Samui First House Hotel

The location is peaceful and away from nightlife, with plenty of places to eat nearby. You can get a baht taxi into town for 50 baht each if you negotiate, and it’s family friendly. For a budget-priced stay, I was pleasantly surprised by how helpful and friendly the staff were. The rooms were very clean and the maid service excellent. Breakfast was adequate: they’ll prepare omelettes, scrambled eggs, or fried eggs on request, alongside some local food and fruit. The private beach is beautiful, and there’s bar service that also offers food. There’s no lift, so be ready for all the stairs. The beds are a bit hard, though they’ll provide a mattress topper if you ask. A good low-cost option.

What I got was acceptable overall, though not quite what I expected for the price. The toilet seat really needs replacing or improving, it looks yellow and dirty. Breakfast could be better too, and the door lock felt loose and needs attention.

The hotel’s renovation seems to have made a real difference. We were told work was underway, and the pool had been restored in September 2024, five months before this review. It was clean and had attractive lights for an evening swim. That may explain why some older reviews sound so bad. Our room was tidy, with a clean, working bathroom and a large balcony over the neighboring hotel’s pool. The bed was firm, but staff could put a blanket underneath to soften it. There were five light sources, a water heater for morning coffee, an efficient fridge, and a TV with plenty of channels. Breakfast costs 250 Baht per person and seemed fair for the basics, including coffee. The route over the bridge to the beach is spectacular, and the beach feels like a private resort beach. There were plenty of recliners, and during our stay a new batch of at least 30 seemed to be in preparation. Reception has a spacious safe at no extra cost, useful if you want to head out to eat after the beach without returning to your room first. The AC was powerful, but could be turned down low enough to avoid catching a cold at night. Room service came daily and met expectations. WiFi worked strongly even on the fourth floor of Building 3. The beach also had WiFi from another hotel without a password. Near the beach bar, “First Bungalow” WiFi was available with password firstwifi, as of 12th February 2025, and it was very fast at 100 Mbps. There’s a laundry service beside the hotel for 50 Baht per kilo, taking up to 12 hours depending on drop-off time. Nearby are plenty of affordable restaurants, Allegro for excellent pizza, and Jolly for bowls right next to it. Building 3 has a massage place and convenience store. Tops, a large supermarket like 7/11, is open 24/7 and has a microwave, hot water, and an ice machine, so drinks, snacks, fruit, and food are easy to get anytime. Many tuktuks go to Chaweng Center, sometimes for as little as 40 Baht. A taxi to Nathon Pier is around 600 Baht. I’m writing at length because some frightening reviews don’t reflect the renovated hotel we experienced.

The bathtub was the one real problem. I couldn’t fill it with water, it had no lock, and there was no shower either, so I just bathed and swam at the beach and pool lol🤪. The hotel has no elevator, but that wasn’t a big deal for me. It’s a bit far from Central Samui, so renting a bike makes sense if you want to explore; Chaweng Beach is the closest and very beautiful. Ark Bar is also worth checking out for a relaxed afternoon or evening. From arrival, the staff welcomed me warmly and offered a refreshing drink, and check-in was smooth. There are plenty of amenities, the breakfast was delicious, and the pool was clean and well kept, good for a dip or lounging. I had a pleasant stay at Samui First House 🤗❤️.