Inside Banyan Tree Samui, Where Former Backpackers Can Feel at Home
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Once the domain of surfers, backpackers and healers of the physical and spiritual sort, Koh Samui’s luxury-travel era exploded on the heels of the new millennium. At Banyan Tree Samui, one of the pioneering high-end resorts on this island in the Gulf of Thailand, not much has changed since it opened in 2010. And that’s a good thing. This property’s timeless Thai aesthetic feels borderline vintage and centers the landscape and hospitality that made Samui an incredible destination in the first place. (Photo courtesy of Banyan Tree Samui.)
The coast-skirting ride to Banyan Tree Samui climbs along the eastern side of the island, eventually arriving at the open-air lobby. Here, beyond an elaborate arrangement of gold and fuchsia orchids, the view stuns: Studded with individual villas, a curving emerald peninsula tumbles down to the ultramarine bay and a wide, sandy beach. This hidden horseshoe shore is accessible only to guests (and the occasional adventurous boater).
Nearly every space here has been designed to accentuate the striking views. The panorama of sea and sky and hillside seems to remain constant as you move around the resort, sipping afternoon tea in the lounge, playing games in the library, taking a lavender-scented soak in your villa’s oversize tub. Though it’s just a minute off the main road, you’ll have the sense you’re at some sheltered, private cove.
That’s a fantasy, of course. Koh Samui is firmly pinned to the jet-set map, evidenced by the well-heeled mix of international guests with whom you’ll share this tropical cloister. But it’s fun to pretend. Is it really a stretch that the parents splashing around the teal-tiled pool with their tweens first came to the island in the ’80s, when backpackers had to arrive by ferry or fishing boat?
Despite the luxuries these bourgeois explorers probably couldn’t have imagined at the time—the kids’ Octopus Club and windsurfing lessons, the jasmine-rice body polish at the spa and exquisite pastries (with and without gluten) at breakfast—Banyan Tree Samui manages to preserve the island’s spirit through the warm service, unpretentious vibes and old-fashioned (in a good way) design.
Cardmember Benefits
Banyan Tree Samui is a member of The Edit by Chase Travel℠, a collection of hand-picked hotels with premium benefits for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers. Customers who book a stay at Banyan Tree Samui through The Edit will earn 3 points per dollar and receive special benefits, outlined below.
Daily Breakfast for Two
At The Edge, the indoor-outdoor restaurant perched high above the beach, the breakfast buffet heaves with tropical fruits in solid and juice forms, tagines of jeweled rice and stir-fried pork, a satay station, a Bloody Mary bar, bamboo steamers bearing exquisite dumplings and pork buns, plus eggs made to order and much more.
Room Upgrade if Available
Get an upgrade to a villa with a better view, from a partial ocean to an ocean, for example, within the same bedroom-number category.
Welcome Amenity
A fruit bowl (finger-sized bananas, longans, tangerines, rambutans) and a field guide to Southeast Asian produce awaits in the villa. You’ll also receive a monkey-print neck pillow (a hat tip to the island’s indigenous primates).
A $100 Property Credit
You’ll get a $100 food-and-beverage credit that can be used at any of the restaurants and bars. May we suggest the creamy Thai rum-and-coconut Tom Kha cocktail at Sands?
The Room
Categorized by number of bedrooms (one or two) and view, the freestanding villas comprise 11 room types and are arranged in a boomerang pattern along the emerald landscape. Inside, they speak a common design language: black lacquer woodwork, gleaming coconut-wood inlay, coffered ceilings and, above the king-size beds, swaths of pleated olive silk. The resulting aesthetic is regal and dignified, like a worldly aunt who’s got money but isn’t showy about it.
Done in onyx slate and stone, most bathrooms have twin sinks, immense soaking tubs—WhatsApp your villa concierge to arrange any of the themed baths, like “honeyed milk and rose”—and a shower with a back door that opens directly onto the deck and plunge pool, which extend over the hills on stilts. This is true even of the “smallest” villa, which spans nearly 1,400 square feet.
Still, consider upgrading a level to one of the villas with a square, sunken hot tub integrated into the pool system, as well as a sala (living room) furnished with a glass coffee table, rattan armchair and deep daybed-style sofa partially recessed into an ornate alcove.
The Features
Head to the Rainforest—a hydrothermal circuit—which includes a range of steam rooms, saunas and showers.
Don’t miss: The Rainforest, the serene indoor hydrothermal oasis. Adjacent to the spa, this water circuit begins with the Rainwalk, where dozens of nozzles simulate a jungle storm, and is followed with various steams, saunas and showers. The experience ends in the Vitality Pool, a glowing blue lagoon with individual jetted seats.
Favorite features: The cooking doesn’t kowtow to some perceived Western-tourist palate. From the expansive breakfast buffet at The Edge to the confident curries at Saffron to the weekly beach barbecue at Sands (get extra grilled lamb chops and drench them in zingy prik nam pla), the staff won’t second-guess your spice tolerance.
Can’t stop thinking about: The bed. No mushy hotel pillows or marshmallow mattresses here; furnished with duck-feather pillows, Banyan’s jet lag–banishing bed offers incredible support for back and side sleepers. A king indeed.
The Lowdown
Leave your books at home; this resort has an elegant library filled with contemporary books you can read by the pool.
What you’re packing: Harem pants, leather slides and all the linen you own; Samui is so humid that you can just hang your wardrobe outside on the terrace to de-wrinkle.
The underrated amenity: Books weigh down a carry-on, so it’s hard not to love the library.
A fun fact you’ll learn: Thailand has a nascent winemaking industry, and all of Banyan Tree’s restaurants pour a selection from Monsoon Valley Vineyards. The uncharacteristically vivacious Shiraz is fantastic, especially when served chilled.
The gift shop item you’re buying: Made in Chiang Mai and inscribed with Banyan Tree’s arboreal motif, the ceramic oil burner on the villa bedside table is for sale in the resort’s well-curated boutique, alongside essential oils like jasmine-sandalwood and lemongrass.
The sustainable feel-goods: The gray-water recycling, sea-turtle conservation initiative and resident sustainability manager (who holds a master’s in marine science) are just a few ways the resort serves as a steward to the land and the community.
The Perfect Stay
Rise and Shine
East-facing Banyan Tree Samui gets the sunrise, a good reason to wake up early. Enjoy the changing sky on your terrace with a latte from the minibar (because this is a civilized place, the minibar has actual milk) before throwing on your finest athleisure for yoga by the beach.
Morning
Now fully centered, call a buggy to bring you to breakfast. Southeast Asian luxury hotels do it up for the morning meal, and Banyan Tree Samui is no exception. Sip a green juice while you ponder the mystery of how the bakers keep the croissants so crisp in this relentless humidity.
Afternoon
If you’ve come to Koh Samui, you probably appreciate beach and pool time, so change into your suit, grab a thriller from the library, slather on the sunblock (available at the towel stations if you forgot) and stretch out under the sun. While gorgeous, it tends to be hotter at the beach, and the sky-blue bay offers little relief. So you might prefer the gigantic main pool, with cool water and an expansive beach view over its infinity edge. Order the pineapple–Thai basil smoothie and fiery kraprao seafood pizza for lunch, then head to your massage in a treatment pavilion nestled within the spa’s vibrant garden.
Evening
Keep that after-spa glow going back in your villa pool, where, perhaps, a breeze has kicked up and cooled the air enough to give the jetted hot tub a go. Relax: You have nowhere to be until your stomach tells you otherwise. The move at Saffron is incendiary crab-and-pomelo salad with red chilis, coconut and spade-shaped betel leaves, followed by the massaman beef curry, stewed with a whole wand of cinnamon. Get a buggy back to the villa and place a call to room service; this perfect stay ends with Netflix and a nightcap of mango sticky rice.
(Photo courtesy of Banyan Tree Samui.)
Know Before You Go
Getting There
Depending on the volume of mopeds zipping along the island’s sinuous roads, it’s 15 to 30 minutes by car from Koh Samui’s airport (USM) to the resort. You can hail a taxi or call a car using Grab (Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing app), but it’s way more efficient and not very expensive (about $54 including tip) to book a transfer through the hotel.
Tech Specs
Connectivity is strong across the property in terms of both (complimentary) Wi-Fi and cell service, and every villa has a 55-inch television with streaming. No need to worry about packing electricity converters here; a universal power outlet and two USB-A ports above each nightstand keep chargeable devices within arm’s reach.
When to Go
The seasons on Koh Samui are hot and humid…and hot and humid. Rain peaks during the autumn monsoons (September through November), but truly, any given day might see a mix of fierce sunshine, haze and storms that materialize and vanish quickly. Take weather-app forecasts with a large grain of salt.
What’s Included
High-speed Wi-Fi, turndown aromatherapy service with incense and essential oils, nonmotorized water sports equipment (kayaks, sailing, stand-up paddleboards, windsurfing), daily activities (yoga, tai chi, intro to Muay Thai boxing, aromatherapy workshop, guided jogging, nature walk, snorkeling, stretching, pétanque, weight training, Ping-Pong), kids club, daily afternoon snacks at the beach and pool, plus rotating turndown souvenirs such as a sand-turtle figurine, lavender face mist and elephant keychain.
What’s Around
Sure, you could check in to Banyan Tree and never leave, but the resort sits conveniently between two towns worth exploring. Laid-back Lamai unfurls to the south, with its waterside night market and the famous Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks. To the north, Chaweng gives Miami energy with beach bars, expat boutiques and neon-lit nightclubs.
Fast Facts
- Number of rooms: 88
- Number of pools: 2
- Fitness center? Yes
- Spa? Yes
- Salon? Yes
- Number of bars/restaurants: 5
- 24-hour room service? No, it’s available from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Childcare and kids club? Yes
This feature, based on a visit in June 2024, includes information that is subject to change. Please check with the hotel to confirm information prior to your stay.
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