Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort

Outrigger is a great option for a family holiday in Samui. It's luxurious without being intimidating. We felt very relaxed walking about with sandy feet and wet hair and turning up for evening drinks straight from the pool. The building is beautiful. The colonial terraces and palms surrounding the quieter pool at the heart of the complex is particularly special. Our garden terrace twin room was large and kept immaculately clean. We didn't really need the small patio area but it does make it feel very private. I think if I booked again I'd ask for a room around the small pool. We had the half board package which worked well for a family of fussy eaters, and dad who still got some tasty Thai fare! It's gorgeous eating dinner on the beach surrounded by fairy lights and to the sound of lapping waves. More dessert options would be good. And I do think free water should be provided at dinner when you have a meal package: it's very expensive at the restaurant and yet they provide litres of it every day to the room. Breakfast is ample and tasty and the dining room never feels crowded. A nice little bonus of the room type we booked was use of the 47 lounge. We developed a lovely tradition of popping in for snacks, a cold drink, and a family game of cards each evening. The chocolate cake and tiramisu were very moreish! We also avoided paying over the odds for drinks later by getting our fill for free during happy hour as part of the package. The earlier "afternoon tea" is table service and felt a bit intimidating especially if there were not many guests. I think this would be better done self service like the evening session. The kids club is really well set up either for free play or at the wonderfully creative craft sessions. What those ladies can't do with a straw or two isn't worth knowing! Some of the more big group dependent activities, like the disco, were poorly attended though. For such a seemingly large hotel it didn't seem crowded. There's a collection of pools by the beach but you don't really struggle to find sun beds and there's never a queue for the fun little water slide. You can order food and drinks to your sunbed but we tried to avoid the expense of this. There are two very well stocked 711s nearby but you can not take food into the pool area. All in all a great stay but what really makes it stand out is the staff. They work so hard and go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. We want to thank Nut, Mui, Ice and Michael for making our kids feel so special every day. I will really miss walking into breakfast to be greeted by your smiling faces. Truly exceptional.