 22 with fans.

A very good choice if you're looking for a budget place on the beach in Lamai with the added bonus of it being a family run business.

Enjoy the Lamai Inn 99.

Booking by R24

Paradise Beach Resort, Maenam

2008-06-19T18:55:00.002+07:00

Paradise Beach Resort, Maenam

This is another resort filled with good memories for me, since I worked also in this resort. It's a few years back now since I worked there, but the hotel still has the same good vibes and feel to it.

It has a great location with a fantastic view to Koh Phangan, is located directly at Maenam beach and has 2 pools. It's family friendly and quiet and tranquil due to it's location, a nice bit away from the main road and it's lush green garden setting.

If you feel like visiting Chaweng, they have an hourly free vacation shuttle to the entertainment & shopping area at Chaweng (20 minutes away).

They have an excellent Italian restaurant on site, Roma and the Paradise Terrace and on top of that the Beach & Pool bar.

The intimate resort has 11 cozy bungalows, 78 deluxe rooms and 6 suites in Thai style, each with a private balcony or veranda.

Paradise Beach Resort is an excellent medium ranged resort with a great location on Maenam beach and Swiss management. Definitely worthwhile checking out.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Booking by R24

Booking by Hostel World

Rocky Boutique Resort, Lamai

2008-03-16T09:56:00.003+07:00

Rocky Boutique Resort, Lamai

Is a very fine resort, away from the hustle and bustle of Lamai.

Rocky Resort is a private and secluded Koh Samui resort with 33 Luxurious Thai bungalows and Villas. The resort is situated on a private beach, with unparalleled views of the Gulf of Thailand, and only a short walk to downtown Lamai. Long tailed fishing boats can be seen daily as they depart or return home with their catch. Here is the ideal place to relax and feel free to enjoy the natural beauty of this amazing Koh Samui resort.

At Rocky Resort there are 2 swimming pools, one along the beachfront, one in the upper garden. Both have a large deck area where you can sit and relax, order a poolside snack or cocktail. Their restaurant is perched atop a large granite rock, overlooking the ocean. Dinner is eaten with the sound and sight of the waves rolling on to the beach.

The bright lights, bars and night life of Lamai Beach are less than five minutes drive away, and popular Chaweng Beach with it's colourful array of shops, bars and Chaweng restaurants, is a 15 minute drive. Rocky Resort has three secluded beaches enclosed by large outcrops of granite rocks which form idyllic sheltered coves. The seawater is crystal clear with beautiful corals and tropical fish ideal for snorkeling.

Rocky Resort's Samui accommodation has been individually designed with care and attention to detail. Each room is unique and beautifully decorated with elegance and comfort in mind. Many resorts offer Samui lodging, and few have the standards set by Rocky Resort.

The resort holds several events at Rocky's Restaurant including beach barbecues, cocktail evenings, and Thai celebrations and they have the capability of arranging romantic private dinners in their sala and custom menus. Rocky's Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Koh Samui.

Definitely a place to enjoy your holiday on a secluded beach yet still not too far away from all the action.

Booking by Hotels Combined

Booking by Agoda

Booking by R24