Villa Exotica Samui 3

We had a stressful long stay at Villa Exotica 2, managed by Valerie Corain. The villa looks picturesque, but our experience included contract problems, repeated interruptions and wildlife concerns. We’re sharing this so others know what we encountered. The layout made it hard to work efficiently or relax, and access around the property was difficult. The steep hill isn't mentioned online. The remote location also wasn't as connected as advertised. Reliable transport wasn't readily available: we had to pay more for a powerful bike, and taxis wouldn't drive up. In rain, getting around felt extremely dangerous. The grounds were a mess, and the 10ft python in the road was incredibly traumatising. We encountered 4 snakes on several occasions, a deadly scorpion that was removed from the bathroom, and a bat living above the front door that can transmit deadly diseases. We saw no clear effort to secure the villa or manage pests. The front gate needs attention, as stray dogs kept entering and leaving, which felt especially dangerous for young children. We work remotely and value privacy. At first we agreed to some viewings as a courtesy, but Valerie kept insisting on more, including during our final weeks, without proper notice or regard for our schedule. On a day with live work meetings, we told her and the agency we no longer wanted viewings during the final phase of our stay. Valerie still demanded access, in breach of our contract, and threatened to call the police when we refused. It was deeply unsettling and unprofessional. Even a prospective buyer being shown around looked uncomfortable and embarrassed by the timing. Our concerns were ignored, and we didn't feel valued as paying guests. The staff were polite but seemed to have little control over what was happening. Their hands-off response left us feeling unsupported while Valerie made rude demands. She also refused to return our deposit of 100,000 b and wouldn't send us images of the 'damage items ! She lied online about the steep hill. We understand why the agency dropped her as a client. We have photographic evidence for what we've described and hope it helps others make an informed choice. AVOID AT ALL COST.

The villa itself is magnificent, with an incredible view, but too many problems got in the way of our stay. The location should be described more clearly. Most taxis wouldn't drive up, so we used one that seemed to work with the owner and paid more than we would for Grab. The steep slope and rain made the journey difficult. One night we went to the beach after dropping off our things and came back around 3 a.m. The taxi left us in the jungle because it couldn't make it up the hill, and we had to find our way in the dark. We were told on arrival about an electricity charge of 7 baht per unit, which hadn't been mentioned anywhere in the listing. We were also told to leave the outside fan and outdoor kitchen lights on at night because bats come out, so we felt pushed to use electricity. That first night, we discovered there was no water at all for the toilet, sink or shower. The owner said someone would come the next day, but didn't offer a solution then and said she was in France. Her replies felt borderline aggressive. Nobody arrived until the afternoon. Around 2:00 PM, with nearly 24 hours without water approaching, we asked for a refund for the rest of our stay so we could leave. She refused, saying we had arrived the day before and hadn't yet been there 24 hours. In the end, the manager offered us showers at the neighboring villa. The water tanks at ours hadn't been filled beforehand. They claimed we'd left a tap running, though we hadn't used any water because there was none. We could use water at the neighboring villa the following evening, but our own villa had no water for two whole days. As a Thai person familiar with Thai wildlife, I know mosquito nets aren't only for mosquitoes or decoration. They're also used for protection from snakes, scorpions and centipedes. There wasn't one in the master bedroom. We also found dead red ants infesting the bathroom and a cockroach, which is understandable in Thailand. Nets should have been provided, or at least made available. The gate wouldn't close, and with the open entrance, overflowing rubbish and jungle surroundings, stray dogs got into the trash. No housekeeping came to replace toilet paper or towels during our six-day stay. I might usually accept that, but for this villa's price I expected impeccable service. The pool bottom was dirty too. It's a beautiful villa, but problem after problem made it a complete waste of money. I absolutely don't recommend it.

The sea view is breathtaking, and the service and upkeep were impeccable.