That you rode a bike on Samui without problems does not mean that it is a good idea, or that it is safe!

If you have an accident - which is not, like, outside the realms of possibility when you consider the way the locals drive and the quality of the roads on the island - then you will have serious problems and questions to deal with.

e.g.

What do you think the hospitals are like here, compared to a major Western city? Do you really want to find out what it's like to get a blood transfusion here?
Will your travel insurance cover you given that you were partaking in such an obviously dangerous activity? How much would it cost to be airlifted to Bangkok?
How long is it going to take to get help? How will the police react when they arrive?
And do you realise that as a tourist the presumption of fault for the accident will most likely fall on you, and you will be held responsible for any injuries or harm you cause to others?

And to think that tourists still ride around the island without helmets!

Anyway, we're talking this thread is about a $700/night resort - a resort that would be happy to organise a car to take you anywhere you want to go on the island, for a fraction of the nightly rate.

The guests here are hardly backpackers and I can't imagine why they'd want to deal with all the risks described above.

To bring this back on topic, I wrote most of this post from the beach at the W Retreat Koh Samui.

The resort is great. I would highly recommend it.

The rooms are very well designed and in perfect condition. It's all done in the trendy W style, and although I'm not really sold on the W concept, I love the design.

The resort is celebrating its first birthday and there are few signs of ageing. You can see that the staff are working hard to keep it in perfect condition.

I think the best rooms are the Ocean View Escapes - if you want privacy ask for the ones at the far end of the resort away from the main building, and as far up the hill as possible.

The Ocean View Escapes closer to the main building overlook the main building as much as they overlook the ocean, which makes them much less private and diminishes the view.

The infinity pool overlooking the ocean in the Ocean View Escapes is big and the water is quite warm. You'll have no reason to use the main resort pool.

The breakfast is out of this world. At hotels we usually stop in at breakfast for a quick bite to eat, but at the W we sat there for an hour or two reading the papers, snacking on the enormous range and variety of delicious food, and looking out at the ocean.

The room service is remarkably well-priced (actually seemed to be the same menu and prices as the main restaurant, "Kitchen Table"). And the food arrives hot and delicious, which must be pretty hard to pull off given the size of the resort.

The beach is quite nice and well serviced with hammocks, deck chairs, love chairs and those big outdoor double beds. It's lovely to sit on the beach, get some sun, and listen to the waves crash. But this is not the place to go if all you want to do is swim in the ocean...

Overall we had a great three night stay and were sad to leave. Given the wonderful attitude and enthusiasm of the staff, in particular Nicholas the GM, I am sure the W Retreat will continue to get even better over the coming years.