I heard from Bob that the Peace Resort would be great for families, however, if they are booked, what would be a second choice? I would rather not stay on the busy beaches.

Coco Palms on Maenam Beach is an excellent choice for families with a great pool and 3-4 restaurants nearby. We booked through www.sawadee.com and selected a couple of different villas to check out. We had 2 nights beachfront (magic but a little noisy with staff talking right outside our villa) and the best option for us was one row back from the beach. I think we paid around 1800-2200 baht per night. The beach is very peaceful and the town is local Thai, not touristy at all! You can hire a car and be anywhere in hour! Good luck!

ttt

On the south side of Samui there is a butterfly garden. Across the street (on the beach side) from the butterfly garden, there was at least one family friendly place, with a nice big play ground for kids. Friends were going to stay there with their two young daughters. Plans got changed so they didn't get to, but they were looking forward to staying there. It is away from all the busier beach areas. You would want transportation to get to Chewang or some other beach town for some meals and shopping though.
Carol

Carol,
Do you know where on Samui the butterfly garden is, or the name of the place?

carol---going back to pratunam area this pm...will buy more beaded bags....how will they look with my pink dress???--bob i will be center stage at lady boys tomorrow nite....it is billT amd me doing a duet...

loft for lunch today....

The Butterfly Garden is across the street and up a bit (easy walk) from the Laem Set Inn. simpson510, I'll bet that's where your friends were going to stay. We used to stay there...the place was owner run and managed and very much our style, personal and relaxed with great food and great atmosphere and excellent staff. HOWEVER, it was sold about 2 years ago, and the new owners I do not know. We inquired with them about a stay, but their correspondence was corporate and cold. Their web pages are from the previous owners, but the correspondence just didn't didn't feel even remotely similar. I do know that friends we made there, others who were repeat guests, also have chosen to not go back for the same reasons.

Laem Set does sound familiar! I think that's it.

Bob
Wish I could see you and BillT in the cabaret show! Pink dress, beaded bag... sounds elegant! LOL

KimJapan-can you suggest an alternative place? Do you know anything about Zazen?

Ok Bob- I want a full report on the Calypso Cabaret- don't forget to take your camera and tip the "boys" on your way out as you get your picture with your favorite!

Actually, although we wanted to go back to Koh Samui, when Laem Set Inn was sold, we just couldn't find another place on the island that we liked as well. That doesn't at all mean that there isn't anywhere...but after our excellent Laem Set experiences, our expectations are very, very high. We want kid friendly with adult atmosphere as well, excellent food, nice pool, great massage, good beach without loads of people, and other guests with similar expecations. We really look for much more than a hotel. Laem Set was unique...and in the end we decided a trip to Samui to stay elsewhere that may or may not meet our expectations was too much of a risk for us to take for our holiday...so we went to Bali...where luckily we did find exactly what we were looking for.

You've not experienced Laem Set Inn...so it won't be so tough for you. What you might try is having a look at the places on sawadee.com...that's how I found Laem Set initially. There certainly are loads of lovely places on Samui. What I always do is ask if other families are booked in at the same time that we are considering and if families typically stay with them. Our daughter (now 7) expects to meet other kids on her holiday, and would be sorely disappointed if she were the only child in the hotel.

I also just read your message about Peace Resort not having beachfront rooms and should you look elsewhere.

If you like Peace Resort, then go ahead and book the standard rooms. If you are anything at all like us, you won't spend any time at all in your room except to sleep and shower. You'll be at the pool, out and about, in the restaurant...you'll want to be outside.

kimjapan

read your take on laem set inn & are looking for exactly the kind of place you said it USED to be... we made online inquiries (were planning a trip in october). what worries us is that regular guests are not going back.

we've never been before but are set on koh samui. what do you recd?

ij27

I'm sorry...but I really can't recommend a place other than Laem Set that is similar...Laem Set was unique. The new owners have kept most of the webpages from the original inn. The opening page is now different, and some of the children's stuff on the webpages has been eliminated. The people who we still keep in touch with from there have not been back to Samui since the sale, so no ideas from them either.

For all I know, it could still be great. If you have kids, then I would think it would be important to you to know if other kids will be staying at the same time as you. For the asking, I was always able to learn the ages and home country of the other kids who would be there at the same time as us.

What I might do if I were you...and I do this for every place we go...is to choose a few places that look good to you. Write to them, briefly outlining your ideal place, and inquire if they are that sort of place. My standard inquiry...small, independently operated, family friendly hotel, swimming pool, other children likely to be there during our stay, excellent food, spa...include whatever is important to you.

I will say that Laem Set was expensive, but we didn't mind the cost as we could see that part of our money was being used as a fund for staff members who needed money for an emergency or education, one woman whose husband was killed in an accident onsite was being supported for life (whether that has continued post sale is unknown to me, but if the inn isn't supporting her I would suspect the previous owners are as the man who died was the owner's best friend). There was also an orphanage and school nearing completion just up the road...that project is no longer mentioned on the web site either. You can easily find equal or better accommodation on Koh Samui for the money, and now that we can't see that a portion of our money is going to something we see as worthwhile we's probably choose to spend our money elsewhere as there is better value to be found.

So...that leaves where to go. I can only suggest some places that look good to me. I haven't stayed at any of them. In the same area as Laem Set, which is absolutely lovely, is Banburee and Samui Marine. The Sila Evanson might be nice. I do know I would not stay in Chaweng or Lamai at all...too busy for us.

Not much help, I'm sorry. I do hope you find a place that meets your needs...and do post back with what you decide on, as we'd consider Koh Samui again if we could find another place to stay.