The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

David Johnston

We had the perfect honeymoon at the Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui. It has beautiful rooms, great food and excellent facilities, but it is the quality of service, above all, that makes it such an exceptional place to stay; the place we had the best holiday we’ve ever had. We stayed in one of the ultimate pool villas with an unrestricted ocean view. If you can afford it, is most definitely worth it, as you can see nothing but ocean from wherever you are: living area, bedroom, bathroom, etc. The room had everything we could need, together with a whole host of small touches from blackout doors for the bedroom to complimentary mosquito sprays (their approach to mosquitos is particularly robust, with resort-wide mistings taking place every few days to keep them away). They knew it was our honeymoon and so both in the room on arrival and throughout our stay there were a series of things in our room and in restaurants we ate at to congratulate us, including cards, chocolates and fruit. The food is excellent. There is a very wide choice of foods for breakfast and nothing you could want that is not on offer. There are also a series of great restaurants including a thai restaurant, Indian restaurant and meat/fish grill restaurant, that all provided excellent food. A particular favourite for us was the One Rai restaurant, where Chef Armaan’s food was some of the best Indian food we have eaten in any country, particularly the murgh malai tikka, dum chicken biryani and naan breads. We ended up eating there 3 times. The Thai street food market they put on is also very much worth going to for a wide range of food and good entertainment. There are lots of activities you can take part in every day. Particularly good are the Muai Thai classes, where Mick and Sean are very good, fun teachers. The main pool is large and does not get too crowded whatever time of day it is, and the gym is nicely designed and similarly not busy. There is an excellent buggy service that is available at a moment’s notice and transports you from location to location if you are feeling it is hot or somewhere is too far to walk. We stayed for 10 nights and during that time there was also several events the resort put on to give guests free cocktails and canapes. It is however the service that makes the Ritz Carlton Koh Samui so exceptional. At every position across the resort the staff go above and beyond to ensure you have everything you need. Beginning with Tee, one of the managers, who gave us her number, made lots of good local recommendations, was contactable at all times if we needed anything and ensured we were always taken care of. Chef Nan, the resort’s pastry chef, has a lovely, bubby personality and made a huge range of delicious pastries (orange chocolate madeleines being a particular favourite), circulating round tables in the mornings to ensure you were having a good stay. Ping was also great at breakfast and around the resort ensuring you had everything you need. In some ways it is unfair to single out particular people as the standard of service is so high across the board, but special shout-outs also have to go to Yok and Raj at One Rai who were very attentive and provided great conversation, as well as Wannisa, Megan, Mai and Immie. But throughout our stay, everyone was excellent and we could not have asked for more, hence it being the perfect honeymoon. Choose the Ritz Carlton for your Koh Samui stay – you won’t regret it.

Ushma Jasapara

@ritzcarltonmaui Your Ultimate Pool villa is truly ultimate luxury but not for senior couples as the climb is quite an effort for them. The buggy service is prompt. Every evening they would deliver a small goody bag to relish like dried pineapple, coconut candies, dried mango!! The resort is far from local shops so take all your stuff beforehand . The beach is too grainy and we didnt enjoy swimming as it had rocks underneath. The pool is beautiful and at such a location that you can lay for hours. The spa pool was quieter and decent too. Breakfast everyday was served at Shook restaurant and we felt blessed to have a small Indian corner for the desi loyalist. Needless to say it was otherwise also a massive spread!! The best Indian meal we had in Koh Samui was undoubtedly at One Rai restaurant. Do try their signature dishes. And the best custom made Thai meal complete with coconut icecream in the end was at Pak Thai restaurant .Their thai appetizer with betel leaf was a surprise. Our family enjoyed their Mediterranean and Italian dinner at the topmost restaurant "The View" where the view was killer. We did try their "Sea Salt" for a quick lunch too!! . The place had good view but we felt quite hot for lunch time. Ritz Carlton , you pampered us like crazy . Thank you!! Special mention to Ms Beauty and Mr Thomas for making our stay memorable .

Sabeen Hatimi

By far the best Hotel in Samui The room design and space is exceptional with views to die for. The service by Ping at breakfast was second to none. Took care of all our needs with personal service, serving us items off the menu - like fresh masala dosage from the Indian Chef and karak chai. Couldn't ask for more. Plus the manager Tee went above and beyond to look after us and make our stay special. She understood our needs and took care of everything required. Ping and Tee where superb but in general the hotel staff are so polite and want to exceed tour expectations. The location of the hotel is excellent and close to the town and fisherman's village.

meo woof (no)

The resort is massive, but thanks to the buggy service it’s quick and easy to get around. Check-in was incredible. We were welcomed with cold towels and fresh coconut water before being taken on a buggy tour of the resort and then to our room, which made for a fantastic first impression. The room was spacious, but it lacks technology and is starting to look quite old. A refurbishment is definitely necessary. I’m mainly talking about the rooms where someone sleeps on the second bed (usually kids): there should be an additional blackout curtain or electric blinds, because the sunlight makes it very difficult to sleep past 6 a.m. While the bathroom, shower, toilet and sink areas are absolutely incredible, the closets look super old, almost like they’re straight out of the 1970s. There’s also a huge wooden platform underneath the king bed that extends almost to the wall. It feels completely unnecessary, and I hit my foot on it so many times during my stay. The nicer part of the room is definitely the couch and Samsung Smart TV area, although it could use some extra decoration to make it stand out more. The ceiling fans also make strange noises all the time, which is probably an easy fix, but it’s not something you’d expect in a luxury hotel. The buggy service was incredible. Waiting times never exceeded a few minutes, and there are phones around all the buildings that allow you to call one whenever you need it. The pool is very nice, with a pool bar, complimentary sunscreen and towels available. The beach, however, isn’t that nice, as it’s full of pebbles and rocks. The gym was disappointing compared to other large hotels in Koh Samui. There isn’t a lot of equipment, and it has one of the worst views I’ve ever seen, with so much potential being wasted. You’re basically looking at a wall—not even plants have been added to make it more pleasant. That said, the equipment that is available is modern and in good condition, and the complimentary water bottles and cold towels are a nice touch. Breakfast was very underwhelming and not up to the standards I’d expect from a Ritz-Carlton. The restaurants serve nice food, but they’re very expensive for the quality and taste. It honestly feels like eating at a good tourist restaurant in Rome or Paris. On the other hand, The View restaurant really lives up to its name, offering a beautiful view over the entire bay, although it’s quite far from many of the rooms. The location is fabulous, but clearer signage or directions to the different suites and room buildings would make getting around even easier. Most of the time, the hotel can also call a taxi for you at a fixed price. It’s a bit more expensive than a regular taxi, but it’s very convenient. The tennis and basketball courts are quite old and not particularly enjoyable to play on. The spa, on the other hand, is absolutely fabulous, especially in the morning. The Wi-Fi was reliable but only offered average speeds. The TV and air conditioning were perfectly up to standard, but overall the room isn’t very high-tech. Cleanliness was excellent. The staff member who cleaned our room every day did a fantastic job. As a guest, what i'd recommend : - adding more phones around the resort to call in case of an emergency/buggy -refurb on the older rooms -better quality breakfast -the resort feels dead at night, fix it!

Alleah Facey

Such an amazing stay and honestly my favourite day of the trip. The gym is really nice and the buggies always came to the room so quickly which made everything feel effortless. The food was amazing and the breakfast is especially good. I recommend going before 10 am to really enjoy it. The pool is beautiful and such a lovely place to relax. The staff truly went above and beyond to make our stay extra special. The room was the nicest room I have ever stayed in. Everything felt luxurious and so well thought out. Can’t wait to come back 🩵