Having opened its doors in December 2018, AVANI+ Samui is the latest addition to the group’s line-up. The resort is located on the southwest coast of the island – one of Thailand’s major tourist hotspots – close by to Taling Ngam Bay and with its own private beach. Within the resort there’s 25 guest rooms, 27 private pool villas and six beach front villas, along with a restaurant, two pools and the Avani spa.
During our trip to AVANI+ Samui we were fortunate enough to stay in one of their private pool villas. The villa was huge, with a spacious bedroom, glass doors that open up on to the pool, a walk-in wardrobe area and a big double shower. Having a private pool is something we could definitely get used too. Its leafy surroundings meant we were well hidden from the other villas and its location provided an idyllic suntrap for us to work on our tans and bask in the sun. It also meant we had 24-hour access to the pool, so if you’re like us and struggle with the country’s humidity, you can have a cheeky midnight dip.
We’re not going to lie we were a little disheartened at Thailand’s attempt at being sustainable, with single use plastic seen most places. Thankfully AVANI+ Samui are ahead of the game – each room comes with a basket in which you can take to their 24-hour pantry to fill with snacks, preventing food waste in mini fridges. Other eco-friendly hacks they are partaking in are using biodegradable materials where possible, using only locally sourced ingredients in their food and banning plastic straws.
The hotel restaurant Essence has a great setting overlooking the sea, serving a mixture of authentic Thai cuisine and international food. During our stay, the restaurant held its weekly Thai buffet evening. Our highlight was the build your own papaya salad station, a staple we couldn’t get enough of during our time in Thailand. The dinner also came with a performance from traditional Thai dancers and musicians. Our tip would be to head to the restaurant at around 6pm for their happy hour, where you can get 2-for-1 on cocktails to drink whilst watching the sunset over the beach.
There’s a free boat trip to Koh Madsum, a neighbouring island often referred to as ‘pig island’ due to its wild pigs, inhabitants that you’ll find hanging out on the beach. This trip lasts around three hours and includes a snorkelling pit stop off the coast of Tean island. There’s also push bikes provided free of charge and a free shuttle to Lamai and Chaweng. The Avani spa onsite the resort is open 10am – 8pm and has a range of treatments on offer. We tried the Avani Touch massage, which gave us 90 minutes of total relaxation.
With villas starting from £170 per night and deluxe rooms only £86 per night we’d say the AVANI+ Samui is great value for money. The adult-only hotel is the ideal spot for those looking for a relaxing escape. We’d also say it’s perfect if you’re wanting to create the ultimate holiday envy on your Insta feed, because let’s face it, we’re all guilty of that!
53/5 Moo 4, Phang Ka, Taling Ngam, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84140 Thailand
avanihotels.com