The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

Considering this hotel prides itself on being the best in Koh Samui it cannot even get the basics right! We had various power cuts, including one at night time where the power went off for two hours. Had to stand in the street to try and flag a buggy driver down at 2am as due to the layout of the hotel reception is far away and up a steep hill, had no luck and ended up having to whatsapp message my travel agent on an emergency line to get them ti try and contact the hotel to advise. In fact we needed the engineer out a few times for various issues in the room even though we were there for only 6 days. One night we had no running water. I complained and the people on concierge LAUGHED when I said I wished to make a complaint as the constant issues in the room drove us mad! The management response was tepid at best, with the HILARIOUS claim by a manager that they had told the directors who were all “gutted” to hear about our experience, not that any of them came down to even speak to us. Such utter patronising bullsh**. And obviously a lie. The breakfast was chaotic with bland food options and they were even rationing food at one point. If this is the Ritz Carlton experience then avoid like the plague, go to a different holiday and don’t waste your money. This hotel is the perfect example of one that is “mutton dressed as lamb”.

The Bees Knees. Probably the Best Hotel I've ever stayed at. Withe the Friendliest Staff you'll ever find. Food is really high standard, the resort is beautiful. We will be back.

Our room in Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui has the best view I’ve ever seen. I’ve been to Maldives, Bali, Mauritius, and all over the world, but our Ultimate Pool Villa beats them all by a large margin. Hence, what is extremely deplorable is how much of a mockery the resort makes of the term ‘5 star hospitality’. Listed below are everything we’ve faced in just the first 3 days of our 4 night stay:
-A 5 hour no-water period on our 3rd night(in the bathroom), followed by no effort to rectify the damage to reputation and inconvenience caused. It makes sense that such things can happen anywhere, but what matters is what a resort does afterward. All we’ve gotten are insincere apologies. That’s all. Not at all what you’d expect from ‘5 STAR HOSPITALITY’. -Extremely cheap/money gouging mentality all over the resort: Look, we’re paying a king’s ransom to stay here, but that doesn’t mean a resort can gouge as much money as it can everywhere possible. Unlimited free water in the room, water had to be bought during dinner(we weren’t even given an option of house water. The server opened a bottle directly without informing it is extra, and charged us). Multiple instances of wrong price listed, which makes me suspect it is intentional(a dessert was listed for 100 Baht, then billed 200 claiming it is the updated price. We ordered a non-alcoholic mojito, we were billed for the alcoholic version.) We came on a half-board package, and in the Indian restaurant, more than half the items were removed from the menu from which we could order. The prices in the regular menu of most of the items removed are even almost the same as the items remaining, so it is just out of another effort to make the guests pay extra. Basic stuff like chicken curries and biryani were removed. Removing dishes like lobster/steak which cost triple as much as other stuff is expected, but removing chicken? Just plain stingy. When the head chef was asked about this, he even said literally: ‘We don’t want to give everything for half-board’. WHY EVEN OFFER A HALF-BOARD PACKAGE, THEN?! -Extremely subpar restaurant quality: In the Indian restaurant, in a fish appetiser, 2/5 pieces were contaminated by gut juices. It was supposed to be boneless fish, but there were multiple large bones in multiple pieces. A prawn appetiser which was supposed to be cooked was delivered raw in the grill restaurant. When a complaint was made, the server asked casually whether we would like it to be cooked more. YES I WANT TO EAT A COOKED PRAWN WHEN I ORDER A COOKED PRAWN. -No effort whatsoever to make a stay special: We came for our 13 year anniversary, and intimated the same WHEN ASKED. Well, it is the day of our anniversary, and nothing has been done whatsoever. WHY ASK IF WE ARE COMING FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS IF YOU INTEND TO DO NOTHING? -As listed above, staff do not live up to ‘5 STAR RESORT’ at all. Never apologetic when there is a clear fault, never taking responsibility. They need much better training, as right now, all they leave is an unpleasant impression. All in all, when we booked a ‘RITZ-CARLTON’ with such an expensive price tag with the expectation of an experience that might live up to the premium being charged just for the name, we did not expect this. NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VIEW IS, IF THE HOSPITALITY IS NOT UP TO PAR, NO ONE WOULD WANT TO COME BACK. When we first entered the room, we all but decided to come back yearly, as that was just how good it was. Sadly, we shall be re-evaluating this decision.

Stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui (17–19 January) in an Executive Pool Villa. The villa was spotless, spacious, and beautifully designed with separate bedroom, bathroom, and living areas. The private terrace with ocean view and private pool made our stay truly special. Service was excellent—staff were warm, attentive, and professional. Breakfast offered a wide variety of delicious options. The resort is very private and secluded, almost like a private beach. Perfect for couples seeking a relaxing luxury escape.

Best spa experience of my life. Highly recommend the couples package - 1 hour scrub and 1.5 hour massage. Amazing! Combination of stretches and massages was perfect