In June 2022, we spent three nights at The Culture Samui. At the time, it was known as U Samui. We came in with little expectations, as we hadn’t stayed with U Hotels and Resorts before. However, this property left us completely impressed. From the design of the rooms to the beautiful appointed pool, this resort has much to offer. The property first opened as U Samui in December 2021. In October 2024, U Hotels and Resorts exited and the hotel was renamed as The Culture Samui.
In this trip:
- Thai Airways A350 Economy Class Review – Mumbai (BOM) to Bangkok (BKK)
- Bangkok Airways ATR72 Economy Class Review – Bangkok (BKK) to Koh Samui (USM)
- The Culture Samui Review (this review)
- Bangkok Airways ATR72 Economy Class Review – Koh Samui (USM) to Phuket (HKT)
- Hilton Garden Inn Phuket Bang Tao Review
- Le Méridien Khao Lak Resort & Spa Review
- Thai Smile Airways (Thai Airways) A320 Economy Class Review – Phuket (BKK) to Bangkok (BKK)
- Thai Airways B777 Economy Class Review – Bangkok (BKK) to Mumbai (BOM)
If you want to watch a full tour of The Culture Samui, check this out:
The Culture Samui – Booking
At the time of booking, sometime in May 2022, the hotel was offering some great deals. Instead of booking through an Online Travel Agent (OTA) or through a local travel agent, I thought of booking our stay through the hotel directly. I emailed the reservation team, got the rates and confirmed the booking with them directly. We booked a Deluxe Seaview Room for THB3,000 (INR7,900 or $93 approximately).
Rates during June and July are generally lower as these months are considered to be low-demand months for Thailand. During these months, the hotel offers some pretty good deals so if you are on a budget and looking to stay at this hotel, going there during these months can save you some money.
The Culture Samui – Location
The Culture Samui is located in the Bophut area on the Bangrak Beach. Koh Samui Airport (USM) is a 5-10 minutes drive from the property. While this hotel is not as secluded as other hotels on the island, there are many markets nearby, in addition to various sightseeing places.
In terms of getting to Koh Samui, we took a flight from Bangkok with Bangkok Airways. There are mainly two modes of transportation one can use to go to Koh Samui – a flight or a boat. A flight is of course a more convenient option but is expensive also.
The Culture Samui – Lobby and Check-in
Once we arrived at The Culture Samui, we were welcomed by the hotel staff who took care of our luggage and escorted us to the hotel lobby. The hotel’s entrance is pretty minimalistic. It is flagged by geometric cement-coloured walls.
Upon entering, on the right is a hallway leading up to the rooms. There’s a book nook near the entrance of the hallway. Further ahead, the lobby is on the left. The lobby uses quite a lot of wood in geometric patterns, which makes for a good first impression. In their words, the design is “contemporary with tropical island flair”.
There is ample seating available in the lobby. The resort follows an open design concept. The natural light in the common areas mixes with the dark colour tones easily, making for a very good look, aesthetically. The reception consists of two desks, where guests can be seated while their check-in is processed. We were checked-in by a receptionist who offered us a welcome drink. At the time (I don’t know if it’s done presently or not given that the property has changed management groups), we were offered to pre-select amenities such as pillow, tea and soap for our stay as part of U’s efforts to personalize each guest’s stay.
Thereafter, with keys in hand, we were escorted to our room. The hotel has ground + two floors. Rooms on the upper floors can be accessed by elevators and stairs.
The Culture Samui – Deluxe Seaview Room
We were assigned a Deluxe Seaview Room, specifically room no. 312 on the first floor. The hotel has 51 rooms, suites and villas. While it has that many rooms, the overall area of the resort is quite small as compared to some bigger resorts on the island.
The Deluxe Seaview Rooms are spread across 36 square meters of space. They come with a private balcony and are designed to “inspire relaxation and creativity”. Upon entering the room, the bathroom was on the left while the closet was on the right.
The bathroom came equipped with a single sink, WC and shower area. Talk about a nicely designed bathroom and the room in general!
Citron Fresh toiletries were provided.
The extras provided in the room were excellent. That included an umbrella, a beach bag with beach towels and slippers (some of the best I have come across in a hotel room), & bathrobes. The closet was decently sized and there was also a minibar and safe/locker available.
Present opposite the bed was a television and tea/coffee maker, along with a in-room fridge.
The twin beds were excellent. The mattress was soft and plush, making for a good night’s sleep. The design of the room incorporated the use of wood a lot. Light-coloured decor with dark wood made for a soothing colour combination. I was impressed with how high-end all the finishes felt, from the floors, to the lighting features and everything in between.
Just beside the bed, there was a lounger with table and opposite that, there was a work desk with a chair.
The highlight of the room was definitely the private balcony that featured a sofa, small table and cloth-drying rack. What makes it the highlight of the room are the endless views of the ocean.
The room was perfect in my opinion. The colour combination was great, the bed was comfortable, the bathroom was beautifully appointed and the amenities present were excellent.
Housekeeping was provided twice-daily (with an evening turndown service) and was very detailed. During the turndown service, the housekeeping staff left some sweets on the table. Cool!
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The Culture Samui – Restaurant & Bar
The Culture Samui has a single restaurant and bar. Both are located near the pool. Mui Mui (known as Hiwa Kitchen when I visited) is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant. Breakfast was served here daily, available from 0630 hours to 1030 hours. The restaurant is located one level below the pool and has both indoor and outdoor seating. It serves Thai as well as international cuisine, with a focus on healthy items.
The breakfast buffet consisted of hot items such as baked beans, grilled tomatoes etc, cold cuts, cheeses, fresh cut fruits, fresh fruit juices, cereals, breads, pastries etc.
As we are pure vegetarian, the chef made us some noodle soup and Thai-style rice dish for breakfast.
For lunch and dinner, the options were great. We ordered room service one afternoon. Both the dishes – Veggie Panini with French Fries as well as Penne Pesto Pasta – were delicious.
Mui Mui Bar (known as Hiwa Bar when I visited) is located besides the pool. The pool is open from 1100 hours to 2000 hours. It serves specially crafted cocktails in addition to various other drinks and light bites and has both indoor and outdoor seating. The view from the patio is beautiful which makes it a good place to hangout at in the evenings.
The Culture Samui – Pool, Gym & Beach
The resort’s common areas were very well maintained. The gym was located off of the lobby in a small room and featured some weights and equipment.
The swimming pool was located in front of the main building. It was of a good size surrounded by sun loungers and was temperature controlled.
A small path from the pool area leads to the garden and beach area. Although the beach was small, it was clean and the sand was soft. Do note that during high tide, the water reached the garden area at times, making the beach vanish.
The Culture Samui – Service
Since this was our first visit to Thailand, we had high expectations of the famed Thai hospitality from each hotel we stayed at. This property certainly delivered that. If I had to sum up the service here in one word, it was essentially Thai.
Everyone, from the front-desk staff, to the restaurant staff, to the housekeeping staff, all of them were friendly, courteous and proactive. We appreciated that they cooked special meals for us at breakfast when they came to know that we are pure vegetarian. There was just one instance of a service gap. We had given some clothes for laundry. There was enough time for them to be delivered. However, even after many follow-ups, it was not delivered to us until just before check-out.
There is certainly some room for improvement, but this was overshadowed by all the positives.
The Culture Samui – IH Score
If you are looking for a good resort to stay at in Koh Samui, then I can’t recommend this place enough.
IH Score (The Culture Samui Review):
- Location: 09/10
- Room: 20/20
- Food: 19/20
- Facilities: 18/20
- Service: 18/20
- Value for money: 09/10
The Good (The Culture Samui Review):
- Stunning Views
- Impressive Design
- Great Room
- Excellent Service
- Good Facilities
The Bad (The Culture Samui Review):
- Small Beach Area
Overall: 93/100
Featured image of The Culture Samui Review by Ishan Haria
All the other images of The Culture Samui Review by Ishan Haria
Have you ever stayed at The Culture Samui? If yes, how was your experience? Let me know in the comments section below.
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