Samet Ville Resort

The staff were amazing throughout, so kind and helpful. The restaurant felt overpriced for what it offered, and the sunbeds cost extra. Breakfast could have been good, but unfortunately all the food was cold. We’d had a bad experience on Koh Samet before coming to Samed Ville Resort, and this stay changed how we felt about the island. The beach may be the best on it. We were lucky with our chalet on the cliff, likely one of the newest, though the stairs to it were still unfinished. The view was stunning, honestly hard to put into words. We would have stayed another week without hesitation.

During my stay I became ill, and my condition got bad enough that I couldn’t continue the trip. I asked to check out early and get a refund for the nights I wouldn’t use, hoping the hotel would understand the health reasons. They refused, pointing to the “non-refundable booking” policy, even after I explained what had happened. I found their response cold and insensitive, with no concern shown for my situation. It made an already difficult time worse, and left me feeling they cared more about the rule than a guest’s well-being. I believe a hotel should show basic compassion. I’m sharing this so others know they may not get support here in an emergency. I hope management reconsiders how guests in vulnerable situations are treated. Hospitality should be about people as well as policies.

I don’t expect I’ll visit this place a third time. I’ve eaten at the resort restaurant twice and wasn’t impressed either time. On the first visit, some staff seemed careless and uninterested in serving people or making them feel welcome. On my second visit, I asked if I could order a drink at a particular counter because I didn’t know where drinks were ordered. I also wanted to avoid the restaurant staff after the slow, inattentive service I’d experienced before. The woman at the drinks counter didn’t answer at first and gave me an unfriendly look. I looked back at her, and only then did she tell me to pay at the cashier and return to collect the drink. She was staff, not the owner. She looked rather old, didn’t smile, and spoke unpleasantly. She wasn’t rude or using bad language, but her expression, manner and eye contact were far from friendly. It almost felt like she thought I was asking for a free drink. At the cashier area, two women were sitting there. I believe one was the resort owner or at least a senior manager. I’d met her on my first visit, too, and she was polite and respectful both times. She came across as well educated and properly trained, unlike the older staff member preparing drinks that day. If someone doesn’t want to work in customer service, maybe they’d be better suited to cleaning or back-of-house work. Unfriendly service like this harms the resort’s reputation and can put people off staying or eating there.

The daily fresh towels, shower gel, shampoo and bottled water were appreciated, and breakfast tasted good. Still, the food was often lukewarm or cold, especially if you arrived later, since it wasn’t kept warm. We stayed in bungalow No. 7, and while the beach bungalow idea is lovely, the place needs more investment and maintenance. Ours wasn’t very clean and had a constant unpleasant smell, a bit like urine. There was a kettle and coffee cups, but no basic things like a teaspoon. The restaurant food was average and expensive, which is understandable since it’s the only one on the beach. The service there was very poor and extremely slow. When two or more people ordered, dishes could arrive 20-25 minutes apart, so meals went cold. Orders were often mixed up and brought to the wrong tables. We saw several people eat someone else’s order, which is frustrating after such a long wait. The stay was okay, you get what you pay for.