Wow amazing hotel. This place was like...
Wow amazing hotel. This place was like a little haven amongst a fairly poor part of the world. We visited The Pavilion in late August and the weather was very beautiful. It didn’t seem too busy there at this time which was great for us. It was very quiet, all the time. The hotel is RIGHT on the beach, which many shops and restaurants near by. The sea water was sooooo warm and calm. I don’t normally like swimming in the beach, but I swam lots every day.
Our room was very lovely. We were upgraded to a Spa Junior suite for free. They had a MASSIVE king size bed (although it was actually two beds joined together, so there was a slight bump in-between the mattress) with wonderful pillows. The lighting in the rooms was stunning, very romantic, although they needed the option of better lighting in the bathroom for doing your makeup! We had our own mini swimming pool too! We had an ipod dock, DVD player and small-ish plasma TV, great for watching cheap Thai movies! There is also high speed internet in the rooms, if you bring your own laptop, although it cost about $50 extra for the week.
The staff and service was excellent, but folks, you must to remember to smile at the Thai people, and don’t act like snobby Westerners or you’ll get nothing!
We were adventurous at first and ate at many dirt cheap restaurants nearby, but then got lazy and ate at The Pavilion all the time because it was still very reasonable prices compared to Australia. We were hassled on the street by locals, so it was easy to just stay in the hotel. Plus, The Pavilion food was really amazing. Worth every penny. You must try the cocktail “Samui Dream” at the beach bar at sunset! Then watch the fireworks go off every night! (Locals will try to sell them to you on the beach at night)
We also got massages in the Pavilion Spa which were exceptional. We didn’t want to get beach / street side massages (even though they were dirt cheap) because we were happy to pay extra for the 5-star luxury that The Pavilion provided.
The breakfast was also very amazing. The restaurant we ate in each morning was just stunning, right overlooking the beach. You couldn’t ask for more! The Roti banana pancakes are a must!
There are abundant money exchange places just outside the hotel, which offered us a much better deal than in the airport, so wait till you get there to change your money. There is a safe in your hotel room.
We had suits tailored across the road at “Joop” who provided an excellent service. The shopping is OK in Lamai beach, but you must also venture into Chaweng to the night market there. It takes about 15 minutes to get there by taxi. Overall, we were a bit disappointed in the shopping because it all seemed a bit out-dated.
We would love to stay here again. It was excellent value for money. I think hotels in Chaweng are a bit more expensive.
