There is no doubt that Koh Samui is Thailand’s luxury getaway island. With so many luxury resorts to choose from it is easy to be tempted to just book a room. But think again. No hotel or resort can provide you with the privacy and exclusivity of your own private luxury villa. And that is not the only reason why you should book a Koh Samui villa next time you visit. Not convinced yet? Let the photos of private infinity pools into the ocean at Miskawaan or the private chef meals do the talking.
1. Beachfront location
I have written about it before: Koh Samui is the place with the most beachfront resorts in the world yet nothing beats the perfection of having the pool and the beach all to yourself, without the crowds. And I mean a real stretch of fluffy white sand beach from where you can enjoy the perfection of your own bottle of wine and the peace of the sea at sunset. Get up, slip into your bikini and step right into the warm Andaman Sea within seconds without having to call a buggy to drive you down the steep slopes of a hotel resort, something Koh Samui’s luxury resorts are notorious for.
2. Just for you, and your friends and family
Few things beat time spent with your loved ones. And nothing beats sharing it with them and them only. I often think that privacy is the ultimate luxury. The rich and famous know it. They get away from it all and enjoy time without other guests’ interruptions. But the dirty little secret they haven’t told you is that privacy also comes with personal service. Forgot something? Your villa Manager will be at hand to solve it. Hotel concierges are great but they are often busy with other guests or will give you a cookie cutter answer. At a private villa the Manager is at your disposal and your disposal only and no request would be too big for a resourceful concierge used to dealing with challenging requests. Forgot your favorite conditioner, let them source it for you. Do you want to have a special celebration? Let them dress the villa for you and surprise the lucky person. And because you are the only guest, the chef will remember how you like your eggs cooked or reduce the amount of chili in your grandma’s dishes. Did I say privacy is the new luxury? Let me rephrase: personalisation is the next frontier in luxury hospitality.
3. Upgrade your budget
If you are traveling as a family or are celebrating a special moment with your friends, a villa can accommodate your mortgaged friend’s budget while making your demanding, most discerning, ultra-frequent traveler friend happy with the highest luxury. Because most things are best shared, a villa will let you have the vacation that you all want and upgrade your budget to a level of luxury a resort will not afford. For example, for just $100 per person you can book a fabulous villa with private chef, pool, beach and separate pavilions per couple. One of the luxury hotels on the island will cost you several times more and not give you the privacy that you are looking for to spend time together.
4. Together but alone
And let’s talk about the obnoxious hotel guests who like to play loud music, or the children next door to your private pool villa who enjoy screaming and jumping into the pool without any care for other guests. No resort can assure the level of quietness and peace that comes with sharing a villa with your closest loved ones and nobody else. Say goodbye to the guests who complain about everything, the babies whose teeth are coming out or the teenagers playing in the pool. And if your family has them too, you can at least tell them off or retire to the privacy of your own pavilion without causing a family argument.
5. Your food, your way
Even the most luxurious of hotels will end up serving repetitive food after a few days. If you book a private villa you can enjoy the meal at a new setting every day, learn to cook with the chef or even whip up your own feast. Personalise your menu to your exact needs, even for the pickiest of your friends who seems not to eat anything. Your own private chef is a level of luxury that can only be enjoyed in your private villa. An added bonus? You can mix your own cocktail, eat whenever you want and even keep on a diet by controlling exactly how the food is prepared. It can sometimes be a mission to eat healthy when traveling as you cannot tell what goes in your seemingly clean grilled chicken or how much butter was used to make that pancake. Instead of having to spend hours at the gym (did we mention private villas also come with private gyms where you can sweat without prying eyes?), make sure you eat well from the start. You are what you eat after all.
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