Tag Archives: Southeast Asia

This is the fourth post in a multiple part trip report of our long weekend trip to Koh Samui, Thailand.  Finally, I made it to the resort review.  Trust me, it was worth the wait.  The place is incredible.    

Koh Samui: Part 1 – Any Hilton in the World
Koh Samui: Part 2 – The Oryx Lounge Saves the Day
Koh Samui: Part 3 – Exploring Koh Samui
Koh Samui: Part 4 – The Arrival (aka Yeah, we’re not leaving…)

There had been quite a bit of discussion between Dawn and I before coming to Koh Samui about how much down time we’d actually be spending at the resort vs. out exploring the island.  With me working six days a week and having many other obligations on weeknights and on Fridays, there’s not too much down time for me in Doha.  Dawn saw this 5 day, 4 night trip as a great opportunity for us to completely unplug and relax.  I, on the other hand, was slightly concerned about all of this sitting around doing nothing.  It’s not really how I learned how to vacation growing up.  My dad was always up early, and was always trying to get us to see and do as much as we could each day.  While I’m not the early riser the idea of not doing much besides laying out at on the beach or by the pool didn’t appeal to me too much.  The Conrad Koh Samui changed that very quickly.  In fact, it may have altered my vacation philosophy from here on out.  As soon as we arrived at reception, Dawn, goes, “Yeah, we’re not leaving.”  And with less than 30 seconds spent at the resort I was already very much inclined to agree.

Driving up to the Conrad Koh Samui is quite the experience.  As the resort is built on the side of a small mountain the drive to the top is switchback after switchback on a tiny one lane road.  Luckily, there are guards at both the bottom and the top that monitor cars going up and down.  If someone is driving down, they’ll shut the gate at the bottom to help avoid any head on crashes.

When you finally make it to the top where reception is located, you can see the drive was well worth it.  The reception area is hanging over the edge of the mountain and waist high walls made of glass surround the reception area, so it feels a bit as if you’re floating on the top of the world.  Looking down you see the villas, restaurants, and other resort buildings protruding out from the side of the mountain.  The view out over the Gulf of Thailand is of islands in the distance rising out of the sea.  If you just so happen to arrive in the early evening you might just be welcomed by what the resort seems to be famous for – their beautiful sunsets.

While we arrived well before sunset, the view was no less stunning.  Upon pulling up to the circle driveway, there were attendants immediately ready to help us with our bags and to valet the car.  They usher you into the open air reception location, seat you on a couch or chairs overlooking your paradise for the next few days, and serve you a tropical drink while they check you in.  I had read quite a bit about the resort on FlyerTalk prior to arrival, and it said no matter how many pictures you’ve seen or what you’ve read, it will most certainly exceed your expectations.  I couldn’t agree more.

It’s extremely hard to do this place justice in words or pictures, and  to be honest, I was actually so impressed with my first impression of the place that I was so busy enjoying the view I did a fairly poor job of documenting it with my camera (which is a bit of a first for me).

The check in service was great, and our room was ready for us immediately.  As the villas are jutting out from the side of the mountain, and they’re somewhat stacked on top of each other, it’s not the easiest resort to walk.  Luckily, the Conrad Koh Samui has quite a fleet of golf carts willing to drive you wherever you want to go.  We hopped in a golf cart and were escorted to our villa.

This property consists of one, two, and three bedroom villas.  The villas are numbered like hotel rooms with the 100s being the lowest level (closest to sea level and the small beach) and the 700s being the highest (and closest to the reception at the top of the resort).  The one bedroom villas are located in the 100s through the 300s while the two and three bedroom villas are located in the 400s through 700s.  With our free night certificates we were limited to a one bedroom villa.  I believe the two and three bedroom villas are available with points as well, but if I recall correctly the redemption rates were astronomical.

You’re welcome to request a particular villa prior to arrival, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get the one you request due to occupancy levels, etc.  There’s plenty of advice on Flyertalk on choosing the villa that’s right for you depending on what you’re looking for.  The one bedroom villa layouts are all the exact same, but the view differs slightly and the walk/ride time to the beach, restaurants, etc. is different depending on where you’re located on property.  You can’t really go wrong with any villa you get, but I did request a villa in the low 300s as we wanted the highest view possible, and as far as I could tell the low 300s were the most private.  We weren’t concerned with being farther away from the restaurants, the beach or the pool than most of the other villas.   All of that was just a golf cart ride away.

As we stepped into the villa, again our expectations were surpassed.  Our host gave us a quick tour and left us to enjoy the place.  The room was beautifully decorated to fit the secluded, forested, island atmosphere.  I loved the dark wood floors and furniture.  While the room felt large, it didn’t feel ridiculous like I think some rooms can.  It was the perfect size for the two of us.

The bed was large, comfortable, and located beneath a large vaulted ceiling.  One of the more ridiculous services offered was a pillow menu, all complimentary.  There were about ten or twelve different types of pillows you could choose from, and housekeeping would deliver them.  You could request anything from a hypoallergenic pillow to a down feather pillow to different kinds of chiropractic pillows.  

Beside the bed there was a small desk, complete with a complementary iPad for use during the stay.  Dawn loved that they also provided a few board games to keep us entertained.  The resort was really set up for you to spend the majority of your time in the villa if you so chose.

Beyond the foot of the bed there was a small loveseat and coffee table complete with a fruit plate and a bag of macaroons as a welcome gift.  If I recall correctly, the fruit plate was replenished daily which was quite appreciated as we were doing our best to avoid frequenting the restaurants at the resort.  If only they provided unlimited macaroons.  Across from the loveseat was a big screen TV which could be adjusted to be viewed from either the loveseat or the bed.  Below the TV was a full mini bar.  We called and asked reception to have someone remove the contents so we could stock it with our Tesco purchases, but no one ever did.  We just packed the fridge full anyway.

As it seems with most high end resorts, they went over the top when designing the bathroom.  It was roughly the same size as the bedroom, maybe a tad smaller.  It had an enormous half spherical tub, a walk in shower with enough room for 3-4 people inside, a dual sink vanity, and a separate toilet room.  The closet was just off the bathroom and seems to be quite standard for the Conrad brand, complete with robes and slippers.

The focus of the entire room is the spectacular view.  The bed is arranged so that as you’re lying there you’re looking directly out over the sea.  The bathtub and vanity are set up in the same way, so whether your brushing your teeth or taking a bubble bath you won’t miss that sunset.  About the only places you can’t enjoy the view from are the closet and toilet room (well, maybe if you left the door open).

With the view being the focus, of course, the highlight of the villa is the patio and private infinity plunge pool.  The patio runs the entire length of the villa and is accessible via floor to ceiling sliding glass doors from both the bedroom and bathroom.  As you walk out from the bedroom there’s a small table with an outdoor couch on one side and a chair on the other.  On the other side of the patio there are 2 lounge chairs covered by an umbrella.  We’ve never stayed in a villa with our own personal pool before, and so that was the feature of the villa we were most excited about.  The infinity pool appears to drop right off into the Gulf of Thailand, and being that we were up so high, enjoying the view from the pool was the highlight of the villa for me.  

While you’re not really that far away from the neighboring villas on each side of you, the place felt quite private, especially while inside the villa.  With the shades completely open, no one would be able to see in as it was only the sea out in front of you.  While out on the patio you might hear noises or voices coming from next door, the villas were separated by walls at the edge of the patio and pool.  Looking down, however, you could see into some of the patios and pools of the villas beneath you.

As I said, the place had me rethinking my entire vacationing philosophy almost immediately up on arrival, so you know it had to be special.  It really was the perfect place to keep busy doing nothing all day long.