Koh Samui, Thailand, is a popular tourist destination, but it’s still not as well-known as Bangkok or Phuket.  We chose to spend a few days in Koh Samui for the opportunity to stay at the luxurious Conrad resort.  This resort is one of the crown jewels of the Hilton portfolio, with all-suite rooms and unbelievable surroundings.  We spent three amazing nights at the Conrad Koh Samui, in a room with its own infinity pool!  During our stay, we got massages at the spa, dined at all of the restaurants, and spotted some native wildlife on a resort-guided snorkel trip.  Read on to learn more about the Conrad Koh Samui.  

• Cash & Point Expense – Hotel costs in terms of cash, points, or both.
• Hotel Overview & Rooms – Overview of the property and room choices.
• Service & Conveniences – Service and amenities offered by the hotel.
• Restaurants & Dining – Restaurant and bar choices in the hotel.
• X-Factor – What sets this property apart from others.

Cash & Points Expense

The Conrad Koh Samui was a splurge for us.  We spent 95,000 points per night (two nights) and used a free Hilton Certificate for the third night.  Our room (Type) normally goes for around $565/night + tax.  We were upgraded upon check-in to a room that would normally run $627/night, and up to $1,000/night during the high season.

At 95,000 for a standard award night, this resort is the highest category in Hilton’s program.  Our stay yielded a value of 0.7 cents per point, which is slightly above the average value for Hilton points.  Standard award nights can be tough to find at the Conrad Koh Samui, but if you can string 5 nights together, you will get the 5th free!  That would be a great value.

Hotel Overview & Rooms

This resort is built into the side of a cliff on the southwest corner of the island, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.  Upon arrival in the welcome lobby, you will quickly sense the luxury.  The lobby sits atop the cliff, with sweeping views of the gulf.  The check-in agent provided fancy drinks to sip on while they explained the resort complex.   We learned about the five different dining options, cocktail lounge, pool, beach, spa, and fitness facilities.  After check-in, we hopped into a golf cart to ride down the hill to our private suite.

Room

While the facilities and amenities at the Conrad are wonderful, the suites here are really the draw.  Every room at the resort is a suite!  Our room had a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, a huge bathroom, and a balcony with our very own infinity pool!!  Rooms are set far enough apart where we felt very private and secluded.

When we arrived in the room, we found an elaborate, double-swan decoration on the bed, made from towels and flower petals.  They also provided a bottle of champagne, a box of macaroons, and a tub filled with bubbles and petals for the turndown service!  Romance at its finest.  The room itself is very spacious, with a king-sized bed, a desk, and a seating area for in-room dining.  The bathroom is large, with a double-sided vanity, big garden tub, glass-walled rain shower, and glass doors that open to the balcony.  They even offer three different sets of luxury toiletries!

Our favorite part of the room was obviously the personal infinity pool.  We spent our afternoons lounging in our pool, staring off into the blue waters of the gulf.  We have stayed in some cool hotels, but this was our first personal, cliff-side, infinity pool!

Service & Conveniences

Pool and Beach Access

If you decide to venture outside of your personal villa, you will find a gorgeous view at the main pool.  Sip a poolside cocktail, lounge on chairs in the water, or simply stand and stare out from the infinity edge.  Next, head down to the beach, where you can chill in the net loungers.  If you decide to venture out into the water, they’ve placed hammocks in the lagoon for your relaxation pleasure!

1/3/5 Adventures

You could realistically spend an entire week just relaxing in the serenity of the resort.  However, if you want to venture out and explore, they have arranged 1, 3, and 5-hour adventures.  These options range from shopping at a night market, to snorkeling at a nearby island, to golfing a local course.

We opted for a free speedboat trip in the hotel’s private boat.  They took us to a nearby island to snorkel, and then to another island for lunch.  I could hardly believe that this excursion was included in the price of the stay!

Spa & Fitness

If you’re ready to be completely pampered, book a treatment at the spa.  Located at the far end of the resort, the spa offers sweeping views of the water.  We selected a romantic “Samui Enrich” couples treatment.  Everything started with some lemongrass tea and a soak in a bubble bath, topped with orchid petals.  Next, we moved over to a beautiful, double suite for an aromatic body scrub, using coffee and essential oils.  After a quick rain shower to rinse off, we came back in for a traditional Thai massage, scalp massage, and some body butter.  Wowowow!  Incredible!

Restaurants & Dining

The resort has five restaurants/lounges on property, each with a different feel.  We had the opportunity to enjoy meals or cocktails at each of the restaurants.  We also enjoyed complimentary breakfast each morning, due to our Diamond status.

Jahn

The Conrad’s signature restaurant is a luxury Thai dining experience.  Emphasis on the luxury for sure!  I can only describe this as one of the best meals we have ever eaten.  And BY FAR the best wine we have ever consumed, thanks to the expert recommendation from our sommelier.

The intimate setting and top-notch wait staff made this dining experience one that we still talk about often.  The wait staff paid us the utmost attention.  I mean, I literally sneezed, and one of our servers brought a tissue within seconds, without me even asking.  They anticipated our needs perfectly!

We chose the Journey of Jahn from the menu and subbed in the Wagyu beef option for the Tasting of Jahn as our second entree.  Our meal went like this:

Appetizers

• TOONG THONG – Toong Thong chicken, betel leaf with prawns, vegetable spring roll
• PLAA PLA BAI BUA – Seared red tuna, lotus seed, avocado purée topped with Thai herbs, lemon and mint sauce, served on the lotus leaf
• GOONG YANG MA PRAW HOM – Slow cooked lobster with aromatic Thai herbs, coconut reduction, red curry sauce and tapioca pearl
• PALATE CLEANSER – Lemongrass Sorbet

Main Courses

• KAI OOB FANG – Sous-vide chicken breast with herbs, fresh wheat grain served with a smoky single malt whisky
• MASSAMAN OF WAGYU BEEF – Wagyu beef tenderloin, new potatoes, pearl onions, peanuts, red onion

Dessert

• PRE-DESSERT – Thai melon ice cream and midori
• GLAUY TUP – Grilled banana, banana parfait, almond crumbles and blossoms with caramel sauce
• SWEET POTATO TART – Sweet potato tart, apple compote, passion fruit coulis and guava sorbet
• PETIT FOURS – Assorted petit fours

Jahn is an absolute must-do for one dinner during your stay.

Aura Lounge

Aura Lounge is the ideal place to enjoy a sunset cocktail and discuss the activities of the day.  The lounge deck sits a couple levels above the main pool, giving a wonderful perspective of the resort.  It is also a great place to watch the evening fire show, if it’s happening by the pool that night.  The cocktail menu is impressive, and the lead bartender is an absolute genius when it comes to crafting unique beverages.  If you have a specific cocktail that you prefer, or a base spirit you’re in the mood for, simply ask… you will be impressed!

Zest

Zest is the all-day dining restaurant.  This is where we enjoyed a daily breakfast buffet.  We also had dinner here one evening, and we dined on traditional Thai favorites – Pad Thai noodles and Tom Kha Gai soup.  Both dishes were excellent!

Azure Bar & Grill

Azure Bar & Grill is the poolside bar, that features tropical cocktails and light meals.  The pizza here is actually really good!  On weekend evenings, they have a fire show, which you should definitely check out.

The X-Factor

INFINITY POOLS FOR DAYSSSS!  Seriously, the Conrad is a very secluded resort, perfect for disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of life.  What better way to do that, than to spend some time in your own personal infinity pool at your enormous suite??   We were so excited to have our own pool, and it was everything we hoped for.  Whether you’re swimming in the main pool or your personal one, it’s just hard to have a bad time in an infinity pool!

Final Thoughts

The Conrad Koh Samui is the most expensive resort (points-wise) that we have ever booked.  Usually, I would bristle at the 95,000 per night price tag, but this place is worth it.  It’s so unique, and it takes luxury to a whole new level!  The rooms are incredible, the dining options are top-notch (especially Jahn), and the spa treatments are perfect to reach a zen-like state.  If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, take a few days to visit the Conrad Koh Samui.  You will be glad you did!