Samui

Al’s Laemson Resort is located on the top of a little hill in the Northern end of Chaweng beach. The atmosphere here is very relaxed, no big buildings, the only type of accommodation available are free-standing bungalows and villas that have been properly spread out on the hillside in a way you don’t overlook your neighbours, adding a feeling privacy. Bungalows, which start at 30 sqm are quite spacious and well equipped. I really enjoyed the simple little touches like having your own Nespresso machine to start the day with some real coffee. Amenities include a lovely pool area and bar overlooking the ocean. The beach, while not great for swimming due to it’s shallow waters is very secluded and feels private. A complimentary shuttle service is offered to their sister hotel, Als Resort, just 4 minutes walk away from the Green Mango entertainment area. Otherwise it’s approximately a 30 minutes walk or 10 min/ 50 baht songthaew ride. In the end, Al’s Laemson Resort best suited for those who are looking for a base away from the hustle and bustle of the main strip. Have a look below for the pictures of the room and hotel amenities.

The Aloha resort is located at the quieter end of Lamai Beach, but within easy distance (10 to 15 minutes walk) from Beer Bar Central, the main bargirl enclave in Lamai. The swimming pool, immaculate grounds and beach are what sells here. Rooms, especially in the lower categories are a little dated and in need of renovation but are clean, spacious and provided with everything you need. WiFi on the other hand is poor throughout the resort either loosing connection or extremely slow, except for a tiny area in the reception area. There are ample sun loungers around the pool and beach, not too much towel reservation going on. No pool bar though, a little annoying to have to go in the small restaurant each time to ask for a beer. No fault to the staff, which are super sweet and are doing their best although some language difficulties. In the end: Quiet location but not far from the action, nice pool & beachfront area. Accommodations are simple, furniture older but not bad value for the money overall. Have a look below for the pictures of the room and hotel amenities.

The Beach Republic is located on the northern part of Lamai Beach, about a 30 minutes leisurely stroll along the beach into central Lamai or a 5 minute scooter ride. The resort, which opened a decade ago has been very well maintained and is quite unique, there two beachfront pools from where you can enjoy sweeping ocean views with a great assortment of places to relax and chill out around the property, really comfortable sun loungers, sofas and large cabanas. Apartments & Suites are great, tried the club suite category, beautiful decorated rooms, modern and up to date with all the amenities one would expect from an upscale resort. Very comfortable beds, multiple pillow choices, good English entertainment options the TV, well equipped kitchenette, excellent WiFi throughout, actually better than in some EU & UK destinations! Large balcony overlooking the gardens with table, chairs and sun lounger. Staff is extremely friendly and attentive, you can see them from early in the morning out and about early cleaning up the beach and pool, making sure everything is immaculate. Included Breakfast is fantastic, great selection on offer. À la carte menu was delicious but pricey compared to local places to eat. In the […]

Definitely not one of the cheapest options in Chaweng at over $100/night but if you are looking to splurge a little, this is hands down the best guest friendly property in Koh Samui. Voted “Travellers choice of 2018” on TripdAdvisor, it’s achieved their highest recognition and is rated one of the Top 25 Hotels in Thailand. The main reason for the award at this 4-star hotel is the level of hospitality and attentiveness you get from the staff, nothing is ever too much trouble. From the moment you check into the resort you are treated wonderfully and met with cold towels and a refreshing drink by the lovely reception staff. After a few brief formalities you are escorted to one of the 32 rooms that make up this beautiful, intimate resort and shown around the nicely manicured tropical gardens which feel like an oasis separated from the hustle and bustle of the Chaweng outside. The dipping pool and beach are maximum 2 minutes walk from the furthest room. The rooms are tastefully decorated in traditional Thai style with all the facilities/amenities expected from a top resort. Bed and pillows are super cozy and the rooms are serviced twice a day, […]

The Coral Bay Resort is located near the northern end of Chaweng Beach, in a more quiet area, perfect for those looking for a quiet place to relax and/or detox during the daytime. There are 55 individual free-standing bungalows spread out on 10 acres of lush tropical grounds at the Coral Bay, so If you are looking for peace there’s plenty of that here, the only noise you will here is the constant sound of birds, toads and geckos. The resort has a good size pool and a semi-private beach shared with 2 other hotels. Due to the shallow waters this is not really a swimming beach most of the time but the large pool makes up for that. Bungalows are quite big and have a rustic charm going for them, all made of dark teak wood with a big veranda in front of the entrance and lots of furniture on it to relax and watch the day go by. Standards are generally good, some parts could do with a little renovation like the TV from the 90’s era or the wi-fi signal but otherwise they feel very cozy. The nightlife and Soi Green Mango are about 2KM away, so […]

The COSI Samui Chaweng Beach a brand new hotel attached to the Samui CentralFestival Mall. Location is very convenient as everything is walking distance from here, in less than five minutes you can have the sand in your toes at Chaweng beach or be enjoying a drink at one of the many beer bars or clubs of Soi Green Mango. The hotel is geared at a 20-30something crowd looking for something cheap, modern and smart. Closest thing that comes to mind would be a hipper version of a Tune Hotel or Ibis. Facilities are limited but include a chill out area above the reception, nice rooftop pool and a little cafe where you can use up your daily 200 Baht complimentary voucher for food and drinks. Rooms are all very small at 18 to 21 sqm, so to be manageable you probably will want to book here only of you spend very limited time inside. Otherwise the design is modern and all the amenities you need are provided: Bed is quite comfortable, not some cheap mattress and pillows, 43-inch Smart flatscreen TV comes with some good channel selection, multiple usb charger points are found for your electronics, some clothes hanging […]

First Bungalow Beach Resort is situated a little after southern end of Chaweng Beach, right on Chaweng Noi beach. Stayed in one of the beach bungalows, which were a little dated but the location right in front of the crystal waters of Chaweng Noi made up for that. Beach bar was very handy, the drinks and snacks there are very reasonably price, always plenty of free sun loungers around, very relaxing area. Bungalows are sized at 34 sqm and kept spotless, beds maybe a little firm but yeah this is Thailand, Flat-screen TV had grainy reception, Wi-Fi a little slow at times, fine for social media stuff but definitely no video streaming. Other than that no issues: A/C ran seemingly, mini-bar kept your drinks cool, electronic safe for your valuables, tea and coffee making facilities, etc. Bathroom has a bath over shower setup that provided instant hot water, toiletries were limited to bath gel, shampoo and cotton buds. Resort also offers cheaper but almost identical pool bungalows as well as even more affordable accommodations in a high rise building. The swimming pool area is massive with a pool bar on deck, always lots of sun-beds available. Place is not recommended […]

The Kirikayan is smaller 4-Star Boutique Resort with just a handful of rooms located near the quieter southern end of Chaweng Beach, about a good 20 to 30 minutes walk from the nightlife of Soi Reggae and Green Mango. Amenities include a lovely infinity pool with swim up bar facing the beach and ocean from where wide steps lead down to a beautifully kept beachfront, on one of my favorite patches of sand of the Chaweng strip. I ended up spending most of my days moving back and forth between the loungers on the beach and the ones beside the pool. Room are in Thai style, very comfortable and cosy with lovely gardens on the lower level. Awarded TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2018, the Kirikayan will please those looking for a small and intimate guest friendly resort away from the hustle and bustle of central Chaweng. Have a look below for the pictures of the room and hotel amenities.

Le Murraya Resort is located in a quieter area just south of chaweng lake, within easy walking distance (about 5 to 10 minutes) from the beach and the beer bar hostesses of Soi Reggae. The resort features a 24-hour gym, restaurant (limited to serving breakfast) and a smalll outdoor pool set in a lovely garden area with a dozen or so sun loungers and parasols that you can enjoy by yourserlf most of the time. One of the advantages of staying here at Le Murraya is you also get to use, free of charge, the fantastic 4-star beachfront and pool facilities of their sister hotel, the Synergy Samui Resort just 5 minutes away. My personnal reason for chosing Le Muraya and the most likely the reason they get awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor are the huge rooms they offer for the price. The smallest category starting at 45 sqm are already very spacious while the suites are massive. While definitely not high-end, rooms come with everything you could possibly need for a comfortable stay and are more of an apartment with seperate bedroom, living and kitchenette area plus a private balcony with table and chairs. All come equipped […]

The Manathai Koh Samui is Located at the northern tip of Lamai beach, about a 15-20 minutes walk from the beer bars and nightlife of the Lamai center. The resort is split in two by a road, the main hotel portion of the resort itself is quite beautiful, reminiscent of an old colonial house with a small pool, two restaurants and a pub on site. The main pool and beach club are on the other side, it’s pool is big and the view overlooking the sea is very pleasant, waterline bar next to it is excellent, lots of sun loungers around to sit back and relax. Staff are very polite and friendly, the food here is also quite good although a bit expensive. Beachfront is a little disappointing as it at the top of a cove with rocks, shallow with no direct swimming area at all, for that you will need to walk a further 500 meters further down to find very nice swimming beach. Booked a deluxe room on the ground floor with a private outdoor patio, decently sized at 32 m², bed is super comfy and large, TV reception a little is fuzzy, reasonably priced mini-bar, plenty of power […]

The O.P Bungalow offers a great budget option for travelers looking for a beachfront resort within walking distance from Chaweng’s busy nightlife area. Resort is beautifully laid out on tropical gardens, beach only a few meters from the bungalows, easygoing restaurant with tables in the sand, very helpful beach staff who setup your sun loungers anywhere you like, cozy little beach bar with good drinks and slow music, long happy hour 100 THB cocktails offered until in the evening. Very relaxing vibe going on, you actually don’t realize just how close the busy Chaweng streets. Limited facilities besides that: No pool, gym, etc. Bungalows are very rustic in nature, clean and simple. Each has it’s own little balcony with chairs overlooking over the tropical gardens. Interior looks more like a hotel room than a bungalows but all the essential are provided: Adjustable A/C unit keeps you cool, big fridge with cold drinks available priced the same as the restaurant, comfy bed, safe in the room, bathroom been renovated recently and has a good hot shower & lots of water pressure. Few downsides: Very basic toiletries set not replenished, Older CRT TV has fuzzy reception and is short on channels, WiFi […]

The Pattra Vill is a beautiful resort right at the heart of Lamai, literally right nextdoor to the towns largest concentration of beer bars and nightlife: Beer Bar Central and only a 6 minute walk to the lovely Lamai beach. Situated in a well-maintained, beautiful garden, the highlight is certainly the large and inviting swimming at it’s center, the perfect antidote to a long night out partying. The accommodations, which make up a total of 22 rooms or villas are all very spacious with high ceilings. The smallest room category at the The Pattra Vill Resort starts at 50 m² and come equipped with everything you need: Beautiful finishes, great mattress, linen, and pillows, larger-than-bar-size fridge, flat-screen TV, Reliable and fast WiFi signal, kitchenette, front patio to relax on, etc. If you enjoy partying all night and you want to be staying as close to everything as humanly possible, to after go back and fall into your private little comfort space, then this is definitely the place to be. Maybe a little expensive but if you got the budget, this is wonderful new resort with great accommodations, a big and inviting pool surrounded by a beautiful garden at an unbeatable location […]

The Samui Island Beach is not the newest of resorts, but will please those looking for simple and affordable beachfront accommodations just outside of the main Chaweng strip. Town is still quite easily accessible by road with a 5-minutes tuk-tuk ride or a longer 20-minutes walk via the beach. Location is perfect for those who love to have some daytime relaxation by the pool and bar overlooking the ocean. The beach is only accessible at low tide, the rest of the time the water comes right up to the edge of the resort, making it more like sitting by a pier. The Samui Island Beach Resort offers modest bungalows, beds are comfortable but the older amenities could definitely do with a little TLC. However despite being in need of some updating, the rooms are kept clean and the bedding/towels changed daily. Staff very pleasant and accommodating. Should please those looking for a quiet and no-frills beachfront accommodation outside of the main Chaweng strip. Have a look below for the pictures of the room and hotel amenities.

The Samui Laguna Resort enjoys a good location on a quiet part of the beach just a 5-10 minutes walk from all the pubs and beer bars of the town center. This part of the beach is fairly large, clean and the sea is good to swim in. Amenities include a nice little swimming pool and a beachfront restaurant offering a generous Happy hour from 12pm to 7pm with plenty of sun loungers around. They offer bungalows near the beach and a cheaper rooms in their main building. The bungalow are a bit old fashioned but fairly large in size at 40 m²/431 ft² with a generous verandas, not luxurious but in the 3-star category, maids do a decent job at keeping the place spotless. Bit disappointed by the old crt type TV and the fact there is no electronic safe in the room, otherwise everything else was of good standard. In this end good value for money, short walking distance from the bars, bungalows close to the beach, pool and bar with long happy hours, what more do you want or need? Have a look below for the pictures of the room and hotel amenities.

The Sans Souci Samui is located right at the southern end of Chaweng beach, resort is is a complex of 22 bungalows built around a beautiful garden courtyard just a few seconds walk from the beachfront. Rooms are decorated in Thai style, with dark mahogany paneling and furniture, a little old fashioned but very clean, beds are lovely, fresh bed-linen and towels are changed everyday. There are a few caveats that could turn off some people: No safe in the room, older generation TV set with fuzzy reception, WiFi is very patchy and there’s no swimming pool, but somehow this never stopped me from coming back, beachfront location is is divine, regularly cleaned and swept by the hotel employees and so much quieter than the locations further up north. Whole resort has some kind of sanctuary feel to it with it’s well manicured tropical grounds, restaurant overlooking beach, simple yet very comfortable rooms. Staff are also wonderful and super friendly, they really are good at making you feel at home immediately. Keep in mind the nightlife is a good 20 to 30 minutes away but at the same time just a short songthaew (public transport) ride away. In the end […]

The Seascape Beach Resort is a good option for travellers on a budget looking for a beachfront resort. Located on the quieter southern end of Chaweng Beach, it’s about a 20 to 25 minutes walk from Soi Green Mango, the center of Chaweng’s nightlife. While a little tired in some areas, the Seascape still offers some very decent value for money. Pool is small and in need of an upgrade but the beach was clean and well looked after. The staff were very attentive and always ready to find you some space to fit you with a sun lounger and parasol around the pool or at the beach. Resort has its own restaurant as well as beach bar snacks. Drinks and bar meals always brought to you swiftly on request. Deluxe rooms are clean, bright and spacious with a big balcony overlooking the garden. Amenities include a comfortable king size bed, TV, air-con, free WiFi throughout the resort, all you need really, if I was to be picky I’d say the shower didn’t have much water pressure. No elevator might be a problem for those with mobility issues but the building is only 3 floors high. Free breakfast is sufficient […]