Phuket or Ko Samui?

 
Old May 9, 2015, 2:33 am
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Phuket or Ko Samui?

I'm taking a short break in Thailand at the start of June. I've got three nights booked at the St Regis in Bangkokand then I'm looking to travel elsewhere for another three nights. My thoughts currently are leaning towards either Phuket or Koh Samui.

Any advice on which has the better Starwood properties?
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Old May 9, 2015, 3:16 am
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IME, Samui in early June has better weather (just better).
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Old May 9, 2015, 3:30 am
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Thanks 3rdworldresident. What should I be expecting in terms of weather?
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Old May 9, 2015, 4:15 am
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Originally Posted by matthandy
I'm taking a short break in Thailand at the start of June. I've got three nights booked at the St Regis in Bangkokand then I'm looking to travel elsewhere for another three nights. My thoughts currently are leaning towards either Phuket or Koh Samui.

Any advice on which has the better Starwood properties?
I liked Samui becuase of the vibe. The night markets are great. We stayed at LM in Samui pool villa due to pricing error and loved the LM. It felt like a boutique hotel and not overcroweded. The bad thing is the beach at the LM.

I have not stayed at any SPG in Phuket yet but have LM booked in a couple of weeks. We have been to Phuket before and I think it may have better beaches but has far more tourist and in some places is a party town.

Since Samui is harder to get to, not direct international flights, the internatinoal tourist crowd is not as big.
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Old May 9, 2015, 4:37 am
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Originally Posted by matthandy
Thanks 3rdworldresident. What should I be expecting in terms of weather?
Rain, more rain, and a lot more rain.

Whereas January and February have 3-4 rainy days and around 25 mm rain per month, June has 20 rainy days and 240 mm of rain. May is even worse, and early June is the worst part of June.

That's really, really wet. I hope you like the after-hours entertainment, because you are at risk of just looking at the beach from under an umbrella.

Could you not cross the equator and go to Bali instead? You'd get a quarter of the rainfall.
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Old May 9, 2015, 4:56 am
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Thanks. I've heard really mixed comments about the weather in June. I'd be going from the 9th to the 12th. Everyone says to expect tropical thunderstorms but some people it'll be sunny most of the time, others that'll be raining and cloudy all the time.....

Any recommendations for hotels? I'm gravitating towards the LM but the beach doesn't look very good.
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Old May 9, 2015, 5:10 am
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FYI, the LM in Phuket is excellent. Outstanding private beach and massive swimming pools, but if the weather is lousy there is no in-door equivalent.

I have never been in Thailand during the typical summer months so I couldn't tell you what to expect in terms of weather. I always though that the best time to go is usually around March.
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Old May 9, 2015, 5:12 am
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Originally Posted by George Kyriakos
FYI, the LM in Phuket is excellent.
Thanks. I should have been clearer though. I'm looking at the LM in Koh Samui as my first choice.
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Old May 9, 2015, 5:19 am
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it's true that you can expect heavy rain in Samui in early june

but in phuket, IIRC, weather will most likely be worse than in samui, expect the heavy-tropical thunderstorm. you cannot go diving or sailing to any islands for sure, maybe flooding in some areas too.

ps. sorry for my poor english.
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Old May 9, 2015, 6:31 am
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Originally Posted by matthandy
Thanks. I should have been clearer though. I'm looking at the LM in Koh Samui as my first choice.
What do you want to do at samui/phuket ?

Please give me more details of your plans.
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Old May 9, 2015, 6:38 am
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Originally Posted by matthandy
Thanks. I've heard really mixed comments about the weather in June. I'd be going from the 9th to the 12th. Everyone says to expect tropical thunderstorms but some people it'll be sunny most of the time, others that'll be raining and cloudy all the time.....
Data beat scattered anecdotes - every time.

http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/w...huket-Thailand
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Old May 9, 2015, 7:00 am
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Looks like Koh Samui is much better weather wise then.

What do I want to do? Not a lot really. I only have three nights so I'll probably spend a couple of days relaxing by the pool, in my room reading a book, maybe going for a walk along the beach etc. The other day I'd like to go out and see something such as waterfalls or some other natural landscape.

The hotel should be quiet, not a family hotel, not too big either. I'm not into going out and partying, not by myself anyway!
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Old May 9, 2015, 8:40 am
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June I would certainly go for Samui over Phuket. By the choice of those two locations I'm guessing you want a beach, pool and a suntan?

It sounds like you're describing the Vana Belle, which is one of the only Starwood hotels in either Samui or Phuket I've not stayed at, so you'll have to ask someone else for details

The W Koh Samui Resort is a lot of fun if you can get a good rate, but is IMHO usually severely over-priced. There is also a brand new Sheraton Koh Samui which I'm not sure if anyone here has reported on yet.
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Old May 9, 2015, 9:03 am
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After doing lots of research I'm pretty much set on booking the LM in Koh Samui. Any tips on which room type to book/avoid? Are plats treated well?
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Old May 9, 2015, 10:09 am
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I'm quite fond of the LM Koh Samui and have stayed there a handful of times over the last couple of years. It's not perfect and the beach isn't great, but in Samui you get what you pay for. You'll see my reviews on the hotel's thread.

I get the impression that most guests are on package tours, so Platinums tend to get treated very well. You'll meet some of the senior operational management and unless you're there in peak season you're pretty much guaranteed an upgrade to a Pool Access Suite from the cheapest room category. The villas look beautiful, but are a whole different price level. Pool Access Suites are rooms which give you access to a quiet paddling pool type area which can be handy as the (otherwise nicer) main pool can at times be full of loud children. There are various other plat benefits including a happy hour during the lantern ceremony which I enjoy even when by myself.
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