Rayong City Beach Hotels

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.

Pros: The hotel features an all-wood design, and the ocean-view rooms offer a truly pleasant experience with stunning sea views and the sound of the waves. I'd expected the bedding in the room to be damp, but to my surprise, it was dry and fluffy. The hotel restaurant: The dining environment is spacious and comfortable, with a pergola and tatami seating right on the beach. The chef's culinary skills are excellent, with both presentation and taste being perfect. Both hotel and restaurant staff are incredibly polite and friendly. Right next to the hotel is their company's pier for guest transfers. The hotel provides free shuttle service, boat rides, and luggage handling, making island access and departure very convenient, hassle-free, and effortless. Cons: The hotel offers paid laundry service, but there's no self-service laundromat. The nearest 24-hour self-service laundromat on the island is a bit far.

Compared to the second night at The Tamarind, where the prices were similar, the facilities were vastly different. The Tamarind offered a standalone villa, whereas Sakae had small, connected units. The curtains didn't block out light, and there was no conditioner or disposable toiletries (you had to ask for them). These weren't a big deal, but the worst part of the experience was when we checked in, the front desk mentioned there would be a fire show at 8:30 PM. We rushed over after dinner on the main street, carrying a pizza we hadn't had a chance to eat yet, to catch the show. Upon arrival, we found it was inside a restaurant. A male staff member very aggressively told us we'd have to pay 500 Thai Baht. Honestly, after so many trips to Thailand, even the scammers are usually smiling. This was the only time I encountered such rudeness, and it was at Sakae. I understand that as a restaurant, they can have a policy against bringing in outside food. However, the front desk only told us to go to the left for the show and never mentioned it was a restaurant (we arrived quite late, took a paid boat to the island at 6 PM, settled into the hotel, and then went to the main street for dinner). Secondly, they could have simply reminded us, but there was no need to give us a dirty look. If they had a good attitude, I would have paid the 500, provided they offered good service and made us feel welcome. This experience left a very bad impression. However, its advantage is that it's close to the main street and has a beach, so I'm sharing this information for anyone who might find it useful.

At first was skeptical to book because many reviews regarding climbing up hill, turned out it was not an issue for me, it’s a nicely paved easy climb however, it could be challenging if you have back or knee problems. My stay considered lucky and excellent to have met this front desk lady, she was undoubtedly friendly and helpful. Detached chalet so no worries about noise next door, but in general the resort is quiet, everyone minds their own business, with only bird chirping. The surrounding is very green with well maintained plants, an oasis and I like it. The facade of the chalets is modern and clean looking with clean white and black finish. Every chalet has a big balcony but be mindful of mosquitoes in the evening. Room was clean, beautiful ambiance lighting feel luxury, comfy bed, and bathroom was spacious with ambiance lighting that I could do push up and yoga, nice touch of wall and tiles’ colours in the bathroom too. Amenities such as toilet roll, dental kits, hand soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner are provided. Good water pressure TV comes with Thai channels only, not a problem for me as most of the time I’m on my phone and book. WiFi is strong and fast. The beach and the sea is clearly visible when walking down the stairs already, lovely! 1 beach towel is provided each guest per day. Privacy? Just close the curtain. 2 bottles of water and 3 in 1 coffee provided everyday, the water boiler was old but works well. 7-11/walking street within 7-10 minutes walk, from the pier within 15-20 minutes walk.

Even though Koh Samet isn't a very large island, after exploring a bit, my favorite spot was definitely the beach right in front of the hotel. The waves were gentle, the sand was clean, and it wasn't as crowded as Diamond Beach. While it's about 2.5 kilometers from the main street, the hotel front desk can arrange scooter rentals or help you call a songthaew for 200 THB one way. There's also a small pier directly in front of the hotel, so you can take a speedboat straight from Ban Phe Pier to the hotel for 300 THB one way. If you plan to use this service for a round trip, it's best to confirm the times with the hotel in advance. The hotel's breakfast selection was really limited, but honestly, that's pretty standard for the entire island. My family of three had a perfect 5-day stay here, and my child absolutely loved it. All the staff at the resort were very nice, especially the young man at the front desk who provided excellent service.

The Silversand was the perfect stay on Koh Samet. Our garden room was clean and spacious. Towels were provided everyday without asking. I truly enjoyed the breakfast, it was tasty with the best view of the beach. My only shortcoming was the water spout in the shower was not the best, but it didn’t take away from our experience.

We stayed from April 15-17 in a family room on the first floor. There were three of us, and I can't imagine how four people could fit in there—the room is tiny. There's one armchair right outside the room, and that area is also very cramped, with people constantly walking by. There's no restaurant, only drinks available. The sun loungers are quickly packed away in the evening. There's a lot of hustle and bustle nearby; if you're looking for relaxation, this isn't the place for you. Honestly, for this price, you can find a much better hotel on this island. The hotel is definitely in need of renovation. The staff, however, were lovely ❤️

We had a very pleasant stay at this hotel. The entire property was exceptionally clean and well maintained. The service was excellent, and the staff were always friendly, helpful, and professional. The hotel offers everything you need for a comfortable and relaxing vacation. The pool was very clean, and the sea was crystal clear and beautiful. A special thanks goes to the housekeeping team, who did an outstanding job every day and kept everything spotless. The only downside is that the hotel is located quite far from the city center. In addition, the prices for food and drinks are higher than in other areas. However, the food is of excellent quality and tastes delicious, making it worth the extra cost. Overall, we highly recommend this hotel and would be happy to stay here again.

This is our second time staying at this hotel. Upon arrival, we were initially checked into a bungalow, which we didn't like – it was very dark and cramped. We requested to be moved to the main building. They put us on the first floor, which wasn't ideal, but it was okay. Everything in the room felt old, and during cleaning, the toiletries and tea weren't replenished; we had to ask for them. The breakfasts are good, and sometimes there's live music, which is a nice touch. There's also live music on the beach and a fire show in the evenings. The hotel is just a stone's throw away from 7/11. Overall, it's a decent hotel.

The hotel is great, I really like it. It's right by the beach 🏖️, which is fantastic. I'll definitely stay here again next time I visit. The food at the restaurant is also good. You can even have drinks by the sea in the evening.