Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa — Attraction in Ko Samui

Honeymoon Letdown — Privacy Violated, Respect Denied, Trust Broken

My wife and I stayed at the Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa (Marriott) for the final 7 days of our honeymoon. It was supposed to be a peaceful and private experience—what we got was corporate exploitation in disguise.

We booked a villa with breakfast included. But because we chose to eat in the comfort of our room—something that should be a basic right at a five-star resort—we were hit with nearly $800 AUD in hidden charges. Same food. Same kitchen. No upgrades. No prior warning. Just a fee slapped on because it was carried to our room.

If I’d walked to the buffet, picked up the exact same plate, and carried it back to my villa—it would’ve been free. But because I used the phone and requested privacy, we were billed close to $100 AUD per delivery. Let’s not pretend that money goes to the staff either. We all know better.

When I raised this with management, I was belittled. They assumed I was just another tourist in my late 20s with wealthy parents. What they didn’t realize was—I’m Zanda Elwood, a 29-year-old self-made artist, used to staying in hotels for both work and personal travel. I know what’s acceptable, and I know when I’m being taken advantage of. Once that became clear to them, the tone shifted. But the damage was done.

More disturbing than the fees was the breach of privacy. I travel with over $30,000 AUD worth of equipment and valuables—from my wife’s iPad and designer clothing to my $5,000 laptop, recording equipment, and jewelry. With the Do Not Disturb sign clearly displayed, someone still entered our villa while we were out.

I didn’t leave things where I found them. I noticed. And when you’re wired with ADD and attention to detail, you don’t miss the little things. That paranoia stayed with me for days. I never expected to feel violated and anxious on my honeymoon.

Let’s not forget: • The “complimentary photography session” is just a staff member using your phone. Nothing professional. • Room service couldn’t understand basic requests (“latte,” “towel”), leading to staff walking back and forth unnecessarily. • Our minibar was never restocked, and our rubbish was clearly gone through. • And at checkout, not one staff member helped me carry two 35kg suitcases across the entire resort in 32°C heat. Only the car park security helped—who deserves a promotion more than any front desk manager there.

We had one dinner at their Thai restaurant. One glass of wine was charged as a full bottle. 2,500 Baht for a meal I wouldn’t serve to a beach stray.

This wasn’t just poor service. This was a systemic failure wrapped in “luxury” branding.

If this is how Tony Capuano (CEO of Marriott International) plans to run a global brand—through misleading charges, violations of privacy, and dismissive treatment of paying guests—then it’s no longer a hospitality company. It’s a trap with nice towels.

My PR and management teams are already preparing a press release regarding this experience. And no, I’m not asking for Bonvoy points. I want my money back, and accountability for what your staff did while I was away from my room under the trust of a DND sign.

I love Koh Samui. I’ll absolutely return. But Marriott? You’ve lost me forever.

– Zanda Elwood Artist | Traveller | Self-Made | Not Here...

Being American and frequently visited the Marriott properties in the Caribbean, my level of expectation was set to their standards and then discounted a bit knowing the hotel would not be in full operation during the pandemic. But Wow oh WOW, did this property far exceed those expectations! We reached out to the staff prior to arrival to inform this was our anniversary and that my wife and I had not seen each other since before the pandemic. That's right, she is Thai, I'm American and we last saw each other Feb 2020...thanks a lot covid. The Renaissance was to be our destination to reunite. We splurged and reserved one of their beachfront pool villas and believe me when I say, THE PICTURES POSTED ONLINE DO NOT DO IT JUSTICE AT ALL! We chose to stay in the secluded "more private" section...it was like having our own house on the beach surrounded by lush tropical gardens. The inhouse staff takes care of all the gardens around the property and it really shows. You can tell many of the other properties outsource theirs. There was another room option with a more face-forward view and over the main pool & restaurant, this would be fun for a time to be social and be seen, maybe next trip. The room setup is really quite elegant, of course the super comfy Marriott beds and the extremely attentive staff always available. Even though we were 1 of maybe 10 rooms occupied in the entire hotel, there was always a great dining option or 2 available without the crowds. The beach was always empty, it felt like it was private to just us. Anyway, if you can make it here, do it, you wont be disappointed.

Great water pressure! We immediately missed the water pressure when we stayed at other hotels. Only Marriott seems to really put focus on this abroad. Thanks Mr. M!

Few tips for those traveling during the pandemic...It's currently May 17th, 2021 and Thailand is increasing pandemic control just about weekly. Samui is much much more open and accessible than BKK/Pattaya. We ended up extending our stay on Samui an additional month because BKK kept getting tighter and tighter lockdowns. Live on the beach! Enjoy the slow change of pace, admire that almost everywhere feels like its private just for you.

Have cash always, preferably 100 and 500 baht bills. Almost nowhere outside the resort takes credit card and it's hard to use their 1000b bills, but that's what the banks want to give you when you exchange money.

Bring or buy water shoes for sure. some beaches have lots of little broken shells. Others have various rocks or coral that could be accidentally stepped on. and some are a mixture of sand and silt so it can be a bit squishy down there between the toes without shoes.

Things not to expect: Dont look for exciting events, live music, crowds partying or gathering. Don't look for packed bars or nightclubs. If this is what you want, go to Florida The Gulf of Thailand's emerald water is beautiful and most of the beaches (including at the Renaissance) are extremely shallow very far out. This is amazing for non-swimmers or beginners, like my wife. The water isn't quite as clear and deep as the Caribbean so you have to take an awesome boat trip out a bit to find snorkeling. And diving is on the neighboring island of Koh Tao....SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS! AND/OR DIVE THE...

We just returned from our anniversary trip to the Koh Samui Sheraton Renaissance Hotel. We have traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and stay almost exclusively at Marriott properties and have had many outstanding experiences. This hotel is beautiful and the staff were lovely. On the down side it felt like the property had been newly acquired or that a large portion of the staff was new maybe and we found this a little confusing and off putting.

Alice checked us in and she was wonderful. Ko, was also a standout, he seemed to know the most about the hotel. The welcome video playing in the lobby, in the information packet we were given at check-in, and on their website, talk about tours with a "navigator" . When we asked to arrange this tour option at the front desk no one at the hotel seemed to know about it. If navigator tours are no longer offered why is it being advertised around the property and given to people when they check in? Just don't say anything about it and then there is no confusion. We ended up with a driver arranged by the hotel and although he was very kind he did not speak any English and it really was nothing like the tour they show on the website in the video or in their paperwork. We would have been much better off arranging our own tour off the property.

All the staff on the property greeted us warmly which was lovely. The food at breakfast and lunches at Banana Leaf were great, fresh and delicious, fast and hot. The view of the beach and ocean is lovely but this is definitely not a beach for kids or families to play in the water or sand.

I enjoyed the free yoga class one morning but it was held on a platform on the beach backing up to jungle and even with bug spray I ended up covered in mosquitoe bites so I did not return again.

I had a good experience at the Quan Spa, thanks to Reena, who was great. However, I found it awkward and time-consuming that I was booked with a different attendant for each of my three treatments. At other properties, they've always booked me with the same attendant, which saves time and allows for a more personalized experience.

We obviously have been spoiled because we have always been able to secure a late check out. This was not the case at this hotel. We know it is not a given and understand the hotels circumstances can change. The issue we have is the timing of letting us know. We were told an hour and a half before they wanted us out of the room. Why could they not have called us the night before or left a note in the room to let us know so we had time to reorganize our plans for the day. Even a call in the morning or catching us as we walked through the lobby on our way for breakfast that morning would have been more appropriate. It made for a very rushed packing up, a big change of plans for our activities for the day and a less than ideal departure. We would not...