Koh Samet Hotels with Balcony

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.

We only stayed one night, so I can only share that experience. We were greeted politely and checked in quickly. The room was clean and cozy, with a table and chairs, and essential dishes (spoons, cups, glasses). There were no toothbrushes, slippers, or other amenities. The best part was the location! There's a 7-Eleven in the next building, and various cafes and the main beach are just a stone's throw away. Despite this, the room was surprisingly quiet, with no outside noise, which was a pleasant surprise 🤔 In short, I recommend it! For the price, it's an excellent hotel with the bare essentials 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Facilities: The hotel has a restaurant and offers massages. Although the sea-view bungalow I booked wasn't very big, the view was great, and the ecological environment was lovely. Hygiene: The hygiene conditions were quite good, and staff were cleaning the path to the room both morning and evening. Environment: The environment is actually very good. It's excellent for watching the sunrise, and there's a beach right in front. At low tide, there are plenty of crabs and fish. The only downside is the bar at the neighboring hotel, which played loud music past midnight, disturbing my rest. Service: Overall, the service was good. They helped with luggage, and both check-in and check-out were very fast.

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!

Stayed for 2 nights and 3 days. You can snorkel directly in front of the hotel, and there are more fish near the coral reefs, but I wouldn't recommend going there if the waves are big. It's best to wear long pants and diving socks to avoid scratches. The sand right outside is very fine and soft. Breakfast is served by the sea with ocean views. The bar street can get a bit noisy at night, so it might not be suitable for light sleepers, but since we usually go to bed late, it didn't bother us. A major plus is that the bedsheets are changed for every new guest. The room has many windows, making it bright and airy. The only downsides are that the shower only has a handheld showerhead and the water pressure is a bit low. For shopping, try to go to the 7-Eleven on the main street, as the supermarket here is about a third more expensive. Overall, it offers great value for money and is perfect for a relaxing holiday.

After booking, I wrote them over Trip.com, but never got an answer. When we went there personally to ask the day before check-in, the front-desk lady ripped my phone out of my hand without asking, to “check the booking”. We checked in into a room on the first floor, which was in front of a shallow pool. Room was spacious, with the bathroom divided in three sections. In the toilet section, the window can’t be opened, and there is no ventilator. There is a safety box, a beach bag, two umbrellas, a fridge, a kettle, and even a Nespresso machine. However, even though there are two cups and two glasses, there is only one capsule of Americano and one capsule of Espresso, and you have to buy the water, rather expensively, at the bar. There is no laundry rack on the porch or balcony. Bedsheets were spotless, but the bed was wet, hence we woke the next morning feeling like we’d slept on the beach. There are no bedside lights. In the next room, the huge TV was dangerously dangling off its 360° stand, and the balcony was dirty, with only the bathtub being spotless. They have few employees and many managers, with the employees doing what they can for many hours a day. Breakfast options are very limited for people with a plant-based diet. Beach towels are not always available at the pool area. However, the white-sand beach is easily accessible, and there are many butterflies and birds around the property. It is very romantic and nature-bound.

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.

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.