Located in a nice part of the beach, close to the town with all their restaurants and bars. The room was spacious a very well appointed, very attentive staff. The pool area, while not very big, was very nice and well maintained. I will most definitely recommend this hotel
I'm traveling a lot around the world for business and the most important thing is to listen to your customer.
When I came to the hotel, I didn't know if I'm going to stay for long, but I said that I believe that I'll stay for 5 nights and I want to pay for 2 nights in advance, while they promised that for same type of room (building see view) the price will remain the same. I came back after one night and asked to pay for the rest of the nights and surprisingly, it wasn't available and although they mentioned it in the first place, I expected them to tell to existing guest that it's on the table and give him the option to extend his stay.
Moreover, they said that I should pay a different price. (500bhat more)
The scenario was ridicules, while me and my sister were really surprised by Orasa's approach, she was very aggressive, rude and not polite.. (Front desk manager)
I wanted to stay in the hotel and I didn't stay because of her behavior and not because of the money.
I was really surprise, since my sister already staid there with her husband few years ago and the experience was different. It's probably not so nice when you are paying so much money and the staff is doing you a favor and answer aggressively and rudely.
Shame!!!
Before starting my review I read the mediocre two star review and wondered if my wife and I had stayed at the same place! Agree the poor WIFI but this (I understand) is due to Thailand not embracing 3G. Jasmine's WIFI was no different to many of the others I stayed at up and down Thailand. In any case there are 2 PCs in Reception that worked at a reasonable speed and were always available.
I have to say my experience was fundamentally different. On arrival we were greeted with a welcome drink and settled into our room by a very attentive member of staff who showed us how everything worked. We stayed in a Garden View Room which was more than big enough for the two of us. A nice area outside with two loungers and a ceiling fan to keep you cool. Inside a very comfortable and sizeable bed. The bathroom had a decent size shower and also a generously sized bath. However it is built in a partially open style and you 'isolate' yourself by means of two screens that go up and down electronically. Never seen this before and not an issue for my wife and I however those who guard their privacy might be aghast.
Breakfast was a very wide choice of Fried, Eggs (however you want them), fruit, cereal, toast or something a touch more oriental. Staff were very quick to clear your plate or glass when it was empty. Arguably they could be a bit too keen but I also have to add that on most occasions I was offered a refill before the glass/cup was removed. One thing that cannot be denied is the fantastic view out over the Gulf of Thailand which is the backdrop to any meal in the Restaurant.
The walk from the hotel to the restaurant, pool and beach is via a very pleasant and well maintained garden area. The pool is adequate in size with a small number of sunbeds. During my 6 day stay a bed was always available by the pool. This is because most people head for the fantastic beach. Once again sunbeds are freely avaiable with no extra charge. The only issue is the constant harassment of local traders who roam the beach trying to sell a variety of foot scrubs, ice creams or coconut decorations to name but a few. The traders are not allowed into the hotel pool area but to be fair nobody seems to mind them too much and they all understand the word NO!
On the day of our departure we had a late evening flight. On arrival I enquired about late check out. The charge is 50% of the total rate. However I was also offered the opportunity to check out as normal at midday and take a shower before departure. This i duly did and was pleasantly surprised on being shown back to my room for a shower before leaving. Obviously it had not been occupied but I thought it was a nice touch.
A mixture of couples and families with young children were resident during my stay. I would recommend Samui Jasmine to all leisure travellers.
When we arrived the room was ready with a bath of rose petals and a happy honeymoon cake. The room was beautiful and very well finished (see photos). No compromises have been made in the decor and presentation of the room. The cleanliness was maintained throughout our stay. My wife especially enjoyed the large bathtub.
Our first night we ate dinner on the beach by oil lamp. Fresh fish and seafood (including live lobster/crab) choices were available to pick from. They have a large menu with both western and Thai food, prices aimed at westerners; being comparable to what you would pay in an average London restaurant. All the food was well prepared. There was a live singer/guitarist playing in the background while we ate. Staff were very attentive and service was quick. Good selection of cocktails, again comparable to London prices.
Breakfast was a buffet of mostly English/European breakfast food, with the occasional Thai (rice) dish. The view from breakfast area onto the beach was beautiful.
Throughout our stay the staff were friendly, helpful and always smiling. On the way to breakfast we reported that one of the light bulbs in our room had failed, by the time we were back from breakfast it was replaced. There was a good selection of food from room service.
Getting to anywhere on the island was not hard, hotel reception were happy to arrange transport for us - ensuring price was agreed in advance (at our cost). Within 15 minutes walking distance there were many shops and restaurants (including 7/11 and TESCO). Sundays there is a market selling art/craft, clothes etc and also many hot/cold food stalls. On the morning we left reception had arranged transport for us to the airport and provided a packed breakfast. This was the perfect place to relax at the end of a busy holiday.
... And it's not just the exterior I'm talking about. If you are planning on staying here for its rustic charm you'll certainly get it - and I mean the old, tired kind, not a "cool! I feel at home" rustic charm. Let's begin:
1) We paid extra for the airport pick-up service. Nice van but the driver didn't speak a word to us. Whatever, we don't have to talk, but it was a solemn first impression of Koh Samui and the resort.
2) hotel - located off the main road in Lamai and tucked away in a strange smelly alley. You have to walk past overbearing retail shop owners and hotel staff smoking, sitting, and staring at you every time you go in and out of the hotel. Lobby was quite pathetic (sorry to be blunt) but it was about the size of my bedroom. The hotel directly across from this one had an expansive, newer looking open-air lobby.
3) wifi - yes, it's free. But it certainly isn't high speed. I heard the connection is slow everywhere on the island, but I wouldn't know. I do know that it stopped working for a part of our stay and it was quite frustrating when all of the other wifi networks at neighbouring hotels worked (but we didn't have access to them, since we were staying at the Samui Jasmine)
4) staff - they're nice - but it all felt a bit forced and their attitude was indifferent at best. Everyone looked so tired, especially the front of house staff. Could they not have found happier, cheerful looking people to serve us during our first dinner out on the hotel's beach?
5) Buffet/restaurant - so many staff, so useless. I speak mostly for the breakfast buffet. It seems they were told that their only job was to clear the plates. It was weird for them to take away my empty water glass and not refill it for me instead. Also, they don't have cold drinking water, only room temp water. It was a hot morning so I asked for a glass of cold water and they looked a bit surprised before heading to the bar by the pool to get a cold bottle of water. I don't know if they charged us for it.
6) pool - tiny. sure it's an infinity pool, but certainly not the kind of luxury pool that comes to mind when I think of an infinity pool. Skip it, the beach is better.
7) this is a big one for me - most of our white towels (and I mean like all but one or two) had dark faded stains on it. I'm not talking a little speck here and there, I mean reddish brown stains big enough to notice right away. This was also unfortunately the case for the white napkins at the restaurant too.
8) Bathroom... Every time we flushed the toilet, the entire bathroom smelled like a sewer for a minute. Gross! There is an odd-looking sink that's slanted. It's not functional and it doesn't look good either. I was not a fan of the waterfall shower (it's NOT a shower head).
9) location - perhaps the only saving grace. It's right on the beach. There are some stray dogs and cats that will come near you as you eat or relax, but I didn't mind. I found it a bit weird that the staff let them walk around the restaurant tables while guests ate.
10) water bottles are complimentary. They also provided us with a couple beach towels which was nice.
In conclusion, do I think this hotel is worth the money? Definitely not, and I won't return. Some sites state that this is a 4 star hotel - absolutely not. It deserves three stars, maybe 3.5 at best. There were some basic services that were nice but among the many flaws of this old looking hotel, it was like a bad hodgepodge of high and low amenities.
I mentioned the hotel next door in my review because it was one of the hotels I was looking at before booking with Samui Jasmine. It is called the Thai House Beach Resort. They're in the same price range, with Samui Jasmine being a bit more expensive. As an outsider, the Thai House looked much nicer, newer, and bigger (from the lobby). It's also right on the beach with wifi that worked all the time... Perhaps I would book there instead during my next stay.
This is a really nice hotel with friendly staff, free wifi and drinking water, right on the doorstep is a lovely beach with plenty of sun beds.
Breakfast was good with many options, mini bar was well stocked and reasonable prices.
We were allowed use of our room until 3 pm the day we were leaving (check out time12pm) at no extra charge.
Over all it was the perfect end to a 3 week holiday.
