La Mer Samui Resort

The staff were amazing, and the place is nice, with a good pool and a location close to crystal bay. Our room was a bit run down: the sheets had holes and ink stains, and the bed was very hard. It’s an okay place to stay, but we felt we paid a bit much for what was offered.

The staff were superb, friendly, and helpful, and the pool was very clean, with three levels flowing together: a small shallow section for little kids, a 1m middle area, and a deepest part around 2m. The bungalows were clean and very nice. There’s a refrigerator in the room, but no coffee machine. It’s about 200m from nice Silver Beach. You can hear a little road noise outside, though there was nothing at night. Great value for the price, and highly recommended. Super stay.

The hotel garden was beautiful, the staff were smiling and good, and the owner was a helpful woman. But the rooms gave us a really bad experience. The doors wouldn’t close properly, leaving a gap wide enough for animals to get in. We propped one with chairs, but a lizard and a huge spider still entered. I’ll never forget that spider. The lizards also make an incredibly loud sound and move around above you, enough to keep you awake. The bathroom floor stayed wet because water collected there. The room was damp and mouldy and smelled bad, the TV didn’t work, and the WiFi was unreliable. There’s no security at the hotel, and you can’t find anyone on duty at night. The outdoor lighting is also poor. For what you pay, I think you should choose somewhere a little safer.

I spent a week here. The resort name may suggest the sea, but it’s in a wooded area between a coastal hill and the main road. You can barely hear the road if you’re staying toward the far end. My bungalow was very simple, though I think they’re all similar. It was clean and nice, especially outside. The bed was huge but so hard, like sleeping on the floor. I’ve never had a mattress like it. There’s good WiFi, a pretty pool, funny blackbirds, and nice, gentle staff. Keep in mind the reception is only staffed for a few hours a day. The beach is a five-minute walk away. If you don’t have high expectations, like the price, and can sleep on a very hard mattress, this could suit you.