Beach Hotels in Koh Samet

Overall, I'm very satisfied! After arriving by bus, we walked about 600m to the pier reception, then took a slow boat to the hotel's pier. Baan is the closest of the four hotels to the pier (as shown in the last picture), which was a huge relief! It's just a 1-minute walk, saving us the hassle of getting a tuk-tuk. The hotel isn't luxurious, but it's quiet and elegant. I especially loved the tree by the beach. Being close to Christmas, the evenings here left a wonderful impression on me! The room was quite spacious, with an IKEA-esque style. There's an outdoor balcony, perfect for reading in the morning. Outside the room, there's a chocolate drink shop where you can grab a drink to enjoy on the beach. To the north, it's less crowded and beautifully scenic – I really love it here! Breakfast was also quite extensive, with several dishes you could select individually. The staff's attitude was much better than in many places in Bangkok. I'm especially grateful that on my first day, I forgot my DJI drone, and the front desk staff kept it safe for me until I returned. Thank you! Oh, and there's a small restaurant run by an old man to the north that's absolutely delicious! Try the Tom Yum Goong and Mama noodles! My husband and I, along with the Swedish couple at the next table, completely cleaned our plates. Highly recommend: ร้านเจ้กิวลุงเตี้ย

How do I even begin! I went to Koh Samet with no expectations, but Le Vimarn Cottages & Spa is supposedly the second-best resort on the island. My overall impression wasn't great, mainly due to how the resort handled the broken air conditioning in our bungalow on the first day. We took a private car from downtown Bangkok to Ao Prao Pier (the hotel's private pier, which has its own lounge). Following the resort's email instructions, we boarded the 1:30 PM boat to the resort, which took about 15 minutes. The welcome drink upon arrival was quite good. The resort isn't very large, and there weren't many guests. When we discovered the AC was broken, we immediately contacted housekeeping. From housekeeping to engineering to the front desk, and then to Ctrip, we spent an hour in the sweltering room and outside before finally being moved to another room. It seemed like Ctrip had to intervene to resolve the issue before the front desk staff led us to our new room... The whole process was incredibly frustrating due to the heat! Later, the front desk found me on the beach and offered us an upgraded room. I went to see it but declined, as it was quite dark inside, and I prefer bright, airy rooms when I'm on vacation. She told me the room would be held for us if we changed our minds. Because I didn't move, the front desk came to find me again on the beach and offered a complimentary pizza as compensation. This proactive attitude was a definite plus. We stayed at Le Vimarn for three nights. The rooms are simple, Thai-style wooden bungalows. The 1.8-meter bed was just right for a family of three. The mini-bar is chargeable. If you're visiting Koh Samet, remember to bring a filtered shower head. Breakfast was pretty much the same every day, but it tasted good. We had dinner at Buzz once, and the food was good, but with a 10% service charge and 7% tax, it ended up being a bit expensive! The resort is a 15-minute drive from the main street (where the 7-Eleven is, 200 baht one-way). The front desk can arrange a taxi. Later, we rented a scooter, which we could park on a slope about a 2-minute walk from the front desk. I scraped my foot on a coral reef while swimming, and the front desk provided basic first aid. For the last two days, we stayed at Paradee Resort, which is a sister hotel to Le Vimarn, so they offered a free transfer. However, if you're traveling with kids, I'd highly recommend Paradee Resort – the environment, facilities, and staff are all much better.

The resort is beautiful and the location is excellent. The rooms are clean, and room service is convenient. The natural environment is lovely; we often saw squirrels running around. However, the room facilities are quite basic. The bathroom didn't have hot water, and the bedside lamp and door lock were broken. The staff were generally friendly, but not particularly enthusiastic. We rarely experienced proactive or smiling service. On the way to our room, no golf cart offered to help with our luggage. When we asked to use a sun lounger at the private beach, the attendant surprisingly said, 'I don't know,' and we never saw any guests using the sun loungers there. We ate twice at Winkks, and the staff at the entrance never greeted us or proactively showed us to a table. When they found out we didn't have a reservation, they immediately said there was no availability, even though there were clearly two unoccupied tables indoors that hadn't been reserved. They only seated us after we explicitly said we could eat inside. The front desk staff on check-out day were quite good, but the overall service compared to other places in Thailand was pretty average. Overall, it's an unremarkable resort. If I return to Koh Samet, I would consider other hotels in the same price range.

Our stay was enjoyable. The beach is conveniently located just across the street, and there are plenty of restaurants in the surrounding area. The property also offers a small convenience store and an onsite restaurant, which added to the overall convenience. The location of the hotel was ok, Most of the restaurants, shops and services were a 8-9 minute walk. The room was decent, though somewhat small. I was not particularly fond of the door design, the automatic door closer made it difficult to enter and exit without fully opening the door outward or opening it wide enough and quickly getting in or out. However, I did appreciate the thoughtful “beach” amenities provided, such as slippers, bags, and beach towels. As well as the amenities. We rented a bike through them and the one day trip to the multiple islands which was an absolutely amazing experience and I highly recommend. Breakfast options were limited, but considering the size of the property, it was reasonable. Overall, it was a pleasant stay.

I stayed in a sea-view room and the atmosphere was fantastic. Waking up to the ocean view was amazing. I really liked how quiet the resort was, perfect for a true getaway. The buffet breakfast was included, and the food was decent with a good variety of options. Eating while enjoying the sea view was a definite plus. My favorite part was definitely the swimming pool. The view was stunning, and I could just relax by the pool all day. It was so chill, and every photo I took there turned out beautifully. The resort also has a cafe. The drink prices weren't too high, starting at less than 100 baht, which was great value. Overall, I was very impressed with the atmosphere, the views, and the comfort. If I get the chance to visit Koh Samet again, I would definitely come back to stay here.

The taxi from the pier cost 250 baht. The beach right in front of the hotel is fantastic, and the male attendant who manages the towels was really good – he's the reason I gave the last 100 baht as a tip. His enthusiasm also led us to book a night squid fishing trip for 9 people. However, all the staff here seem to have two different attitudes: one for Western guests and another for Chinese guests. While everyone else managed basic politeness, the female server in the restaurant (pictured in photo 2) was incredibly rude to us. This is my fifth time vacationing in Thailand, and I've also traveled to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, the Maldives, and Hamilton Island, but this is honestly the first time I've encountered a staff member so rude. She pointed her finger at me and loudly demanded that I push the water bottle from the middle of the table to against the wall. I was completely stunned. Upon check-in, they asked for 500 baht per night for an extra bed for our 6-year-old. Since the three of us could comfortably share the king-sized bed, we declined and only paid for the child's breakfast, which was 200 baht per day. One evening, we also encountered teenagers on the beach who were indiscriminately bullying kids playing there. I never even saw something like this in Australia, yet it happened on Koh Samet. Thankfully, my English speaking skills are decent, and after a big argument, he ended up yelling that he was going to call the police. Overall, I still wouldn't recommend booking a hotel here. The pricing attracts a certain type of clientele, and since there are many very cheap hotels nearby, the beach attracts all sorts of tourists.

This hotel boasts an excellent location on Ao Phrao Beach, with its own private beach. There are only three hotels in this bay, and Ao Phrao Resort shares ownership with Le Vimarn Cottages & Spa. The middle hotel is independent, which means fewer people and a more secluded atmosphere. This area is much quieter compared to Diamond Beach. While Diamond Beach is lively with music, here you'll find more people quietly reading. The rooms are mostly individual bungalows, which is great. They're spacious and cool. You can borrow towels from the front desk for the beach chairs. The hotel restaurant offers stunning sunset views, but you'll need to book a table in advance to get a good spot. It's clean and hygienic, the rooms are cool, there's plenty of hot water, and it's very quiet – though you can't do much about the AC noise. Overall, it's fantastic. The only downside is the average food at the hotel restaurant, but you can't have everything.

Stayed for 2 nights and 3 days. You can snorkel directly in front of the hotel, and there are more fish near the coral reefs, but I wouldn't recommend going there if the waves are big. It's best to wear long pants and diving socks to avoid scratches. The sand right outside is very fine and soft. Breakfast is served by the sea with ocean views. The bar street can get a bit noisy at night, so it might not be suitable for light sleepers, but since we usually go to bed late, it didn't bother us. A major plus is that the bedsheets are changed for every new guest. The room has many windows, making it bright and airy. The only downsides are that the shower only has a handheld showerhead and the water pressure is a bit low. For shopping, try to go to the 7-Eleven on the main street, as the supermarket here is about a third more expensive. Overall, it offers great value for money and is perfect for a relaxing holiday.

The front desk was unstaffed at night, requiring a phone call to get assistance, which was inconvenient as we didn't have a local SIM card. Breakfast was quite mediocre, and the hotel's appearance didn't quite live up to the polished photos. Our room had only a small window, making it a bit dim with no view. The location was decent though, very close to the beach. The family room was fairly spacious, and we could push the beds together, which was enough for our group of three adults and two children. We booked primarily for the pool, but it turned out to be quite small, only suitable for kids to splash around in. Housekeeping staff were friendly; they'd fold towels into animal shapes if tipped. The shower pressure and overhead shower were much better than in other hotels we've stayed at. What's more, our 10-year-old wasn't charged for breakfast, whereas other hotels charged for the child in a 2-adult, 1-child booking.

Everything is what you would expect from a resort. I stayed in a chalet which was nice. The chalets could do with a bit of tlc. There is a step form the bedroom area to the bathroom that could do with a yellow ***** or something so you see it. Breakfast buffet is what you expect, had some food one evening while watching the fire show, the food was excellent. Not ideal for early sleepers as music is on until midnight, but I had a Seaview chalet so the ones further back might not be affected. All in all a solid 7/10