Sai Kaew Villa 2 — Hotel in Ko Samet

First things first, the location – almost spot-on. It’s super close to the beach, loads of restaurants, and a few 7-Elevens, so you’ve got everything you need right on your doorstep. It’s smack in the middle of town, which is a big plus. The room itself was decent, and for a bit of extra cash, you can get an extra bed for a kid, which is handy.

On the downside, there was only one free socket, and it wasn’t working properly and not in the best spot. We ended up unplugging the TV to charge our stuff, so if you’ve got a lot of devices, bringing an extension cord might save you some hassle. The biggest letdown, though, was the noise in the evenings – mostly from a group of loud russians staying at the resort. That said, you’ll run into that sort of thing just about anywhere, so it’s hardly the property’s fault.

All in all, it’s a decent and affordable option on Koh Samet, with just a short songtaew ride from the pier. Worth considering if you’re...

Years ago we loved this place. Now the whole row of "hotels" that we used to love as huts, caters to big tour groups from a recently wealthy huge country. The clear blue water is now a bit murky and green. The beach is now jammed with picture-takers pretending to enjoy the beach. We didn't even bother with it on our last and final trip here, it was so crowded. We couldn't even walk down it to finda place to lay in the sand, there were so many picture posers. Thai Quality and atmosphere is gone from here...

Disaster. Rude woman at the booth to the right from main road. She looks like a manager there. She should never ever be working in client-facing capacity. Staff was also weird - walked me around the property 20 mins without saying a word. Probably construction workers helping out… Room is very basic, I booked it because nothing else was available and I won’t anymore even if I’ll have to postpone...