The Scent Hotel

The Scent looks like a contemporary French country home from the outside, the concrete building with its sloped shingled roof is covered in ivy and a vintage Vespa is parked in the entryway. Step inside and one enters a thoughtfully crafted world, where a blend of styles ranging from the colonial to vintage Chinese blend in stylish ways. In other words, this hotel actually lives up to its boutique claims unlike so many other tiny hotels across Koh Samui. The front desk in the lobby resembles a Chinese apothecary, with glass jars full of herbs and dried fruits lining the shelves behind the counter, while the floor has floral tiling and murals of old Europe hang on the walls. A relaxed vibe is created by plush chairs and sofas scattered throughout the space -- there's even an old bicycle, a model ship, and golden-lit glass shelves filled with traditional Thai crafts and souvenirs. The hotel was formerly a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux hotels group, and still appeals to romantic couples and lovers of fine boutique stays.

The Scent Hotel is located at the edge of Bang Rak village, a sleepy beach town on the north coast of Samui. It's a convenient spot for access to the airport, which is just a ten-minute drive from here, and for the early morning ferry departures to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, as the boat piers are just five minutes from the hotel. It's not a big party spot -- travelers will need to drive 20-minutes to Chaweng for that -- although Bang Rak does have a decent collection of restaurants and shops. There are a few casual dining spots right outside the hotel on the busy main road, but Bang Rak proper is about 10 minutes east on foot. Alternatively, Fisherman's Village, a lively little area with more shops and services, is about 20 minutes west on foot (just two minutes by car). The resort is on the beach, which is small, but far nicer than the beach in town as there are no boats, piers, or disturbances in the water. The Big Buddha, one of the island's major sights, is a five-minute drive from the hotel. 

There are only 15 rooms at The Scent, and the majority of the rooms fall into the standard Sea Breeze Suite category, though there are also three Beachfront Suites. Within these categories there are three distinct styles that individually invoke Thai, Chinese, or European colonial design. The Chinese rooms have four-poster beds and wooden cabinets with Chinese paintings. European rooms come with floral-tile floors and plush armchairs -- Beachfront European-style rooms even having an antique telescope set up to look out to sea (we have yet to confirm whether there is another hotel in all of Thailand that offers this feature -- Oyster.com will keep you posted). The Thai rooms include plenty of teak wood and dark tones alongside antiqued walls. All are extremely spacious and offer lovely touches such as traditional dial-up telephones. 

Bathrooms are enormous, with gorgeous stone or claw-foot tubs plus rainfall showers, all of which have ornate brass fixtures. Marble vanities and mosaic-tile floors add an additional luxe layer to the bathrooms, and toiletries are provided. Modern amenities are also superlative, with iPod docks, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, safes, electric hot water kettles, minibars, and free Wi-Fi. Every room has an outside sitting area, although the Beachfront Suites take the cake here, as they have large private balconies with tables and a swing-for-two with views out to sea. 

The Scent may be small, but it has a good number of features to keep everyone happy. The beach is just behind the resort, and although it's not wide, it is Bang Rak's quietest stretch of sand, well away from all of the boat piers that mar the beach in town. There are a handful of sun loungers on the sand that look out onto the turquoise waters. A saltwater swimming pool sits in the garden courtyard at the center of the resort. It's surrounded by lounge chairs with their own built-in shade panels, and there are rattan couches at one end that are part of the adjacent bar and restaurant. 

One of the hotel's stand-out features is Le Jaroen restaurant, which serves haute cuisine. Overlooking the beach, it's romantic and atmospheric at night, and the restaurant draws plenty of guests beyond those staying at the hotel. There are four and five course degustation menus served for dinner, featuring items like sashimi, Hokkaido scallops, crab spring rolls, and fois gras truffle miso soup. Signature drinks and fine wines complete the picture, all served while one looks out to sea. Make sure to reserve a table, though, as seating is limited. A free breakfast with a la carte choices that range from international to Asian dishes is also included in room rates.

There is no fitness center, something four-pearl travelers might miss, though the hotel has a quaint spa that provides massage and beauty treatments. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.