Koh Samet Hotels with Balcony

We stayed for 2 nights and 3 days on Koh Samet, at the Tubtim Hotel. We absolutely loved it! The hotel is really well-located. If you go right, you'll find parties, fire shows, restaurants, and shops. If you go left, you'll find peace and quiet, beauty, and serene beaches. The room had everything we needed, except for toothbrushes. The breakfasts were good, there's a coffee machine, and the coffee was even tasty, which is rare for Thailand. We had a bungalow with a sea view, and it was simply perfect!

I have stayed at Flamingo Villa before (In the Garden Room), but this time I decided to stay in the loft room, which apparently is called the Family Room. Flamingo Villa is somewhat strange, since the ”Hotel” is basically three rooms within the Samed Your House hotel. Our neighbors actually knocked on our door to try and check in ~ You need to call the phone number for Flamingo Villa in order to check in, as someone will come out to meet you. So, bottom line up front: Flamingo Villa is awesome, but get ready to kill a lot of mosquitos! The owners do a good job of lighting incense sticks to try and keep the them away, but there are fountains around the area and the mosquitos are no joke. I would say I killed at least 10 in our room, so it is super important to make sure you close the sliding doors behind you every time you go in and out of the room. The Family Room was awesome. The lower floor is basically a living room with a large day bed and a big TV with great speakers. The toilet room is separate from the shower. The stairs to the loft are pretty steep, but once you get up there it is really nice. There are two queen beds in the loft, and the glass wall and sliding door separate the bedroom from the main room, which is great because the bedroom has its own AC unit, and the glass keeps out the mosquitoes. The beds were comfortable, but be careful because the ceiling is very low above the beds. The view from up in the loft is very peaceful, and the owners obviously spent a lot of time decorating the place (The Christmas tree was still up while we were there). The hotel is a 5 minute walk from Sai Kaew Beach, and the pier for the ferry is only a 10 minute walk ~ but you can take a mini bus if you would like. The hotel is close to restaurants and stores, and there are two 7-11s close to the beach. We rented a motor bike the last time we were in Koh Samed, but Sai Kaew Beach seems to be the nicest on the island, so we just hung out there. I love Flamingo Villa, and I am sure I will stay there again in the future.

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 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.

The facilities are great. I stayed here once for New Year's Day and came back for a few more days. The hotel has its own beach, and in the evenings, they offer open-air movies and fire dance performances. They thoughtfully provide both deep and shallow swimming areas, so kids can play safely. The pier is also a unique feature. It's a bit disappointing though that when I came for New Year's, the room included a welcome scarf, and the mini-bar had free snacks and drinks. This time, the room price was significantly higher, and those little extras were gone. However, the overall experience is still excellent, making it perfect for a vacation. P.S. First thing to do when you get to the island: rent a scooter!

We stayed at this hotel during the off-season in July and were incredibly lucky with the weather – it was sunny! We arrived 2 hours early and were offered complimentary refreshing drinks. Since our room wasn't ready yet, we changed into our swimsuits and headed to the beach to relax on the sun loungers and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The hotel also has a fantastic, clean infinity pool where you can admire the sea, other islands, and passing boats. While our room was being prepared, we had time to swim in the pool and take lots of great photos. Our room was on the second floor, a 'tropical' room with a sea view. It was spacious, with a large TV, a coffee machine, and a big balcony featuring a bathtub, a small table, and two chairs. The bedding was lovely, and sleeping was a delight, especially with the sounds of nature drifting in from outside, as the hotel was surrounded by jungle. Breakfast was varied and delicious – you definitely won't go hungry. I'd like to give a special thanks to the staff; they were very attentive and friendly. When we checked out, they offered to call us a taxi, but we decided to walk as it was only a 20-25 minute walk to the pier, and the path was easy, with no hills or steep declines. We wish the hotel and its staff continued success. Thank you!

We stayed from April 15-17 in a family room on the first floor. There were three of us, and I can't imagine how four people could fit in there—the room is tiny. There's one armchair right outside the room, and that area is also very cramped, with people constantly walking by. There's no restaurant, only drinks available. The sun loungers are quickly packed away in the evening. There's a lot of hustle and bustle nearby; if you're looking for relaxation, this isn't the place for you. Honestly, for this price, you can find a much better hotel on this island. The hotel is definitely in need of renovation. The staff, however, were lovely ❤️

I had an amazing stay at Kira Baya on Koh Samet and would definitely recommend it overall. Ace and the rest of the staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and always made us feel welcome throughout our stay. The rooms were exceptionally clean, very well maintained, and we felt comfortable from the moment we arrived. Both breakfast and dinner were enjoyable, with good variety and quality. We also really appreciated having access to the kayak, which added a fun touch to the experience. One thing to note, as others have mentioned, is that the beach in front of the property is quite stoney and could benefit from some cleaning. Additionally, the hotel is located at the far end of the island, so getting around requires some planning. There is a shuttle service available, but it is not included in the stay and not directly provided by the hotel, which is something other hotels tend to handle better. That said, I was able to rent a scooter for 100 THB per hour, which gave me a great opportunity to explore the island independently. Overall, despite a few minor inconveniences, this was a fantastic stay with excellent service, and I would happily return

This hotel isn't bad, it's stylishly designed, and the room is clean and tidy. The only downside is that there's no real beach directly attached to the hotel, and the access is from the sea side. There are no sun loungers, just tables on the sand. When it's high tide, the water comes right up to the hotel entrance, and when it's low tide in the evenings, it recedes about 200 meters, creating space for a walk. Breakfast is mediocre, and the service is too; everyone is a bit slow, but that's okay, it works for a couple of days' stay.

The location is convenient, just a few meters from the sea, and close to the lively areas too. The hotel itself is in a relatively quiet spot, and I say 'relatively quiet' because it's surrounded by lush vegetation. Many birds start their dawn chorus early in the morning, which is actually lovely – waking up to the sounds of different birds is quite nice. The hotel is a bit old, and the rooms aren't large, but they do clean upon request. The rooms have everything you need for a short stay. We really enjoyed it, though our noisy neighbors who were playing loud music and singing spoiled it a little. However, the hotel staff quickly quieted them down by asking them to keep it down.