Vongdeuan Resort

Named after the crescent-shaped bay it's located on, Vongdeuan Resort is a simple property that offers a quiet alternative to the buzzing Koh Samet Beach area.  Guests arrive to a traditional wooden pavilion-style lobby decorated with carvings, flower pots, and stained glass. While locally inspired accents add some charm, the look is dated and continues to many rooms. Nevertheless, paved paths lead through lush grounds, connecting the reception, rooms, swimming pool, and open-air restaurant and bar. There's not a lot to do here except enjoy the scenery from a plastic lounger, so the hotel is best suited to low-key couples wanting an affordable and relaxing beach getaway. As is typical for a tropical location, mosquitos and bugs are prevalent, so it's recommended to bring repellant. 

The resort is located on a tranquil beach on the east coast of Koh Samet, around 15 minutes by speedboat from Ban Phe Pier on the mainland, and a farther two-hour drive from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The resort’s rates include free shuttle boat transfers. There's not much within walking distance of the property, aside from a few restaurants and mini-mart. More restaurant and nightlife options are by the main Koh Samet Beach, about an eight-minute drive north. Khao Laemya National Park is around 12 minutes away by car.

The Vongdeuan Resort offer clean, air-conditioned rooms that range from simple, somewhat dated Standard Rooms, to more contemporary and charming Thai and Beach Houses. Standard Rooms have terra-cotta tiles and basic, mismatched wood furniture, plus old-fashioned linens, while maritime-themed Beach Houses have contemporary all-white furniture and tiled-floors, and blue accents in the form of throw pillows, lighthouse bedside lamps, and artworks. Meanwhile, the cozy wooden Thai Houses on stilts feature intricate carvings, thatched roofs, teak furniture, and floral motifs on curtains and divans.

All rooms come with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, tea- and coffee-making facilities, minibars, and furnished terraces -- some of which have loungers facing the ocean. Note that some rooms lack safes. Bathrooms have showers -- some with rainfall showerheads -- plus hairdryers and toiletries. 

The resort is set directly on a stunning white-sand beach lined with plastic white loungers and umbrellas. Kayaks can be rented from the hotel. Although a bit obstructed by trees, an outdoor swimming pool has views of the ocean and is surrounded by a wooden deck lined with loungers and umbrellas. A small shallow pool is available here for kids. A massage hut is on the beach, but there's no gym.

Open all day, the open-air beachside restaurant serves Thai and international cuisines that receives positive reviews from the majority of guests. A barbecue area and an outdoor deck with plastic tables and chairs shaded by umbrellas are here. All rates include a plentiful buffet breakfast with made-to-order omelets available. The all-day Tempo Bar & Internet Cafe serves coffee drinks and cocktails either at a thatched-roof beach hut or on a deck dotted with metal tables and chairs.