The best thing about this hotel is the staff! They work so hard and handled any problems we had the best they could. The hotel does need updating, We were allocated a Mountain View room, you could just see it behind all the wires and busy road, we upgraded at a cost to a sea view, it was worth it, the view was stunning! The room was comfortable and clean, as much as I tried not to, I couldn’t help but flood the bathroom, the water runs along the bath and straight to the floor! Breakfast was nice and again the staff were really on the ball, the service was faultless! In reception there is a pond that runs all around with several koi carp in, we brought some fish food from one of the pet shops and fed them every morning (there is food behind the desk if you want to fed them) The beach is lovely, Despite the place needing updating and a few repairs I would stay here again, we had a lovely holiday in Lamai.
Wow. Ok, where to start? I read a LOT of TripAdvisor reviews when planning a trip, and understand that reviews are often a result of the expectations one sets for themselves when anticipating a trip/vacation. That said, while most of the reviews of this property are 5-Star, after researching the property, my own expectations were simply premium accommodations, a quiet retreat-like atmosphere, and a good restaurant. What my wife and I experienced was a full-on 5 (6 if the scale were higher) star resort in every sense. If you are looking for a peaceful, discrete and rejuvenating retreat complete with outstanding and prompt personalized service all in a lush natural tropical setting with supreme ocean views, then look no further, Banyan Tree Samui is it. I could write at length about our experience here, but I know you have a lot of reviews to read if you're like me. So here are most of the Highlights: 1. Fabulous accommodations - super comfortable bed/linens; separate bedroom/living/bath areas all with floor to ceiling windows offering spectacular sea views (IF you get the best villas). Walk-in shower w/large rectangular rain showerhead was brilliant. Pool was sparkling clean and allowed for ultimate cooling/relaxation in the warm temps all while taking in the incredible views. Additional outdoor seating area(s) for enjoying the outside. 2. Staff - Wonderful; THE epitome of hospitable. Super friendly, and always eager to immediately assist with even the smallest of requests. Dada (villa host), Golf, Lek (massage therapist), Jane, all serving staff and buggy drivers, even landscapers we passed throughout the grounds - ALL incredibly pleasant and eager to please. 3. Dining - Breakfast spread (hate to call it a buffet because that makes it sound tacky) was incredible. Multiple hot and cold options, western and Asian dishes, full baked goods/pastries selection, fresh fruits, cold cuts, fresh juices, multiple coffee options. Dinner at Saffron was outstanding. A few reviews have mentioned Saffron as being just average, but the food (including portion size), flavors, and as aforementioned, the servers were all terrific. Yes, it's more expensive than getting dinner at a local Thai joint in town (an obvious point made in another review), but you're at a 5-star resort with top-notch service and very special ambiance being pampered as a resort guest. But to give you an idea of ”expensive” (a very relative term): two appetizers, two soups, two entrees, and two desserts, plus non-alcoholic beverages - $105.00 US dollars. Any fine dining, high-end restaurant in a big city in the USA will cost you triple that. 4. The Spa should not be missed. Incredible massage treatments/experiences provided by very experienced and professional therapists all done in traditional Thai fashion. Wonderful. 5. Incidentals: The resort is mostly non-walkable meaning that you are either in your villa (but that's why you come here; your villa is an oasis) or at one of the
ผผู้เข้าพักI read many reviews about this resort and studied the Mantra Samui website, but never learned until after I booked (4 nights stay) my room that they had cancelled , during Covid, the regular shuttle that took guests down the hill to Fisherman Villa. I learned this because I called the hotel before my trip to ask some questions and also ask how to reserve a place on their shuttle. The resort does have one auto/driver that will drive you down to the bottom of the hill if it is there, and if it is not picking up someone at the airport. The shuttle delivers you directly to the bottom of the hill, is pretty much is just a local road. Then you can wave down a taxi and negotiate the price. Some fun! The Mantra Sumai should update their website to say the regular shuttle has been cancelled, and replaced by their maybe available one car. Continuing my story... We booked a massage at another hotel that is about 20 minutes away, and gave ourselves one hour to get there. So the night before we reserved to get the ride down to the bottom of the hill for the next day afternoon. When we went to reception, we were informed there was an accident, which was a flat tire, and the tire 'might' be fixed in half an hour and then another 20 minutes to get back to the Mantra. They apparently felt no responsibility to contact us. Just wait for the guests to show up and then tell them. They felt no responsibility to call the driver for any update. They then offered to call a taxi, but that would take about 20 minutes to arrive. Also when you call a taxi there is no opportunity for negotiation. My hour was dwindling. Well 20 is better than maybe 30 + 20 minutes. So they called the taxi. Luckily the Mantra driver showed up after 15 minutes, and the taxi was cancelled. My conclusion, after all the interfaces with reception, is they have a poor sense of responsibility and lacking the ability for logical thinking to provide a good guest experience. There are other examples beyond the above. Our suite room was in good condition, and everything functioning. Well, except the phone did not work, but I did not need that. The suite has a king size bed and a separate built in bed in the back of the living room. OK, so 4 people can stay. But the flaw in the suites is there is only a 2 person love seat to sit on. There is no chair, and no desk. It is no fun to use your laptop when the coffee table level is below your knees. A simple 4 leg table for a desk, and a simple chair would be nice, and not cost very much. They do have an on-site co-work room somewhere, but I did not use it. I think it is an extra cost and I did not have that much work to do anyway. The highlight of the Mantra Samui was the included breakfast. There are many cooked to order choices plus a buffet of juices, fruits, cereals, yogurt, pastries, and several breads you can toast yourself. We tried every item on the breakfast menu and all were nicely done and tasty. Very good coffee and tea made to order i
ผผู้เข้าพักThis is the best resort I've ever stayed at for relaxation. Was at Ritz Carlton Maldives last year and I enjoyed Conrad Koh Samui more. We were at another resort and was not happy so booked Conrad last minute which was the best decision that trip. Stayed in the Premium Ocean View room 218. The location of this room type (213-223) was perfect. It was a flat walk to Zest where we had breakfast and dinner. It was also an easy walk up and down to Azure where we had lunch and also the beach which we enjoyed every day. We only used buggies 2 times when we arrived and departed. The beach was small but nice. The resort was full but we hardly saw other guests at the beach. Gym was very well equiped and free weights go up to 25kg. Every single staff was lovely. One reason I did not like Ritz Maldives was a few staff there made us feel uncomfortable trying hard to get us to buy resort activities but here the staff didn't bother us at all. They were really nice, friendly and accommodating. We didn't get to try Jahn but food at Azure, Zest and room service was great. Room service did not take long. I wish there were more restaurants/food choices though. We bought some food and snack in town at Tesco before coming here. Bought wine from Winepro nearby and there was also Wine connection in the same area. Good wine at the resort was expensive. We enjoyed Pomerol there (around 5000THB) while watching Sunset from the room. 3 days was not enough. I think you need at least 5. We already booked Conrad for our next trip in January 24. Can't wait to visit Contad Koh Samui again.
ผผู้เข้าพักCozy and warm, right by the sea. Excellent breakfast and quality dinner menu. Friendly staff. Big spacious rooms. Nice pool area. Many shopping places and bars in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. However, the hotel is quiet. The only exception is daily air traffic, but not at night. I can warmly recommend it, if there are no mobility restrictions.