Review: Conrad Koh Samui (Oceanview Retreat Pool Villa)

Cheapest nightly rate: 429 THB (509 after tax)
When to book: One month in advance


Located on the south-western tip of the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, Conrad Koh Samui is one of the most luxurious properties under Hilton Honors’ portfolio. This property opened for business in 2011 and spreads over 10 acres of steep land. It consists of 65 hotel villas and 32 residential villas. Yes, 100% villas! Each villa is at least 130 sq m/1400 sq ft in size and has a large, 10-meter pool. All properties are facing west and this means you get to see amazing sunsets on clear days. Majority of these villas are located in the bottom 3 rows, categorized in the following manner:

Level 1: 1-Bedroom Waterfront Pool Villa

Level 2: 1-Bedroom Oceanview Pool Villa

Level 3: 1-Bedroom Oceanview Retreat Pool Villa

These villas are of the exact same size. Villas on level 1 are the cheapest and those on level 3 are the most expensive among these three categories. At level 1 most of your views are blocked by trees. Views from the villas on level 2 are partially blocked by trees while those on level 3 mostly offer unblocked views of the beautiful horizon and sunset. The best villas on level 3 are 305, 306, 307 and 308. These villas face the 5 islands directly and you will get beautiful photos of the sunset on a clear day.

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Arrival

My partner and I arrived in Koh Samui via ferry from Surat Thani. We reached out to a local motorbike rental company beforehand to arrange for a scooter delivery right to Nathon Pier. They came on-time and we had a nice 30-minutes ride straight to Conrad Koh Samui. The final stretch of road to the property is steep and sandy in some parts. Be sure to ride carefully if you are on two wheels! There is a small parking area right before the lobby.

Motorcycle parking area
Motorcycle parking area

Upon arrival, we were offered hand towels and welcome (lemongrass) drinks. As a Diamond member, I was pre-upgraded to Villa 308 for my week-long stay. I was also offered complimentary daily breakfast and 8 drink coupons by my host, Kim. We were then brought to Villa 308 in a buggy. Speaking of buggy, you will have to call for one to get to any parts of the resort or you can burn some calories by walking up and down the steep hills!

Map of Conrad Koh Samui with villa numbers
Map of Conrad Koh Samui with villa numbers
Entrance to the lobby
Entrance to the lobby
The lobby
The lobby
Welcome lemongrass drinks
Welcome lemongrass drinks
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Buggies on standby
Buggies on standby

The villa (Oceanview Retreat Pool Villa)

Bedroom and living area of Villa 308
Bedroom and living area of Villa 308
The bed with swans of love
The bed with swans of love
The bathroom and huge tub
The bathroom and huge tub
Shanghai Tang toiletries
Shanghai Tang toiletries
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Mini bar and complimentary drinks
Mini bar and complimentary drinks
Refrigerated mini bar
Refrigerated mini bar
Tiny details
Tiny details
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Breakfast

Zest restaurant
Zest restaurant
Food carts outside Zest
Food carts outside Zest
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Indoor seating in Zest
Indoor seating in Zest
Egg station in Zest
Egg station in Zest
Breakfast menu on top of the buffet
Breakfast menu on top of the buffet
My favourite table at Zest
My favourite table at Zest

Other facilities

The gym
The gym
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Turtle Club (Kid’s Club)
Turtle Club (Kid’s Club)
Spa packages
Spa packages
The public pool
The public pool
Lounging area by the beach
Lounging area by the beach
View of the resort from sea
View of the resort from sea
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Complimentary kayaks for use
Complimentary kayaks for use
Not the best weather for this!
Not the best weather for this!
Live barbeque dining packages are available in the evenings
Live barbeque dining packages are available in the evenings

We decided to spend our first complimentary coupons at KO Lounge as we could hear nice acoustic music from our villa. Spoiler alert: we ended up coming here for all seven nights! We got to know the acoustic singer, Joe Brown, and really loved his voice. His rendition of ‘Lady‘ by Kenny Rogers and ‘How Deep is your Love’ by Bee Gees gave me goosebumps. We requested our favourite song, ‘Unintended’ by Muse but Joe had not heard of it at that time. To our surprise, he learnt the lyrics and cords and sang it on our last night! It was a truly unforgettable moment.

KO Lounge
KO Lounge
Soup of the day!
Soup of the day!
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View from the bed
View from the bed

You can see most of the pools in the level 2 villas from the level 3 villas. Some lack of privacy for these ‘private’ pools.

View from the pool in Villa 308
View from the pool in Villa 308
Area outside Villa 308
Area outside Villa 308
Pool chairs and steps to the pool in Villa 308
Pool chairs and steps to the pool in Villa 308
The five islands against a beautiful sunset
The five islands against a beautiful sunset
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A small gift at check-out
A small gift at check-out

Conclusion

We really enjoyed our stay at Conrad Koh Samui and loved having other dining options within 15 minutes drive. There are also a couple of convenience stores down the hill from the lobby.

Ratings

Breakfast: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Location: 10/10
Room: 10/10
Facilities: 9/10
Executive lounge: –
Elite member recognition: 10/10

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