The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui

I've been here countless times; it's my happy home away from home in Koh Samui. I'll probably keep coming back. I had a really great time again this visit, as it's such a familiar place.

The furniture design in the room had flaws. Photo 1 shows the foot of the bed, where the wooden corners were extremely sharp. My family of three all ended up with scratches or bumps from these corners. If you have young children, this truly poses a significant safety hazard. Photo 2 shows the washbasin, which was very shallow, and the faucet wasn't splash-proof, so water splashed everywhere as soon as it was turned on. The hotel is massive, and you need to call an electric buggy to get around. Upon arrival, the young lady who helped us with check-in was very sweet and spoke excellent Chinese; my first impression was initially very good. However, we waited almost an hour for our room in a very large lounge near the beach. There was also construction going on near our room. In the afternoon, while resting in the room, the power went out a few times, but it was quickly restored each time. When we went out for dinner in the evening, I informed the hotel about these issues, and they said they would send someone to check. Who knew that evening, while I was showering, the power suddenly went out again and lasted for about 20 minutes? I finished showering in complete darkness, and the hotel only offered a phone call apology. The most infuriating part was the next day: I called an electric buggy to go to the spa, but it never arrived even after half an hour. I called again to ask if they had forgotten, and they told me it would be there shortly and to wait a bit longer. A few minutes later, the phone rang, saying the buggy had arrived and I should come out. To my surprise, when I came out, that buggy was carrying other guests! They actually explained that someone else came out before me. So, I asked, did those other guests book a buggy? If they did, shouldn't two buggies have been dispatched? I was absolutely livid and gave them an earful. After swimming at the spa, I returned to my room, and their manager, Pony, came over. She understood the situation and apologized to me. Finally, to express their apology, she covered our dinner on the beach that evening. I suppose this is what a large resort group should do for crisis management.

This was the first hotel I stayed at in Koh Samui, out of four in total (this one, Holiday Inn, Conrad, Anantara). This place definitely offered the best value for money. Upon arrival at the front desk, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Thai lady who spoke fluent Chinese, and there was also another Chinese staff member. What really delighted and amused me was a foreign gentleman who spoke perfect Shanghainese; he shared that he grew up in Shanghai. He even treated me to a fantastic Thai dinner – the kind where you could order anything off the menu with absolutely no limits! The entire hotel is absolutely stunning, and the service is exceptional. While the breakfast was a slight letdown, it certainly didn't detract from the overall experience. Even after returning home, I still miss this place dearly.