4-Star Hotels in Rayong City

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 hotel's breakfast was delicious. The view was pleasant. All staff were happy to serve and assist, very friendly and responsible. The sea-view rooms offered sunrise views, and there was even a fire dance performance on Saturday evenings.

The room is spacious, and the air conditioning works really well, much better than the Hilton next door. But the main highlight is the breakfast — it's vastly superior to the Hilton's, and the price is lower too. Plus, there are some great Thai restaurants nearby that are also very affordable.

Our stay at the hotel was truly wonderful. The entire property was exceptionally clean, and our room was spotless, comfortable, and well-maintained throughout our stay. The breakfast buffet offered an impressive variety of delicious food, with plenty of choices to suit different tastes, making it a great way to start each day. The staff were consistently warm, friendly, and helpful, always ready to assist with a smile and ensure that we had everything we needed. The hotel's atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing, and the excellent service made us feel valued as guests. Overall, it was an outstanding experience, and we would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a comfortable, clean, and enjoyable place to stay. We would gladly return on our next visit.

Stayed two nights. The room was clean. The blankets/sheets aren't changed daily. There's a coin-operated washer and dryer available. There's a Lawson convenience store right across the street, which is great for quick meals. Breakfast is decent (you have to ask staff for cocoa, no Ovaltine).

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!

We traveled with a rather complex group: my mother plus two children (ages 9 and 14). During our stay, we were very impressed with the high quality of service: we were met at the pier with sun umbrellas, and the housekeeping was excellent. The room was in good condition, everything was clean, and there wasn't much wear and tear. We handled meals this way: we had dinner at the restaurants (there are 3, one for each hotel), and both times it cost us around 1500 Baht for all three of us, which was comparable to what we spent in Pattaya, where we also saw a show (on Fridays). If you don't have kids, you can rent a scooter and go to the other side of the island where there's a huge selection of places to eat. For lunch, we had fruits, yogurts, salads, snacks, etc., which we bought once at 7-Eleven on the other side of the island; the round trip cost 400 Baht. Compared to Pattaya, the sea here is incredibly clean and clear – true relaxation. I was worried the journey would be difficult, but we traveled in the middle of the day when you can't do much anyway due to the heat. It was 1.5 hours from Pattaya, 2 hours to Bangkok, and then a quick 10-15 minute boat ride. The hotel has its own pier, which is cool, clean, and offers inexpensive drinks. For those who are panically afraid of lizards, snakes, and other critters, it might be best not to go to this island, as they can crawl into the room. And mosquitoes (!) – there's a fumigator and repellents in the room, but I still got bitten (though I always do; for example, the children weren't bitten). In all other respects, it was a magnificent trip, and the boat ride to the island was an attraction in itself. I plan to repeat this experience and stay for 4-5 days next time.

Fantastic hotel; we especially loved the breakfast buffet with its excellent varied dishes. Always plenty to be had. And the dining room was very clean and organized and the staff quite meticulous and attentive. Our room was lovely and comfortable, although it was void of most decor and art on the walls. Excellent soft and cozy bed and the AC was perfect. And I even used the fitness room, which was well equipped. A very clean environment and relatively new establishment. They even have great networks and streaming services on the room's TV. I managed to watch Prime with my active membership. Thank you everyone for a very pleasant stay. We're hoping to return in the future.

The hotel is in a good location, clean and tidy, and the waiters are very friendly. The hotel has a rich breakfast. The facilities are complete, including a swimming pool, gym, table tennis table, sauna and steam bath. Very comfortable. Recommended!

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.