Koh Samet Hotels with Bars

Pros: The hotel features an all-wood design, and the ocean-view rooms offer a truly pleasant experience with stunning sea views and the sound of the waves. I'd expected the bedding in the room to be damp, but to my surprise, it was dry and fluffy. The hotel restaurant: The dining environment is spacious and comfortable, with a pergola and tatami seating right on the beach. The chef's culinary skills are excellent, with both presentation and taste being perfect. Both hotel and restaurant staff are incredibly polite and friendly. Right next to the hotel is their company's pier for guest transfers. The hotel provides free shuttle service, boat rides, and luggage handling, making island access and departure very convenient, hassle-free, and effortless. Cons: The hotel offers paid laundry service, but there's no self-service laundromat. The nearest 24-hour self-service laundromat on the island is a bit far.

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!

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!

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.

The front desk was unstaffed at night, requiring a phone call to get assistance, which was inconvenient as we didn't have a local SIM card. Breakfast was quite mediocre, and the hotel's appearance didn't quite live up to the polished photos. Our room had only a small window, making it a bit dim with no view. The location was decent though, very close to the beach. The family room was fairly spacious, and we could push the beds together, which was enough for our group of three adults and two children. We booked primarily for the pool, but it turned out to be quite small, only suitable for kids to splash around in. Housekeeping staff were friendly; they'd fold towels into animal shapes if tipped. The shower pressure and overhead shower were much better than in other hotels we've stayed at. What's more, our 10-year-old wasn't charged for breakfast, whereas other hotels charged for the child in a 2-adult, 1-child booking.

An extra bed can be added, and the front desk charges 1500 THB, which includes breakfast for the extra guest. The hotel is right by a public beach and has its own bar, so the overall environment is quite good. However, the room facilities are mediocre; there are no disposable amenities like toothbrushes or combs. A 7-Eleven is very close, just a 2-minute walk from the hotel. But they don't provide plastic bags for shopping, so you'll need to bring your own.

The accommodation was quiet and had a great atmosphere. All the staff were lovely. When there was an issue with the room, they immediately changed it for us. Very impressed! 🥰

The most important thing about this place is its owner. Alex is a wonderful and friendly local islander. He truly puts his heart into what he does and does everything possible to make your stay as comfortable as it can be. Have a problem? Just talk to Alex and he’ll do his best to help. Need advice? Ask Alex! I think the main idea is clear As for the place itself, it’s calm and quiet, yet close to the central part of the island where all the main shops are located. The beach is a 3-minute walk away, another one is about 5 minutes away — everything is nearby. The hotel has its own bar and a private area, peaceful and relaxing. The main issue is mosquitoes, but that’s not really the hotel’s fault — after all, there’s nature right behind the fence, and a very unusual one at that. We even saw a giant stick insect on the property for the first time ever, lol 🙂 The bungalow has all the basic essentials: a bed, air conditioning, a toilet, a shower, and a kettle. It might be nice to have a wardrobe or some storage for clothes, but that’s just a small nitpick. If you’re not picky and don’t need five-star service, but appreciate a warm and genuine welcome, I can highly recommend this place! Thank you, Alex — if we ever come back to Samet, we’ll definitely stay with you again!