The Sarann Koh Samui review - the Chaweng Noi villa that surprised us

The Sarann is one of the hotels we most enjoyed staying at on Koh Samui. A beautiful Thai villa, a huge private jacuzzi, a spectacular infinity pool facing the sea, a tasty boutique breakfast and excellent service, always with a smile. We stayed here for two nights in March 2025 and enjoyed every moment. The only drawback for us was the fairly isolated location, which made going out to restaurants in the evening a hassle. With a partner, we would very probably come back. Travelling solo, purely because of the location, no.

The Sarann - a small, pampering resort on Chaweng Noi

Some hotels look lovely in photos, but when you arrive something about the experience just does not click. And some hotels win you over from the very first moment.

For us, The Sarann was the second kind.

The hotel is at the southern end of Chaweng Noi Beach, in a fairly quiet part of Koh Samui, on the road that runs from Chaweng towards Lamai.

It is a relatively small resort, with rooms and villas set into tropical gardens, an infinity pool overlooking the sea and a restaurant right next to the pool area.

The Thai style comes through in the design, the planting and the overall atmosphere. It is exactly the kind of place where you can spend a whole day without feeling any need to leave the hotel.

And that is more or less what we wanted to do from the moment we arrived.

Arrival and check-in - an upgrade that turned out to be a wonderful surprise

We arrived at the hotel early, before check-in time.

While we waited for our room, we were able to enjoy the public areas and sit by the stunning infinity pool overlooking the sea.

Honestly? Even at that stage we were delighted with our choice.

Then it turned out that the villa we had booked was not available.

The hotel staff offered to upgrade us to a bigger villa for a relatively small extra charge. We agreed, and it was an excellent decision.

Instead of the original villa, which was meant to be on one of the upper levels, we were given a large ground-floor villa with a huge jacuzzi in a separate room.

The upgraded villa was so beautiful and impressive that we had no reason at all to regret it.

The villa - Thai design, space and an unforgettable jacuzzi

The villa we were given was simply beautiful.

We love hotels with Thai design that has character, natural materials and a sense of somewhere special, not just a standard hotel room with modern furniture.

At The Sarann we got exactly that experience.

The villa was very large, tastefully designed and pampering in every detail. There was plenty of space, and it felt far more like a private villa than an ordinary hotel room.

But the highlight was, without doubt, the jacuzzi.

The private jacuzzi - far beyond what we expected

We are talking about a huge jacuzzi, in a separate room of its own.

Not a small jacuzzi bath tucked into a corner of the bathroom, but a whole space dedicated to bathing.

It was one of the things we loved most about the villa.

It felt especially indulgent, and the jacuzzi became a big part of our stay.

For a couple looking for a romantic break, we think this is a huge advantage.

And for anyone who likes to spend time at the hotel itself rather than just using the room to sleep, a villa like this can really lift a holiday.

What to check before you book

The Sarann has several categories of rooms and villas, and they do not all offer the same experience.

According to the official information published about the hotel, the categories include Deluxe rooms, Jacuzzi Suites, Jacuzzi Villas and Pool Villas with a private pool.

Jacuzzi Villas are around 77 square metres, but it is important to confirm the exact unit category and its position on the grounds.

The villa we stayed in was an upgraded ground-floor unit. Do not assume every jacuzzi villa is identical to it in design or in the size of the jacuzzi.

Our recommendation: if you are coming specifically for a pampering villa, ask for photos of the room category you have booked, and confirm with the hotel what type of jacuzzi the unit has and which floor it is on.

Insects in the villa - and what the hotel staff did

The ground-floor villa did have one drawback: there were a lot of insects.

It was definitely noticeable, and may have been because the unit is close to the ground and to the tropical greenery surrounding the grounds.

But what impressed us just as much as the villa itself was the way the staff dealt with it.

When we asked them, they brought us an electric insect repeller and a spray as well. These worked very well, and the problem improved significantly.

That may sound like a small detail, but for us it says a lot about the quality of service at the hotel.

We came across similar problems at other hotels in Thailand - for example, at Long Bay on Koh Phangan - and wondered why we were not offered effective solutions like these.

Here we did not have to deal with the problem ourselves.

The staff took it seriously, provided a solution that worked and let us carry on enjoying the holiday.

Bear in mind that at tropical hotels, especially in ground-floor units with gardens and lush greenery, insects can be part of the environment. For us, the difference lies in how the hotel deals with them.

The infinity pool - one of the most beautiful we saw on Koh Samui

If there is one thing that could have made us choose The Sarann even without the amazing villa, it is the pool.

The infinity pool faces straight out to sea, and the view from it is simply spectacular.

What we particularly loved was the combination of the pool, the open space and the big daybeds placed facing it.

Lounging on those daybeds was an experience in itself.

You can lean back, look at the sea, enjoy the breeze and simply do nothing.

We love hotels that manage to create seating areas where you can genuinely spend hours, not just sun loungers crammed around the pool.

At The Sarann we felt real thought had gone into lounging and relaxing, not just into how the pool looks in photos.

The restaurant is right next to the pool

Another advantage is that the restaurant is right beside the pool area.

You can order food and drinks and enjoy them without leaving the view and the atmosphere behind.

For us, that is an almost perfect combination for a relaxed holiday day.

Spending time by the pool, reading, resting, ordering something tasty and carrying on looking out to sea.

We enjoyed every moment.

The Sarann's beach - a spectacular sea view, but not a swimming beach right in front of the hotel

This is one of the most important things to know before booking a room at The Sarann.

The hotel faces straight out to sea, but its frontage looks onto a rocky stretch.

In other words, it offers a beautiful sea view, but not a sandy strip of beach that is easy to swim from right below the pool.

There is a significant difference between the two.

When you book a hotel that is presented as being on the sea, it is easy to imagine stepping out of the pool and straight down onto a sandy beach.

At The Sarann, that is not quite the case.

And what about Chaweng Noi Beach?

Further along the shore is beautiful Chaweng Noi Beach, with pale sand and a tropical view.

It is one of the loveliest parts of Koh Samui for a beach holiday.

If you are coming mainly to swim in the sea, check the actual access to the sandy part of Chaweng Noi and the sea conditions during your stay.

If, on the other hand, you are mainly after a beautiful infinity pool facing the sea, The Sarann definitely excels in our view.

The restaurant - tasty food, great service and a sea view

We also really enjoyed The Sarann's restaurant.

It sits next to the pool and overlooks the sea, so the view is part of the meal.

The food was tasty, the service excellent, and the prices seemed reasonable to us for a resort restaurant in a fairly isolated area.

That matters, because when a hotel is not near a cluster of restaurants, the quality of its own restaurant becomes very important.

If you plan to spend a whole day here, it is very convenient to be able to eat a good meal without leaving the grounds.

Breakfast - boutique-style, tasty and with a wonderful sea view

Breakfast at The Sarann was one of our nicest experiences at the hotel.

The food was very tasty and of high quality, and it was served from buffet tables in the restaurant.

It is not a huge buffet like at the big resort hotels, with endless stations and an enormous choice, but a smaller, boutique-style breakfast with a pleasant selection and well-made dishes.

But what made the meal truly special was the setting itself.

Sitting at the tables facing the spectacular sea view, in a calm and pleasant atmosphere, was simply a pleasure.

It is exactly the kind of morning when you are in no hurry to finish eating, and just want to stay a little longer and enjoy the view.

For us, breakfast fitted beautifully with the hotel's intimate, pampering character. It did not try to offer the vast choice of a big hotel, but a pleasant, high-quality experience, and we enjoyed it very much.

The restaurant closes early - so be prepared

One evening we came back to the hotel fairly late and found the restaurant was already closed.

As far as we remember, it closed at around eight in the evening.

We did not expect it to be that early, especially at a hotel with no choice of restaurants within easy walking distance.

According to official information published later, the Wild Ginger restaurant listed opening hours until 21:00, but opening hours can change, and what we actually experienced in March 2025 was an earlier closing time.

So we would recommend confirming the restaurant's hours on the day you arrive, rather than assuming you can come back to the hotel late and have dinner there.

Trying to walk out to a restaurant - the only part we did not like

After finding the restaurant closed, we got ourselves organised and went out to look for somewhere to eat.

At first we thought we could simply walk along the main road in front of the hotel.

But we quickly realised it is not a road made for comfortable, safe walking.

The road in this area is busy with traffic, and on the stretch where we tried to walk there was no proper provision for pedestrians.

We did not want to carry on walking along it, so we looked for another option.

In the end we had to walk along the beach.

And that was not a pleasant experience either.

The walk was long and tiring, and on the way we passed several hotel compounds before finding a place that felt right for dinner, at a price we were willing to pay.

Even there, prices were fairly high compared with what we had got used to paying elsewhere in Thailand.

Instead of a relaxed evening where we simply go out to eat and come back to the hotel, we found ourselves putting time and effort into hunting for a restaurant.

That was the only significant weak point of our stay.

Why does this matter so much when travelling solo?

When we travel solo, we like to be free.

We want to leave the hotel whenever we feel like it, wander, choose a restaurant, maybe pop into a shop or sit down for a coffee, without depending on a taxi every time we go out.

At a hotel like The Sarann, in a fairly isolated area, that freedom is limited.

It did not bother us during the day, when we were enjoying the villa, the jacuzzi and the pool.

But in the evening, when all we wanted was to go out to eat, the location became a very noticeable drawback.

For a couple on a romantic break who plan to spend most of their time at the hotel, this may matter much less.

You can order a taxi when you want to go out to a restaurant, or plan dinner at the hotel in advance.

The service - simply excellent, and always with a smile

Beyond the villa, the pool and the view, one of the things we loved most about The Sarann was the service.

The staff were lovely.

Everyone was courteous, attentive, willing to help and always smiling.

There was a real sense of warm, pleasant hospitality, not just professional service delivered out of duty.

It started right at check-in, when they offered to upgrade us to a bigger villa for a small extra charge, and continued when we needed help with the insects in the villa.

Instead of ignoring the problem, the staff quickly brought effective solutions.

The service in the restaurant was excellent too.

For us, good service is measured not only when everything goes to plan, but also by the way staff respond to requests and problems that come up.

At The Sarann we felt someone was making sure we enjoyed our holiday.

The service was one of the things that impressed us most at the hotel, and a big reason we remember this stay with a smile.

Room and villa types at The Sarann

The Sarann offers several categories of rooms, suites and villas.

According to the information published about the hotel, it is a fairly small resort, with around 49 units.

The hotel's known options include Deluxe rooms, Jacuzzi Suites, Jacuzzi Villas and Pool Villas with a private pool.

Deluxe rooms

The entry-level categories suit anyone who wants to enjoy the pool, the restaurant and the view without necessarily booking a big villa.

Check the size of the room and its position in relation to the pool and the public areas.

Jacuzzi Suite

Suites with a private jacuzzi, suited to anyone looking for a pampering couple's holiday.

It is important to check the differences between the suite types, as location and design may vary.

Jacuzzi Villa

Jacuzzi Villas offer around 77 square metres of space, and they are among the hotel's most interesting options.

This is the category to look at in particular if you want an intimate stay with a private jacuzzi.

The upgraded villa we stayed in was especially large and impressive, but we cannot promise that every unit in the category looks exactly like it.

Pool Villa

For more privacy, there are also villas with a private pool.

This is a particularly interesting option for honeymooners or for a holiday where you plan to spend a lot of time in your room.

Good to know: before booking a room at The Sarann, we would check the unit category, the floor, the size, the view and the type of jacuzzi or private pool. These details can make a big difference to your stay.

What is there to do around The Sarann?

The Sarann is in an area geared more towards a resort holiday than street life.

That does not mean there is nothing to do nearby, but getting to different places usually takes planning and transport.

Chaweng Noi Beach

Chaweng Noi Beach is close to the hotel and offers a lovely stretch of shore, with pale sand and a tropical view.

You can reach it via the accessible parts of the beach in the area, but check the actual route and the tides.

Central Chaweng

Central Chaweng has restaurants, bars, shops, massage places and a large shopping mall.

If you want to go out for dinner, shopping or a night out, it is one of the main options.

From The Sarann we would recommend going by taxi, rather than trying to walk along the main road at night.

Lamai Beach and Silver Beach

South of Chaweng Noi are Lamai Beach and Silver Beach.

These are places you can combine into a day trip, especially if you rent a car or book a taxi.

Restaurants at neighbouring hotels

There are other hotels and resorts on Chaweng Noi, some of which run restaurants that are also open to outside guests.

But our own experience taught us not to count on walking to them spontaneously in the evening.

Before heading out, check the opening hours, the prices and the easiest way to get there.

Which hotels are near The Sarann?

Chaweng Noi has several interesting hotels, with significant differences in the style of stay and in accessibility.

Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi

A hotel where we stayed for two nights later in our visit to Koh Samui.

It is very beautifully designed, with a restaurant we especially loved and rooms that can be spacious and pampering.

That said, our experience there was less successful, mainly because of the initial check-in and the rainy weather.

It is also worth checking whether the hotel is operating, as it went into an extensive renovation in 2026.

Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort

A luxury resort on Chaweng Noi, offering pampering suites, some with private pools, and focused on high-end couples' holidays.

It is an option worth comparing if you are looking for a particularly luxurious stay.

New Star Beach Resort

Another resort on Chaweng Noi, with gardens, a pool and beach access.

It may suit anyone looking for a quiet resort holiday in the area who prefers grounds with more accessible sandy beach.

When choosing a hotel on Chaweng Noi, we would look not only at the quality of the rooms and the pool, but also at the options for going out to eat and the route to the beach.

How much does a night at The Sarann cost?

In a search we ran on Agoda while comparing hotels on Koh Samui for 8-14 February 2027, The Sarann came up at about 4,600 THB (about $137 / €122) per night, including taxes and fees as shown at the time of checking.

That is a sample price, not a fixed rate.

By the price levels we use on this site, it falls into our "mid-range to indulgent" tier - about 3,800-8,700 THB (about $113-259 / €100-230) per night.

Bear in mind that The Sarann has several types of rooms and villas, so prices can vary considerably depending on the unit category.

The upgrade we were given for a small extra charge was also a one-off offer, not something you can assume will be available to every guest.

Before booking, we would compare the prices of the suites and villas, check the cancellation terms and confirm exactly which room the price covers.

Who is The Sarann right for?

Couples looking for a romantic break

In our view, this is the hotel's ideal audience.

The jacuzzi villas, the infinity pool facing the sea, the daybeds and the relaxed atmosphere make a wonderful combination for a couple's holiday.

If you are coming to enjoy the room and the hotel itself, you can find an especially pampering experience here.

Anyone who loves small hotels with character

The Sarann suits anyone who prefers a fairly small resort with Thai design and personal service.

We really loved the feeling that the hotel is not a huge, crowded complex, but a place where you can relax.

Anyone who gets around by taxi or car

If you do not mind taking a taxi when you want to go out to a restaurant or for the evening, the isolated location matters less.

That way you can enjoy the quiet of Chaweng Noi and go into central Chaweng only when you want to.

Who is it less suited to?

For solo travellers who prefer complete independence and walking out to restaurants, we would not recommend it with the same enthusiasm.

And if you are coming mainly for a sandy swimming beach right in front of the hotel, look at other options in the area too.

Would we go back to The Sarann?

With a partner - very probably yes. Solo - purely because of the isolated location, no.

The Sarann was one of the hotels we loved most on Koh Samui.

The beautiful Thai villa, the huge jacuzzi, the infinity pool facing the sea, the tasty breakfast and above all the courteous service, always with a smile, made our stay a wonderful experience.

There was almost nothing we did not like about the hotel itself.

The only drawback that really affected us was the location.

When you travel solo, there is something very pleasant about the freedom to leave the hotel whenever you like, wander on foot, choose a restaurant and come back without thinking about transport.

At The Sarann, that is simply not convenient.

On a couple's holiday, on the other hand, we can picture ourselves spending hours in the villa, the jacuzzi and the pool, and taking a taxi whenever we feel like eating out.

So our decision not to come back solo has nothing to do with disappointment in the hotel, and everything to do with how well it fits our kind of holiday.

The bottom line: The Sarann is a hotel we would warmly recommend to couples looking for a romantic, pampering break on Chaweng Noi. We loved almost everything about it, and would happily come back for a couple's holiday. For independent travellers who prefer to walk out to restaurants and nightlife, the location may be a significant drawback.