First Residence Hotel

I had a very good stay and would recommend this hotel in Koh Samui. Staff were helpful and arranged things like transfers and bike hire. The building has four floors but no elevator. When I asked, Ms Glency provided a room the following day.

We only stayed one night, thankfully. The room was dusty, dirty, moldy, and smelled old and unpleasant. My wife has asthma and struggled to fall asleep, taking two different pills to avoid an attack. Some of the grime seemed tied to very old equipment that may not have been touched in 15 years, with lots of rust on the lamps above the mirrors. Other spots showed poor cleaning, like the mirror where you could see exactly how far it had been wiped. The balcony glass doors wouldn’t shut fully, which made road noise louder and let bugs in. The WiFi was painfully slow, though that was the least of our worries.

The staff made our stay feel relaxing and therapeutic, and the rooms were clean with top-notch service. We had to leave very early, so one staff member got up at 4 AM to pack breakfast for us. She put it together like a mother would for her child, such a sweet gesture. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I’d choose a 3-star hotel with staff this good any day over a 5-star place where you have to pay extra for everything you ask for. Highly recommend 💯👌🏻

For one night at just 18 euros, it was okay. I booked through Agoda, where the photos make the hotel look glamorous, but in person it’s very old, outdated, not attractive, and not especially clean. The staff, though, are really nice. If you want somewhere cheap for a night, it works.