Introduction I am generally not a fan of IHG hotels because of weak loyalty program benefits compared to other chains where I have status. Nonetheless I booked InterContinental Koh Samui with award nights to try this property. I had modest expectations but I came out positively surprised – the hotel itself and the facilities are impressive, it is only the loyalty program which is dragging it down and making it less competitive compared to other chains. Based on my experience I would say people who only have status with IHG should not hesitate to book there and they will have a nice stay. In times of high occupancy when upgrades will be unlikely, IC will also not be a bad choice compared to other properties, but in current covid times with low occupancy everywhere it is harder for IC to provide a good value proposition when others give very generous upgrades. Location The location of the hotel is not a strength of the hotel in my opinion. If going to Koh Samui then personally I prefer being near Chaweng but IC is on the other side of the island in a quiet spot - for a quiet vacation I would pick other islands in Thailand rather Koh Samui but I guess it can be a matter of choice. That said, the location was not as bad as I thought. I read about the beach being separated from the hotel by a road and while this is technically correct, it’s not a busy road like in Phuket where many hotels are separated from the beach with a road so busy that there is non-stop traffic so it’s hard to cross. The road to cross at IC is very small in a remote neighborhood so it almost felt like a private pathway on the resort rather than a public road. Room I booked the entry level room as an award stay and I understand that based on the Platinum Ambassador benefits, hotels are not required to upgrade non-cash stays. Nonetheless they gave us a one-category upgrade to an ocean view classic room. Compared to other hotels in Koh Samui at the moment, this is far from being the most generous but at least the views were great and the terrace outside was very private. The room itself was fairly spacious and had high ceilings which I liked. I previously read that IC KS was aging, but most likely they renovated recently because the hardwood floors were shiny and in great condition, similar to the rest of the furniture in the room which looked fairly new. The bathroom had a huge shower with recessed lighting around the shower head and large windows overlooking the bedroom and the sea views. When we arrived in the room it was very hot with the sun beaming in the room however we turned on the air conditioning full blast and we could have a cool night of sleep. The resort is facing west so many rooms have great sunset views. Dining Another weakness of the IHG loyalty program is the lack of breakfast benefit considering that almost every chain provides it for free to elites including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Accor, and even SLH. Only GHA and IHG do not have breakfast included among the chains where I stay. To make matters worse, breakfast is not cheap by any means at IC Koh Samui. They made me an offer at check-in for a special covid price which came out to 1300 THB for a couple. Even with GHA which normally does not offer breakfast, at Anantara Lawana I can pay 3000 THB for a room which will include breakfast and at IC it’s a free night award and yet they still find a way to get 1300 THB from the stay so it’s not exactly a screaming deal. Thankfully the breakfast buffet was excellent quality; not self-serve at the moment but lots of warm dishes available in addition to a small a la carte menu for eggs. I also enjoyed the ice macchiato but strangely when we asked for coconut water they said there would be an upcharge, one more sign of the stinginess of IHG in general and the price of breakfast. To further compound matters at check-out I was told that the 20 USD Ambassador credit does not apply to award stays, unlike what I was told at check-in. I was not aware of such exclusion and after I pointed out to the conversation I had with another staff member they removed 20 USD from the bill without argument.Back to breakfast, the restaurant venue was wonderful with seating both indoors and outdoors including great views. One aspect which can make IC stand apart from the local competition is the fact that they have a Club Lounge unlike any other hotel in Koh Samui that I can think of. Unfortunately the lounge does not come cheap but at least it would be an option for those who like lounges and something that cannot be found elsewhere. Because the Club Lounge is immediately besides reception, interestingly our check-in was in the Club despite not having access. The area looks great with excellent views like from so many other public areas of the resort. Service Service was excellent before, during and after our stay. I had a few e-mail exchanges with staff before our arrival which included a pillow menu order which was a nice touch. During the stay staff had great coordination and communication between each other via walkie-talkie and they could efficiently take care of our every needs. Also after the stay they requested feedback to which I responded and they replied back rather than just ignore. Common Areas The common areas of the hotel were very nice, overall the property was well maintained with nice greenery in the hill including stairs to go from the villa down to the pool and beach area. The fitness gym was also down the resort right on the beach so the views from there were excellent and the equipment was new and modern with TV and internet connection on the screen including youtube for example. The hotel not only has a pool near the beach but also another one near the famous Air Bar. That pool provides a different experience because the views are more about mountains than sea and beach. The Air Bar has great seating for drinks at sunset with opening time at 5pm. There were four more swimming pools on the resorts which I did not even go to, for an impressive total of six.The beach is a bit narrow and has seaweed right in front so for beach lovers I would say the beach is not a strength of this hotel, similar to Conrad which is also on the same side of the island. We can see the seaweed issue when looking at the beach from up above. Wifi Wifi worked very well during our stay with speeds of 35-40 Mbps. Overall Overall this hotel is solid and I can recommend it depending on elite status and circumstances. If this hotel was part of another chain with more generous benefits I would be far more positive but given what it is at the moment it’s nevertheless not bad. It would be most suitable for people who care about the view first and foremost because you only need to book the second category of rooms to guarantee a view, and elites might have that upgrade even if booking the first room type anyway. If interested in a pool villa upgrade and free breakfast then there are probably better options but it depends on whether a particular guest has elite status with other chains or not. For example in this price range (for cash) we can currently get Vana Belle (Luxury Collection) or Ritz Carlton with a private pool and most likely an upgrade with a view so not having a private pool makes IC a harder sell at this point in time for people who value a private pool. For points redemptions however, 35k pts per night at IC is not bad at all and much cheaper than the top Marriott properties.