The Library — the red swimming pool on Chaweng Beach, the all-white design hotel that became Koh Samui's calling card
If you have ever stopped mid-scroll at a photo of a blood-red swimming pool set against white sand and Koh Samui's blue sea, that is The Library — the boutique design hotel that made 'the red pool' and Koh Samui almost the same phrase · A Member of Design Hotels and listed in the MICHELIN Guide, it sits right on the central stretch of Chaweng Beach · The whole property plays on the idea of a book — rooms are called Pages, villas are Chapters, and there is a real library with an iMac corner · 46 rooms, suites and villas in all, in an all-white minimalist style · from approx. ฿8,500/night in low season (peak season climbs noticeably) · scored 9.0 from 404 reviews on Booking.com.
What sets The Library apart from any other beachfront hotel on Koh Samui is that the whole place is designed around the idea of a book — from the name down to the details · Rooms and suites are called Pages, the pool villas are Chapters, and at the heart of it all is a genuine library stocked with novels, Taschen art books, DVDs and an iMac corner to read or browse the web · The design is the work of Tirawan Songsawat, who chose an all-white minimalist palette throughout, with clean, uncluttered lines · The Library is a Member of Design Hotels and listed in the MICHELIN Guide — walking in feels closer to stepping into an art installation than a typical seaside resort.
But the thing that made The Library famous far beyond people who have ever set foot on Samui is the bright red swimming pool · Lined with red-and-orange mosaic tiles, the pool glows a deep red when seen from above or at sunset, contrasting with the white decking and the blue sea in a way nowhere else quite matches · Red loungers and parasols around it push the picture even further · Plenty of guests say they came specifically to photograph the red pool, and the shot they take home is the real thing, not just the brochure · The water itself is ordinary and clear — the red comes entirely from the tiles — so you can swim exactly as you would in any pool, only with a backdrop like no other.
The 46 units are spread across a roughly 12,800 sqm beachfront plot and scale up by budget · King Studio is the entry room — upstairs, with a balcony and the signature square box bathtub, bright and airy in white, with an in-room iMac · Next up is the Executive Suite on the ground floor, with a semi-outdoor living room and a private jacuzzi · There is a Two-Bedroom Suite for families or groups · and the Secret Pool Villas (Chapters) added later, tucked into the garden with private pools · Many reviews praise the rooms as more spacious than expected, clean and genuinely well designed, in line with the 9.4 comfort and 9.2 cleanliness subscores on Booking.com.
"A few steps from the room and you're at the red pool and the sea, the white rooms are spotless and bigger than we expected, and every corner looks like a magazine shoot — we came to celebrate an anniversary and went home with a camera full of it."
The other half of The Library's charm is in its shared spaces · The library that gives the hotel its name is open for guests to pull a book, borrow a DVD or settle at the iMac corner in a quiet, calm setting — a favourite with design lovers · The beachfront The Page Restaurant & Bar serves Thai and international food and doubles as the breakfast spot and a place for sunset cocktails, its position right on the sand making dinner especially atmospheric · Breakfast is cooked to order and praised for fresh ingredients, though some note the choice is narrower than at a big chain resort · The overall pitch is clear: this place sells design and atmosphere rather than a long checklist of facilities.
Location is one of its strongest cards · The Library sits right on the central stretch of Chaweng Beach — the sea and the red pool on one side, and just a few steps the other way to Chaweng's main road of restaurants, massage shops, stores and bars · The upside is having both the calm of a design hotel hidden behind white walls and the convenience of the island's liveliest strip within walking distance · Central Festival Samui is about 5 minutes' drive, Fisherman's Village in Bo Phut around 12 minutes, Lamai Beach roughly 15 minutes, and Samui Airport about 12 minutes' drive, so arrivals and departures are easy · The Booking.com location subscore of 9.5 — its highest of any category — reflects exactly this.
There are things worth being honest about, and nearly all of them come down to 'design leading function' · One — the all-white rooms are hard to keep pristine and show marks easily; many white surfaces have picked up wear over the years, as the hotel has been open since around 2007, so some reviews feel the condition doesn't quite match the promotional photos · Two — some design touches look great but aren't the most practical, such as the box bathtub, deliberately dim lighting that makes actually reading tricky, and semi-open bathrooms in some room types where privacy isn't total · Three — value for money is the lowest subscore (8.5): room rates and in-hotel food and drinks run high for the size and facilities on offer, so guests here for the design tend to feel it's worth it while those measuring pure function may question it · Four — the beach in front is public and busy, with roaming vendors and, in some seasons, seaweed or driftwash the tide brings in naturally.
So who is The Library for? · Most clearly, couples, honeymooners, photographers and design lovers who want both the iconic red-pool shot and a beachfront Chaweng base within walking distance of the nightlife · It suits people who see a stay as an experience of atmosphere rather than a count of facilities · Those who should look elsewhere include families wanting a big resort with a kids' club and lots of activities (see Centara Reserve Samui or Amari Koh Samui in this same series), travellers who prize plush comfort over design, and anyone after a quiet private beach · Booking tips: shoot the red pool early when it's empty or at sunset when the colour is richest · ask for a renovated room or villa if condition matters to you · book low season (May–Oct) for clearly lower rates · and walk out to Chaweng's main road for some meals to keep the budget in check, since in-hotel prices sit well above outside.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ The red pool and all-white design are unlike anywhere else — photogenic from every angle
- ✓ Beachfront on central Chaweng, walkable to restaurants and bars (location 9.5)
- ✓ Spacious, clean, comfortable rooms with in-room iMacs and a real library
- ✓ Friendly, attentive staff and a calm atmosphere despite being in the heart of Chaweng
- ! Value for money is the lowest subscore (8.5) — room and in-hotel food prices run high
- ! The all-white rooms show wear in places over the years — design leads function
- ! The beach out front is public and busy, with roaming vendors
- ✓ A Member of Design Hotels that feels like staying inside an art piece
- ✓ Studios and suites are airy and spacious, the white minimalist look is real
- ✓ On Chaweng Beach, close to the airport and Central Festival — easy in and out
- ✓ The Page by the sea is atmospheric, perfect for sunset cocktails
- ! In-room lighting is deliberately dim, so reading is tricky; box bathtub is style-first
- ! Some bathrooms are semi-open, so privacy isn't total
- ! In some seasons the beach out front gets seaweed or driftwash the tide brings in
- 💡If you want a big resort with a full facilities list and a kids' club — The Library is a small boutique design hotel focused on atmosphere, not a large family resort → choose Centara Reserve Samui or Amari Koh Samui in this same Chaweng series instead.
- 💡If you value plush comfort over design — the rooms are all white with dim lighting, box bathtubs, and some wear in places → ask for a renovated room or villa, or pick a ground-floor Executive Suite, which is roomier and comfier.
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — this is the heart of Chaweng, with live music by the beach and bars on some nights → ask for an inner or garden-side room away from the beachfront line.