Introduction Many reviews seem to agree that Vana Belle (Luxury Collection) is the best Marriott property in Koh Samui and based on my stays at the top three Marriott properties (W, Ritz Carlton, and VB) I would tend to agree. The elite treatment was great, the service was excellent, the location is hard to beat and VB has the best beach of the three so I can easily recommend this hotel. Location Vana Belle’s location is on Chaweng Noi Beach which is just south of the main Chaweng Beach. Unfortunately the two beaches do not connect if trying to walk so for location in my opinion the best remains Library Hotel which used to be part of Marriott (Design) but VB is a close second and better located than Ritz Carlton and W which are a bit more isolated. Room VB is normally priced below W and above RC. In covid times all three have significantly reduced their prices but VB has done it more aggressively than the other two and is now the cheapest of the three for many dates I checked. I booked the entry level room at a rock bottom price and received an upgrade as Ambassador guest to what I believe is their highest room category, the “Vana Belle Ocean View Pool Suite” so it could not possibly be more generous. The combined bedroom / living room area was not particularly large but the bathroom was huge - I think it was as big as the bedroom and living room combined. Both parts of the room were overlooking the sea, and the beach was close enough that we could clearly hear the waves from our room even with the patio doors closed. There were frosted glass windows in the toilet and shower to ensure good lighting at the back of the room and there were sky lights on the ceiling of the bathroom which is a great feature. There was plenty of outdoor patio space including a large pool on the entire length of the room (approximately 10 meters). The privacy was excellent from both sides due to the wall panels on both sides. I would also note that neighbors higher up on the hill could not see us. Interestingly there was also a small reception area outside the entrance of our room which would be an odd place to spend some time given the nice terrace on the sea side.The room was not perfect however. First off the resort is facing east so we had sunrise but unfortunately no sunset and the roof of the building was useful to provide some shade to sit outside but the downside is that it also made the pool a bit cool due to the lack of direct sunlight in the afternoon except at the edge of the pool. Second, while the room was spacious and well maintained, it was nonetheless not new and shiny and might come across as more bland compared to the villas at W and also compared to the more newly built RC. In addition at W all rooms are stand-alone villas; at RC the higher levels of rooms are also stand-alone villas whereas at VB in the top level room we had two neighbors below us for a total of three rooms in our building, each room below us being about half of the size of our own room. And if we compare with resorts other than Marriott, Conrad’s hardware easily beats VB as well. Dining I previously read some less than positive comments regarding breakfast at VB, dining in general, and the price level. I don’t know if the menu has been revamped recently but in my experience VB was actually one of the best of all resorts we have seen in Koh Samui for dining. The breakfast buffet has returned and had a rotation of four Asian hot dishes such as fried rice, Pad Thai, stir-fried chicken with veggies, etc. To go alone the buffet there was an extensive a la carte menu with luxury options such as white omelet with crab meat and teriyaki salmon. In contrast many other resorts in Samui currently have far more limited a la carte menus. I also noticed they changed the fruits available on a daily basis to avoid repetition including passion fruits and pomelo. And to cap off a great luxury breakfast, guests Platinum and above could have free-flow Prosecco (Nua) and Bloody Mary’s. Since the hotel was low occupancy there was plenty of available seating indoor and outdoor with sea views. We ordered room service a couple of times during our stay and the prices were below those of many 5-star hotels in Bangkok, let alone Koh Samui hotels where prices are normally higher. When I saw the prices of the menu I thought the portions would be small but they were appropriate so the value was definitely there. Perhaps this is a temporary “covid” menu with low prices but anyway there is nothing I could say negative about dining at VB based on our stay. Service Service was excellent during our stay and is a strength of this hotel, starting with the special welcome ceremony and the friendly personnel at the restaurant as well. Many staff members addressed us by name wherever we went on the resort and took great care of us at all times. Beach The beach right in front of VB was great and this alone will attract many guests to choose VB. Conrad has the sunset views because it’s on the west side of the island but beaches are much better on VB’s side of the island by a wide margin. I would also note that the beach at VB is fairly long and walkable. While the part in front of VB was very clean, unfortunately in front of other (temporarily closed) hotels there was a modest amount of rubbish which had accumulated. Pool Because we had a great patio and private pool we did not use the main pool but we stopped by to take a look. The pool is not very big but on a resort where all guests have their plunge pool, it is unlikely that all guests will want to use the main pool except the guests who might not have views from their room and those who prefer the proximity to the beach and the restaurant + bar. Gym The fitness gym was open during our stay but limited to 4 guests at a time and required pre-booking. The gym did not have sea views, it was looking at the vegetation outside. Also the TV did not seem to work on the elliptical machine I used. Wifi Wifi was very fast during our stay with speeds 60-75 Mbps and worked without any interruptions. Overall Overall I found VB to be the best value for the money of all resorts we have stayed in Koh Samui, in large part because of the significant room upgrade. In normal times when occupancy would be expected to be high and upgrades uncertain, VB being cheaper than Conrad and W is warranted in my view because the entry level rooms at Conrad + W are stand-alone villas, are significantly bigger as well, and Conrad even have views for the entry level rooms. If we compare to the higher room types at VB then it becomes more comparable to other 5-star hotels but the price differential will then shrink and VB would be in the same range. Bottom line VB is very strong for service and dining, not to mention that for people who highly value a great beach and location then Vana Belle will be an excellent choice.