Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui — Hotel in Ko Samui

I am breaking this into sections to give a fully detailed, honest and useful review of the Four Seasons Koh Samui. I write hotel reviews regularly, and this is probably going to be the longest, and most detailed review I have written to date. A review of this property deserves time, effort and details; as they put into every guest experience. ||||I want to start off by saying that this is potentially the hotel of the century. There is no wonder why Mike White and HBO chose it to be highlighted for the filming of White Lotus Season 3, which is being filmed as I publish this review. ||||Overall my stay was amazing. This was my first trip to the hotel, and to Koh Samui. My wife and I chose this location over the Banyan Tree as the last leg of our honeymoon across Southeast Asia to unwind after 2 and a half weeks of adventure. We took a long time thinking about where to stay; we wanted a place where we wouldn't get bored for a week if we decided not to leave the property. The previous legs of our trip involved excursions across various provinces of Thailand and districts in Singapore. ||||Location/design/layout: 5 star: The property is nestled into the hills on the Northwest corner of the Island of Koh Samui. There are aprox. 60 or so villas and 15 residences, that are somehow built around over 850 palm trees "not a single palm tree was chopped down to build this resort"--Bill Bensley told me, as he helped tour guests around the resort the first morning of our stay. We were incredibly fortunate that our honeymoon landed at the same time as Bill's return to the hotel (he is the famous architect that designed the property about 15-20 years ago....)||||The villas are thoughtfully spread on one side of the hill in rows, starting from the resort's private beach at the bottom, leading all the way up to the property's entry sala at the peak. The residences are situated on the other side of the hill; the hill is divided by a main walkway that guest can access by foot or buggy to easily lead them to various facilities. Their are 2 restaurants (1 at the beach, and 1 at the peak), a spa, a gym, a meditation hut, a game room/beach house, library, art gallery by Bill Bensley, movie theater, Muay Thai ring, 2 lit tennis courts, marine biologist hut, private beach, pool and 2 bars (one at the pool area, and the other by the peak side restaurant Koh). The layout of all the facilities is so thoughtful! The resort does not feel massive, but does not feel small, yet you get the rift of privacy and intimacy as there are usually no more than 100-150 guest staying at a given time. ||||||Check in: 5 star: This was a memorable hotel check in. We arranged transportation through the hotel and were greeted by a hotel rep at the airport. The rep promptly escorted us to our driver and we arrived at the hotel within 35 minutes of departing. When arriving at the hotel a team of bellman whisked away our luggage, while Nahm, one of the hotel's reception leads greeted us, and proceed to privately tour us around the resort by buggy, then leading us to our villa. Nahm was friendly and informative, and was even aware of our dietary restrictions ! That was impressive since I had only listed those in an email months in advance when booking a cocktail making class. ||||The Room: 5 star: Bill Bensley is a genius. We booked the Island Pool Villa (space 703), which was a step above the entry level room. Our Villa was spacious, well air-conditioned , just beautiful ! There is a large deck/patio: Half is covered by a roof/ ceiling fan, with a daybed, fresh towels, and fully stocked mini bar with espresso maker, drinks snacks and glassware. The other half is uncovered with 2 loungers. A massive infinity pool complements the entire space. I read in previous reviews that the pool is too cold for swimming. That statement is false, and I found the water to be just fine; maybe a tad cool in the evenings , but warms up during the day. The interior of the villa consists of a massive bedroom with a desk area/chair, sofa chair, and flat screen television. Then there is a his /her vanity room, with dual closets. Finally at the end of the villa there is a massive bathroom with a large soaking tub , rainfall shower and toilet space. The bulk of the villa is fitted with floor to ceiling windows facing the infinity pool and beach. They also give you bug spray, dental kits and shaving kits. The hard amenities in the villa may be getting slightly dated (and only very slightly), but still 5 star. I believe Mr. Bensley plans to renovate soon. Either way the Villas are superb. It can get buggy, but that is not the resorts fault and they debug the property twice per week. ||||Spa: 5 star: We booked an appointment, the "Fire Energy Four Hands" couples massage (ask for Tiphy, Nana, or Banana). Was the best massage of our lives. I think it was the nicest spa we ever visited (and I have been to many spas in the past, including the famous Scandanave and Wynn Spas...). Spa reception welcomed us warmly with a variety of teas, and personally escorted us to a private spa pavilion where our massages were performed. Exceptional service and experience. ||||Staff/ Service/activities : 5 star. There are 5 start properties, and then there are 5 STAR properties. FS Koh Samui service meets 5 STAR. Every staff we encountered had learned our names and personal preferences by the second night of our stay. There is a buggy service to bring you around the resort, and they will pick you up anywhere at any time on the property 24/7. All you have to do is text the concierge on the app and the buggy arrives within 5-10 minutes tops, usually 2-3 minutes. The Conceirge managing the app was lightning quick. EVERY SINGLE REQUEST WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE CONCIERGE WITHIN LESS THAN A MINUTE. Wording was always written professionally. Obviously the requests couldn't be completed in a minute, but never took more than 45 minutes to accommodate a need. To top the off, as buggy's drive you by, staff stop what they are doing as you pass them to say hello and wave. Everyone spoke fluent English, and I heard there are aprox 300 staff working on site. The guest to staff ratio is better here than anywhere I have stayed. The gardening and maintenance staff did a wonderful job up-keeping the gardens, beach, pool area and other common spaces. The housekeeping staff was also great, a team of 3 staff come twice daily to clean and turndown your villa. A name tag with a pin was accidentally left on our bed one afternoon. After reporting it, the housekeeping manager personally apologized and even offered to comp our dessert for the evening. The pool restaurant manager Akshay was also kind and would strike up good conversation whenever we visited the pool/bar area. The night before we left he treated us to drinks. It was so kind of him. We also booked a cocktail making class for an evening with one of the resident mixologists Kae. She was phenomenal, and provided a fun and engaging experience, teaching us how to make Mai Tai's and Queen Park's. Later on in the trip, we did encounter a serious issue, where smoke from the in villa dining BBQ seeped into our villa. The manager Hannes professionally handled the issue, and provided reasonable accommodations for the trouble. I am not going to go into the details of what happened there, but I just want to say it was handled professionally and with care. If what happened from that BBQ happened at any other resort, we probably would never return. However, given that the problem was an honest hiccup and that Hannes addressed it properly, I do plan on returning to the resort. He managed to rectify a situation where most hotel managers would struggle, and successfully cheered us both up after a rough evening. The entire staff is just special, I could go on and on about them. The Muay Thai instructor Um was great too, as well as the waitress Aum at the pool bar! Cheers to the management team on training their staff to an exceptional level. I strive to personally deliver that level of service to my own buisness's clientele, and I also deal with a high end/demanding crowd in sports/entertainment/hospitality. The FS Koh Samui staff work wonders; elegance as an attitude, treating others as they wish to be treated. They make every guest genuinely feel like VIP's, it's done the right way and doesn't appear fake or corny in the way that other resorts make attempts . ||||Food/Beverage taste/variety: Delicious, plenty of variety, 4.5 star. We spent most evenings dinning at the Thai restaurant Koh, everything there was 5 star, maybe one of the best breakfast buffet's in the world. The Thai dinner buffet that is held once a week with live entertainment was also very enjoyable. There is another restaurant called Pla Pla but we never went to it. Our only issue with dining was with room service, and that's why I knock it down .5 star. The service itself is phenomenal, however there was a bone in the burger I ordered one evening, and the fruit shake was a bit bland. The "In Villa BBQ" experience also needs to be seriously reevaluated, don't order that. I think the management genuinely listens to feedback though and Im sure at some point they will rethink how the BBQ should work and fix it for future guests; the service is just that amazing. ||||Gym/tennis court/Muay Thai ring: 5 star, open late, well kept, great variety of equipment, was never overcrowded. I must note this was tied for the cleanest hotel gym I ever stepped foot in (tied with Whistler and Singapore Four Seasons). After using equipment, an attendant swiftly steps in, and wipes it down. There were also plenty of towels (dry and cool/scented), water and tea at the entrance. The Four Seasons sets the gold standard for any hotel gym. I also used the hotel tennis court, felt very private and spacious. Was also equipped with a fridge full of cold water and towels which was nice. I even booked tennis sessions with their resident pro Wat. Wat was really nice and a great hitter. I didn't take a lesson, and only hit with him since I already play at a semi professional level. For my work I manage tennis programming and plan events with professional athletes, models and fashion brands. It's serious labor to play tennis with me for an hour, but Wat kept up, and then some! Most hotels hire subpar sports professionals, the FS did not skimp here. We also took a Muay Thai class with Um (I hope I spelled his name correct). Um was high energy , courteous and professional. We really enjoyed his class. I can't really judge his skills since we are new to Muay Thai and are unfamiliar with such instruction, but he seemed legit!! ||||Overall: 5 stars. Every time moving forward when I go to Thailand I plan to visit the FS at Koh Samui. This place was just special, and sets the standard for all other 5 star hotels in the world. To deliver the level of service they provided takes a great deal of effort, and years of training. I am going to the FS Whistler next week and plan to tell their staff about the Samui level of service, as well as all other FS properties I visit in the future. You really can't describe their greatness in words, but I am trying my best. Excellence, just excellence and worthy of the...

A heavenly experience from arrival to departure! Upon arrival to the property, you’re transported into paradise! You’re taken into a special greeting lounge for check-in, with the most wonderful views of the Gulf of Thailand, and they even take a photo of you that they email to you later! You’re then taken to your private oasis for the remainder of your stay.

Each villa has its own private infinity pool, so, if you’re like us, you have no reason to leave your room. We were given villa 103, a Premiere One Bedroom Villa, that was detached and totally private with beautiful views of the sea and greenery. We stayed for eight nights and only left once to try the Pla Pla beachside restaurant for lunch and to lie by the beach for a bit (so, for maybe a total of three hours); other than that, we soaked in the luxury of our huge infinity pool, our two wonderful outdoor lounge areas, and took advantage of the amazing in-room dining menu to dine al fresco at our wonderful outdoor dining table.

The room service staff were some of the best we’ve ever encountered. We learned half way through our stay that you could order quite easily through the Four Seasons app, so at the beginning we ordered via phone, and they spoke perfect English, remembered our preferences (crispy fries, extra salad dressing, etc.); we felt so special! And when they would deliver the food, they would set up the table perfectly, as if you were dining in a 5 Star restaurant, with an abundance of each condiment (and little spoons for each thing , which was so cute!), and every detail was seen to and nothing was ever forgotten (not one thing was delivered cold or wrong in the 2+ meals we had each of the eight days we were there!).

As for our one meal in the Pla Pla restaurant: it was wonderful! First of all, the restaurant is beautifully designed (as is the whole property - each detail has been carefully thought out). My husband had the seafood linguine and said that the seafood was abundant and fresh, and the garlic was roasted to sweet perfection (we’re foodies). I had the steak sandwich with a Caesar side salad, and the steak was tender and perfectly cooked, the bread tasted freshly baked, and the Caesar was the right kind (mayo-based, not vinegary). The service was fantastic and the view was gorgeous.

Our villa was lovely and quite large. On the patio/pool area, there is a large bar, almost an outdoor kitchen, with a stocked non-alcoholic refrigerator, a snack station, a wine/spirit refrigerator, and a coffee bar! Macall and Aom, part of the amazing management staff, were so welcoming and kind to us; especially Aom, she took such amazing care of us throughout our stay!

Housekeeping was a dream team! I think there were about six of them who came in to do everything and take care of all of our needs, and then again at night! They brought little treats like “a spray to clean your electronic devices” and would leave a basket of fruit, coconut cookies, sesame crackers and rice cakes each day. And the house slippers were the most padded, comfortable hotel slippers I’ve ever experienced...I’m not joking!

The part I loved the most about this property is that they actually sell some of the cute items from the room in their boutique. They have the cutest turquoise ceramic flower vases in the room, and the monkey key chains are the perfect, yet heavy, Christmas ornament, and I thought it was so smart of them to sell those things so we could take a little piece of paradise home with us! If only we could get these properties to create cookbooks from their amazing restaurants so we could try to recreate some culinary memories upon returning home (hint, hint Simone!).

The concierge staff was amazing as well. I needed to see a doctor and they helped me to call one in from a local hospital who came in with a team, spoke perfect English and even had prescription medication on hand. Amazing!

We’re loyal Four Seasons guests, and this property has some of the best rooms and service we’ve seen at any of their...

O U T S T A N D I N G!!! This hotel and its staff is just out of this world. We spent 10 nights just recently at this wonderful property. Our expectations were pretty high and we were worrying if they would be met. They weren’t - they were exceeded - each and every day. The reservation process was already very kind, helpful and efficient. We booked the entry level villa and we were stunned by its size, layout, views, interior - everything was just perfect and more than we expected (photos always look amazing and what you see in real is less “wow”… the opposite here. The villa was just wow from a-z). 8/10 dinners we spent on property, that wasn’t planned as we wanted to go out much more, but after we have tried both restaurants and participated to their special dinner nights (Thai & BBQ) it was clear that we don’t want to miss the fantastic dining experiences here. Food & service were WOW! The variety, quality and love they put into every dish is amazing. Service absolutely attentive and so warm and welcoming. Talking already about food & beverage experience, also the breakfast was just perfect. The buffet and a la carte options (complimentary) offered anything you could think of. Again, everything super fresh, home made, of highest quality and so good looking. The variety was outstanding and approached even different guest cultures - wow. Both, for dinner and breakfast the team (incl the chefs) knew very quickly what we liked and prepared and served it without us even asking for it - that was definitely a key experience and so much appreciated. The drivers bringing you from and to all spots within the resort are all so kind and nice - we loved having the rides with them :) the gulf car offer in general is just great, as ways are really long and also very steep sometimes. The large pool and private beach are just beautiful! No matter how many guests were there, it was always nice and quiet, as it is such a large area and the hotel does “only” have 60 villas. This was so great for us, as we were truly looking for a relaxing stay. The hotel’s activity offers were also amazing and appreciated - we enjoyed a variety of complimentary resort activities from yoga to Muay Thai boxing to cooking class. All activities that we have joined were absolutely great and made our experience even more valuable. Last but definitely not least, let’s come to the staff, as they are the true stars of this outstanding property. Peach, Panny, Faeng, Elizabeth, Ten and Visa from Koh made our breakfast and dinner experiences at Koh to a truly wonderful, positively surprising and so much appreciated daily experience. They went beyond our expectations and made our visits always special. We thank you so much for that and miss you already. Kay and Anya from pla pla were always so welcoming when arriving to the beach area and always took best care of us, thank you so much! Gulf car driver Dome was just amazing - he was so enthusiastic and kind at all times, he could easily be in charge of guest relations as he was bonding so much with us during the short rides. He was giving recommendations, was truly interested in our day and simply built a relationship- congratulations for this amazing team member! P was such a fun person that we’ve not met often, but the times we did, she left a positive and fun impression and we loved it! Branka, in charge of f&b truly knows her job and - in our opinion- went far beyond her title. She was greeting and interacting with the guests each and every day at breakfast and dinner. She was so natural, fun, positive and professional. Chefs Fabien & Shanmuga treated us daily so well and took best care of us - amazing hosts whom we highly appreciated. This is just highlighting our highlights, nonetheless, everyone was just amazing and great! We appreciated all staff so so much! Everyone who wants to enjoy a memorable and out of the world vacation - go here! This property is a guarantee for...