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The perfect counterpoint to our week in bustling Bangkok was a languorous spell by the beach. Forty-five minutes away by air, Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand makes a wonderfully sybaritic finish to a Southeast Asia itinerary. Plus, I was curious to find out what things were like these days on the small island, now that it’s become well known as the filming location for the third season of “The White Lotus,” the popular HBO series that follows the flawed but fabulous as they try to unwind, hide out or seek revenge in paradise.
Koh Samui has no shortage of luxury hotels scattered around its coast. Guests often let Thailand come to them at their resorts — relaxation is the order of the day, after all. Those who wish to venture out can visit temples and street markets or cruise to Ang Thong National Marine Park for hiking and snorkeling.
I wanted to know if the island’s poshest properties measured up to their depictions onscreen, and I started with the most famous.
Our first hotel, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, on the northwest corner of the island, was freshly in the spotlight due to its star turn on the series. My friends speculated wildly: Would I cross paths with one of the actors? Have an affair with a spa attendant? Return with a sack full of jewels heisted from the gift shop?
Spoiler alert: For better or worse, none of those things happened. Any drama was confined to the scenery.
The 42-acre property began life as a coconut orchard and was reimagined in 2007 by Bill Bensley, the famed landscape architect and interior designer. He saved all 856 coconut trees and planted another 1,000. Today, this lush, meticulously landscaped jungle cradles 60 villas and 11 Private Residences, each perched above the electric-blue expanse of the Gulf of Thailand.
Our visit began at the beachside Pla Pla restaurant, where we had fresh salads with grilled shrimp as we waited for our room to be ready. Our Island Ocean Pool Villa perfectly embodied indoor-outdoor living. From the deck’s three seating areas and pool large enough for laps, we could see the gulf through a fringe of palms. Inside the 1,108-square-foot accommodation, sliding glass doors afforded similar views from the bed or, my preference, the bath, with its gloriously deep terrazzo tub. Aquamarine accents throughout reflected the color of the sea. Only once during our stay was the tranquility interrupted, when we heard a woman shouting, “Shut that alarm off!” not realizing that she was reprimanding the cicadas.
While I never made time to sample rum at the Vault — it reportedly has the country’s largest collection — I scored a perfect piña colada at poolside Cocorum. From covered sunbeds, we took pleasure in watching a storm roll in and drop heavy rain over the infinity pool that seamlessly blended into the ocean. As the afternoon grew darker, staff lit fire pots, further enhancing the atmosphere.
Editor Photos (slideshow below)
For a change of pace, I booked a Muay Thai lesson with An, a former champion. Our intense one-hour workout came with exquisite views of the sea and tales of training princesses to fight. My massage at the Secret Garden Spa, deep in the rainforest, was well earned, as was dinner at Koh Thai Kitchen, where both the food and views were first-rate.
Throughout our stay, the resort elevated every moment with small touches. Pathways glowed softly with oil lamps rather than harsh solars, buggy drivers dimmed their lights when passing each other, and communication via WhatsApp was not only immediate but often anticipatory.
It turned out that our stay at the Four Seasons was nothing like “The White Lotus.” The show trades in dysfunction; this resort offers transcendence.
EDITOR VIDEO
The proactive, unfailingly kind staff; the attention to detail; the exquisite breakfasts; the views; the lush grounds; the complimentary daily activities; the Muay Thai lesson.
The expense.
Private Residences come with a live-in assistant. Buggies are necessary to go anywhere, but they come quickly when called. The Secret Garden Spa also offers family spa experiences and closes at 10 p.m. The 18-hole championship golf course at Santiburi Samui Country Club is 15 minutes away.
I regretted checking out, but we had a private island to look forward to. Built in 2018, Cape Fahn Hotel has all the earmarks of a contender: 24 pool villas, three main pools, a spa, an award-winning restaurant. Reportedly, it was also a vacation spot for the family of the king. Pictures online showed bright-white beaches, cerulean waters and guests arriving by boat. The website led us to expect a “standard of remoteness” in a “truly serene setting.”
Not exactly. For starters, instead of a boat, an unglamorous elevated truck bumpily ferried us during low tide to the “private island,” which, at about 200 yards offshore, felt more like a glorified sandbar. But the breezy open-air reception area and our buggy tour of the property along landscaped pathways improved my initial impression.
Despite being only 440 square feet, our Beach Front Pool Villa seemed roomy, with pitched ceilings and sliding glass doors looking out to a lush backyard and private pool. Decorated in cream and light wood, it had an understated tropical vibe. Our bed had a nice view facing the pool, but the low console behind it was a poor substitute for a headboard.
Editor Photos (slideshow below)
The resort grounds started to reveal more-important problems. On a walk outside our back gate to the beach, we saw plumbing pipes laid bare over the sand and rocks, unsightly cement rings used as a flood barrier, and mucky puddles and a stagnant bay fronting the beach. The tide was so low that guests from a neighboring resort would amble over to gawk and take pictures as we lounged poolside, making us feel like animals in a zoo or celebrities, I couldn’t decide which. That mainland resort hadn’t gotten the memo about the “serene” setting — at night, it pumped with dance music.
Pool service was prompt, but our poolside lunch at the all-day Hue restaurant was exasperating. Three servers struggled to understand our orders off the menu, and the dishes didn’t come as listed: a salmon salad with arugula and capers came with iceberg and black olives instead.
A high point was the Long Dtai restaurant, offering stunning views and one of the best Thai dinners of our trip — no surprise, given it’s the work of David Thompson, a former chef at Michelin-starred Nahm. Still, one great meal couldn’t make up for the misleading marketing and our uneven experience overall.
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The lovely villa accommodations; our private pool and hammock; the authentic southern Thai food at Long Dtai restaurant.
Housekeeping’s unpredictable arrivals; the difficulty communicating with many of the servers; the visible plumbing along the beach outside Villas 1 and 2; the disappointing beach; the cheap merchandise in the boutique; the curious onlookers.
The main restaurant is closed on Wednesdays.
Our final resort, Banyan Tree Samui, was 30 minutes south, and we were pleased that the hotel honored its complimentary airport transfer with a pickup from Cape Fahn instead. Our driver was chatty and informative, telling us about the island along the way.
Situated atop a bluff, the hotel’s lobby-lounge boasts one of the resort’s most breathtaking panoramas. Soaring windows frame the 38 acres of lush hillside, where 88 pool villas spill toward a crescent-shaped cove and secluded beach. Our welcome included drinks, cool towels, coconut cookies and a lotus flower to float in our private pool.
Editor Photos (slideshow below)
Surrounded by jungle, our 1,399-square-foot Ocean View Pool Villa had an impressive exterior, with a lengthy wooden gulf-view deck holding a turquoise-tiled infinity pool, a recessed sunbed, a dining set and beanbag chairs. Before we went inside, I tossed our lotus blossom into our pool. Perhaps as an omen, it plopped upside down.
Although our villa’s spacious layout was beyond reproach, the contemporary-Asian interior was a bit of a letdown. Its lacquered wood furniture, flat silk accent pillows and tented ceilings felt like someone’s outdated and unsophisticated idea of luxury. Continuing the theme, orchid flowers were arranged on the bed next to a brown neck pillow embroidered with a cartoonish monkey.
Throughout our stay, our host was responsive on WhatsApp, handling various last-minute requests. But her off-property recommendations were misguided: A muddy waterfall hike near a depressing-seeming elephant “sanctuary” was the only thing she could come up with.
Instead, we stayed at the resort, making the most of the astounding views: from the main demilune-shaped pool, which surveyed the palm-laden grounds; during breakfasts at the Edge restaurant; and from Saffron, where the scenery outshone the traditional Thai dinner. A highlight of our stay was the beachside barbecue, less for the buffet and sugary cocktails than the show put on by a troupe of death-defying fire dancers.
On the last day, I snagged a coveted reservation at the Banyan Tree Spa’s Rainforest, an 11-step hydrotherapy circuit. Afterward, hoping to shower, I found the locker room and building itself deserted: no towels, no hair dryer, no staff. And at the hotel’s checkout, I was mostly ignored, except when handing over my credit card.
The all-pool-villa Banyan Tree brims with potential. It just needs a bit more finesse to fully capitalize on its beautiful setting.
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Our villa’s spaciousness and numerous places to relax; the views over the bay and beach from our villa and the public areas; the easy access to our host via WhatsApp; our private yoga class.
The sugar-heavy cocktail menu; the few in-room USB outlets; the lack of service at the spa; the tired décor of our room; the chaotic front desk, where we were ignored except when it came time to pay.
The hydrotherapy circuit is free with a wellness treatment; otherwise, there is a fee. Book both early, because they tend to fill quickly. Buggies are required to go most anywhere on the resort.