I’m a beach babe through and through. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’ve got a supermodel-esque body. I just mean I love the beach and everything that’s got to do with it. The fine sand, the water, the breeze – and how it’s the one place where earth, water and sky meet.
We travelled recently to Ko Samet, Thailand and stayed at Sai Kaew Beach Resort. This resort currently ranks #8 of 20 hotels in Ko Samet on TripAdvisor and has a Certificate of Excellence. We booked a Double Premier Seaside room for 2 nights via Hotelopia and had no problems with our reservation.
Location
The resort is located in the north of Ko Samet and faces southeast, in case you were thinking of either catching the sunrise or sunset. It’s right on the beach and has its own private beach for its guests. It’s address is 8/1 Moo 4 | Phe, Mueang Rayong, Ko Samet 21160, Thailand (click on the link to see it on Google maps). If you don’t catch the ferry from Ban Phe pier to get to the island, you can get a speedboat that costs a little more and it will take you right to the beach of the resort. Of course, this means you’ll be getting your legs wet as the boat can only take you so near to the land.
Room
Our room was very spacious for the price we paid. There was so much room to move about even after placing our baggage wide open beside the bed. We didn’t even make use of the balcony, which could fit 6 people nicely if some wouldn’t mind sitting on the floor. I love how the floor-to-ceiling sliding doors allow sunlight through, so the room is bright in the day. Everything was clean and tidy when we got there.
Even the bathroom was huge. Right there in the shower area, you can fit 3 people and still have space to move around (not that we tried). You could probably slow dance as a couple in there too (we didn’t try this either). There are also 4 towels provided by the resort – 2 blue ones for the beach and 2 white ones for the bathroom. The only gripe I have with this room is the shower, which alternates on its own between hot and cold water when all you want is something warm.
Service
The service met our expectations. Room service came in an appropriate amount of time and everyone was very pleasant. We realised that our electrical plugs didn’t match the ones in the wall, and tried our luck by asking the receptionist for an international adapter. Again, they had what we needed, which as great. The staff also understood English well, a feature which I have found to be lacking in some other establishments in Asia. Actually, now that I think about it, this doesn’t happen only in Asia but that will be another review for another day.
Overall & Price
The resort itself is excellent in terms of price, value for money, service and location. The beach can be filled with activities, as many visitors to the other parts of the beach try their hands at water sports, so if you are looking for a quiet time, you might prefer lounging by the pool instead. There’s enough greenery around the resort but what strikes me most are how near it is to the beach and the amount of space you get. Even the restaurant that serves the daily buffet breakfast has such a high ceiling, you just feel like you’re getting the amount of oxygen you rightfully deserve.
We paid about S$530 for the two nights we were there, which included breakfast and free wifi. Based on our experience at Sai Kaew Resort, I definitely recommend this resort to anyone looking to visit Ko Samet.
Travel far and wide,
Roxanne