This was the first time to Thailand for my partner and myself so we had no idea what to expect. The hotel was beautiful set amongst acres of tropical plants and flowers. On arrival we were given a cold drink and wash cloth (which was amazing after our plane flight). The rooms were spacious and very clean, a beautiful bowl of fruit was presented on the dining table on our arrival of the room. I think my only gripe about this was the bed was quite hard, but I did prepare myself for this as I've heard this is quite common in some hotels in Thailand. The bed was absolutely huge though! We had an amazing buffet breakfast everyday which we both couldn't get enough of (i think i put on 2kilos just from this) There was so much to choose from and it was so fresh. The whole resort itself was very clean, staff were constantly sweeping paths. There were two pools one up the hill and one down by the beach which was our favorite. The only really big let down with our trip to Koh Samui was that it was very overcast most of the time and did rain a fair bit, i actually thought i had worked out that we would just miss the rain but that wasn't the case. Its the perfect resort if you are looking for some peace and quiet. If you want to party all night its not the place to be as its about 5-10mins out of Chaweng. Don't pay more than 200baht to get into/home from Chaweng. Even better hire a moped for 200baht a day! this is what we did and its so much fun (and a lot safer than you think, wouldn't recommend moped in patong/phuket) We took a day trip around the whole island and saw so much it was definetly a highlight! I would recommend this hotel to family and couples as it is beautiful and relaxing. So many lovely staff aswell i really cant fault the place.

Firstly, if you are after a sunny vacation do no visit Koh Samui in November. We thought we had researched this but obviously not enough and so the copious amount of rain made the trip less than satisfying- obviously no fault at all of the hotel. Also, it isn't in the middle of the hustle and bustle so if you want to drink or party more, you can probably stay closer to Chewang.

The resort itself is absolutely stunning. Beautiful pools and gardens, and the room was quite spacious and always very clean. We absolutely loved the pool by the beach, and found it to be very relaxing and peaceful during the few sunny periods that we did get. Unfortunately, the beach itself right in front of the pool was filthy and absolutely littered with rubbish to the point where we were unable to lay on the beach and certainly did not want to swim- we were quite surprised that the staff didn't take ten minutes to clean it up, considering it made the whole place a lot less appealing. If we wanted beach time we had to travel into Chewang (5 minute cab ride) because of this.

We found that whilst the food was presented very well, its taste was not as impressive compared to many of the restaurants we had previously tried in Phuket. An even bigger disappointment for us was that many of the restaurant staff did not appear to understand our English. We are Australian and had no trouble communicating in our previous 10 days in Phuket but repeatedly found it difficult, especially at the restaurants. This was frustrating and made us wonder whether different staff are employed during the busier months, because previous reviews have stated the opposite.

We found some individual staff very pleasant and helpful but overall got the feeling that the hotel was trying to rip us off. They gave us a whole bunch of vouchers when we got there, one being "book 3 trips in total in our mini-bus and you will get the next two round trips free". So sure enough on our fourth trip we tried to get out two free round trips only to be told we were meant to book the initial 3 trips all at once. Of course this was not stated anywhere on the voucher and when I calmly explained this to the staff in the lobby they rolled their eyes, and turned their heads away as if I wasn't there. Additionally, at the pool bar they charged my partner more for a scotch and coke than they charged for cocktails because the brought the excess soft drink over with it as well. I think it worked out to about 8 australian dollars which is expensive in thailand. So it was these and many other incidences (e.g. VERY expensive laundry service) that made us decide not to spend another cent at the hotel.

Overall, whilst the hotel is stunning and incredibly relaxing, the staff and service really do "make" a holiday and so we won't be returning next time we are in Samui. We like to think that our disappointments are simply a result of the "low season" lull in Samui that was somewhat felt throughout but it was a huge contrast to our stay in Phuket which was so enjoyable and characterised by friendly and attentive staff.

Having had a Great Time at the Imperial Samui Beach Resort for the third time in May 201, I have been surfing the net for alternatives, great deals on flights and accomadation. What stands out is all the organisations who are offering large percentage discounts for flights and accomadation. I would suggest when these deals are looked at over time they may not be a good as they look! I have found that Flight Centre offer a one stop shop which takes the hassle out of booking travel flights, accomadation, renting a car, transfers and insurance. They are also able to achieve very competitive prices for all these services as well. After spending the last six months looking at most of Hotels in the 4 to 5 star range I have come up with a list of what is important for having a Great Holiday: 1. Attentive and friendly staff, 2. Location not to close but not to far away from the Town Centre, 3. Good pools and close to the beach, 4. Long lazy breakfasts. 5. Being treated as a real person not a number. The Imperial Samui Beach Resort gives you all this and more. The most common complaint I have observed has bee the hard beds, just ask room service for a overtopper be fitted to fix this problem. The Hotel is built on a hill with extensive paths, gardens and fish ponds which start at the top and wind there way to the bottom (beach) this little trek is most enjoyable. Will be going bak in May 2012, Looking forward to seeing all the Staff again especially Pook and Keesorn.

Have a look at this Hotel so many people seem to return year after year, seems thay are doing something right.
D&D

This was our second visit to Imperial Samui Beach Resort, and once again we were very impressed. We had requested a particular room, a little confusion to begin with, but the staff were very professional and the request granted without any fuss what so ever.
For us, as we walked through the foyer, we felt as if we had never left, very comfortable atmosphere, smiling faces to welcome us and eager to make sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our stay.
The one thing I would suggest to everyone is go and eat at "Twisted Thai". Amazing what this young team do with Thai food. We ate here more than once and each time we were surprised. Not just great food. Art. It has the "WOW" factor.
As we have now travelled many times to Thailand, this has become a favourite. We will definitely be back.
Thanks to all the staff for another lovely, warm and welcome visit.