[ARCHIVE to 2017] Conrad Koh Samui {THA}
Jan 23, 2014, 5:11 pm
#1156
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 535
There seems to be several FTers on property at the moment including my friend and me; we're here until Sunday. Would be happy to meet others for a drink or two, if interested.
Jan 23, 2014, 9:05 pm
#1157
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Programs: AA, BA, UA, Spirit, Delta, PC Plat, SPG Gold, HHonors Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,735
You ain't kidding! It's like we can do a mini-do over here. My daily mental exercise has been trying to figure out who's an FT-ers at breakfast.
If anyone wants a ride into town, I'm driving tonight before dark.
Jan 24, 2014, 1:40 am
#1158
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: HHonors Gold, Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, Accor Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 42
Arrived at Conrad today through BKK (BKK to USM). Room very high-tech - mac mini, ipad, surround system! Similarly, my wife went gaga over the Tara Smith amenities! They've got us both covered.
FYI BKK airport is running smoothly and there is little to suggest that the protests are happening except for in the newspapers. People went about their business, getting through customs and then to our gate was seamless, and the shops/restaurants were all open.
We did receive a little paper handout upon arrival that protests were happening and that we should budget extra time to get to the airport. But this is really only for people traveling in the city, not onward to Koh Samui.
FYI BKK airport is running smoothly and there is little to suggest that the protests are happening except for in the newspapers. People went about their business, getting through customs and then to our gate was seamless, and the shops/restaurants were all open.
We did receive a little paper handout upon arrival that protests were happening and that we should budget extra time to get to the airport. But this is really only for people traveling in the city, not onward to Koh Samui.
Jan 24, 2014, 2:50 am
#1159
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 535
We're meeting mnscout at the pool bar for Happy Hour at 5:15-5:30 if anyone would like to join us 
Jan 25, 2014, 7:16 am
#1160
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 288
So traveling solo for 5 days at this property can be boring? I will arrive in two weekends and have a rental car myself.
Jan 25, 2014, 7:21 am
#1161
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DC
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 597
I have 2 kids, 2 dogs and a lovely smart supporting wife at home… that said I would kill for 5 days alone here. That said, I was at the CKS last year with my wife and we had an amazing time.
If you are the kind of person who loves solitude and personal time, it would the perfect trip. If you want a bar scene and shuffle board on the lido deck I think you may want to look elsewhere.
If you are the kind of person who loves solitude and personal time, it would the perfect trip. If you want a bar scene and shuffle board on the lido deck I think you may want to look elsewhere.
Jan 25, 2014, 11:54 am
#1162
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 288
I have 2 kids, 2 dogs and a lovely smart supporting wife at home… that said I would kill for 5 days alone here. That said, I was at the CKS last year with my wife and we had an amazing time.
If you are the kind of person who loves solitude and personal time, it would the perfect trip. If you want a bar scene and shuffle board on the lido deck I think you may want to look elsewhere.
If you are the kind of person who loves solitude and personal time, it would the perfect trip. If you want a bar scene and shuffle board on the lido deck I think you may want to look elsewhere.
Last edited by wyoon; Jan 26, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Jan 26, 2014, 9:02 pm
#1163
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Angels
Posts: 196
I am here until Saturday, if anyone wants to grab a drink.
Jan 27, 2014, 11:29 pm
#1164
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: HHonors Gold, Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, Accor Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 42
Just returned from 3 nights at the Conrad Koh Samui - had room in 200s. A beautiful, tranquil resort with killer ocean sunset views. You definitely come here for its privacy and discreteness. Some notes beyond what has already been discussed here:
*Used the samuiislandexplorer.com taxi service - 1700 BHT roundtrip. Very efficient and on time. The drivers spoke acceptable English and let us stop briefly at a Tesco on the way there. Used a van on the way there, and a pickup truck on the way back.
*Breakfast very nice (I'm not too spoiled yet when it comes to free) - starts with a made-to-order omelette, and then a number of thoughtful food stations. Enjoyed the pho and the guava juice immensely. The service is always well-intentioned - I really appreciated how the staff let us stay well past 1030am closing to just relax and loiter. The main chef (ironically named Konrad) comes by on occasion and greets the guests.
*Though not a Mac person, I loved the ipad, mac mini, and other touches like light switches that made for a beautiful room where tech did not get in the way. Not a lot of tv channel choices.
*Though there is plenty of vegetation and moisture, we did not notice mosquitos - they do an exhaustive job with spraying. This is saying a lot since my wife often gets bit elsewhere. The only bugs that seem to immune are the ants, which were a little pesky in our room.
*Did not rent a car. I can see how the resort can get a little too tranquil, but we were prepared for this and thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet. Went to a couple restaurants off resort and it was 500 BHT roundtrip using the Conrad's taxi service. Was told by the Conrad chef that there have been several accidents with tourists renting motorbikes and cars, and he personally recommended against it. But with free parking and Avis/Hertz making it relatively cheap, I could see one justifying either decision. On our way to/from the airport, we saw the craziness of the scooters, the back-alley turns to get to the airport, and the various tourists wobbling around on their bikes... we were glad we didn't drive ourselves.
*You likely need some BHT if you go out - the hotel exchanged at 30BHT per USD, which seemed better than the stiff ATM fees you'd otherwise pay.
*Green Ta'lay's food was just decent. For those looking for truly authentic Thai food, we noted no locals there and it is run by an American married to a Thailand native. Cost is cheaper than the hotel's offerings but honestly, not necessarily cheaper compared to other restaurants in the area. The owner is very friendly, it is a nice atmosphere, and it is among the closest restaurants from the Conrad.
*Since our flight was at 630pm, the hotel graciously granted us late checkout at 4pm. By the way, the Bangkok Airways economy flight is terrific - free lounge at BKK, and free food at stations at USM. And they manage to feed you a meal during the hour flight.
All in all an unforgettable experience, very different than if you went to Bangkok. Those views will stay with me for a long, long time.
*Used the samuiislandexplorer.com taxi service - 1700 BHT roundtrip. Very efficient and on time. The drivers spoke acceptable English and let us stop briefly at a Tesco on the way there. Used a van on the way there, and a pickup truck on the way back.
*Breakfast very nice (I'm not too spoiled yet when it comes to free) - starts with a made-to-order omelette, and then a number of thoughtful food stations. Enjoyed the pho and the guava juice immensely. The service is always well-intentioned - I really appreciated how the staff let us stay well past 1030am closing to just relax and loiter. The main chef (ironically named Konrad) comes by on occasion and greets the guests.
*Though not a Mac person, I loved the ipad, mac mini, and other touches like light switches that made for a beautiful room where tech did not get in the way. Not a lot of tv channel choices.
*Though there is plenty of vegetation and moisture, we did not notice mosquitos - they do an exhaustive job with spraying. This is saying a lot since my wife often gets bit elsewhere. The only bugs that seem to immune are the ants, which were a little pesky in our room.
*Did not rent a car. I can see how the resort can get a little too tranquil, but we were prepared for this and thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet. Went to a couple restaurants off resort and it was 500 BHT roundtrip using the Conrad's taxi service. Was told by the Conrad chef that there have been several accidents with tourists renting motorbikes and cars, and he personally recommended against it. But with free parking and Avis/Hertz making it relatively cheap, I could see one justifying either decision. On our way to/from the airport, we saw the craziness of the scooters, the back-alley turns to get to the airport, and the various tourists wobbling around on their bikes... we were glad we didn't drive ourselves.
*You likely need some BHT if you go out - the hotel exchanged at 30BHT per USD, which seemed better than the stiff ATM fees you'd otherwise pay.
*Green Ta'lay's food was just decent. For those looking for truly authentic Thai food, we noted no locals there and it is run by an American married to a Thailand native. Cost is cheaper than the hotel's offerings but honestly, not necessarily cheaper compared to other restaurants in the area. The owner is very friendly, it is a nice atmosphere, and it is among the closest restaurants from the Conrad.
*Since our flight was at 630pm, the hotel graciously granted us late checkout at 4pm. By the way, the Bangkok Airways economy flight is terrific - free lounge at BKK, and free food at stations at USM. And they manage to feed you a meal during the hour flight.
All in all an unforgettable experience, very different than if you went to Bangkok. Those views will stay with me for a long, long time.
Jan 28, 2014, 5:52 pm
#1165
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 123
Never mind, I got in touch with them and it is Total.
Last edited by Kraut; Jan 28, 2014 at 6:47 pm
Jan 29, 2014, 7:06 pm
#1166
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Jose Cuervo Gold, Bud Light Platinum, Schwab 401K, VW Bug 2MM
Posts: 1,103
Noticed some dates with cash+points for 38k pts + about $230usd. Seems like a steal compared to $900 usd for cash and 95k points. Is this common?
Jan 29, 2014, 7:17 pm
#1167
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: New York, NY
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 456
Yes. Seems that the stay must include a weekend night. You can see what's available by using the flexible date search and selecting cash and points from the pull down menu on the right. Vary the number of nights to see what's available.
Jan 30, 2014, 1:52 am
#1168
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Germany
Programs: HHonors Diamond
Posts: 7
Someone mentioned that there aren't a lot of TV channels available. Therefore I'm planning to bring some entertainment of my own (TV-shows and movies on iPad and Apple TV).
Does anyone know if it's possible to get Apple TV working on the TV in the villa? In hotels there is often the problem that you can't connect Apple TV to the hotel's WiFi as there is a web authentication necessary (and Apple TV does not have a browser).
The alternative would be to connect the iPad directly to the HDMI port of the TV. But sometimes you can't even access those HDMI ports on the back of the TV, depending on how the TV is set up.
Thanks for your help!
Does anyone know if it's possible to get Apple TV working on the TV in the villa? In hotels there is often the problem that you can't connect Apple TV to the hotel's WiFi as there is a web authentication necessary (and Apple TV does not have a browser).
The alternative would be to connect the iPad directly to the HDMI port of the TV. But sometimes you can't even access those HDMI ports on the back of the TV, depending on how the TV is set up.
Thanks for your help!
Jan 31, 2014, 3:34 am
#1169
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Someone mentioned that there aren't a lot of TV channels available. Therefore I'm planning to bring some entertainment of my own (TV-shows and movies on iPad and Apple TV).
Does anyone know if it's possible to get Apple TV working on the TV in the villa? In hotels there is often the problem that you can't connect Apple TV to the hotel's WiFi as there is a web authentication necessary (and Apple TV does not have a browser).
The alternative would be to connect the iPad directly to the HDMI port of the TV. But sometimes you can't even access those HDMI ports on the back of the TV, depending on how the TV is set up.
Thanks for your help!
Does anyone know if it's possible to get Apple TV working on the TV in the villa? In hotels there is often the problem that you can't connect Apple TV to the hotel's WiFi as there is a web authentication necessary (and Apple TV does not have a browser).
The alternative would be to connect the iPad directly to the HDMI port of the TV. But sometimes you can't even access those HDMI ports on the back of the TV, depending on how the TV is set up.
Thanks for your help!
Sometimes even if you can use the HDMI ports, the geographic settings can prevent viewing your iPad/iPhone content on the TV. I had this hit me repeatedly last summer (in Europe).
Jan 31, 2014, 5:25 am
#1170
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Angels
Posts: 196
The TV has accessible HDMI and USB ports. Also has your standard red white yellow AV ports.
The entertainment system is being run through an Apple TV. When my Air is connected to the wifi I have the option of syncing my screen to the TV. Although I have not played with it I am sure you can get your laptop screen to display on the TV this way. Not sure what would happen with audio though.
We have watched almost no TV, however.
The entertainment system is being run through an Apple TV. When my Air is connected to the wifi I have the option of syncing my screen to the TV. Although I have not played with it I am sure you can get your laptop screen to display on the TV this way. Not sure what would happen with audio though.
We have watched almost no TV, however.