The Library Samui — Hotel in Ko Samui

I’ve followed The Library for nearly 20 years. Back in the day, it was the cool-kid of tropical minimalism - the sleek, cerebral escape that promised conceptual design with a blood-red pool to match. So when I finally had the chance to stay, I didn’t hesitate. And then… I arrived. ||Let’s just say: if you’ve ever wondered what happens when a design hotel simply stops trying for decades - this is it. ||The iconic red pool is still there, still drawing in the Instagram crowd like moths to a faded flame. But beyond that initial clickbait moment, it’s clear this once-celebrated hotel is now a has-been, limping along on reputation alone. ||Yes, the reception is still serene - a glimmer of what once was. But taken one step beyond, and you’re greeted not by artful minimalism, but by neglect: |Pathways to the rooms are sad, awkward and crumbling . Paint peels from every corner. Wooden slats connecting buildings are literally falling apart. Balcony railings are rusty beyond belief. I could go on - and I will. ||Inside, things don't get much better. The rooms are tired, the interiors outdated, and the whole “less is more” philosophy now feels more like “less is just… less”, especially when it sacrifices comfort. ||Maybe budget constraints explain the lack of maintenance. But what’s inexcusable is the absence of care. Fallen leaves are left to rot, landscaping is neglected. We loved the staff in other hotels on Samui. Here; they seem to be caring for a dying patient - polite, quiet, distant and somehow already mourning. You get the sense they know the place has lost its spark. ||Oh and yes, there’s an actual library. |A forgotten, damp-smelling relic with faded, plastic-wrapped books from decades ago. I love bookstores and libraries. I usually want to live in them. Here, I wanted to find the exit. Fast. Ignoring the yellowed corner with random merchandise.||There’s also a DVD library next door, which could be a quirky retro nod - if it weren’t so… tragic. Aging shelves of faded DVDs and a player in each room isn’t a charming throwback. It’s laziness perhaps pretending to be “concept” at least a decade too long.||To the design lovers out there - don’t book here. It’s an insult, dangerously close to becoming a scam. Walk in, snap the red pool, then run. Actually, with the lack of attention to detail and standard maintenance levels, I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone at the moment.||Can a renovation, seemingly underway, save it? Not without a total creative rethink, fresh vision, and a serious rediscovery of what lasting design-driven hospitality actually means.||Until then, The Library - once a page turner - is sadly no longer...

What an absolute gem of a beach hotel. We loved everything about it. It is situated right beside the water. There are two pools, both with red tiles which was a little strange but we got used to them, one in front and then one to the side, which is a little more private. I would say there are enough beds for everyone staying there. The staff working the pool area always placed towels on the beds and brought water when it was hot. We mostly swam in the ocean, which was clean and has a sandy bottom. The first two days were a little rough but the other days it was ideal. Many people bought floaties to swim around on. ||The room was spacious. We were on the second floor, which I think was the executive suite. We had two large beds, I think one was a king and the other a queen. You have to climb up with one big step up to get into the bed. It took a little bit to get used but it was fine. If someone had mobility issues, they couldn't stay in this room. There was a large balcony with a sunbed, a table and two chairs. You can get a drying rack if you need one, so just ask. There are lots of lights and plugs. They provide a lovely fruit dish every day, too. Crisp sheets, fluffy pillows are on the bed. The bathroom is large with the sink outside the shower and toilet. There's a tub, too.||The dining room is just gorgeous! All white and lots of doors to let the sun shine in with the fresh morning breeze. There isn't a buffet but there is an extensive menu from which you can order 3 items. It's all there. They have the menu marked with gluten- free and vegan items. The staff were perfect. Joy, Nancy, Crepe, M, Reaw, Brown , Team and Nook were always smiling and patient with all of our requests. I was a little teary saying good-bye after spending 8 days with. There is a happy hour every evening from 5-7 with a DJ set up on the beach right in front. Honestly, you could never go wrong staying here. ||The staff in the office, I'm sorry I don't have their names, were so helpful booking cars and changing money for us. Thank you! As I'm writing this, I'm already thinking about how much I want to go back.||It it is the middle of Chaweng Beach, very convenient to walk up to the Central shopping mall which has all you need and an international grocery store. |Thank you to The Library for the oasis you have created at busy...

Lovely hotel with lovely staff, we stayed in one of the secret chapter villas which is hidden away behind a secret wall, we had a few issues with ants and the cleanliness of our villa bought this up with the general manager (Chutima) who came to us during breakfast this seemed to be ignored and nothing was done about it, spoke to reception to speak to Chutima the following day and was told she doesn’t work weekends so our issues were totally forgot about however we spoke to second to next general manager on reception and she made the changes and assured everything will be fixed before we come back from our tour. ||Once we had returned from our day tour we were told we had been upgraded to another room - the editor which was another hidden villa behind a secret wall. This was much better, a lot cleaner. ||The breakfast was amazing, you can choose from three dishes and it’s served in the page restaurant and you can eat inside or outside by the beach. ||The chapter villas and the editor villa are hidden away which ensure total privacy, and both have their own pools and jacuzzi so you can swim at your own pleasure and there is a Bluetooth speaker so you sing to tune as you swim. ||Both villa have a pantry, dining area , sitting room, a large daybed with a tv your can turn 180°, large bathroom with two basins and dressing area and a spacious bedroom with a 11-foot bed. Top quality tea and coffees and 6 different snacks are provided daily during house keeping and a dessert is delivery every evening between 7-8pm. We ordered room service from the page restaurant and I can not fault the quality of the food. ||Outside of the villas, the hotels can do with some TLC, just general maintenance and the hotel will look as good as the photos on their website, they have a little bar area outside by the main pool which personally if they looked after and bought it back to life it would actually do a lot of the hotel. ||The staff are amazing and very helpful, from the time you call them to them arriving is close to a 2 to 3 mins. Very impressed. ||The location is great, just 5 minutes walk to Central mall and nightlife places if you want to, but also far enough from the nightlife to...