Beluga Boutique Hotel

The staff were lovely, and we had a really enjoyable stay. The beach right outside has stones and sometimes rubbish, so it isn’t great for swimming, but there are plenty of nearby spots that are better. The hotel pool is handy for a quick dip. The bathroom sinks smelled a little, though the scented candle they provided helped.

There are plenty of lovely places in Samui where ordering a single cocktail gets you access to the pool and sunbeds. I wouldn’t recommend this one. The bar has confusing rules about where you can sit and swim, and the staff were rude and unpleasant. If the rules are so hard for staff to explain when guests arrive, put them on a sign at the club entrance. This was the rudest treatment I’ve had on the island. I was extremely disappointed and wouldn’t recommend anyone visit. You can reply however you like, but the staff were definitely rude to guests. They also commented on nationality, despite the person they were talking about being from Myanmar, not Thai.

The breakfast was delicious, with eggs made to your choice, French pastries, and fruit. The staff were amazing and helpful, apart from the female daily manager, who I found unfriendly and unprofessional. In my opinion, she doesn’t have the right skills for that role. It’s a small hotel at the far end of the beach. The outdoor pool area is much smaller than it looks in the pictures. Smoking is allowed everywhere, which must suit heavy smokers.

The beach boulders make a little lagoon of your own, with nobody else around. The staff don’t hover, but show up with water when you’re thirsty or sunscreen when you’ve forgotten it. There are eight rooms, each with its own feel, and the infinity pool glows blue, green, and red at night. Olivier, the French owner, makes you feel like a regular as soon as you arrive. He handed me a cocktail and said the tide was just right for swimming. Breakfast comes with fresh fruit, eggs any way you like, and delicious French bread and croissants. The small bar has Win, whose dragonfruit mojitos taste like a holiday. Olivier seems to know you’ll stay.