Having come to Samui from really excellent accomodation in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we (family with 2 children) felt that although perfectly pleasant, the Samui Buri was lacking something. The answer could be...guests. Although we like a quiet time, lack of guests seemed to be a bit of a demotivating factor for the staff who found themselves with not enough to do. Here they were on a tropical island and many of them (especially as you got closer to the beach end) seemed just a little bit...bored. A couple of requests we made were never followed up. Wasn't anything important, but stopped us asking for an early morning call on departure as - well - you never know...It might have helped if the manager had done the rounds welcoming guests. At dinner in a nearby hotel we got a lovely welcome from the manager there.
Breakfast was very good, with a wide selection to suit all tastes, including Thai and western choices, but we never had dinner there. We skipped their 'Italian night' because we were in Thailand! We eat enough Italian food at home, thanks. There are plenty of other eateries nearby serving good food.
Our pool access room was very spacious and comfortable; there seemed to be no guests in adjoining rooms so we had the whole length of the pool to ourselves. Perhaps the bathroom could have done with a lick of paint, but it was large and well-appointed. The room was also a good way from the beachside (unlike the villas) so we couldn't hear the incessant pool bar muzak or the lovely lady with the microphone. Although the hotel lobby is attractive, we found the beachside pool area a bit of a concrete bunker and as other people have commented, it is totally lacking in natural shade. When he could be found, the pool attendant spent his day rolling concrete umbrella bases around for gently frying guests. Some more tropical planting would cheer up the rather stark white wall adjoining the pool area too. Perhaps these are minor points to most, but would make an otherwise lovely view out to sea and Koh Phangan beyond even more pleasant.
No complaints on the hotel location: Maenam beach is very pretty and mercifully way up the coast from the topless sunbathers/tattoo parlours/western bars that adorn the beach front at the 'quaint fishermen's village' of Bophut.

My partner and I stayed for 2 nights at Samui Buri Beach Resort in August. We loved the location right on Maenam Beach - a beach that has not been spoiled by development like some of the others. The pool & beach area are what make this hotel great. Loved the swim up bar and the pool being right by the beach, where the water was always calm and blue. We had a pool access room which I wouldn't bother with next time, as we spent all our time at the main pool & beach. Breakfast was good, with all the usual things, liked that you could sit out by the beach and eat too. We weren't there long enough to comment on the location of the hotel to any amenities really, although there are a couple of local restaurants just outside the resort that we tried and liked. Was great for access to the Lomprayah Pier, we could just walk down to get our ferry. Great stay, would stay again for sure.
One thing to note, the air con is very noisy, kept us away, but was too hot to turn it off, probably needs updating. Rooms were a little dark too, but thats quite nice after all that sunshine!

The recent reviews of this hotel are so unfair and frankly insulting to both Thai people and fellow travellers.
We have travelled to many places in the world and is it's good to compare to other hotels.
Location-the hotel is set further out of Mae Nam Beach Resort but I found this to be a bonus. Around the hotel there are at least four good restaurants and due to its quiet location you are able to get to know the locals. We did visit other resorts and much preferred the friendliness of Mae Nam-I just hope this continues as development takes place. You can walk along the beach for a fair way and their are several good bars and places to eat.
Staff-All the staff seemed to be very hard working and did their best to make you feel welcome. We found we were treated with nothing but the utmost respect and courtesy.
Facilities-our room was very spacious and had everything we needed. We had a pool access room which was fabulous and we really got a lot of use of it. There is a large fridge which we filled with our own provisions from the supermarket. It was cleaned daily but I did feel the bathroom could have been better-stains on toilet and the bins from previous guests.
The lobby area and grounds were immaculate. The plants were beautiful and well tended.
One big improvement that could be made is the availability of shade. There is a beautiful infinity pool and restaurant area that looks across the beach. However, the only shade is via beach parasols. I spent one day sat on my room terrace because there were no parasols left after 10am and the sun was too fierce to sit in. Staff worked really hard (Chan) to move parasols about but there seems to be a real shortage. Outside the restaurant there is a beautiful cushioned area and a canopy over this would improve it.
We didn't eat in the hotel because we thought it was too expensive compared to other places around it. We had breakfast everyday and found that to be lovely. overall this is a quiet, peaceful place to stay and if you want more 'action' it's only a walk or cab ride away.