Weekender Resort

Weekender Resort is nestled in the heart of downtown Lamai, though once inside the hotel's sprawling tropical grounds the ambience feels laid back, peaceful, and far removed from the buzz of the city. It's set along a picturesque white-sand beach which is great for swimming, water sports, long walks, or just lounging. The property has quiet common areas for guests to unwind in and a great range of leisure facilities. The large outdoor swimming pool features a gorgeous setting overlooking the tropical gardens and beach. The pool and beach tend to be hubs of activity throughout the day and can get a bit crowded when the hotel is at peak capacity. The restaurant is open-air and includes a large indoor dining hall with a stylish modern aesthetic. Plus, there's an alfresco beachfront dining terrace lined with tables and chairs, beach cabanas, and a small thatched roof bar.

Overlooking Lamai's white sands and ideally located in the heart of downtown, the hotel is within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and shops. Lamai is a decent place to shop and eat, though the nightlife scene is fairly lackluster. Chaweng, located a 30-minute drive from the hotel, is a much better bet for those looking to party. It has tons of nightclubs, beach clubs, cabaret shows, and local bars to choose from. Chaweng also features the Phench Buncha Thai Boxing Stadium as well as the island's largest shopping mall: Central Festival Samui. Guests continuing on their trips to Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, or Surat Thani, can catch a Lomprayah catamaran speedboat from the Maenam Pier, located a 45-minute drive from the hotel. Koh Samui International Airport is also around a 45-minute drive away.

Weekender Resort offers 138 rooms, suites, and villas, all of which feature modern amenities, balcony or terrace seating areas, and large windows. Views face the swimming pool, tropical gardens, or ocean -- though there are only a handful of ocean-view rooms available. Interiors have a stylish and contemporary look, with light-toned woods throughout, parquet floors, and sparsely decorated gray walls. Teal, bronze, and gold painted accents add some bright pops of color to the spaces. Rooms are outfitted with wooden platform beds and comfy mattresses, work desks and chairs, sofa benches, and wardrobes. Standard amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, safes, mini-fridges, kettles, and bottled water.

Pool Villas, the premier room category, offer a high level of privacy and are well suited to couples. Villa plunge pools are lined with wooden sundecks and lounge chairs. Sunrise Suites feature ocean views and have sizable open-planned living areas with lounge spaces and well equipped kitchens. 

Bathrooms feature black terrazzo accents throughout, lots of countertop space, shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and toiletries. During our tour of the hotel we noticed that rooms showed general wear and tear throughout, especially the lower-tier rooms which were quite dated and musty. Standard Rooms have major noise issues as they are positioned adjacent to a busy main road.

The main draws for guests choosing a stay at Weekender Resort are the hotel's gorgeous beachfront setting and the great range of leisure facilities on offer. The beach is fairly wide and is lined with lounge chairs and red umbrellas. Most of the facilities are set beachfront and oriented to take advantage of the ocean views and breeze. The swimming pool has multiple sections, plus plenty of space to spread out. With a large central pool, a narrow lap pool, two smaller shallow pools, and a sprawling deck lined with seating. 

Sunday's Brasserie and bar is a relaxed beachfront dining venue that serves a range of Thai and Western meals, plus a daily breakfast buffet (included in some room rates). Other facilities include a full-service spa, a fitness center, a meeting room and business lounge, a kids' play room, and a small gift shop. On-site parking and Wi-Fi are free, but the Wi-Fi connection can be spotty.