Hotels near Karang Bay, Koh Samet

First and foremost, I'd like to thank Sonya at the front desk. Despite the language barrier, she was incredibly helpful and patient in contacting the bus company to help me locate my bag, which I'd left on the bus (even though the bus company ultimately said they couldn't find it, Sonya never showed the slightest bit of impatience). Secondly, the hotel's breakfast, cleanliness, and service were all excellent. It's also very close to both the beach and the main street. I would definitely choose to stay here again on future visits.

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.

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.

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 hotel has an excellent location, but the room is far too small for a family with two young children. There is no wardrobe and very little storage space for clothes and personal belongings for four people. The area in front of the mirror is already occupied by the minibar, safe, kettle, and glassware, leaving virtually no space for guests' own items. We struggled to find room even for basic necessities such as sunscreen and toiletries. While the location is a major advantage, the room size and lack of storage made our stay quite uncomfortable.

Perfect location right on the beach. The beachfront restaurant is very good and caters to a variety of tastes. The rooms are decent. The hotel is more geared toward younger guests, who visit in large numbers, but it can also be a good choice for families who do not mind the lively atmosphere.

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.

My most favourite place to stay at Koh Samed. I will stay here in future again. I love the swimming pools, breakfast was delicious, I enjoyed every moment. I stayed for 9 nights. All staff is friendly and helpful. Rooms are clean. Resort is walking distance from the beach, restaurants and shops.

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.