Like many other people we were drawn to The Waterfront by Trip Advisor reviews. We have been travelling through Asia for many months and usually find Trip Advisor fairly accurate, however I am still at a loss to work out why this place is so popular.

Firstly the good stuff. It is very clean, efficiently run and the staff are extremely friendly. The food is also pretty good and there is nice village nearby where you can get excellent if somewhat expensive food.

But from the moment we got there, we knew we were going to have trouble warming to the place. This is not the tropical Thai beach paradise we envisaged!

There is no swimmable beach. Bophut Beach consists of reef (not suitable for snorkelling) , lots and lots of rocks and gritty coral sand. The water is extremely murky and uninviting. It's even difficult to walk on the beach.

Ok, so there is no beach. I can live with that if there is at least a decent pool. The pool at The Waterfront is the size of a postage stamp. It's the size of small backyard pool. Infact one day we were talking to some other guest and one lady mistakingly? called the pool “the pond”. If you have more than 3 people in the pool your cramped.

The rooms are basic but very clean. Don't expect some resort style bungalow even though the rooms are advertised as bungalows because you will be disappointed.

We had booked in for 8 nights. As soon as you get there you are asked to pay for the whole time. That is the only reason we stayed. If we could have left after 1 night we would have. The lack of beach and pool facilities make it very difficult and sometimes expensive to actually experience the Thailand beach holiday we had dreamed about. We became even more depressed when we did venture to the main swimming beach on Samui and realised what we were missing. It was absolutely glorious. White powdery sand and crystal clear water that went on forever. It 's not however possible to walk to any decent beaches from The Waterfront so you have to have some form of transport. Unless you hire a care that you can lock your stuff in when you are at the beach, it makes it difficult to go anywhere and have a swim. If we had been staying at a resort on a better beach we could have left valuables in our room while we wandered off for a swim. Essentially what I am saying is, in order to access a decent beach you not only have to leave the resort, but the whole Bophut area.

I'm not trying to totally dismiss The Waterfront as a holiday destination, I just can't understand the hype about this place as the number 1 hotel in Samui when it doesn’t even have a decent pool or beach. If you like to swim this is definitely not for you. Think very very carefully about what you want out of your holiday before booking in here.

We stayed here following 4 frenetic days in Bangkok and it was totally the relaxing experience we had hoped for. Unfortuneatly we didn't meet Robin's wife Sue, who was in the UK, but we spoke to Robin every day and had a few beers with him and other guests on several evenings. The information pack in the rooms tells you all about the restaurants in Fisherman's village and the various shops and what to do in general.

We ate in a different place every night and Andy thoroughly recommends you try the steaks at 'The Shack.' This was the most expensive meal we had but there are lots of cheaper options. I have to say we did not have a bad meal and the standard is very good overall.

Try to avoid the taxis as it's not like Bangkok where you can take a metered cab, there is only one price wherever you go -300baht -and so we hired a jeep for a day for 800! At least we were able to drive round the island and see other places.

We only had 6 nights here and wished we'd had longer. As to be expected in May we had rain most days, usually late afternoon, but this didn't spoil the holiday at all as the weather was very very hot the rest of the time.

We liked the pool area although if you had children I would say that it's not ideal. The beach, as all reviews state, is not that good but if you go to Lamai or Chaweng beach you will find the perfect sand and lovely warm sea.

The staff at the hotel are lovely and some do speak a little english. The breakfasts are good and included in the price and the lunchtime snacks are very inexpensive and tasty. There is a fridge in the room and, every day, you get a small carton of milk which is a nice touch for those of us who like an early morning cup of tea. We liked the room very much and we looked straight out into the garden with the sea directly behind. Everything was very clean with room and beach towels changed daily. There's also a good library of paperbacks in reception left by previous guest which helps if your luggage is getting near the weight limit with all the souvenirs!

If you want a suit made, leave time for at least 3 fittings - I had an evening dress which needed 4 fittings and a remodelling of the whole bodice but Mr Johnny of Armani was very good and put up with my comments, especially when Andy's trousers were too short, and they were altered immediately.

To sum up, this hotel is a gem and we hope to go back one day.

We have just returned from 5 glorious nights at The Waterfront in Koh Samui. It is hard to explain, but the atmosphere is amazing. Everyone is so friendly, and you feel like a long-lost friend. By the end of the first day we were on a first name basis with all the staff. The central pool / bar area was also great for meeting the other guests, and catching up on their daily activities. We will definitely be returning... we had a ball.

My wife and I stayed at the Waterfront hotel over the Christmas break. My wifes sister recommended the Waterfront and were staying there themselves (before there wedding). We were picked up at the airport and given the tour of Bophut by Robin.
We were pleasantly eased into life on the island and when we arrived at the hotel were truly able to kick back and relax. the weather was gorgeous, the scenery amazing and the atmosphere, well, was just relaxed, exactly what we were looking for. Afternoons consisted of reading a book down at the beach or taking a stroll through the village and seeing what was around. Everything is close by, but just far enough to not be disturbed by passer bys.
The staff were very friendly and always smiling.
Robin and Sue made a great spread for Christmas lunch and went all out to get everyone together to celebrate. The party carried on into the evening and it was just a good time.
Would I go back???
Absolutely!
The pool seems to be a niggly point with some people but it's for a refreshing dip. And the bathroom was never an issue, in fact I loved the walk-in shower!
The restaurants in the village are fantastic, you'd struggle to find a bad meal. Prices fit everyones budget, and you can't go wrong with staying in and enjoying the food at the Waterfront.
This is a place to go and forget about the world, forget about work and enjoy. And I have to mention that the massages are
wonderful (extra but worth it).