The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

There are so many great aspects to the hotel. The staff are brilliant, always willing to help, friendly and will follow up on any request made and there are so many working here. The service in the room is excellent with multiple room calls each day to ensure the amenities are all topped up and lots of complementary local Thai snacks left in the room. The room itself was perfect. We stayed in a select terrace suite which still had lovely views of the gardens and ocean. Huge room with big balcony, lounge area, freestanding bath and shower. There’s a regular programme of free gym/yoga classes that seemed quite quiet so spaces were always available. A good gym and Muay Thai boxing ring as well. The pool was lovely, perfect setting and great layout although busy but sunbeds always available however you may need to use the ones on the beach. There is a second pool by the spa with day beds but this seemed less busy but is perfect if you want peace and quiet (children not allowed there). The site is very big and hilly so you will need to make use of the buggies but we never had to wait more than 5mins for one. They also wait by the pool during the day so as soon as you want to leave there will be one ready to go. We called the guest services line each time and one arrived within mins. Our room was quite central so we walked to breakfast, gym and pool most times. Each evening there is a complimentary happy hour with free wine, beer and daily cocktail and canapés. This was a really nice touch and created a great atmosphere - with such a big site the rest of the time the guests are spread out. The restaurants are expensive and there are multiple ones on site so they seemed a bit quiet. The food is great though. Breakfast was good, staff very attentive despite it being quite busy. The beach wasn’t used much apart from kayaks and paddleboards which you can book for free at certain times. The nearby beaches on Choeng Mon are probably a more popular option. We would definitely return to this hotel without hesitation.

Today, I had the best experience of my life with my wife. delicious finger food, nice alcohol, and relaxed mood. I recommend this place!

After my spa treatment, I visited Bew Saow and had the pleasure of meeting Saan. Saan’s kindness and warmth truly touched me, and because of Saan, I would love to return to this resort again.

I am writing this review 3 months after having been there; as its on my mind how warranted it was to do and yet quickly let 'back home' catch up with me that time has slipped me by. I'm sure all the reviews talk about the beauty of the island adn the property - its all true. Having been to Maldives Ritz Carlton (which I used to think was the most beautiful Ritz I'd been to in the world - sleeping in huts on the water) - Koh Samui Ritz Carlton has now exceeded that. Why? The experience of sleeping on the water, while you aren't - you can still feel the same essence of it at Koh Samui with a beautifully large pool thats attached to your villa and overlooking the ocean (see pics). The property is so vast that they provide buggy service to / from as your'e on a hill - it was no problem with expedious service to retrieve us and honestly I appreciated not being 'stuck' on water with no where to do..to the contratry Koh Sumai not only offers all the beauty of Maldives water, water sports and island visits like Pig Island (must see) - you also have equal, affordable on land excursions so there's variety; we did life time experiences to see the Elephant Sanctuary, zip lining, private island tour on land & water; and visited as many iconic restaurants with views as possible...there's enough there to be there a week and we did several additional days to allow for timezone adjustment. We were offered ( I assume from status), breakfast included every day which I REALLY valued and appreciated. IT wasn't as good as St Regis Bangkok breakfast but it had something for everyone that you couldn't complain with fresh made orders to your liking. The conceirge staff was amazing. They even looked for a knitting needle for me on the island when I realized I had left one home - didnt' find one - but they took on the challenge. Lastly, the most important aspect was the staff and in particular an individual named Alah. Within 24 hours of arrival, I experienced extreme dehydration and low blood pressure (60/40) to a point that I literally passed out (which could have been disasterous as I went straight down on cement but my head was caught by. my daughter). Anyways, she's pre-med so she ended up directing the staff what to do and a hospital thank god wasn't warranted. Upon going back to my villa, a staff member Alah, came back to check on me and asked if he could make me something to feel better for which I accepted. He later returned with a concoction of greek yogart, garlic and salt. It was a special family/cultural remedy and I just so appreciated the above and beyond concern. Its indicative of how the entire staff engaged with you - you were special and they were delighted to have you as their guest

Amazing resort. Lovely rooms. Super food. Spa is bliss. Thank you for your warm hospitality Saan. Would definitely come again!