Built on slopes of a steep hillside, W Koh Samui Hotel is a luxury resort located between Maenam and Bo Phut, along a stretch of some of the finest and most pristine beach locations in Thailand. Having booked a long weekend vacation over the New Year, W Koh Samui had plenty of expectations to meet, some of them dashed, due to the light rains which plagued an afternoon or two. Otherwise, like the previous experiences at other W Hotel properties, such as Sentosa in particular, the luxurious seaside resort is nothing short of spectacular.

Nine miles of tropical island paradise await you at the W Koh Samui Hotel, where 74 private-pool villas, a tropical beach and six restaurants and bars electrify the night, offering all the indulgence and luxury you could possibly ask for.

Review: W Hotel Koh Samui – Putting the “W” in Wow

A large number of private villas of the Koh Samui luxury resort are built upon the slopes while others are set level at the beach with an exclusive few having a direct view of the sea. Suffice to say, the aesthetics lean towards ultra chic. And while the author enjoyed more humble surrounds in one of the less premium suites, he did have the pleasure of being a guest at one of the aptly named Extreme Wow Ocean Haven Villas (more on that in a bit).

As mentioned, some of the W Koh Samui villas have a view of the sea, like ours – a Jungle Oasis luxury villa that greeted us with an amazing array of red finishings, from sofa pillows and silk designer lamps to sideboards and wall-integrated shelves. While it provided for some visual excitement, the serene views of placid waters of the Gulf of Thailand compensated well for it. Naturally, we vegetated on the huge wooden deck beside our expansive private pool where an oversized day-bed (obscured by foliage and scant lighting in the twilight makes for romantic preludes), while two sun lounge chairs and a wooden dining table for two completes the escapade for lovebirds.

That said, our first evening was a little fraught with having to deal with the myriad of insects, an obvious occurrence given the woodland surrounds of our private villa. High ceilings, a spacious bath and all the high end amenities which one has come to expect from a W Hotel residence are present complete with high-end Illy Coffee machine and mini-bar filled with interesting drinks and snacks. That said, the Jungle View is not great if the missus is a little insect-phobic so we requested for a switch and they acquiesced. We moved into one of the highest vantage points of W Koh Samui Hotel, the Ocean View Escape, where some of the best views in the luxury seaside entire resort thanks to stunning floor-to-ceiling windows greeted us; as our second evening beckoned, a fiery red sunset welcomed us in the night activities in the main hotel where we elected to visit the W Lounge.

It’s easy to make friends at the W Lounge, and it’s not-your-ordinary lounge, an eclectic, electric mix of lotus-shaped sunken seats—part of a spectacular circular water feature—panoramic views of the islands and seascape, outsized lamps, and inviting lounges and daybeds. Meanwhile, raw cut local quarry stone bar serves a variety of custom cocktails and light bites where we made quick friends who happened to have a Wow Jungle Oasis villa at the luxury seaside resort.

The bedroom of the Wow Jungle Oasis overlooks the pool and deck, where you can gaze over paradise. But most impressively, a sprawling private pool, 50 square meters of clear, pristine waters was the perfect feature for a pool party or simply as a meditative element as one relaxed on the oversized day bed or two sun lounges for all-day and night basking. The barbeque pit is a thoughtful feature but a little redundant given that most usually don’t like to prepare their own dinner while on holiday (maybe W Koh Samui was catering to Australians and Lord knows they love a good barbie). The Wow Jungle Oasis at the luxury seaside resort also features an extra-roomy bathroom with separate shower and toilet, and a large round tub for two; the outdoor shower is a nice touch to complete your commune with nature.

Life at W Koh Samui Luxury Resort

W Koh Samui Hotel offers a delectable series of specials at its signature bars and restaurants. Inspired by the W Koh Samui resort lifestyle, the food and drink specials celebrate meeting, mingling, cocktails, wine and cuisine – all while showcasing each of the luxury seaside resort’s stunning destination venues.

The aptly named AWAY spa certainly set us in the right frame of mind to get away, the W way (pun intended). The luxury seaside resort’s extravagant spa is outfitted for total privacy and complete renewal. A spa with five luxurious pavilions, seven treatment rooms blend vivid colors with inspiring scents, imaginative sounds, energizing lighting and detoxifying potions laced with local flavors, the perfect (if slightly distracting place to detox because you just want to check everything out). Here, natural healing therapies prepare you for whatever comes next for when you leave W Koh Samui to return to real life: Do try Asia’s first Thaimazcal® herbal sauna/steam experience, where you’ll enjoy an extraordinary thermal bath, inspired by the traditional Mexican Temazcal ritual; It works to cleanse and purify the body and soul. Refuel. Luxuriate in the essential oils, massage gels, body scrubs and wraps designed especially for our spa, and you. Then, energize with juices, smoothies, light snacks and other refreshments from Tonic Bar.

Breakfast at Kitchen Table was not much to shout out but dinner at Namu, W Koh Samui’s Japanese restaurant was to die for, quality levels approach the Michelin starred Nobu where we had dined before and this is saying something, considering that we were in Thailand, the sashimi was crazy fresh which the wife insouciantly pointed out – hey! we’re by the ocean.

Overall Experience

The location is great, making it very easy to get to Bo Phut / Fishermans’ Village (Friday night market is super) for even more eating options and souvenirs should you tire (and we pray never) of the W Koh Samui’s in-house cuisine. Overall, W staff make you feel like VIP guests, it’s the perfect place to unwind and relax. LUXUO rates our stay at the W Koh Samui Hotel 10/10

Book your stay at W Koh Samui Hotel here.