4-Star Hotels in Rayong City

We booked two rooms with a connecting door, which at first looked great with a nice river view. However, at 9 p.m., the air conditioner in one of the rooms broke down. After we informed the hotel, a member of the front office team suddenly appeared and handed us a new room keycard without even asking if we wanted to move. We didn’t, as our main priority for staying here was the connecting rooms. He then said it would surely take a long time to fix the issue, but we were fine with waiting. Surprisingly, the engineering team fixed it within 15 minutes. This made me think the hotel staff were just too lazy to fix it right away. Also, the morning egg station chef always seemed very serious, which made our mornings feel a bit too serious as well.

There was nothing around the hotel, allowing me to relax and listen to the sound of the waves. The beach in front of the hotel had wide white sands and calm waters. There's also a pool, which I think is great for families. The food at the hotel's restaurant was delicious, and I felt no need to go anywhere else to eat. The pork Khao Man Gai I had for breakfast, in particular, was the best I've ever had in Thailand. All the staff were very friendly and welcoming, which made for a stress-free and enjoyable holiday.

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 room is spacious, and the air conditioning works really well, much better than the Hilton next door. But the main highlight is the breakfast — it's vastly superior to the Hilton's, and the price is lower too. Plus, there are some great Thai restaurants nearby that are also very affordable.

Loved our first stay here! Our room was a ”Second Row” Sea View, but the view was still lovely. The room was huge, clean, and very comfortable, though the shower pressure could be stronger. The balcony is massive and great for relaxing. Since the resort gets a nice breeze all day, you can just sit and ”slow life” it for hours. The food is a standout—the Grilled Ribs and Grilled Garlic Fish are must-tries. Everything tasted so fresh. We will definitely be returning!

This hotel is magnificent. The service is top-notch, and the staff are incredibly friendly. In the mornings, the beach is unbelievably quiet – no outside noise, just the sound of the sea and birdsong. Breakfast with a sea view is a special treat. The breakfasts are good and varied; you definitely won't leave hungry. The sunsets here are stunning, simply breathtaking. The rooms are very spacious and cozy, with everything you need; there's nothing to complain about. A huge and pleasant bonus is the transfer to and from the hotel. Contact the hotel in advance, and they will pick you up from the pier at the appointed time and take you to the hotel, and the same for your return. They'll carry your bags, escort you, help you into the boat, and upon arrival at the pier, special vehicles will take you to an air-conditioned room where they'll arrange a taxi to your next hotel. 👌

We loved our stay at Samed Amoris Resort & Pool Villas. We booked a villa with private pool for 3 days and that was exactly what we needed. We spend most days on the hotel area and not many people around so it felt like we had a resort for ourselves. The breakfast buffeet was great, the service personel was kind and serviceminded as well. The place is a bit far away from the island «centre» and other activities so I would recommend renting a motorcycle to get around. The hotel does have a restaurant, but we didn’t try that out. For the pool villa I miss having a pool net, and a rake/broom to remove excess leaves and millipedes. There’s a lot of millipedes around. Other than that this is a perfect vacation resort. I would definitely come back some day.

The hotel's location is excellent, very close to the night market, making it super convenient. It offers great value for money, and the rooms are spacious enough. There's a pool and a large gym, and the breakfast is quite varied. However, the hotel is a bit old, and although it's very clean, the shower pressure is very weak. You have to hold the toilet flush down for a long time to make it work properly.

I had a wonderful stay at this beachside hotel. The location is unbeatable—just steps away from a private beach where you can relax without the crowds. Waking up to the sound of waves and enjoying sunsets right from the balcony was a highlight. Another bonus is the nearby national park, easily accessible on foot, perfect for morning hikes and nature walks. The staff were friendly, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. The only downside was the entrance area, which could use better street lighting as it felt a bit dark and unsettling at night. Overall, a fantastic getaway spot!

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.