Kimpton Kitalay Samui

The rooms here range from essential rooms and suites to pool villas and a two-bedroom villa, and every room has a bathtub. Views depend on the room and can be of the sea, the garden, the pool or the beach. Depending on the room, you may find a mini bar, an espresso machine with pods, blackout curtains and a balcony or terrace.

The oceanfront pool villa measures 224 m², the suites measure 115 m², and the essential rooms measure 58 m². The two-bedroom villa sleeps up to four guests, and the Garden Pool Villa measures 171 m² with a garden view. The beach view belongs to the oceanfront villa, and the sea view to a suite and an essential room.

The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and an indoor one, along with a fitness centre, a spa, a sauna, a steamroom, massage and a yoga room. Garden and terrace areas are also part of the grounds, and watersport rentals, canoeing and snorkelling are available.

Dining covers an à la carte restaurant, a poolside bar and 24-hour room service, with Asian, Western and vegetarian cuisine. Breakfast can be à la carte, Asian, buffet, continental, American, halal, vegetarian or Western.

Families have a kids club, a playground, a children's swimming pool and babysitting. The hotel also has a 24-hour front desk, an airport transfer, free parking on site, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, currency exchange and laundry service, and it is wheelchair accessible.

Kimpton Kitalay Samui sits in the Choeng Mon area of Koh Samui, on the Bophut side of the island, beside a small bay with a village along its shore. Choeng Mon Beach is 500 m away. The area mixes village houses with small beaches and temples, which suits guests who want the sea close by without staying in the busiest part of the island.

Nearby sights include Wat Plai Laem, a temple known for its large Guanyin statue on the coast, and the Big Buddha temple, 2.2 km away, with a large seated Buddha statue. The Bangrak fish market is on the shore close by, and it is a useful place to see the local catch. Samui Airport is 3.4 km away, and Fisherman's Village, the old fishing quarter of Bophut, is 5.5 km away, with shops and cafés along its lanes.

A day could start at Wat Plai Laem, go on to the Big Buddha, and end with a walk along Choeng Mon Beach or a visit to the Night Market. The hotel suits those who want the beach close by and the island's temples and markets to visit on different days, with the fish market and the village of Choeng Mon as easy neighbours to explore on foot.