I booked Vana Belle for a 5 night stay back in Feb 2019 before I knew what my schedule was. Turns out that I arrived in Samui a day earlier than my reservation. I noticed that the Sheraton was next door to VB and thought it would be perfect opportunity to try it out. I was able to get a decent BRG rate for an entry level room (Superior Room). At check in, I was informed that there were no suites available (true from what I could tell) but they upgraded me to a Premium Deluxe Studio (about 600 sq ft). I thought the room was quite nice (no musty smell) and kind of liked the quirky colours (bright yellow tile in the bathroom). There was also a large soaker tub on the balcony.

The property itself is built on the side of a steep hill, so there are lots of stairs (or golf carts for those who are unable to do stairs) and it was difficult to navigate. Even with my map in hand I found I was uncertain of where to go sometimes. But I didn’t mind as it was a beautiful property with waterfalls and streams with koi ponds. There were lots of chairs at the beach and around the pool scattered everywhere due to the unusual topography of rocks and hillside. All the chairs were equipped with a buzzer which you could ring for service. ^

The Blue Monkey Bar by the beach was a very cool place to hang out in the evening with music and sound of the waves crashing nearby. Happy hour drinks were 150-180 baht. I ordered food from the Long Talay restaurant which was delicious and very reasonably priced especially after 20% off.

Most of the drawbacks have to do with the ocean and the beach. The sea appears quite rough on this side of the island (not sure if this is seasonal, or constant). I also found the sand to be quite granular (Cancun has nothing to worry about). When I did go into the ocean, I found the water noticeably cooler than Khao Lak where I had just come from (but still on par with what I often get in Waikiki). Water clarity was much better than Khao Lak though. Finally, there were a lot of pebbles on the ocean floor which made it difficult to find your footing as you are battling the waves. However, the next day, I went into the same ocean a few hundred feet away in front of Vana Belle and found many of those issues seemed much better (so maybe it was all in my head) except for the angry ocean. I would not recommend weak swimmers to attempt to go in here. The hotel has two beautiful pools though, one on the beach, and one just below the lobby.

Breakfast was excellent. I was offered the buffet and 1000 pt welcome amenity. I also received a bowl of fruit and a plate with 3 desserts in my room.

Since this hotel is a category 4, I’m considering redeeming my final TP cert here for next year. I’ll probably make a reservation in case it moves up to a cat 5 while I weigh my options.