Secret Garden Beach Resort

This small, intimate resort has long been a Koh Samui fixture, but a full renovation completed in mid-2015 transformed it into a stylish beachfront hideout. The setting feels lush and well cared-for, with tropical greenery lining simple concrete pathways that lead between the bungalows. At night the whole place is lit to romantic effect. Splashes of orange can be seen around the resort, a telltale sign of the Dutch background of the new owners, who were behind the transformation. There’s a small, attractive pool among the gardens, while the open-air restaurant has bamboo seats and tables both on the sand and under a pleasant, rustic-feeling pavilion facing the ocean. Modern wooden lounge chairs with parasols stretch down onto the beach itself, an attractive, quiet and fairly wide stretch of sand fringed by palm trees and a great spot to catch the gorgeous sunset views.

The resort is set behind high concrete walls that run along the busy main road through Koh Samui’s Bang Rak (Big Buddha) area. It abuts one of the island’s lower-key beaches, though the proximity of one of the busiest ferry piers means it can fill up around the monthly Full Moon Party on neighboring Koh Pha Ngan island (a 15-minute boat ride away). There are numerous restaurants and bars nearby, while Samui’s airport is a seven-minute drive away. The popular Big Buddha temple (Wat Phra Yai) is a five-minute drive or around 24 minutes on foot. But just about anything else, including other livelier resort strips, will require a longer drive. Private hire taxis are many times more expensive on Koh Samui than elsewhere in Thailand, so many travelers opt to use cheaper “songthaew” share taxi trucks. However getting to grips with their various routes around the island can be a headache. Minivans cover the journey to and from the various piers (the hotel can also arrange transfers).

• Five-minute drive to Bang Rak pier
• Five-minute drive to Wat Pla Laem temple
• Nine-minute drive to Fisherman’s Village
• 12-minute drive to Chaweng beach
• 15-minute drive to Mae Nam beach
• 30-minute drive to Nathon town
• 33-minute drive to Lamai beach
• 34-minute drive to Nathon pier
• 47-minute drive to Lipa Noi pier

Most of the bungalows here were renovated in mid-2015, leaving a mix of modern hotel-style rooms and decent but older traditional wooden huts. All are individually air-conditioned. The best value are the sleek, spacious Standard and Deluxe Garden Bungalows, and there are pricier versions with pool and partial sea views. Bungalows have bright white exterior walls, charming thatched roofs, and floor-to-ceiling glass patio doors. Interiors are predominantly white, with built-in cabinets and desks in trendy polished gray concrete. Attractive, similarly designed bathrooms have contemporary white sinks and wet-room-style power showers plus pump toiletries. Lovely patios feature dark-wood seating, but face directly onto the pathways and thus lack privacy. Some rooms also show early signs of wear and tear, including chipped concrete.

Older, wooden split-level Classic Pool View Bungalows have plain white walls and beds with simple bamboo nightstands on dark-wood paneled flooring. There are separate living spaces with black leather sofas, plus wooden dining tables and chairs. Bathrooms are similar to those found in entry-level rooms, while large but dated balconies sport dark-wood paneling, rattan seating, and hammocks.

The resort’s most expensive option, the Superior Beach Front Bungalow, has an attractive white exterior, stunning wood-beam ceilings, a chic daybed, and a handsome open-air bathroom with white walls and polished concrete flooring. Gorgeous sliding French doors open onto a private split-level patio with lounge chairs and uninterrupted ocean views, but this bungalow is right across from the restaurant.

Standard amenities include flat-screen cable TVs and DVD players (free loaner DVDs are available), small safes in in entry-level rooms and laptop-size ones in pricier categories, mini-fridges, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Some pricier rooms add robes and slippers, and connecting rooms are available.

The Secret Garden has an impressive range of facilities for a mid-range resort. Its small but attractive pool is surrounded by lounge chairs, and there are more lounge chairs on the beach, where massages are also available.  The Thai and international dishes served in the restaurant for lunch and dinner are decent enough, and the extensive, Western-oriented a la carte breakfast menu is served until late, for a fee. There’s also nightly themed entertainment and regular good-value happy hour cocktails at the pleasant bar, along with a book exchange. Guests get a welcome drink in the small reception on arrival, a nice touch for a property in this price range, and there’s reliable free Wi-Fi throughout the resort.