Amari Palm Reef Resort, Ko Samui

...stayed at 4 of the Amari hotels and they all have been excellent. The Amari Palm Reef is located about 10 minutes walk from the centre of Chaweng Beach, which is ideal if you want peace and quiet but still like to be able to shop. The hotel has an excellent cocktail bar, where they offer free dim sum at certain times. The breakfast is also excellent with a wide choice, including western style food such as pastries, meats, cheeses, yoghurts etc... ...
...are some really nice eating places on the beach just along from the hotel for the evening where you can get fresh fish and Thai dishes at very reasonable prices, I would not recommend paying the hotel prices in the evening as there is so much choice locally, although we did visit the Italian one night for a change, but we found it to hot to eat a heavy italian meal. During the day there are kayaks available which are worth hiring to have a closer ... more

I have stayed at 4 of the Amari hotels and they all have been excellent. The Amari Palm Reef is located about 10 minutes walk from the centre of Chaweng Beach, which is ideal if you want peace and quiet but still like to be able to shop. The hotel has an excellent cocktail bar, where they offer free dim sum at certain times. The breakfast is also excellent with a wide choice, including western style food such as pastries, meats, cheeses, yoghurts etc... but they also feature local dishes and fresh fruits. There are some really nice eating places on the beach just along from the hotel for the evening where you can get fresh fish and Thai dishes at very reasonable prices, I would not recommend paying the hotel prices in the evening as there is so much choice locally, although we did visit the Italian one night for a change, but we found it to hot to eat a heavy italian meal. During the day there are kayaks available which are worth hiring to have a closer look at the Reef, there are also a couple of Thai massage huts where you can get manicures, pedicures and massages very cheaply whilst looking out to sea. The deluxe rooms are across the road on the inland side of the resort, they are large and well furnished with contempory decor with nice wooden furniture on the balcony and a large bathroom with seperate shower and bath, there is a mini bar and water available in the rooms also. The deluxe rooms overlook gardens. The superior rooms are slightly older with more traditional decor, these are either on the beach side or on the inland side. There are good size swimming pools on both sides and a spa facility on the inland side which is more pricey than the local facilities but worth treating yourself to. The ambience is that of a 5 star hotel, the service is excellent. The hotel provide towels and there are plenty of sunbeds both on the beach and around the pools. During the day you can purchase snacks and drinks from the waiters wandering around the pool, but on the beach there are beach sellers walking up and down with food, drink and gifts, they are very polite and do not hassle you to buy. It is worth trying the bbq'd corns which cost less than 50 pence! You can easily walk into central Chaweng along the beach, or you can take one of the local buses that are going up and down all day. There are fresh flowers and flower displays everywhere in the hotel and it is very well maintained, with a high level of cleanliness. In Chaweng itself there are quite a few shops, mainly local but some big names, and plenty of restaurants and bars. I would recommend going to Bo Phut a small fishing village on the north of the Island with some quaint shops and restaurants.  

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