Imperial Boat House Reviews

This hotel is fabulous. We flew with Thai Airways. Best airline we have ever flown with! We were originally booked into the Central Samui and are pleased that the agents moved us. We were in a premier room, huge, beautiful bathroom and showers!

Staff couldn't do enough for you, always rushing to put umbrella's up and coming to take an order for drinks and food. We didn't eat in the hotel restaurant much as it was expensive. We found the restaurants on the beach were so cheap. Wine in Thailand is good too (not like visiting Europe). We were paying about £15 (including drinks) with loads of food.

There is a large hut by the pool and beach attached to the hotel for massages. They cost about £4 for an hour so we were having one a day! Heaven!

It rained for 1 whole day and a couple of mornings but apart from that the weather was excellent! Didn't think much of Chaweng during the day but we did find some nice restaurants in the evening. Shopping there was dull - same old shops -fake t-shirts and handbags but nevertheless came home with some!!!

Great time of year to go too as the hotel was only a third full - so not rushing to put towels on the beds etc.... Would love to go back someday.

Oh - and don't dress up, no need.

Well what can I say Thailand,the best place i've ever been to.
We stayed at the Marriott Resort and Spa for 4 nights which is a beautiful hotel. Plenty going on, rooms were very spacious and the most confortable bed i've ever slept in. Maid cleaned the room everyday.
We ate in the Japanese resort at the hotel one night which was the brilliant. The chef actually cooked your meal right in front of you. The other nights we ate in Bangkok as it was alot cheaper than the hotel. Good thing about the Marriott is that it isn't slap bang in Bangkok, only a short taxi ride away or you could get the free shuttle boat accross the river which brings you to the sky train, which will take you any where in Bangkok. I had a pedicure done at the hotel which was well worth the money, amount of compliments i had. There was a swim up bar at the pool which was great but the only bad thing about it was they don't take cash there so you have to put the bill to your room. Accross the road from the hotel was a Mcdonalds, KFC and loads of little restaurants so you didn't have far to go to look for a meal. I would definatley go back to the Marriott. A well deserve 4 star hotel.

First time i've ever been to Koh Samui and i loved every bit of it. Stayed at the Imperial Samui Hotel just about 5 minutes taxi ride Cheweng. Cheweng has great restaurants and nightlife. Great for young couples and groups of friends. The beaches are lovely and very clean.

The hotel was one of the best hotels ive been in. Its a sister hotel to the Imperial Boathouse so you can use that hotel facilities. The Hotel was right on the beach and beach is really quiet so its easy to get a sunbed. We had a premier sea facing room which was gorgeous. We orginally were booked into a deluxe room which is the next one down, they upgraded us for free as some of the deluxe rooms hadn't been finished. The premier sea facing rooms had graet views over the pool and beach. Deluxe rooms were located by receptions so you get a pool view or view of a road. I would reccommend this hotel to anyone. It is situated on hill so it wouldn't good for people with walking difficulties. Great Hotel, definately go back.

We had a suite in one of the converted rice barges and it was absolutely stunning - a gorgeous converted teak former rice barge - upstairs it had an outside deck with two loungers, umbrella and an additional seating area. Inside a living area with TV and mini-bar, and an eating area. Downstairs, a large bedroom,bathroom with bath and shower,dressing room/study area with a couch, desk, dressing table and wardrobes!!! Luxury! The hotel had lovely gardens, was right on the beach and had two pools.

We felt the hotel restaurants lacked some imagination in the food service. Most typical was a quite expensive (in Thai terms) buffet, often featuring different cuisines. To be honest, we do not like buffets, so we tended to walk down to the beach (one minute if that!) - turn right and walk for 3 minutes up to Honeys, which is situated on a point, so the view is gorgeous, and they have such great food - or turn left, and walk about 100 or 200 mwtres and go to Bongo's which has the most 'to die for' BBQ prawns you might ever want to eat - as well as lots of other things. Tons of other places too - we just didn't have the time to try them all!!

Ultra cheap taxi-ride form Chaweng if you want action now and then - but stil want a quiet cove. Chaweng is mega-mega-hyper

I went to Thailand with huge expectations but I was hugely disappointed. The Boat House was a unique experience, but I stayed in the hotel barges which were the most expensive but it was very dark in the ";below decks"; where the bedroom was. It also creaked a lot as you might imagine! If I went again I would ask for a boat suite overlooking the beach pool because they were the best with the best views.

Whilst there a poolside sunshade umbrella blew away and into me because it wasn't secured properly and bruised all my right side lacerating my chest. It was a horrible experience which I saw happen to a few people although now with the same consequences as myself. I complained to the management as I think one day a child will be hurt and yet to my knowledge nothing was done about it. Also, around the pool bar mice are clearly seen running in and around which was rather offputting and quite surprising for this class of hotel. I also pointed this out to the manager, but the pool bar never stopped operating whilst the vermin were controlled.

Still, in saying all the above I would have rathered stayed in the boat house any day than in Changwen which was a cesspit in my opinion. I spoke with my nephew who was staying in Changwen at the time and he said it was far, far worse in Pattaya, so maybe I am just an old fuddy duddy!! The beach at Chang Mon was beautiful too, and something to behold.

Still, all in all, I don't think Thailand has what I was looking for and I don't think I would be going back in a hurry. Oh, before I forget, noone seems to have mentioned the airport at Koh Samui which is something to behold!! It has won awards for its design and it is sooo cute!!

OK - so now we've been back to Phuket: the east coast is as beautiful as ever. There is not - and never has been - any damage from the tsunami. Cape Panwa is as perfect as ever - and deserted. The Manager, Claude, told me that they were running at 40% capacity in April (high season) and expected it to be much worse when the monsoon kicks in. Incidentally, we also revisited Phang Nga Bay, Koh Panyi and Koh Hi (Coral Island) - all of which appear to be totally unaffected by 26/12.

We were lucky enough to be at Cape Panwa for Songkran: this was the party to beat all parties. I usually HATE all hotels' attempts at engaging foreign tourists in local traditions - but this was fantastic: the staff who had looked after us with such style over the previous two weeks let rip. Songs, music, waterfights.... they had a ball and so did we - it was something of a privilege to be made to feel such a part of their own holiday. Cape Panwa has been majorly tarted up since our last visit - very nice decoration, but I'm not sure why they felt it necessary to paint the terracotta roof tiles cream!

We visited two of the tailors on the hill leading out of the hotel: Barry London (Raj)came up with the goods: a suit and a separate waistcoat - but became a little boring with the constant ";hard-sell"; - however he did manage to change the design required at a late stage. Exclusive Designs (Mr Prathit) further up the hill gives the impression of producing a higher quality finished article - but is much less flexible. However, they will both produce a fantastic suit for less than £60 in less than 48 hours. Both of them sell silk ties for between £2 - £4 each. The best discovery though - as far as I am concerned - was Oody (real name Kiffipang). He is a seriously talented artist (whose studio is next to Prathit's shop). Others have mentioned his disability - but this is irrelevant: I asked him to paint a watercolour of Panwa Beach - which he did in three days - - and needless to say when I went to collect it, there was the most amazing picture of Phang Nga Bay hanging next to it - so I had to have that too. I paid him less than £30 for the two pictures - and I am a fairly serious art collector - so believe me - they aren't rubbish!

But back to Cape Panwa Hotel - if you possibly can, go for a suite: for £30 extra a night, you get two adjoining rooms, two TVs, DVD, CD, huge terrace...it's bliss. The staff are fantastic: you come away feeling that you have made some real friends. The hotel runs to several restaurants - none of which appeared to be overpriced - and all of which are very good - but do be aware of the mandatory service charge and VAT equivalent which do not appear in the published prices and add about 20% to the bill. We tended to eat ";Thai"; every night - either at the main hotel restaurant, or at the rather more upmarket Panwa House on the beach. We ate once in the hotel's ";posh"; restaurant - very good - - - but perhaps slightly incongruous for two beach bums such as we!

We spent six days in the middle of our Phuket sojourn in Koh Samui - simply because we hadn't been there, and because our planned hotel in Phi Phi was no more. The journey there was a hoot - Bangkok Airways ";Thailand's Boutique Airline"; (?!) was fantastic, if supremely uncomfortable. Old turboprop planes decorated by the local kindergarten! Samui airport consists of several thatched garden sheds - and not much more. We loved it!

The Imperial Samui hotel impressed from the outset when we were met at the airport by one of the receptionists: she was delightful. The hotel is kinda weird - they claim to be influenced by mediterranean resorts - but their highly stylised rooms and balconies reminded me rather more of the Flintstones movies: nothing unpleasant - just odd. One point that has to be made is that the Imperial is built into the side of a hill: if you cannot cope with dozens of steps do not go there (Cape Panwa is the same - but it has the most fantastic funicular ";tram"; down to the beach). Samui was far busier than Phuket - we were told that many ";first-timers"; had cancelled their trips to Phuket after 26/12 and gone to Samui instead.

Slightly sour point: I tried to book a tour of the island (just so that we could see the high-points of where we were) with the hotel tour desk: I was told that there was such a lack of interest in this that I would have to engage a private driver instead. I did - at extra cost - but felt that maybe somebody was trying to rip me off. The hotel staff were friendly - but did not become friends as they did at Panwa. The island is undoubtedly prettier than Phuket - but from my point of view did not seem to have the soul that we have found so attractive in Phuket. We had lunch every day in the beach bar(do check out the webcam before you go!) but ate out every night: there are some fantastic beach restaurants on north Chaweng Noi - which are at least 50% cheaper than the hotel restaurants. Great to have been there - but something tells me we will not be back - - - whereas next year at Cape Panwa is almost a certainty.