Koh Samet Hotels with Airport pickup service

This hotel has the best atmosphere on the Sai Kaew Beach, but it asking price far exceeds the value of dining and service they provide. Basically, they charge close to 5-star prices for what is essentially a pretty nice 3-star hotel. Hotel staff were fine, but the staff at the beach club, which is part of the hotel, tend to be very rude to customers. They enjoy giving guests orders that do not make much sense. Other guests got yelled at for resting their legs on a chair at the their table. I came back from the beach, dried myself and changed a shirt before sitting down on a beach towel, and I was ordered to leave (by yelling) because I'm wet. I am respectful of rules and my family and I have visited many beach front properties, I do not believe we commited any violation of etiquette. I also did not see any of these ”rules” displayed near the beach club. May be this is part of their culture at the Sai Kaew Resort, but when they ask for almost USD 20 (incl. tax) for a simple plate of pasta and YELL at customers, then none of these is acceptable. PS. We stayed over 4 nights, and the breakfast buffet was swarmed by flies every morning. Their food court style free seating arrangement means we had to awkwardly hunt down tables ourselves. Again, TOTALLY NOT WORTH THE MONEY.

I’ll start by saying that the hotel’s surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful. The beach is one of the best on the island - clean and tranquil. It made spending time in the hotel a delight. And overall, we had a really memorable time - which was enhanced by exploring the island on motorbikes every day (which you can rent from the hotel). However, there are a number of areas where there could be significant scope for improvement and which, if improved, could make this a much better class of hotel. These are primarily: 1. There was repeated miscommunication with the hotel staff, who generally-speaking (with the exception of one or two receptionists) have poor English. It would of course be unreasonable to expect everyone to speak perfect English; that’s not my criticism here. But what I will say is that a lack of common language between us and the hotel staff made asking questions, even simple ones, about our trip difficult and led to mistakes. 2. The food is really poor at the hotel restaurant, Breeze. We had expensive Thai food which was inedible in part and the only bad meal which we have had during our two week stay in Thailand. Until improved, I’d suggest going to other restaurants on the island - Banana Bar is a real highlight. 3. The rooms which we were first shown to were unacceptably far away from the main hotel and up a number of flights of steps. We asked to change and were moved with no questions asked, which was a great result for us. We thought the hotel dealt with that issue brilliantly. We wondered how often they had encountered this issue having shown people to those rooms. And to be honest, those rooms shouldn’t really be hired out at all unless it is for a serious discount and it’s made clear to guests when they book. 4. Parts of the hotel feel unloved and a bit neglected to be honest - I don’t want to be too harsh here as it may be that the hotelier hasn’t been able to put as much money back into the resort following COVID and it’s aftermath. In particular, the room showers could do with an update. And generally there is an outdated feel to the hotel which could do with being modernised - the furniture in the common parts, the shower by the pool, etc. For the reasons above and taking into account the price paid for our stay, I would give Ao Prao three stars, but my lasting feeling is that with a bit more money, love and attention to detail, it could become a four or five star in the future.

As a couple who have traveled to many luxurious destinations around the world, we can confidently say that the Paradee Resort is truly one of the most incredible places we have ever had the pleasure of staying at. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly by a fleet of friendly faces and introduced to the destination. We were immediately enveloped in the serene and tranquil atmosphere of this tropical paradise. The resort's lush tropical greenery and extraordinarily pristine beaches are enough to take your breath away, but it's the incredible attention to detail and top-notch service that really sets the Paradee resort apart, with our spa experience made top notch by Noi and Pin. Every single staff member is incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure that your every need is taken care of throughout your stay, with special mention to Tony. And the accommodations themselves are simply stunning, with spacious, beautifully-appointed rooms that provide the perfect blend of luxury and comfort, with our experience in the Garden Pool Villa absolutely exceptional. But perhaps the highlight of my stay was the incredible food. The resort's restaurant offer an incredible selection of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients that are expertly prepared and presented. Whether you're in the mood for Thai specialties or international cuisine, the Paradee's culinary offerings are sure to impress even the most discerning foodies. Our favourite meals were the chicken pad see ewe, duck Massaman curry and the chocolate and peanut butter lasagne that we indulged ourselves with more than once! All in all, I can't recommend the Paradee Resort enough. If you're looking for a truly luxurious and unforgettable experience on Ko Samet, this is definitely the place to be and we can’t wait to return!