The most luxurious hotel we've stayed at - Vana Belle Koh Samui ***** (Thailand)

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know about my bling side. I have a soft spot for pretty hotel pools, and every now and then I book the cheapest room in a 5-star hotel just to enjoy its pool.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

I had my eye on Melia Koh Samui (Booking link, Agoda link) after seeing photos of its pool and its double loungers as big as a bed. We were supposed to go right after the quarantine in Bangkok, but it didn’t happen. Since we had to return to Koh Samui to get vaccinated by the French Embassy, we took the opportunity to book a few nights there. First, 2, then 3, and when JB saw that it was the same price for 3 or 4 nights, we ended up booking 4 nights at the Covid promo rates.

Then, a week before our arrival, Melia Koh Samui wrote to us saying that management had decided to close the hotel (probably due to Covid and few guests) and that they would transfer us to a partner hotel for exactly the same rates. We were about to complain, until we checked the standard of the partner hotel in question, which costs 5 times more than what we had paid.

Vana Belle

That’s how we got on the speedboat from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui, then took the speedboat company’s shuttle (150 baht/person) to Vana Belle (Booking link, Agoda link). The welcome is exceptional and worthy of the 5-star hotel it is. A staff member explains the rose water purification ceremony upon our arrival.

We’re comfortably seated while the receptionist explains why there are half-elephant, half-fish statues everywhere (they bring good luck) and offers us a welcome drink, served on a base of banana leaves, to float near the said elephant for good luck. I love it!

We discover that not only have we been transferred here at no extra cost, but breakfast is also included, and they’ve upgraded us to the next category. So by paying barely 50€/night, we’re put in a room worth 520€/night. If that’s not luck, it must be karma 😀

Many of the rooms are in small blocks like this, with a private pool about 5 meters wide. Everything is designed so you can’t see or hear other guests.

We’re like cut off from the world. You have to cross a long tree-lined road (some trees are centuries old), and the villas are also surrounded by trees. The atmosphere is relaxing, and the big stresshead that I am can calm down right when I step foot here. Contrary to what one might think, the hotel has only 74 rooms. Each room is so huge (86m² minimum) that the whole property stretches over a few kilometers, and you can call an electric car to take you to the beach or restaurants.

Here’s the beach/pool area.

Vana Belle’s pool is much smaller than Melia’s, but it has the 3 double loungers I love so much. JB and I like to go there at dusk, lie down, and watch the stars when the sky is clear. Pools in Thailand are shallow (1m20), maybe because Thai people don’t necessarily know how to swim. There’s a 20cm water platform around the pool for small children. There’s also a jacuzzi, currently not working. The pool is big enough to do laps. Many guests have pool goggles and train like pros haha.

For such an expensive hotel, there are quite a few people. Between 25 and 50 guests at the moment, according to info gathered from the staff. At the same time, hotels in the group like Melia and Sheraton are closed, so all guests have been transferred here. I think it’s only the 2nd time we’ve been in a Marriott group hotel. The waitress tells us that our preferences are collected and shared with the whole Marriott group. I told her I was Vietnamese, and the next day, another waiter really insisted on the Vietnamese soup at breakfast. That’s cute! But no one offered the french toast to JB 😀

The beach in front of the hotel is Chaweng, the most beautiful on the island. Even the sand is cleaned and swept every day, it’s absolutely gorgeous! Here, there isn’t much depth either. I walked 200m and the water only reached my knees. The water is clear, you can see everything. I don’t think there are fish, yet a fisherman passes by with his net anyway. It’s really the ideal beach for a relaxing vacation.

Note: In Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao, between July and August, there can be box jellyfish, very venomous and sometimes deadly, but with this super clear water, normally you can see them before – so observe your surroundings then settle down peacefully.

Here’s the restaurant near the beach. Everyone can go there, even if you’re not a hotel guest. But pool access is only for guests (and good thing because we were fed up with pool parties at our previous place in Koh Phangan with freeloaders).

For enjoy the loungers, there’s a day pass for external guests, 500 bahts/person. We wanted to invite our friends from Koh Samui here, but if they can’t enjoy the pool, it’s immediately less appealing, I think.

The two restaurants at Vana Belle are of great quality. Their bread is so good that they make it for other hotels and cafés. The portions are always generous and the prices are very reasonable for a 5-star hotel. Seriously, I could see myself spending a month here, but when they told me the monthly rate (€3,800 after discount), it quickly brought me back down to earth haha. That’s the equivalent of a year’s rent for our next place in Koh Phangan 😀

After seeing the ad for the Tea Time, JB and I decided to book one. It’s a savory-sweet afternoon tea, half Thai, half European. 14 mini portions each, on three tiers 😀 It reminds us of the excellent tea time we had at The Ritz for my birthday. The concept is different here, but the explosion of flavors is comparable.

1,400 bahts for two, a very reasonable price given the quantity (and quality). We purposely skip lunch beforehand, but I’m already full after the second tier (out of three).

Our room at Vana Belle

It’s the most beautiful hotel room we’ve had so far, after 36 years of existence and 3 trips around the world. It’s the very first time we have a private pool! On the upper floor, no less! What a feat of engineering!

Even though the main pool is gorgeous, nothing beats the pleasure of swimming in your own pool 🙂 just 3 meters from your bed. The pool is deeper than we expected (4 feet, no less), with an infinity edge. There’s a section to sit and chill. Two loungers and two chairs line our little pool. Many rooms have a private pool, but the seaview is an upgrade (vs. garden view, i.e., blocked by coconut trees). If the weather is clear, you can see the sunrise from our bed.

I’m showing you an official photo because I forgot to take one. The sofa is on a lower level, and right behind the bed, there’s a huge desk. JB really likes it because he has an ocean view while working.

Personally, I work in the Business Center. They’ve set up a desk with an ocean view for digital nomads like us.

The bathroom is wide open. That way, you can run a bath while watching the ocean.

In 5-star hotels in Asia, housekeeping comes by several times a day (up to 3 times) to remake the bed, leave treats, dim the lights, etc. Here, they come twice: once during breakfast to make the bed, and again around 6:30 PM to change towels and turn down the bed. Since the tap water isn’t drinkable, we’re given 4 bottles of water a day, plus 2 bottles by the sink just for brushing teeth.

In 5-star hotels like this, it’s all in the details. Their shampoo smells divinely of monoi oil. Their shower gel too. But it smells so good that it also attracts mosquitoes haha 🙂 I’m getting bitten badly, whereas usually, JB is my mosquito repellent.

This little stay relaxes me so much. I don’t know if I was stressed because of the noise of kids in our residence in Koh Phangan, or just stressed from work. But it feels good to have such a calm and luxurious environment to rest a bit; it reminds me of my vacations as a teenager.

Note: I don’t know how it works for 5-star hotels in France because I rarely vacation in France. In Vietnam, senior executives like my parents or friends have little vacation time and spend it at 5-star resorts in Vietnam to rest. That’s why in this type of hotel, you see more locals than foreigners. The pools are always amazing, because resorts don’t necessarily have the most beautiful beaches (they can’t privatize the best beaches in the country either). Guests mainly enjoy the infinity pool instead of swimming in the ocean. Some resorts offer all-inclusive deals. Having grown up in Vietnam, I’ve frequented many 5-star hotels. I even learned to swim in a 5-star hotel near my house in Hanoi. During our world trip, JB and I have crashed a few 5-star hotels, just paying for a drink at the bar (here , and and there for example). Don’t hesitate to visit hotels like this; the service is always excellent, and in Asia, their restaurants are barely more expensive than tourist restaurants. As a bonus, since hotel bars are mainly used by guests, no one will ever bother you for being there 3 hours after ordering just one coffee.

The Jungle Club

Despite our stay at a 5-star hotel, we still rent a scooter (right across from the hotel) to be free to move around. 6 minutes away is The Jungle Club, a must-visit spot in Koh Samui. However, to get there, you need a 4×4 or a scooter with strong brakes. We give up as soon as we see these “25% grade” signs (especially since the scooter we have barely has any brakes left…). We call the number on the sign, and The Jungle Club sends a shuttle, 200 bahts round trip.

Our friends I. and P. went there by scooter, but they told us you need a bottle of water to cool down the brakes. It’s the descent that’s scary, not the ascent. In this area, there are many villas with insane views. And a pool! If you see real estate listings for this type of villa, know that some roads are so steep that without a 4×4, you can’t reach them. Also, the turns are sudden and the roads narrow, so if you’re not a skilled driver, or don’t want to rent a 4×4 for your stay in Koh Samui, be careful!

The Jungle Club is a bar-restaurant but also a hotel. It’s partly for this reason that we’ve come to have a look. They currently have deals for long stays (with weekly and monthly rates).

Here are their villas: each one has two private pools. It’s absolutely incredible.

The downside is that most villas don’t have air conditioning. The roof is open, so insects (and mosquitoes) can visit you at any time. Plus, we’re in the jungle. I think for a week, it’s cool, but not longer. Hotel guests can take the shuttle to go down the hill at no cost, and without limits, of course. I’m seriously considering the villa with 2 private pools. There’s no work desk, but we can work from the restaurant.

Okay, let me show you the villa in question (official photo) (link Booking, Agoda link)

The main infinity pool is reserved exclusively for hotel guests.

The bar/restaurant area is worth the trip.

The view is so satisfying! We can see Chaweng Beach as far as the eye can see, Koh Phangan island in the distance, as well as a few villas with pools in the area. If we had to find fault, it would be the lack of shade… So bring your SPF 50 and your hat!

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget

Restaurant at Vana Belle:
- 260 – 300 bahts/dish (up to 1500 bahts) + 10% service charge
- Tea time: 1400 bahts for two
Vana Bella Day Pass: to access the beach and sunbeds: 500 bahts/person
Scooter rental: 200 bahts/day
The Jungle Club:
- 200 bahts round trip in a 4×4, from the bottom of the hill
- 150-200 bahts/drink
- 250-350 bahts/dish

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