Samed Grand View Resort — Hotel in Ko Samet

First I'd like to highlight the hotel has a great location, easy beach access, well equipped beach area and cottage rooms are good for couples, good breakfast and skilled cook. But unfortunately that's about it when it comes to positive impressions. My stay was ruined by absolutely incompetent, unmotivated, rude staff that can not make a single step without miserably failing their duties. Here are a few examples:

1. 6 (!) waiters can't remember/write down a 4 positions order, constantly come back to ask again what was ordered (literally they come back in 20 seconds and ask again), leave me for 45 minutes to wait and finally they have brought only 3 dishes out of 4. How comes I have to tell a WAITER to write down my order?
2. I ordered a Tom Yum soup - they brought 2 paper buckets with sand and ants instead of clean cups and NO spoon (supposedly I had to eat my soup with a fork from a paper bucket). Later when I asked them to bring me full table set they by magic found clean cups and even spoons. Why they couldn't do that in the first place is a big mystery for me indeed.
3. They brought steamed rice with 2 bugs - no comments. The bugs were steamed as well so means it was in this rice at the time of cooking.
4. If you have a dinner at the beach be prepared to triple-check your bills because instead of counting and writing down the orders the waiters play and touch each other or pop the pimples next to the tables. More over you will have to remember all you order because every booth/bar will give you a separate bill and very likely will include drinks that you already paid by cash at the bar.
5. The room had clean floors but extremely dirty walls, ceilings and furniture - seems like housekeepers never look up.
6. When there was a little argument about the food bill waiters called their manager that started staring at our plates checking what was eaten. I can't picture this a civilized method of serving people at the diner. I could continue even more, overall about 15 episodes or stupidity and lack of any motivation in only 2 days period! Clearly this place badly needs a good manager that can teach/train staff, supervise them and guide on what hospitality industry means. Also worth mentioning a crazy music that goes on till late night making your poor cottage all shake and jingle and makes you feel like sleeping in a center of a dance floor of a rave nightclub. When mentioned that at 11.20 pm at the front desk I received a rude answer that there's no chance they can stop this madness because they still had customers at the beach club. Seems like people paying 4000 baht/night for a comfortable stay and good sleep do not count as customers. To conclude this place is a nice beachfront resort full of rude, incompetent staffs that can spoil your stay. I very likely will never come back again, I can get this sort of service in any of numerous crappy guesthouses on the island for 500...

The resort is on the big main beach where virtually 80% of all visitors stay. Beach is very nice but also very crowded. Does not feel tropical, but rather like a chinese city beach when all the dozens boats bring in the day-visitors. |The hotel room had a weird, inconvenient layout. Enter the room through the bathroom where you had a mirror held together by duct tape. The bedroom was upstairs. A good size but other than the bed no furniture. No desk, no chairs, no closet. The only storage was 2 small drawers next to minibar.|The light switch for the bedlamp was miles away from the bed and could not be reached from bedside |The stairwell had a frosted glass that let in all the light from the hallway, so the room could not be dark at night. The room was cleaned daily if requested and if not, they would put some new soap/toilet paper and free waterbottles outside your room, i thought that was nice. On arrival day, the 2 cokes/2 sprites were free, and then no longer refilled during my entire stay.|They ask for a cash damage deposit upon check-in and you will find an extensive list of how much each damage/lost item cost.|The breakfast was ok, but lack of western food such as bacon, cold cuts, cheese, fresh bread, croissants. There is an omlet/ eggs to order station. The staff is buzzing around clearing tables but not cleaning, wiping down, replacing placemats, so at times it felt disappointed and uncomfortable.|The beach is upfront, the beach bar and restaurant have food/beverages, a bit pricey compared to other eateries along the beach. Cocktails on the weaker side. They have a fire show on some nights. They also play live music during the day, starts at 10h30 on some days. The musician also plays a saxophone, for hours, the same 10 songs over and over every day, Very annoying. |They dont have beach chairs but bean bags instead. They were ok. The staff does not care if non-hotel guests use them which is annoying when you as a hotel guest are left without umbrella.|All in all so so. Beach was nice and one could find a quiet spot on either end. I would not stay here...

The resort is on the big main beach where virtually 80% of all visitors stay. Beach is very nice but also very crowded. Does not feel tropical, but rather like a chinese city beach when all the dozens boats bring in the day-visitors. The hotel room had a weird, inconvenient layout. Enter the room through the bathroom where you had a mirror held together by duct tape. The bedroom was upstairs. A good size but other than the bed no furniture. No desk, no chairs, no closet. The only storage was 2 small drawers next to minibar. The light switch for the bedlamp was miles away from the bed and could not be reached from bedside The stairwell had a frosted glass that let in all the light from the hallway, so the room could not be dark at night. The room was cleaned daily if requested. On arrival day, the 2 cokes/2 sprites were free, and then no longer refilled during my entire stay. They ask for a cash damage deposit upon check-in and you will find an extensive list of how much each damage/lost item cost. The breakfast was ok, but lack of western food such as bacon, cold cuts, cheese, fresh bread, croissants. There is an omlet/ eggs to order station. The staff is buzzing around clearing tables but not cleaning, wiping down, replacing placemats, so at times it felt disappointed and uncomfortable. The beach is upfront, the beach bar and restaurant have food/beverages, a bit pricey compared to other eateries along the beach. Cocktails on the weaker side. They have a fire show on some nights. They also play live music during the day, starts at 10h30 on some days. The musician also plays a saxophone, for hours, the same 10 songs over and over every day, Very annoying. They dont have beach chairs but bean bags instead. They were ok. The staff does not care if non-hotel guests use them which is annoying when you as a hotel guest are left without umbrella. All in all so so. Beach was nice and one could find a quiet spot on either end. I would not stay here...