Koh Samui Hotel
Jan 22nd, 2006, 08:43 AM
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Koh Samui Hotel
We are coming to Thailand for three weeks on May 1 for our honeymoon and the first stop is Koh Samui (May 1-7).
After much research, and based on feedback from Fodor's we have narrowed down our choices to the following:
-Peace Resort (Bophut)
-Baan Bophut
-Zazen
(secondary choices including White House Hotel and Lawana)
We are looking to stay somewhere to get a taste of the culture, with a more intimate feeling, as opposed to a big faceless hotel ($80-100USD/night). A nice beach is not as important as good snorkeling and a convenient location . We prefer bungalows but are open to nice rooms in boutique style hotels.
Any feedback (or alternatives) is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
After much research, and based on feedback from Fodor's we have narrowed down our choices to the following:
-Peace Resort (Bophut)
-Baan Bophut
-Zazen
(secondary choices including White House Hotel and Lawana)
We are looking to stay somewhere to get a taste of the culture, with a more intimate feeling, as opposed to a big faceless hotel ($80-100USD/night). A nice beach is not as important as good snorkeling and a convenient location . We prefer bungalows but are open to nice rooms in boutique style hotels.
Any feedback (or alternatives) is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Jan 22nd, 2006, 10:51 AM
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We just spent 7 nights in Koh Samui at the Buri Rasa resort. The resort was lovely, but the location on Chaweng wouldn't be one I would choose for a honeymoon. It's a very busy commerce area and a bit "seedy"...we enjoyed it, but it's not very quiet or relaxing.
We rented a car and drove around the island...the area I really liked was the Pophut beach area....and it looks like you've found a few nice places there. There were many beautiful looking resorts there and it was much quieter.
Margy
We rented a car and drove around the island...the area I really liked was the Pophut beach area....and it looks like you've found a few nice places there. There were many beautiful looking resorts there and it was much quieter.
Margy
Jan 22nd, 2006, 07:44 PM
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we stayed at peace resort and loved it...60 year old couple...make sure you have a beachfront bungalow...near to everything...maybe not as romantic as some places but quite nice and reasonable....
zazen is not all that nice, imo...good place to eat however....
zazen is not all that nice, imo...good place to eat however....
Jan 23rd, 2006, 08:23 AM
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Hi Alanna
Funny -- we'll be on Koh Samui April 15-21 and had EXACTLY the same choices!
I decided on Peace, but then they had no beachfront or even deluxe bungalows available. Zazen doesn't have any great reviews, and Baan Bophut has glowing reviews, so we decided on Baan Bophut! I booked with the hotel directly and Lucy has been really nice. We're really looking forward to our trip.
Good luck with your decision -- based on my experience with things being full up... best to make some enquiries!
Have fun,
Darcie
Funny -- we'll be on Koh Samui April 15-21 and had EXACTLY the same choices!
I decided on Peace, but then they had no beachfront or even deluxe bungalows available. Zazen doesn't have any great reviews, and Baan Bophut has glowing reviews, so we decided on Baan Bophut! I booked with the hotel directly and Lucy has been really nice. We're really looking forward to our trip.
Good luck with your decision -- based on my experience with things being full up... best to make some enquiries!
Have fun,
Darcie
Jan 23rd, 2006, 09:59 AM
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We stayed at Zazen a couple of weeks ago. It is a nice enough place, expecially if you get a beachfront bungalow.
The food there is excellent, massages there are great. The bar is nice. Pool is ok.
The only complaint I had was that the place is a little "worn" and the beds are hard (like just about everywhere else I think) In addition the beach there is terrible. We really didn't care for the experience on Samui at all, but maybe we're just not "beach people" anymore. I did read 2 good books while I was there, since there's not much else going on!
Peace Resort looked like a dump to me although I did not see the rooms. Baan Bophut looked the nicest of all three. At least from the outside.
Still again, they're all attached to the same beach which was muddy and littered with the trash that the ocean would cough up at high tide. They did their best to clean it daily but it made me question whether getting into the water would be a good idea!
I will say we were there at the tail end of all the flooding. Maybe that made everything appear dirtier than usual?
The food there is excellent, massages there are great. The bar is nice. Pool is ok.
The only complaint I had was that the place is a little "worn" and the beds are hard (like just about everywhere else I think) In addition the beach there is terrible. We really didn't care for the experience on Samui at all, but maybe we're just not "beach people" anymore. I did read 2 good books while I was there, since there's not much else going on!
Peace Resort looked like a dump to me although I did not see the rooms. Baan Bophut looked the nicest of all three. At least from the outside.
Still again, they're all attached to the same beach which was muddy and littered with the trash that the ocean would cough up at high tide. They did their best to clean it daily but it made me question whether getting into the water would be a good idea!
I will say we were there at the tail end of all the flooding. Maybe that made everything appear dirtier than usual?
Jan 23rd, 2006, 01:30 PM
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Sounds like Bophut hasn't changed in the last few years. We first visited there while staying elsewhere on the island and were disappointed to say the least in the amount of trash and muddy water. That was in December. We then went back to Bophut in August the followoing year to see if the dirty beach was a result of rain/flooding/weather...nope, same dirty beach, same muddy water, actually more trash on the land edge of the beach, broken bottles, used fireworks...not a place we wanted to be.
We did love our time in Koh Samui, though, just not the visits to Bophut. We used to stay at Laem Set Inn, which was perfect for us, but was sold a couple of years ago, and we haven't been back since. The beach there was beautifully decorated with large boulders, and though there were areas with a lot of coral washed up, there was also some nice sand...boulders, coral, shells, and sand all made for a really aesthetically pleasing scene. However, I believe witht he change in ownership the place just isn't the same.
So why did I tell you about it? There is a newly branded Marriott resort just to the south of Laem Set that has the same sort of beach, and the resort looks really nice. http://marriott.com/property/viewall...WT_Ref=mi_left
We did love our time in Koh Samui, though, just not the visits to Bophut. We used to stay at Laem Set Inn, which was perfect for us, but was sold a couple of years ago, and we haven't been back since. The beach there was beautifully decorated with large boulders, and though there were areas with a lot of coral washed up, there was also some nice sand...boulders, coral, shells, and sand all made for a really aesthetically pleasing scene. However, I believe witht he change in ownership the place just isn't the same.
So why did I tell you about it? There is a newly branded Marriott resort just to the south of Laem Set that has the same sort of beach, and the resort looks really nice. http://marriott.com/property/viewall...WT_Ref=mi_left
