Vimarn Samed Resort — a clifftop sea view resort above Ao Wong Duean with ocean on three sides
Most of Koh Samet is about beachfront stays on white sand, but Vimarn Samed Resort takes a different route — it perches on a rocky headland between Ao Pai and Ao Wong Duean, with the sea wrapping around three sides. From many balconies you look straight out over open blue water rather than the wall or roof of the room next door. Ao Cho beach is about a 3-minute walk down, and Ao Wong Duean beach sits roughly 50 metres away. Guests praise the sea views and the calm setting most of all, though some reviews flag the breakfast and a few rooms that could use more upkeep. From approx. ฿2,200/night · score 9.0 from 148 Trip.com reviews.
Most people coming to Koh Samet look for a beachfront stay where you step off the balcony straight onto the sand. Vimarn Samed Resort sits differently — it occupies a rocky headland that juts into the sea between Ao Pai and Ao Wong Duean, with water on three sides. The payoff is the view: many rooms and balconies open onto wide ocean, sunrise over the bay, and the sound of waves against the rocks below. The resort opened in 2006 and had its most recent renovation in 2021, with around 25 rooms and bungalows, so it never feels as crowded as the larger resorts.
Rooms run from the Vimarn Bungalow up through Deluxe Bungalow Sea View, Family Sea View and the Vimarn Suite, sized roughly 18–36 sqm. They're done in a contemporary Thai style with dark-wood furniture, air-con, TV, a walk-in shower and Wi-Fi, and many have a private sea-facing balcony. The view from the room and the quiet of the clifftop location are what guests agree on most. To be straight about it, some reviews note that a few rooms are starting to show their age and could use refreshing, that water pressure is modest in places, and that — being out in nature — you'll occasionally hear roosters or small wildlife at night. If you want a true sea view, ask for a Sea View room when you book.
"Opened the curtains in the morning to a wall of blue sea, soft waves on the rocks, no building in the way — sipping coffee on the balcony over Ao Wong Duean was the highlight."
The common areas include an outdoor pool facing the sea and a seaside restaurant with a bar. Dinner watching the waves and the evening sky is a setting many reviews enjoy. There's room service, luggage storage, and help arranging snorkelling or island boat tours. Breakfast, however, is where opinions split most — a fair number of guests feel it could be better in both variety and taste. Overall the mood suits people who come to relax, take in the view and stay away from the bustle, rather than those chasing nightlife.
The location is mid-island on the east coast. Ao Cho beach is about a 3-minute walk down, and Ao Wong Duean beach is roughly 50 metres away, while the busier Sai Kaew Beach is about 15 minutes by car. Getting here follows the usual Koh Samet routine: from Bangkok it's about 3 hours' drive to Ban Phe pier, then a 30–40 minute boat across to the island; from the pier you take a songthaew toward Ao Wong Duean, and the resort can help arrange transfers. The resort scores 9.0 from 148 Trip.com reviews (cleanliness and location both 9.1), 8.2 on Booking.com (couples especially like the location), and 3/5 on TripAdvisor, ranked #21 of 24 hotels on Koh Samet — a sign that people love the view and setting while opinions on the rooms and breakfast vary.
Honestly, Vimarn Samed Resort isn't for travellers who want to step from the balcony straight onto the sand, since the resort sits up on the headland and you walk down a flight of steps to reach the beach, and it isn't for those expecting a brand-new, flawless resort. But if you want a wide open sea view from your balcony, the calm of a three-sides-ocean clifftop, a pool and a seaside restaurant — at a price that's reasonable for Koh Samet — this is a well-judged choice above Ao Wong Duean.
A tip from following the reviews here: specify a Sea View room and ask about its condition before booking, since the sea view is what makes the rate worth it — non-sea-view rooms look onto the garden or a walkway instead. Weekdays are when Ao Wong Duean and Ao Cho are quietest and prettiest. For long weekends and high season (November–April), book ahead, as the sea-view rooms are limited and fill quickly.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beautiful sea views from rooms and balconies, ocean on three sides
- ✓ Quiet clifftop location, especially liked by couples
- ✓ Pleasant pool and seaside restaurant
- ✓ Ao Cho and Ao Wong Duean beaches a few minutes away
- ! Breakfast could be better in both variety and taste
- ! Up on the headland — you walk down steps to the beach, not beachfront
- ! Some rooms are aging and water pressure is modest
- ✓ Wide open sea view over Ao Wong Duean and a calm setting
- ✓ Rooms in contemporary Thai dark-wood style with balconies
- ✓ Helpful staff who arrange island tours
- ✓ Accessible pricing for a sea-view stay on Koh Samet
- ! Some rooms and bathrooms are due for refurbishment
- ! Occasional roosters or small wildlife at night, being out in nature
- ! Non-sea-view rooms look onto the garden or a walkway instead of the sea
- 💡If you want to step from the balcony straight onto the sand — this resort is up on a headland, about a 3-minute walk down to Ao Cho beach → for true beachfront, consider Sai Kaew Beach Resort or Tubtim Resort instead.
- 💡If breakfast really matters to you — reviews on breakfast are mixed and some feel it could be better → try the eateries around Ao Wong Duean, or book a room-only rate.
- 💡If you're coming on a long weekend or in high season (Nov–Apr) — sea-view rooms are limited and fill quickly → book ahead and specify a Sea View room.