MiniAK

Hotels in Koh Samui
Hello foodorites…Have read up most of the suggestions but still not sure as to where to stay…

1.Planning a four day trip – Husband and myself..
2.During August (I’m aware it will be peak season rates..)
3.Looking for a clean , nice pool, beach hotel, (Slightly luxurious if possible in the my given budget)
4.Budget – Around $90-150 per night (preferably including taxes and breakfast)
5.Location – Not very keen to stay on an absolutely secluded beach..


Please help!!! I’ve heard so many names such as Poppies, Chaweng Regent, Central Samui, Peace Hotel, Anantara, Mariott, etc… But unable to decide.. It’s a surprise gift for my husbands birthday…And don’t want to goof up…

rhkkmk

we loved the peace resort but it is not lux...full 3*...the pool is fantastic and the restaurant is good and reasonable...the beach is nice but the water quality when we were there was only ok....i would go there again...easy walk to town for other restaurants and near to ch bch by cab

the anantara is brand new and for that reason i would make it high on my list and i also like that company--i am currently at their pattaya location in fact...

simpsonc510

I have said it before, in other posts, and will say it again. The Regent on Chewang is a very nice hotel, but the beach did not excite me because of the tides. I thought the beach at Poppies (the "other end" of Chewang) looked nicer. I would like to try Poppies on my next visit to Samui. We had a nice dinner at Poppies one evening.

Son and friends like to stay at Jubilee Beach, which is lovely, but is off the beaten path from all the shopping and restaurants.

Carol

MiniAK

Carol
I have read about the Poopies and Chaweng Regent.. But somehow have not got reassured.. Are they slightly on the luxurious side..Frankly we are not very fussy about the beach but more about the hotels and the Pool.. I just hope the Hotels are nice since I did read some negative reviews about the Chaweng.. Do you know how is the Anantara?

christo

I was there in Feb and stayed at the Imperial Boathouse on Choeng Mon Beach and really enjoyed it. There are several room types with the converted rice barges the most luxe and very unique. Food quite good, several restaurant choices ,a good spa and good service too. Probably a 3-4 star.
Actually my first choice was the nearby White House which gets good reviews,about a 4 star. We looked through it and it looks very impressive, very nice. We want to try it next.
Both places are very clean,well maintained and share the same beach in a cove or bay which is just gorgeous. Good sand, water and bottom and it is quiet without being dead or too secluded. This area is not in the main shopping,restaurant area but there are still services etc and Chaweng is close and easy to get too if you want.We actually did our shopping in Nathon on the other side of the island during a day trip.
Check out their websites and Sawadee.com and Bon Voyage!

Tere

Hi Mini, if you are not fussy about the beach, then the Chaweng Regent is a good option. I stayed there last summer and loved the hotel. The swimming pools are great, the rooms are lovely ( our room was right in front of the larger swimming pool), great breakfast and a very nice dinner on the beach. The grounds are also lovely and its location is fabulous. It's very quite, though it's back is in Chaweng road, where you will have everything, from restaurants, bars, spas, shops.I am very picky with hotels and really enjoyed it a lot. The only cons for me was really the beach , which was always with a low tide, not being able to swim, and I am a beach lover. If you don't mind the beach, then I think you wuill love the hotel and it's a great bet.
I booked it through www.sawadee.com, which offered the best rates at the time.
Enjoy your holidays

Teresa

simpsonc510

If the beach is not important, then do stay at the Regent. Theresa is right about its nice grounds, nice pool, and good location for shops and food. We stayed in one of the "royal suites" right along the beach side. We were in #301, but other cottages had a better beach view than we did. The cottage was very nicely furnished. There were lots of shrubs around, so the mostly glass walls were still quite private. We dropped the shades at night and early morning just to close off the cottage from outside.

We paid about $225/night and had a TV room, bedroom, and fantastic bathroom. We had a small private covered cabana just about 10 feet from our entry door, which we used in a rather heavy downpour one afternoon.

Go for it... stay at the Regent.

Carol

MiniAK

Thanks Guys..There werre so many places that I was going crazy.. you guys are saying 225 for the Regent.. I am getting a rate of 240 for the LE Meredien.. Do you think by spending the extra bucks, Le Meredien is worth it...? Also does anyone have reviews about the Buriraya or the Samui Peninsula or the Amari Palm Beach...Thanks all for the replies

KimJapan

Le Meridien is nice, very nice...but know that it is far from the beaten path and pretty isolated. You also need to cross the road to get to the beach, and the rooms are set into a steep hill. If you want the option of eating outside the hotel and shopping within walking distance then Le Meridien isn't for you. If you want to stay in one place and relax and swim and have a massage, then it's a fine choice. To go anywhere you will need transportation, either a rental car or a taxi service.

In the $150.00 range and below there are lots and lots of excellent places. I'd take a couple of hours and browse through sawadee.com's listings, noting which you like, then narrow it down and send off some e-mails. You will surely find somewhere in your price range that meets your requirements.

canterbury417

I could not decide for August where to stay until I went on tripadvisor.com and read all 5 star reports about the brand spanking new resoet on Choeng Mon beach called Sala Samui. The hotel has 2 beautiful pools and most all rooms have their own private pool/sunning area. I took a chance and booked us there. Take a look at the website salasamui.com

mlb

Hello, I stayed at Buriraya last year and thought it was super! Great service, beautiful rooms, huge pools and good food. The attention to detail put into the resort by the owner who was also the architect is superb! The only drawback is that the beach in this location (between Chaweang and Lamai) is only okay. However, it is easy to get to Chaweang by shuttle from Buriraya and if I had to stay there again I would, gladly!

I also checked out the White House which is also owned by the same individual as Buriraya. It is a very nice 4 star resort on a great beach and is next to Sala Samui which I saw being built last year.

MiniAK

Ok.. I guess my options are:

Sala Samui
Poppies
Chaweng Regent
Buriraya
White House
I think I will take a skip at Le Meredien

Any comments on Central Samui or Amari Palm beach which will help me negate it or include it in the options…Once again thanks for the reviews…

Kathie

I checked out the website for the Sala Samui and it looks gorgeous. I'd love to hear reviews from anyone who has stayed there.

christo

You may want to decide based on location and price.
As I mentioned above I looked around the White House and it is very nice.I also looked around the Sala Samui, also very nice, maybe more luxe and so is the price-perhaps outside your budget. From what I saw the White House is very good value. The Sala is newer and not as good mature gardens. The White House is more compact, cool and green.
The others on your list are on other beaches I believe and so the atmosphere will be different, probably busier. In my research it (and in the replies above)was evident that not all the beaches are of the best quality on Samui. We were so happy we went to Choeng Mon Beach where both the White House and Sala Samui are.
Bon Voyage.

MiniAK

Christo, actually we are looking at (1) a luxury beach resort (but not nestled on a hill top and not like a santiburi which we cant afford), (2) not in a very secluded area but at the same time would not mind traveling around 15 minutes to get to Chaweng and (3) not very fussy about the beach as to clear water for snorkeling etc.
That’s why I am grouping the hotels more on a luxury/Budget angle rather than on the beach location.

The Sala Samui did look very impressive on the website so if that fits in the budget then might choose over the White House ( Cantebury, thanks for the idea).

Teresa, Carol, we had a friend who stayed at the Regent and they had a good time. But the private pool in the Sala Samui at the cost of the Royal suite in Regent (or maybe slightly more) is attracting me a lot towards it.

Do you think I can rank these hotels on the basis of the above parameters: Maybe that will help me finalise my plans….

Central Samui
Amari palm
Poppies
Chaweng Regent
Buriraya
White House.

Thanks for reading such a loooong message…

guykb

MiniAK, I can't rank the hotels for you, but I can tell you that I stayed in Poppies last year based on recommendations from this board, and I found it to be everything I'd hoped it would be - a great location, very nice rooms etc, probably at the upper end of your budget. The pool is lovely, the service excellent and the style of the accommodation (small cottages) was perfect for my wife and me.

The beach was nice - quiet in that the attendants keep the riff raff away As an Australian, I didn't go there for the beaches though.

Poppies is located at the bottom end of Chaweng, so you can walk from one end of the town to the other - can be a bit of a hike, so you can jump on a tuk tuk very easily. Breakfast was not included in my rate, but they did leave a nice basket of tropical fruit each day on your porch so we made do with that for breakfast - in the humidity you really don't feel like eating bacon and eggs anyway.

emtee

I've stayed at the White House. The gardens are lovely, the rooms are big and comfortable and the restaurant is excellent. But the pool isn't great so a step up to Sala Samui which looks stunning might be better for you. If you don't stay at the White House but stay on Choeng Mon beach, then eat at their restaurant, it is the best food I had in Thailand and is very reasonably priced for a 4 star hotel. Generally, the beach and atmosphere is much better than Chaweng. At night you can sit on the loungers drinking a cocktail and it is really tranquil, but still has a few bars and restaurants so it's not completely deserted. It is 5 mins in a taxi to Chaweng.