Chaweng Regent Beach Resort

Despite its location in a busy section of Chaweng, Chaweng Regent Beach Resort has a quiet, tucked-away feel, an ambiance that's kicked off by the lemongrass tea offered to guests on arrival. The resort's tropical grounds are lush and beautiful, and feature koi ponds, coconut palms, and a wide variety of other native trees, flowers, and shrubs. Crossed by a bridge and surrounded by a deck with comfortable day beds, the garden freshwater swimming pool and children's pool means plenty of families pass through this hotel. Relaxing is the name of the game here, and guests can be found on the white-sand beach -- which features calm waters most of the year -- and around the pools in various states of repose. The resort's interiors feature rich colors, lots of teak and other dark wood, and Thai decorative motifs. Style throughout the property can be uneven -- there are traditional common spaces and a few dated rooms alongside some guest rooms that are sleek and contemporary. A gentle breeze usually wafts through the hotel, and the public spaces get good natural light and plenty of air. While families make up a large part of the resort's guests, it also draws plenty of couples on holiday. Rates can be high, though, even for the central Chaweng location.

Chaweng Regent Beach Resort is situated in the middle of four-mile Chaweng Beach, in an area packed with other resorts. Numerous shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and cabaret shows are a short walk away. The Central Festival shopping complex is a little over 10 minutes away on foot, and Laem Din market is a 12-minute walk from the hotel. The center of Muay Thai boxing in Koh Samui, Petchbuncha Boxing Stadium is a five-minute drive away, as is Aquapark, which features human catapults, a 15-foot climbing wall, and giant trampolines on the waters of the gulf. Those looking for the more spiritual side of Koh Samui will find Koh Samui's famous Big Buddha at Wat Phra Yak Buddhist temple, a little over a 20-minute drive away, while the views from the hilltop Wat Khao Hua Jook Buddhist temple are 30 minutes away by car. Guests coming from Samui International Airport will drive a little over 10 minutes to reach Chaweng Regent Beach Resort.

Rooms and villas are a bit of a mixed bag here. There are many rooms that are attractive and contemporary -- like the Deluxe Villa and the Grand Premier Room that we visited -- with artsy interiors, on-trend color palettes, and sleek modern furniture Thai feel. These rooms are constructed with upscale materials like hardwood, marble, and granite, and have chic wall art, like the oversize sculptural pieces that include feathers and tree branches. Other rooms, like the Deluxe Room that we saw, are fine, but far less stylish, with an abundance of light wood paneling and chunky forms reminiscent of the late '90s. Rooms are quiet, despite the resort's location in a busy stretch of Chaweng. At 300 to 1175 square feet in size (28 to 109 square meters), they're also spacious. Some guests may find the mattresses a bit firm, so the resort offers soft mattress toppers upon request. All 139 rooms and villas come with safes, electric kettles, free bottled water, minibars, bathrobes, sandals, umbrellas, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with DVD players and a wide range of English and international channels. Some rooms have sofa beds, or balconies or terraces with plush day beds and/or sea views -- check ahead as these features vary. Bathrooms are clean and spacious, with good space around the sink for personal items. Most bathrooms have separate showers and soaking tubs, though some rooms and villas have oversized jetted tubs or outdoor tubs. Rooms are all non-smoking. 

Chaweng Regent Beach Resort features a big stretch of beach with day beds and kayaks, and calm water suitable for swimming most of the year. Guests can also swim in two freshwater pools, one of which is a 2,900-square-foot (269-square-meter) beachfront pool and the other a 4,735-square-foot (440-square-meter) garden pool. Both have children's pools, the beachfront pool has a poolside bar, and the garden pool has a swim-up bar. Massages, facials, or other treatments are available at the spa, which features ten treatment rooms, separate male and female steam rooms and saunas, a hydrotherapy bath, outdoor hot tub, an outdoor garden massage room, and outdoor showers. Staffed by an attendant, the excellent fitness center has a wide range of modern cardio and weight equipment, exercise balls, and free yoga lessons. The resort serves a breakfast buffet with a cooked-to-order egg station and a wide variety of Asian and Western hot and cold items, though it's not included in room rates, which are quite high. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner with international and Thai cuisine plus alfresco dining both day and night. The restaurant puts on weekly theme nights as well. A second restaurant has outdoor seating, and serves grilled items plus Mediterranean, European, and fusion cuisine. It has a big wine cellar with international vintages and features nightly live music. Room service is available, and the resort also offers cooking classes, beach parties with barbecues, and romantic sunset beach dinners by candlelight, though there are fees for all of these. The staff can arrange tours, car rentals, and paid airport transfers. Also on site are a beauty salon, gift shop, business center, reading room, free parking, and 24-hour front desk. Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort.