Buddy's for life!”

I booked this resort at very short notice as there was political strife in Bangkok and our planned trip to another place in Thailand was canceled at the last moment due to riots. We were advised to leave Bangkok for a few days and we decided on Koh Samui. A quick search on Agoda and we zeroed in on Manathai (or Buddy's as it was known then). Getting there was quite easy after a bit of homework and planning... We took a train and caught a ferry. Once at the resort, we again encountered a familiar experience - room pics and description on website did not match the real room - again, no jacuzzi in suite...I negotiated with the manager for complimentary breakfast and after a few calls, she agreed. After that, the rest of the stay was magical! The island is very beautiful and staying at lamai beach is an ideal launchpad to explore the whole place. Our only regret was we weren't staying longer! Rooms were very spacious and had a separate study and kitchenette. Everything was perfect. From the claw footed bath tub to the little balcony. A nice pool with outdoor jacuzzi in the premises where we spent mornings sipping cocktails and soaking. Across the road was the private beach and a second pool - we were spoilt for choice! Saving up for the next trip to samui!

Great hotel at Lamai beach ”

My short stay at the Manathai Koh Samui was very good. I was very impressed with my room, particularly how spacious It was. Breakfast was very good at the Colours restaurant. The onsite Pad Thai restaurant also served very good food at very reasonable prices. The pool just across the road at the beach was very nice with lots of sunbeds, some shaded by coconut trees. There was a good bar/restaurant at the pool too. All of the staff I encountered were very friendly and efficient.

Very quiet hotel good for relaxing and maybe for honeymoon ”

The Manathai is a very good hotel if you searching for a quiet place for your honeymoon or for relaxe. They have 2 Pools and one Long Beach with a beautiful coral reef. Advice to the hotel please clean up your paradise beach everyday from the garbage and plastic. Nobody want swimming in a ocean with so much plastic pollution on beach. The fisher half island in front of the hotel is very dirty. You will see everywhere plastic bottles and glass bottles. The people must start to clean and save their paradise. If not tourists like will not come any longer to normally beautiful places like Manathai at La Mai beach Koh Samui.

Superb Hotel with a warm friendly welcome”

once arriving at the buddy oriental in koh samui, we were greeted by the resort manager melissa tan who was extremely helpful and friendly, this continued the whole period of our stay. the hotel room was very clean and well presented. we came down every morning to a variety of breakfasts to suit everyones taste. the 2 pools were well maintained, however our only regret was there were no cushions on the sun loungers, however we mentioned this to the management on leaving and they were looking into getting some. we recommend this hotel for a very enjoyable stay in lamai koh samui.

Pleasant, vintage rooms”

We stayed three nights in a Junior Suite and the room and bathroom was large. The study room attached to our room was a bit of a waste of space but adds to the overall dimensions of the room. The rooms are furnished in a vintage setting and are a comfortable. Some may find the mattress hard but since my wife and I prefer hard mattresses, we were fine and slept comfortably. The bathroom is quite big, clean and has a nice vintage tub. The location is decent in terms of distance to Lamai centre (2km) and Chaweng beach (8km) but the beach connected to the is not the ideal for those who are looking to spend more time on the beach. The beach is small and has a fisherman's wharf attached to it. it added to the 'old koh samui' feel but like I said, if the beach is a priority (and Lamai beach in particular), then might as well look for something closer to the south end of Lamai beach. We didnt try the room service but the breakfast was decent and had the usual fare available in most hotels. The breakfast seating area is nice. The pools are small and can get crowded if there are more people using them. However, they are clean. The jaccuzzi was not working properly when we were there. Overall, the hotel is not bad at all for the price and offers a comfortable, clean and vintage feel in a quieter part of Lamai.

GREAT HOTEL-one of our faves”

Overall our experience here was better than anywhere else we stayed and the price was less for what we got than anywhere else (Ko Tao, Koh Phangan)Once we figured out that we were at the very edge of Lamai Beach the shopping was great as we headed into Lamai Beach (on foot is fine by street or beach). My boyfriend LOVED it here and we will definitely be back if we find ourselves on Koh Samui again.

Great room and good service”

Stayed two nights after a work week in Bangkok. Chose Koh Samui for convenience with travel, and Lamai Beach for a more relaxing stay then the party scene in Chaweng. Got a superior room, which actually was a huge space with big bathroom, bedroom and an attached office space. Some problems with hot water. Enjoyed the pool across the road and beach access. Very good Thai food at pool restaurant. A lot of older European guests, so maybe not real interesting for younger travelers.

Lovely colonial hotel”

The Buddy is set at the back of it's own small cull-de-sac with a 24 hour supermarket and a couple of really nice restaurants either side. It has its own swimming pool on site and an infinity swimming pool across the road which is on the beach. The road can be fairly busy, however they have a lovely dedicated guy who stops the traffic for you so no problems with safety. He helped us get a cab to the airport the following day as we wanted to stop off and do some site seeing before we got there. The Buddy is a colonial style building with wooden floors and banana blinds in the rooms - which are spotless. They have tastefully themed the rooms to make you feel like you are going back in time - but with all mod cons. We loved it!. There are plenty of computers in the foyer with wifi on site. There is also a Mexican restaurant on site, but we were only staying a couple of nights in Koh Samui and wanted to explore the surroundings. About 5 - 10 mins walk right out of the hotel and to the left of the main road and you have a good choice of bars, restaurants, massage shops (both types!) and shops. We would definitely recommend the hotel and its location. I think once a week they have a local market and the streets got very busy but all part of the atmosphere!

Mini little paradise on a noisy street”

Manathai Koh Samui is a nice hotel, that is clean and comfortable. It has two pools and small beach area that's right on the water. It has two restaurants and a breakfast room. We stayed for a night, as we had been on a different part of the island and wanted some other scenery. It was nicely decorated and the pool/beach was relaxing. You do have to cross a busy, noisy street to get from the rooms to the pool/beach/restaurant. Not as enjoyable as it could've been if all the resort were in one location. Would recommend, but other places on the island are probably better suited for the cost.

Great location, great hotel and great staff.”

we arrived at the buddy oriental straight from koh phangan after the full moon party, so we were hoping for somewhere relaxed and close to the beach.. yeah, sure you have to cross a road to get to the beach. the restaurant was nice, and the pool and gym were regularly used during our stay. definitely recommend it to anyone staying in koh samui, and lamai is a fun and lively place if you hit the right spots.

Great start, helpful staff. ”

Stay was excellent. I have a very bad back and they did not hesitate to supply me with a memory foam topper, that made my bed very comfortable. Asking for a couple of extras, (hangers, and chair for my balcony), also was no trouble. WiFi was good enough for me to watch Netflix on my computer and work. Room was very nice and clean and quiet. Breakfast buffet comes with the room, it's basic cereals, toast eggs of choice, vegetables, fruit selection, and coffee or tea. Staff are all lovely and full of smiles. Location is very good and near central Lamai. The pool is nice and on the beach, beach not too clean, but okish. Just have to watch for the pool side edge as it's very sharp, you can cut yourself, you just have to be careful. Over all, lovely stay and would recommend. Thank you Manathai.

Very good view”

If you decide to stay close to Lamai beach, then this is the place you would want to stay at. Rooms - The rooms were clean and staff was quite accomodative. The staff agreed to change our room since we wanted a room with beautiful view of the cliffs. Location - Not the best of the places to stay at Samui if you like partying everyday. Lamai is a peaceful area and it would take around 10minutes to reach to Chaweng. Price - The rooms are reasonably priced.

Birthday treat in Samui!”

It was great from the start. Staff greeted us and collected luggage before checking us in. Rooms were clean and smelled really fresh. They had two pools, one on site which includes a jacuzzi, and one across the road overlooking the beach and ocean. I asked them to please deliver a bottle of champagne the next morning to my room and they were great! Helped me choose the champagne and even baked a both day cake from scratch for the next day!! When I go back to Samui I'll 100% stay at the Manathai again. It was an amazing stay!! Highly recommend.

Best family and couple resort”

I have travelled to many beautiful locations in the world and MANATHAI Samui will be among the top properties I have stayed at. Highly recommend the two joining rooms if you travel with young children. This gave us family time and couple time. There is not one thing I can point out as negative and will definitely be back. Kudos to the staff who made the trip very memorable.

Wonderful Stay”

Manathai Hotel exemplifies hospitality for travellers. After spending 8 weeks in Thailand we were looking for sun and relaxation and we found it here. We booked 2 nights and stayed for 6! Mai welcomed us, Da greeted us each morning at the buffet breakfast, the Executive Chef shared his expertise, and the Waterline staff took care of our poolside needs at the two sparkling pools. Facilities are new, well maintained, and organized. Everyone went out of their way to accommodate our needs. First class all the way...Kudos Manathai!

A glimpse of koh samui”

it started with that they forgot to pick us up at the airport but very quickly they instead offered us a free shuttle back on our return date. the hotel room was nicely decorated and flowers put on the bed. we enjoyed the breakfast every morning. the hotel is little bit off the more popular chaweng beach but this was not a big issue as transport is not a problem around the island. we felt safe and taken care of. the services were thoroughly done and there was no exceptions. the quality of thai and western food is generally low on the koh samui island compare to selections offered in Bangkok but the hotel offers a wide selections with the close by restaurants in the resort. i do agree with the four star rank of the hotel. few things was needed.

Quiet Hotel with loads of amenities”

Hidden gem in Lamai away from noise but easy access via local bus or scooter. New hotel with lovely decor that resembles Raffles in Singapore. Originally booked two nights, ended up staying 12. One pool at the beach which is great since this part of Lamai has lots of rocks and "short" beach for sun bathing. Hotel amenities are five star and Front Desk Manager Phet is very accommodating...even the IT staffer was extremely helpful with my laptop. Hotel complex is very convenient with yummy Italian restaurant and good wine list, American style burger place, Thai/Seafood restaurant at the beach, Coffee World, and my fav place to hang out, Mulligans Irish Pub. Great food and happy hour prices, Manager Albert and his staff will ensure you have a great experience. CoCo Convenience Store is part of the Bangkok Villa Market group which carries cheese, meats and all the other imported items we crave while traveling. Don't miss Kinaree Spa...on a rainy day I enjoyed a wonderful Hot Stone Massage for a fraction of the cost in the US. If you have kids, Buddy Oriental provides a Kids Club with babysitting and lots of things to keep the little ones occupied. Overall, this is a hidden gem in what has become a busy and overpriced destination.

Beautiful hotel and good location.”

I stayed for 7 nights at the Buddy Oriental Samui and was very impressed. The building was really beautiful, the room was spacious and included a huge 4 poster bed. The staff were friendly without being 'in your face'. The room was always cleaned well. It is located on teh north end of Lamai Beach, with plenty of eating places nearby, including an Irish Pub which is part of the Buddy complex. Good food there! There are two pools to choose from, and a neat beachside bar. The beach is not so nice in front of the hotel, but there is a lovely sand area by the bar. I will definately stay here again.

Great Hotel”

The hotel was presented extremely well and the rooms were fantastic, it was a great place to hang out - even on a rainy day! The larger pool by the beach is actually seperated by a main road, which was a surprises initially but didn't cause any inconvenience in the end. Based on another reviewers recommendation we hired our scooter from the hotel rather than the street shops which worked out better for us as you don't have to hand your passport over to the hotel and you can extend really easily on a daily basis which can also be charged to your room (except the first day). The breakfast was reasonably good for western taste, yet exception if you like asian style breakfast (with noodles/rice etc). The are other eateries within the outside complex including an Irish bar, Italian and a Burger joint PLUS there is a super market which makes picking up a snack easy! The hotel is located away from the main strip (Lamai) but can be accessed easily by foot (maybe a 15min walk - unsure), scooter and tuk tuk take only a couple of minutes. We prefered this location as it was away from all the hustle and bustle. Overall we liked the hotel and environment so much we extended by 2 nights - we would definitely recommend this hotel

Nice hotel”

Buddy Samui Resort hotel is built in a colonial style and is situated on Lamai Beach. We stayed in Junior Suite (70 sqm.), elegant and comfortable. The hotel staff serving is young ( and sometimes inexperienced...) but eager to satisfy any of your desires. The presence of convinience stores, a farmacy, a bank and some restaurants in the close neighborhood make the stay at the hotel more enjoyable. Rent scooter ( a must, I would say) from the hotel and go to visit the island on it. It is a place where you can return with pleasure