First Bungalow Beach Resort

The only thing we liked was the beach. The rest of the stay was poorly managed, stressful, and not worth it. Our room was across the street from the main hotel, and housekeeping was slow, often arriving in the afternoon after lunch. Breakfast was basic and the same each day, facilities were outdated, and the AC was only in the rooms, not the lobby or restaurant. We also got food poisoning from the hotel restaurant: my husband and son vomited and had a fever for three days. At check-in, receptionist Zen kept aggressively trying to charge extra for things, and the process took three hours. We booked through Agoda, which says children under 12 stay free with existing bedding. The hotel claimed only kids aged four and under were free. Our son is four, but Zen said that because he was born in 2021 in Thailand, they counted him as five. That isn’t how age is calculated here. He also said hotel policy overruled Agoda. We called Agoda, and after they spoke with the hotel, it backed down and honored the original terms. Then we were told our room was in a separate building across the street, far from the pool and beach, in what seemed like an upsell attempt. After that didn’t work, they said breakfast was included only for adults and charged extra for children. I refused and spoke to the manager the next day. He was more professional, apologized for Zen’s behavior, and offered 50% off breakfast for our son as compensation. I accepted just to avoid more hassle.

What made our stay worthwhile were the businesses outside the resort. The place itself is old, enormous, and impersonal. Maybe low season played a part, but aside from the lovely housekeeping staff, nobody working there seemed to care. It’s isolated unless you have a motorbike or take taxis. The beach is nice, though people claim the loungers for themselves and nothing is done about it. Breakfast is very basic and identical every day, and you have to walk to the next property for it. The pool is good, but so many unruly kids were around that I hardly swam. Families who don’t mind children running wild everywhere might enjoy it 😂. I wouldn’t stay here again.

The room was very clean, the staff were friendly, and the resort felt calm and relaxing. There’s a pool and a private beach, and you can walk along the shore to Central Samui. In high season, though, getting a spot by the pool or on the beach means competing with other guests. People leave their belongings there all day, so others can’t enjoy the spaces. Even with that downside, I’d recommend it.

We slept well in the comfortable bed, but the room itself felt old and past its best. The bedside lamp cable had been patched and gave me an electric shock, and the bathtub was small. There was a free upgrade from Standard to Deluxe, which we appreciated, and the staff were kind and helpful. The location is great and the beach beautiful, but that’s about where the positives stop. Noise was the biggest problem. We could hear neighbors walking, doors slamming, and even bathroom visits, making it impossible to rest and enjoy the holiday. Maybe the bungalows are different, but I wonder what we’d have had to put up with in a Standard room. Breakfast wasn’t terrible, just mediocre, with little choice, so we preferred eating elsewhere. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this hotel.