Ao Prao Resort
A surprisingly beautiful beach just 3 hours from Bangkok? You bet. And the best hotel on the beach is Ao Prao Resort, which humbly took my breath away.
Look, I wasn’t expecting much. Koh Samet is not on most travelers in Thailand’s radar. But, and I hesitate to say this, it really should be. Getting there means taking about a 3-hour drive from Bangkok to Rayong, then hop on the boat from the Ao Prao Pier (the hotel has its own check in building on the mainland where they will let you know which ferry to take while you can lounge in a nice space for the trip). After about a 15 minute ferry ride, you’ll get to this cute little island, greeted by a very unique pier with some sort of lady in statue form rising from the sea at the end of the pier. You’ll then be whisked away to the hotel, which is about another 15 minutes ride from the pier.
Location: A-
I checked out a couple other beaches during my time on Koh Samet and none are as close to this one in terms of quality. The beach is truly one of the best in Thailand (better than almost any beach on the renowned island of Koh Samui too if you ask me). There isn’t much on this beach other than a few more hotels with their respective restaurants but that doesn’t really matter. This is a place you come to just lounge by the beach for a couple days anyway. Also, you can rent a motorbike from the other end of the beach for a few bucks a day, and you can head across the island to the main part of Samet (have dinner at Ploy Talay and enjoy one of Thailand’s best fire shows).
Rooms: B+
Look, this was the most surprising part of my stay at Ao Prao. I got lucky and was upgraded to an ocean view room, and it was great. The bed was super comfy, bathroom was solid, and the view was superb. Being a small hotel on a lesser known island, I had lower expectations, but this room was on par with luxury hotels on major islands.
Dining: B
Nothing blew me away, but nothing was bad either. And the breakfast buffet was also more than I had expected! Lots of options and an egg station with a cook, so that was very nice. The view from the restaurant though is just next level, and the lack of any fencing further expresses the beautiful view over the bay. So yeah, the food will fill you up but won’t necessarily be a highlight (but the view while you eat will be a highlight).
Amenities: B-
The gym and spa are down the beach at the sister property of Ao Prao, Le Vimran. I had credit to get a massage so I took advantage of it and it was a great 2 hour Thai massage, complete with oils and fragrances. I didn’t get to check out the gym, but I did see it from the outside and it looked quite small. But look, the beach is the amenity you need, and they’ve got the best one here. So that’s a big plus. But, with that said, the kayaks and paddle boards and other beach activities were actually surprisingly pricey. Other than that, there are two beautiful infinity edge pools with great sea views, with the larger of the two pools having a swim-up bar instead, which we love.
Service: B
No complaints, just nothing special. Everyone was very friendly, with the occasional lapse, but its island time, so I couldn’t care less. But it is just worth pointing out that you won’t be getting nearly the same service here as you would in a place like the Four Seasons Koh Samui.