White Sand Samui Resort

This was our first time coming to Koh Samui and we were looking forward to starting our trip with a resort stay. Unfortunately White Sand Samui Resort did not hit the mark, how they are able to qualify themselves as a 4 star hotel is beyond us, they were 2 star with a pool. Pro - On Lamai beach. Airport transfer went smoothly. Con - All staff were inadequate and lacked basic customer service. There appeared to be no management on site, the front desk staff are not capable of dealing with anything. Rooms seemed run down and needed to be refreshed/renovated. Pool and beach did not have enough seating, other guests would “reserve” their sun lounges with their towels and then never use the lounges, there were numerous times we baked in the sun waiting for someone to remove their items because they decided they didn’t want to use the lounges in the end. Or we would be waiting for people to leave so we could swoop in. There were times it was just us 2 in the pool and no one else around yet every sun lounge had someone else’s towels? We never dined in the restaurant purely because our interactions with bar staff were dull and slow, the menu didn’t look appealing and we ate elsewhere. When we came back after dinner around 9pm we asked the Front Desk if we could have some drinks and we will take them to the room, we were told no that everyone had gone home. There were 2 people at the Front Desk, what is the issue with getting 2 beers from the fridge and charging it to our room? I’ve never stayed anywhere that has denied a sale. The hotel is showing signs of aging and neglect. Neutral - this is at a quiet end of Lamai, if you wish to be somewhere quiet then it is perfect. Note it’s about a 20+ minute walk to get to Lamai centre itself where the markets and shops are. We are returning to Koh Samui in May 2026, and we have chosen to stay somewhere else. I wouldn’t recommend this resort to anyone.

This is NOT 4*!! White Sands could and should be 4*. The location is beach facing, the pool areas are pleasant and the rooms are comfortable and well appointed. The issue seems to be that it is managed dreadfully and seems to focus on penny pinching rather than good customer service (not 4*). The reception staff are rude and unhelpful (the way they have been trained I guess). I have attached photos to demonstrate the state of the place etc. When we arrived (Friday evening) we were told that our room would not be available until the next day so they were 'upgrading' us. We had booked the room 8 months ago and did not want to move rooms after unpacking. There was no management on site as 'it is the weekend'! Eventually after 30 minutes of phone calls we eventually sorted out a solution. This whole experience is not 4*. We were told they regularly overbook and then try and sort it out. There are two sets of steps to the beach. One is completely dilapidated and blocked off and one is a mess and pretty dangerous (not 4*). The sunbeds on the beach are very old and uncomfortable and no sunbeds have any cushions (not 4*). There are not enough sunbeds and yet the resort invites passing tourists to use the sunbed you have already paid for, for THB500 a day (not 4*). The towels in our room were old, frayed and dirty (not 4*). The quilt (duvet) was old and lumpy and took two changes to find one that wasn't (not 4*). The restaurant furniture is very basic and uncomfortable flat hard wood (not 4*). Housekeeping had to ask permission to give us more tea and coffee as there was only one coffee each and one tea each in our room (not 4*). There is a list of fines on the wall for damage/loss of everything, including even the mattress (I have never seen this in a 4* hotel). There was a power outage by the power company for a whole day (these things happen), which meant breakfast ended an hour early, but apart from a small notice in reception, it was not communicated at all to the rooms (not 4*). The general attitude of the reception staff, the junior managers and even the general manager was the most unprofessional and non hospitality I have ever experienced. We have travelled for 2 months across Malaysia, Borneo and Thailand and this is the worst hotel we have stayed in. It needs some money spending and a complete management overhaul. The staff at the bar/restaurant were great and very customer focused (especially MrA).

The good: the staff are courteous, pool is beautiful and bed is comfortable. The breakfast is good with lots of options. Housekeeping service was good with fresh bottled water provided daily. The not-so-good: we only had hot water two out of four nights. We were “upgraded” from a pool access room to beach front villa, but I don’t think this was an actual upgrade. The room just generally needs some care. Lots of little things needing repair such as the hole in the floor behind the tub, or the broken wood by the entry door lock. There was also a pit of garbage dug into the sand in front of the tree in front of our beach view. Loungers on the deck would have been nice. The air conditioner points directly at your face while in bed, even after adjusting it as much as we could, and it’s too hot to turn it off. Overall not a bad stay… just needs some care throughout the property and rooms.