162/2 Moo 2 Chaweng Beach, Chaweng, Thailand | (888) 616-5829
Located on a clean, sandy beach
Rooms have contemporary Thai decor, large bathtubs, and free Wi-Fi
Beautifully decorated outdoor pool faces the beach
Elegant beachfront restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Dinner restaurant faces the road for people watching
Live music at night
Fast walking distance to restaurants, bars, and shops
Dramatic lobby set with purple pillars and day beds
Noisy, both from nightlife in Chaweng and overhead planes
Breakfast not included (available with some packages)
Expensive for amenities offered
No spa nor fitness on property
Pool is shallow
The upper-middle-range Dara Samui Beach Resort is located on Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui's most popular beach and party town. The resort is a 10- to 15-minute drive from the airport and surrounded by hundreds of restaurants, bars, and shopping spots. The resort is mid-sized, with rooms set along a narrow corridor leading from the beach road to the sand. Rooms have northern Thai Lanna decor, wood floors, and some four-poster beds. All rooms have 32-inch flat-screen TVs, bathtubs, and free Wi-Fi. There's a shallow pool here, more decorative than useful for swimming, and a sandy beach area. Despite the name, there isn't a spa here, but there are two nice restaurants and a pool bar. Prices are high for amenities offered, travelers might want to shop around for a better deal.
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Scene
Eye-catching northern Thai Lanna architecture on the beach
The exterior of Dara Samui is beautifully designed with North Lanna architecture and influence. Statues of twin dragons greet guests in front of white steps that lead into the spacious lobby, dramatically painted in tones of purple, gold, and red. Elephant statues and floor-to-ceiling purple pillars painted with gold designs add interest to the space. A day bed and circular wicker couch provide places to relax.The Dara attracts a mix of couples and families looking for a convenient beach holiday in the center of Chaweng. The main hangout here is of course the beach and pool, both of which are crowded all day. In the evening, the scene shifts to the two on-site restaurants, one of which is right next to the beach and serves romantic dinners, while the other faces the main road, taking in all of Chaweng's busy nightlife, and has live music each evening. The resort is a casual place, certainly not fancy, but budget and value seekers might want to head elsewhere.
Location
Located on Chaweng Beach, Samui's main party town and beach
The Dara Samui Beach Resort is located on Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui's premier party town and main beach. The resort is toward the northern end of town, and occupies space between the beach road and beach. It's a short stroll in any direction to plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops, and it's only a 10- to 15-minute drive to the airport. It's a convenient location, although Chaweng is on the airport's departure flight path, making for overhead noise. The nightlife and streets can get pretty raucous.
Rooms
Traditional Thai design and cozy extras
The rooms at the Dara Samui Beach feature northern Thai Lanna decor, with patterned bed and cushion covers, rattan day beds, and wood floors. All rooms come with small desks, large 32-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, electric kettles, mini-fridges, hairdryers, slippers and robes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms feature separate bathtubs and showers. Hand-painted sinks and green tile look cheerful. The higher category Villa and Suite rooms have four-poster beds and the Villas feature outdoor rain showers. All rooms have furnished balconies or terraces, although they don't offer any real views; one cannot see the beach or sea from any of the rooms.
Features
Two restaurants, a pool, and beach access
Despite having Spa Villa in its name, the Dara Samui does not have a spa. It doesn't have a fitness center either. What it does offer is a meandering pool, more suitable as a decoration than for swimming, as it is narrow, shallow, and winds through the beach area of the property. Statues of topless mermaids and swimming dolphins add interest to the pool deck. The beach is beautiful, but the area in front of the resort is somewhat narrow.The resort has two popular restaurants: The Serene is located right along the beach, and serves buffet breakfasts, lunch, and romantic seafood dinners along with international and Thai fare. Breakfast is included with some room packages. There's a pool bar that serves drinks throughout the day. In front of the resort on the beach road side is the Lanna, a Thai restaurant that also serves fresh seafood. At night they have live music and feature different theme nights throughout the week.Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.
