I have always wanted to stay at Centara Reserve Samui since my fabulous whistle-stop tour of as many Centara hotels around the Kingdom as I could cram into 80 days! Getting to know Thailand’s leading hotel operator in this way led to a soft spot for Centara Hotels & Resorts. At the time, in late 2020, Koh Samui was an empty island, and this resort was boarded up for mega renovations. Like many Centara Hotels and Resorts, they have the crème de la crème of locations. So, when this invitation came along, I was fascinated to see this reinvention of Centara’s flagship property for myself.
Read on as I guide you through what to see, do and love in this five-star luxurious resort, on one of my favourite Thailand islands.
An overview of what we especially loved.
Inviting guests to discover a new era of sophisticated, story-driven hospitality in a country renowned for luxury hotels with exceptional amenities and services is a big call. Centara Reserve is all about being as top-notch as possible.
In my humble opinion, they’ve nailed it with their luxury resort, impeccable customer service orientation and a well-considered plan of unique surprises that charm and delight.
From the moment I create my very own welcome ceremony by floating a golden marigold on a pond, I’m charmed, creating special memories and I’m all in!
There are many extras, such as a free mini bar with decanters labelled W, G, and V (just like the whisky, gin, and vodka decanters you used to find at your Grandpa’s home, except this time, you don’t need to sneak a quick shot—it is all for you!). This is so nicely presented that it has me beaming.
The staff is driven and dedicated to ensuring your stay is exceptional. I love the special phone line for the ‘Surprise of the Day’ delivery to the room. Call me an easily impressed old bird, but that excitement, wondering what will arrive (and no, I’m not about to spoil the surprise here!), is all about going the extra mile.
This tropical resort offers six special restaurants and bars, and with its immense beachfront presence on Chaeweng Beach, there is a lot to love.
Whether you’re a honeymooner, a family traveller, or a luxury seeker, this resort promises an elegant stay with authentic Thai hospitality. You will long remember this holiday.
Why visit Koh Samui in 2025
If you are enjoying the shenanigans of the HBO Series White Lotus Season Three crowd on their holidays in Southern Thailand, much of it filmed in Koh Samui, you won’t be alone in thinking that this island should be included in your next travel plans. The stunning island has the world’s attention in 2025 as a sought-after holiday spot.
I’ve been coming to Thailand’s second biggest island, Koh Samui, since 1985! I’ve always known its special allure. It’s an island that has always been more exclusive than some popular neighbours, Phuket and Koh Phangan. The island’s unique energy has led to an expansive wellness industry. If you’re after a relaxing destination, this could be just your vibe.
Who is on their Guest List
Koh Samui has direct flights from Singapore, China (Xi’an), and Hong Kong, and most people transfer via either Phuket or Bangkok, making it accessible worldwide.
We found this represented in their mix of hotel guests of many nationalities, including Thais. We are always pleased to stay in a resort that is known and appeals to locals, too.
Centara Reserve Samui would be a great splurge destination for those celebrating special occasions.
Couples and Honeymooners
What a choice for honeymooners! With its romantic beachfront setting, private pool villas, and personalised experiences, it’s no wonder Centara Reserve Samui is a popular choice among honeymooners and couples celebrating special occasions. Private candlelit dinners, spa treatments for two, and sunset cruises are all there for the booking.
Families
The resort caters well to families with children, offering spacious suites, kid-friendly dining options, and activities that balance fun and relaxation. While it’s not a dedicated family resort, the Kids’ Club has a kid-friendly pool, direct beach access, and personalized service, which make it a great option for those wanting a luxury family holiday. If you read the reviews, parents are raving about the technology-free children’s zone with a wet playground.
We spotted the wet playground of water fountains, and I wanted to have a go myself!
What sets them apart?
Personalised Luxury
The high standard of all aspects of the stay. It’s a combination of really thinking through what a Reserve Experience should be in all aspects of their work, whether it’s a sundowner at their innovative gin bar, The Gin Run, featuring over 100 different varieties and craft labels or the personalised service of Reserve Hosts.
The Resort
Welcome to sophisticated tropical splendour. The resort is spacious, and the gardeners do a great job creating a not-a-leaf-out-of-place pure wow of lush tropical gardens—some task given our windy weather in November!
This hotel was formerly Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, and I love its colonial aesthetic. Interestingly, the Reserve brand’s contemporary aesthetic adds a layer of contemporary beige and white to everything. I say this because it sometimes felt a little too beige if I were being ultra-picky. What I love about Thailand is the bright colours, and I felt there was an opportunity to be a little more adventurous with their styling colours. Read on and see if you agree!
Resort Design
The staff took great care of the property; it was windy whilst we were there, and there always seemed to be a gardener or two out picking up leaves and leaving the place spick and span. We loved walking around and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
Some cute signs with snails on them caught our attention: “ In our resort, we have plenty of little snails that we would like to protect. We would appreciate it if you could be vigilant while walking through the walkways!“
Staff
Living up to their Thailand nickname ‘Land of Smiles’, absolutely nothing is too much trouble for the staff, whether poolside with your ice water topped up just when required or a tailor-made exercise class to cope with Mr and Mrs Wren’s mixed ability levels! The biggest compliment I can give the team is that everyone we met had time for us and was interested in our experiences.
Our Stay
From the moment we swung up the driveway to Centara Reserve Samui, we could sense this was going to be special. From our initial greeting, the sparkling purple cheers with the welcome drink and the red and blue secret box taste sensations, we were off to a luxurious start.
The white marble Lobby is high and humungous, and it has this great outdoorsy indoor feel, with plenty of glass to admire the garden, sea views, and pot plants galore.
Room Review
You have plenty of room choices, with 184 luxury rooms, pool suites, and beachfront pool villas with garden or ocean views from your private balconies or terraces.
Reserve Pool Suite
We stayed in a private pool suite; you can see my room tour below for all the details of what we loved. The rooms certainly have a wow factor with so many extra touches to make the stay, and the complimentary in-room bar was a great touch.
At the time of our visit, the hotel was renovating across the site, which has now been completed. The only factor that needed attention in our room was the stains on the marble in the shower. I’m sure this will have been fixed now, but it never hurts to ask for a freshly renovated room, does it?!
Do you prefer the beach or pool?
Chaweng Beach
Chaweng Beach is a long beachfront with Centara Reserve Samui in the best part, towards the quieter southern end. It is the best-known beach on the island. It is around 6km long and has plenty of space for all, warm waters year-round, and soft sand.
I especially love Centara Reserve Samui because its buildings are mostly set back behind a large lawn and palm trees on the beachfront, giving the beach a more natural feel. They also offer sun loungers overlooking the beach.
Chaweng is known as a good swimming beach. At the northern end, an offshore reef and shallow waters offer protection and are recommended for young children to paddle. The waters are deeper where Centara Reserve Samui is found, making them perfect for watersports and swimming.
However, the waves can be strong here, so look for the water safety flags. A red flag flying, as shown above, indicates that you should not go in the water.
The Centara Reserve team goes out of their way to ensure the beach is spotless; they are out every morning to clean any overnight debris from the tides.
You can walk in both directions to find currency exchange kiosks, pharmacies, shopping centers, restaurants, and massage salons within walking distance, so there’s no need to go far for anything.
Swimming Pools
The swimming pools at Centara Reserve Samui are nothing short of spectacular! In addition to Reserve Pool Suites with private pools, some rooms have pool access, allowing you to swim directly from your private terrace.
Aside from these, there are two outdoor swimming pools: a family/kids pool and a beachside adult only infinity pool. Set amongst beautifully landscaped gardens and offering the best beach views, these pools are very generously sized and will be a big part of your stay, even if, like us, you have a private pool in your villa. Why? Because the stunning views over Chaweng Beach are too good to miss!
One of the pools features a swim-up bar, perfect for sipping a cocktail while cooling off in the water. The poolside service is super attentive, with the brilliant pool team ensuring sun loungers are perfectly prepared and our iced waters always topped up.
Restaurants and Bars
We loved the variety of dining options. Guests can indulge in one-of-a-kind dining experiences at six celebrated dining venues and bars.
Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen
‘Salt’ literally is a treasure from the ‘sea’ while ‘society’ gives the sense of socializing or getting together.
We had a fabulous time at Samui’s best Sunday brunch. You are absolutely beachfront—what a great view! First, cocktails are served in a show-stopping array of glasses shaped like an octopus or a fish—only the best for the guests. And no, these definitely don’t go in the dishwasher—aren’t they cute?
Then, be prepared for a wander as the brunch is cleverly split into different sections. Starting with the freshest-caught sushi and prawn bar and, of course, fresh oysters, it’s a mega choice, and I doubt you will have the space for everything on the menu!
This Thai fusion foodie feast offers a huge barbecue section and handmade pasta. Just as we were finishing and going to get desserts, we found the whole room full of salads and puddings! This is definitely the ultimate beachfront brunch dining.
More at Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen
Act 5 – The Grill
The Ultimate Steakhouse Experience
They have so many dining experiences we didn’t get around to them all – this is one to return for!
“Discover meticulously sourced imported meats, premium Thai Wagyu beef, and the freshest local seafood and vegetables, all grilled to perfection in our KOPA ovens for that signature smoky aroma. Guests can expect a masterful performance in taste, presentation and delivery“
More at: Act 5 – The Grill
Sa-Nga
This is what they say: “Our menu presents a contemporary twist on traditional Thai dishes, crafting a refined experience that honours Thailand’s rich cultural heritage while presenting it in a fresh, elevated way.”
I say, “You nailed it, Sa-Nga.“
Our evening dinner on the first night was memorable for its fine Thai dining at its best. Sa-Nga is an intimate and exclusive restaurant. We start by choosing our menu from a series of images shown via an iPad, which puts my food photography skills to shame and immediately whets your appetite for the delight to come, both in terms of taste and food presentation.
We took the North Eastern Sharing Set, 2,600 ++ THB, a fabulous five-course sharing set for two.
After an amuse-bouche, which set the scene and had our taste buds watering, our starter was laab salmon. This was a perfect meal for us as I would forever rave about the raw salmon in crispy rice paper with avruga and mango caviar topped with a coconut cloud and the dessert of 70% Thai chocolate and coconut mousse with a charcoal crumble – intriguing, it was! I honestly can’t think of anything nicer. Mr Wren, my meat man, was all in for the roasted marinated pork loin and grilled wagyu striploin.
We will forever remember this meal. Interestingly, the dining room itself was understated, or perhaps designed not to detract from the wonderful food and impeccable service.
More at: Sa-Nga
The Terrace
The perfect spot for relaxed breakfasts and afternoon tea with ocean views.
Breakfast is rather special at Centara Reserve Samui. You can choose indoor or open-air dining, and it’s a nice combination of table service and an extensive self-serve buffet. From the à la carte menu, we have a selection of egg dishes; I can recommend the eggs benedict and the smashed avocado with chia seeds.
The breakfast pastries were lovely, and of course, I adored the fine details, such as the butter wrapped in paper and the Reserve choices, such as their very own recipe for iced coffee and iced teas.
Of course, because I enjoy all the details, I have to turn over the plate I admire to find Pe’tye Fine China, made in Thailand. I am impressed they’ve gone for locally sourced food and plates! The latte glasses are those Nespresso ones, which keep your coffee at just the right temperature.
The Gin Run – ‘Fantastic views, atmosphere and amazing cocktails’
Ever since I enjoyed an Aussie Gin safari, this Little Wren likes to think she knows a botanic or two about all things gin. The Gin Run blew me away; no wonder this stylish cocktail bar, with views across the resort to the sea, is seen to offer Samui’s most impressive gin collection. Here, you can enjoy 35 house-made gins from torch ginger, rosemary, and green olive.
This is a must-visit on the island, whether you are a gin connoisseur, an aspiring enthusiast or simply in for a casual G&T!
More at: The Gin Run
When to visit
The locals will tell you there is never a bad month to visit Koh Samui, which is true in many ways.
If you are looking for the coolest month, go for January. The high season is February/March, and by April/May, it is really hot. June to September are popular months for families, especially in the school holidays. The rains typically last from October to December.
When we visited, we had no idea that November would be so much rainier than our base in Phuket. The advantage of coming in the low season, however, is both the price and the fewer people around.
We will always enjoy an off-season stay and prefer to cope with the odd splash of rain (okay, deluge!) in favour of quieter times in these popular resorts.
Resort Activities
The resort’s fitness activities are second to none. The gym is one of the best you’ll find, and there are plenty of fitness classes, which we enjoyed each morning.
Reserve SPA Cenvaree
In my humble opinion, no holiday in Thailand is complete without some spa time. We will write more in our next post about Centara Reserve Samui’s focus on wellness; it is superb.
Reserve Spa Cenvaree offers five single treatment rooms and two couples rooms with private jacuzzis. It also has a separate hair and nail bar. You can also book the steam, sauna, and Jacuzzi as part of your treatment.
We attended this Spa several times during our stay and absolutely loved our massages, which were highly recommended.
More at: Spa Cenvaree
Sustainability
We liked the emphasis on sustainability here, with its impressive environmental focus. The resort is 100% plastic-free. All the drinking water is bottled in-house at their own specialised water treatment facilities.
Food waste is transformed into biogas for use in the heart-of-house kitchen. They grow their own herbs on site at the Spa Herb garden.
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed our review of what to see, do and love at Centara Reserve Samui. This resort redefines luxury with its thoughtful acknowledgement that this is your time to personalise your stay as you wish. The location at this stunning beachfront location, exceptional service, and thoughtful attention to detail all help to make this a memorable stay. From the elegantly designed rooms and private pool villas to the serene spa. We found world-class dining and breathtaking ocean views; every moment here feels indulgent.
So whether you’re seeking romance, relaxation, or a stylish getaway, this resort offers an unforgettable escape in the heart of Koh Samui. If you’re looking for a stay that blends modern sophistication with island charm, Centara Reserve Samui is the ultimate destination.
Disclosure: Little Wandering Wren was a Centara Reserve Samui guest. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for this lovely invitation.
Centara Reserve Samui Details
Address: 38/2 Moo 3, Borpud, Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui 84320, Thailand
Telephone: +66 (0) 77 230 500
Website: www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centarareservesamui
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4 comments
Hello Wren,
What a beautiful resort. The views are all fabulous. Your stay looks wonderful. Take care, enjoy your day!
Thank you Eileen – this resort is beautiful and we loved exploring every part to share it here. I appreciate you stopping by to read.
Wren x
It certainly looks a wonderful resort.
Thanks as always for such a detailed post.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much Jan, I do try to write all the details which i feel are relevant for holidaymakers selecting their hotels.
Happy Easter!
Wren x