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Centara Reserve Samui Review: Luxury on Chaweng Beach (2026)

Quiet luxury on Chaweng Beach, with two pools and standout Thai dining.

In collaboration with Centara Reserve Samui.

The first thing we noticed at Centara Reserve Samui was the building itself. Chaweng Beach Road runs right outside the gate, with the tailors, shops, and bars that give Samui its energy. Then the car turns in between the palms, and ahead of us stood a grand white colonial facade with tall columns and a huge open lobby. Before we even reached check-in, we were handed a bright orange marigold to set afloat on the pond by the entrance. It is a small Thai welcome custom, as the flower stands for happiness and good luck, and watching it drift across the water set the tone for the days ahead. Beyond it, a long lawn runs down to the water, and two pools sit so close to the sand that you hear the waves from a lounge chair.

We arrived straight from Capella Bangkok, and this was our first stop on Samui. We stayed at a few hotels on this Thailand trip, and this is the one we talk about most afterward. The room, the food, the service, the beach and the pace all came together. After a stay in a Luxury Ocean Suite, a dinner at Sa-Nga, and a lunch at Salt Society, the verdict is simple: Centara Reserve Samui is the beach resort you choose when you want both resort quiet and a town you can walk to. It was also the biggest surprise of the trip.

We had read that the suites were large. They were larger still. Top floor, a view over the pool and the sea, a bathtub in the middle of the bathroom, and a bottle of Hardys Shiraz waiting. At night the waves were the only thing we heard from the bed.

Centara Reserve Samui key facts

Item Detail
Address 38/2 Moo 3, Borpud, Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui 84320
Opened 1995 as Central Samui Beach Resort. Reopened December 1, 2021, as the first Centara Reserve
Rooms 184 rooms, suites, and villas, 40 to 501 square meters
We stayed in Luxury Ocean Suite, 81 square meters (about 872 square feet), September 2026
Price from Around 15,000 baht (about $470) a night plus tax and service in low season
Restaurants and bars Seven: Sa-Nga, Salt Society, Act 5 The Grill, The Terrace, The Gin Run, Bread Society, Pool Bar
To the airport 4.9 km, 10 to 15 minutes
Awards No. 9 among Thailand’s beach and island resorts in the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2026. Included in the MICHELIN Guide selection
Best for Couples and families who want a beach, a quiet property, and Chaweng within walking distance

Is Centara Reserve Samui worth it?

Yes, and this Centara Reserve Samui review explains why. We arrived on Samui with expectations set by the big names, and Centara Reserve Samui made the strongest impression. Everything was in place. The hotel was rebuilt from the ground up five years ago and still feels new, the service is as personal as at hotels with half as many rooms, and everything we tried was of a high standard.

Most of the island’s luxury resorts sit on their own, on a headland or in a bay where you need a taxi for everything. Centara Reserve is on the quiet southern end of Chaweng, the island’s longest beach, and you can walk to restaurants, shops, and Central Samui, the island’s big shopping center. At the same time the grounds are large and green enough that you forget the town the moment you are inside.

It is a hotel for couples who want quiet without isolation, for families who need both an adult pool and a kids’ club, and for anyone who wants a proper beach right below the room. The suites are among the most spacious on the island, and they offer excellent value for what you receive. It also suits anyone who wants Chaweng’s restaurants and nightlife a short walk away while sleeping somewhere calm. For most travelers to Samui, this is where we would start.

The history behind the first Centara Reserve

The hotel is older than most people think. In 1995 Central Samui Beach Resort opened on Chaweng with around 200 rooms and a colonial style that set it apart from the bungalows around it. The formal opening ceremony followed the next year, led by Princess Somsawali. The owner was Central Group, the department-store conglomerate of the Chirathivat family in Bangkok, which had opened its first hotel in 1983 and still owns Centara today. At the time Samui was mainly a backpacker island, and the hotel became the place you stayed when you wanted something more.

Centara Reserve Samui lobby at night with white columns, chandeliers and sofas
The lobby after dark, seen from the floor above. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

In 2007 the chain changed its name to Centara, and the hotel became Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui. The following year it was renovated for more than 200 million baht. The lobby alone, with a sweeping staircase a journalist compared to a set from Gone with the Wind, cost 12 million. The lobby was redesigned in the later rebuild, and a large marble staircase still takes center stage. For more than twenty years this was one of Samui’s best-known hotels, a grand dame, as CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat called it.

Then Centara decided to start fresh. On June 1, 2019, the hotel closed its doors for a complete rebuild. The plan was to reopen in 2020 as the first hotel in a new luxury brand, Centara Reserve. After a careful rebuild, Centara Reserve Samui opened on December 1, 2021, welcoming its first guests as Thailand reopened to the world.

The design is by AvroKO, the American studio behind 1 Hotel Central Park in New York and the top-floor restaurants and bars at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok. They kept the colonial building and laid Thai wood carving on top, simplified into geometric patterns. The whole property plays with weight. The marble stairs in the reflecting pool at the entrance appear to float. The reception desk is enormous, and flower installations hang above it. The colors are deliberately muted, because AvroKO wanted texture instead of color. You see it in the wood screens in the suites, in the terrazzo floor in The Gin Run, and in the white columns that still stand from 1995.

Close-up of the curved wooden screen in the suite
AvroKO’s undulating wood screen, lit from above, runs along the bathroom wall. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Centara Reserve Samui main building behind a wide lawn and palm trees
The white main building from 1995 looks out over a wide lawn and palms. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Since the reopening the hotel has been named among Thailand’s best beach resorts by Travel + Leisure, and Centara Reserve Krabi is set to follow as the brand’s second hotel in early 2027. Neil Li, general manager since 2024, is also Corporate Director of Operations for Centara Reserve and The Centara Collection.

Arrival and the welcome

We flew from Bangkok with Bangkok Airways and landed on Samui in the late afternoon. Samui Airport is one of the most distinctive airports we have flown into. It was built by Bangkok Airways, which still owns it, and was Thailand’s first private airport when it opened in 1989. There is almost no indoor terminal. You leave the plane, sit in an open cart with a thatched roof, and drive between the palms to the baggage belt, which also stands under open sky. It feels more like arriving at a resort than at an airport, and the big Samui sign at the exit is the first photo everyone takes. In 2026 Travel + Leisure readers named it the second-best airport in the Asia-Pacific region, behind Changi in Singapore.

Welcome to Samui Airport sign in the tropical gardens of the open-air airport
The open-air garden arrival at Samui Airport. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The hotel driver was waiting as soon as we had our bags. The car was a large van with ice-cold air conditioning, wifi, cold water, and a small Thai snack on the seat. The drive takes about fifteen minutes and is a good way to begin.

The approach to Centara Reserve sets the tone. The road runs between palms toward a white colonial building with enormous columns, and it is one of the most beautiful hotel entrances we have seen. In front of the lobby is a pond, and the first thing you do is set a marigold out on the water. Then come cold towels, a bright blue welcome drink with coconut and lime that was wonderfully refreshing, and two small coconut balls on a plate with salt, which the hotel calls Reserve Bite.

Orange marigolds floating in a stone water channel beside tropical plants
Marigolds float on the water by the entrance, part of the welcome. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Check-in itself happens on the sofa. The lobby is large, high, and open, with glass toward the garden and the sea, and it is built to sit in. White columns run the length of the room, with rattan pendant lamps hanging above groups of white sofas and potted palms in between. We were on WhatsApp with our Reserve Host, Mind, before we left the sofa.

Centara Reserve Samui lobby in daylight with white columns and lounge seating
The bright, open lobby, seen from the floor above. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
White sofas and armchairs with potted palms in the lobby lounge seen from above
Sunlight on the lobby lounge. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

In the room stood a handwritten card, a bottle of Hardys Shiraz, and a small chocolate dessert under a glass dome, made as a piece of forest floor with moss and a red mushroom on top. It told us something about the kitchen before we had eaten there.

Welcome bottle of Hardys Shiraz and a small dessert under a glass cloche in the suite
A bottle of Hardys Shiraz and a sweet under a glass dome were waiting in the room. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The room: Luxury Ocean Suite

We stayed in a Luxury Ocean Suite of 81 square meters (about 872 square feet) on the top floor, with a terrace facing the pool and the sea. It is one of the mid-size suites, and the first thing that struck us was the space. We had expected a nice hotel room. This was an apartment: a large bed, a living area with sofa and TV, a wide daybed by the window, and a terrace where we sat in the evenings.

Luxury Ocean Suite bedroom with a king bed and a warm wood wall
The bedroom in our suite, with warm wood and soft light around the king bed. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Luxury Ocean Suite balcony with two lounge chairs and a view over palms to the sea
The view from our balcony, over the garden and the pool to the sea. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Wooden Centara Reserve key card held up against the balcony view of the garden, pools and sea
The wooden key card, with the view from our balcony behind it. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The bathroom is the best room in the suite. It is large, with a double sink, rain shower, and a giant bathtub in the middle of the floor, and the entire wall toward the bedroom is AvroKO’s undulating wood screen. It hides the minibar on one side and the wardrobe on the other, and you notice it every time you walk past. Up close, the screen is made of hundreds of small, angled wooden pieces, and a hidden strip of light along the top brings out the grain in the evening.

Bathroom seen through sliding wooden doors with a freestanding tub and double sink
The bathroom opens through tall sliding wooden doors. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Walk-in rain shower with brass fittings and warm stone walls
The walk-in shower has a large brass rain head. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Freestanding bathtub in a Luxury Ocean Suite bathroom with robes hanging behind
The bathtub sits in the middle of the bathroom, with the wardrobe and robes behind it. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The minibar is free and refilled every day, with carafes of gin, whiskey, and vodka and cocktail equipment beside it, and the selection was excellent. A coffee machine sits in the same wood-lined niche. From the terrace we heard only the sea, with the pool right below us. For the most peaceful stay, ask for the top floor as we had. We would choose the same suite again without a second thought.

Centara Reserve Samui suite minibar niche with wood cabinets and a coffee machine
The wood-lined minibar niche, with the coffee machine on the counter. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Suite living room with a long sofa, round coffee table and doors to the balcony
The living room in the Luxury Ocean Suite opens onto the balcony. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Which room should you choose?

The hotel has 14 room categories, from 40 to 501 square meters. All have a balcony or terrace, and the great majority face the garden and the sea.

Two glass pendant lights against a carved wood wall
Glass pendants against the carved wood in our suite. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Category Sq m Best for
Deluxe Garden 40 The entry room, with a green garden view and great value
Deluxe Ocean 40 Same room with sea view, well worth the upgrade
Deluxe Pool Access 48 Terrace with stairs straight into the pool. Popular, book early
Luxury Ocean 60 The best standard room, space for three
Reserve Ocean 60 Higher ceilings, same size
Reserve Pool Suite 67 Own terrace, garden, and private pool. Our tip for couples who want a pool
Reserve Ocean Suite 80 Suite with sea view and Reserve Host
Luxury Garden Suite 81 Like our suite, but with garden view
Luxury Ocean Suite 81 Our room. Bathtub, daybed, Reserve Host. The best ratio of space to price
Serenity Ocean Suite 119 New in 2026, apartment feel
The Garden Pool Suite 122 Terrace with plunge pool, for families
The Reserve Suite 127 Top floor, dining table, best view
Reserve Pool Villa 256 Free-standing villa with pool
The Reserve Ocean Pool Villa 501 The hotel’s largest, with its own path to the beach

Our advice: couples should choose the Reserve Pool Suite or the Luxury Ocean Suite. Families get the most from the Garden Pool Suite or two connected Deluxe rooms, and the hotel has 34 rooms that can be linked. If you mainly want to sleep and spend the days on the beach, the Deluxe Ocean is a good choice.

What is included: Reserve Time, Reserve Host, and the small things

Reserve is Centara’s way of making luxury personal, and the services have their own names. Reserve Time means you check in and out when you want, around the clock, subject to availability. Land at seven in the morning and you get the room. Fly late and you keep it. Breakfast is also served outside the fixed hours.

Reserve Host is the hotel’s butler service and comes with suites and villas. Ours was named Mind. We received her number on WhatsApp at check-in, and from then on everything went through her: table reservations, questions about the island, tips on where to go. She answered within minutes, was warm and professional, and clearly loved what she does. A Reserve Host can also book tables outside the hotel, for example at Phensiri, the local Thai restaurant that appears in the MICHELIN Guide. Mind was the human highlight of the stay.

Then there are the small things. The minibar with the carafes. A small surprise delivered to the room every day, which the hotel calls Surprise of the Day. Water in glass bottles, bottled by the hotel itself, and not a plastic bottle in sight. The key card is wood, with Centara Reserve branded into it, and it is a key card we ended up photographing more than once.

Three spirit decanters and a cocktail shaker under hanging wine glasses
The free minibar, with carafes of spirits and a cocktail shaker. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Book direct with the hotel and you get 15 percent off food and drink and the choice between early check-in and late check-out. Members of CentaraThe1, which is free, also get 15 percent off the room.

Food and drink

The hotel has seven places to eat and drink, so there is something new to try at every meal. We had dinner at Sa-Nga, lunch at Salt Society, and breakfast at The Terrace.

Garden tables and chairs under white parasols among tropical trees
Tables in the garden at The Terrace. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Breakfast at The Terrace

Breakfast is served at The Terrace from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and we sat outside in the garden under the trees in the mornings. It is a buffet plus à la carte: you order the egg dishes from the menu and help yourself to the rest. We ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon, bagel, and capers, and avocado toast with tomato and lime from the breakfast menu. Both were precise and well made, and the coffee was excellent. The buffet has everything from Thai noodle soups to fresh pastry, and the garden setting felt calm and spacious in the mornings. Several guests call it one of the best breakfast spreads they have had, and we understand why.

Garden terrace at Centara Reserve Samui with white parasols beside the main building
Tables under white parasols on the garden terrace beside the main building. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Eggs benedict with smoked salmon on a bagel, and avocado toast on sourdough, at The Terrace
Eggs benedict and avocado toast for breakfast in the garden at The Terrace. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Sa-Nga

Sa-Nga is the hotel’s Thai restaurant and its best. It is a small room with 18 seats, open Tuesday to Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and the menu reinterprets classic Thai dishes. We ate here on our first evening.

Sa-Nga Thai restaurant at Centara Reserve Samui under an arched latticed ceiling
Sa-Nga, the hotel’s 18-seat Thai restaurant, with its bar under the arched ceiling. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

We had The Elegant, the sharing menu for two, and it is one of the best Thai dinners we have eaten. Eight courses cost 3,600 baht (about $113) plus tax for two, with an optional wine pairing at 1,990 baht (about $62) per person or a non-alcoholic pairing at 790 baht (about $25).

It began with Khao Yum Sa-Nga, the southern Thai rice salad, served as a build-your-own: green organic jasmine rice, herbs, roots, toasted nuts, and a spoon of chili paste in a black bowl, with a raw fish on a block of salt beside it, covered in herbs, chili, and lime. Then came Goong Chom Jan, raw blue shrimp under a spiced granita with mulberry and crispy garlic, served in a stone bowl with a lid, and Nuea Ded Deaw, sun-dried beef, dark and sweet, with a golden ball of grilled sticky rice on a stone plate. Tom Yum Lay was a clear, sharp soup with local squid and shrimp, galangal, and lemongrass.

Khao Yum Sa-Nga rice salad on a pink plate beside raw fish on a block of salt
Khao Yum Sa-Nga, the southern Thai rice salad, with raw fish on a block of salt. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Nuea Ded Deaw and Tom Yum Lay from The Elegant set menu on a marble table at Sa-Nga
Nuea Ded Deaw and Tom Yum Lay from The Elegant set menu at Sa-Nga. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The two main courses were the best. Mutcha Lakson is grilled white snapper wrapped in banana leaf, set on a small charcoal brazier at the table so it kept smoking, with green mango, southern herbs, and a small bottle of fish sauce with palm sugar on the side. Gaeng Rawaeng Nuea is Wagyu beef flank in a royal green galangal curry with burnt coconut, served in a coconut shell with organic brown jasmine gaba rice. Som Chun Sa-Nga, marinated fruit with ginger and crispy shallot under granita, cleansed the palate before Saku Lamyai at the end: tapioca pudding with longan, finished at the table with a warm green pandan sauce.

Mutcha Lakson smoking on a charcoal brazier beside a Pink Pomelo drink at Sa-Nga
Mutcha Lakson, grilled white snapper in banana leaf, arrives smoking beside the Pink Pomelo pairing at Sa-Nga. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Centara Reserve Samui Sa-Nga wagyu green curry served in a coconut shell with edible flowers
Gaeng Rawaeng Nuea, Wagyu beef flank in a royal green galangal curry, served in a coconut shell at Sa-Nga. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The rice is part of the concept. The hotel uses five organic jasmine rice varieties from Raitong Organics in Sisaket, and each dish is paired with the variety that suits it.

Thai dish in a black bowl on a rattan placemat with a glass of white wine
A dish at Sa-Nga, served in a black bowl. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The food was extraordinarily good, and so was the service: each dish was explained, and several were finished at the table. We tried both pairings, one each. The wine pairing runs from Whispering Angel rosé with the rice salad, via Chablis with the soup and Pinot Noir with the curry, to Prosecco with the dessert. The non-alcoholic pairing is just as well thought out: pink pomelo with coconut and lime, rosella with kaffir lime and pandan, coconut water with pineapple and Thai basil, and lychee with longan at the end. We were very pleased with both.

Tapioca pudding in a black pan with a small copper jug of sauce
Saku Lamyai, tapioca pudding with longan, finished at the table with warm pandan sauce. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The kitchen is led by executive chef David Morell, who took over all the hotel’s restaurants in the fall of 2025, with Chef Yai as the resident chef at Sa-Nga. In 2026 the restaurant has also hosted guest chefs such as two-star chef Stefan Heilemann from Widder in Zurich.

Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen

Salt Society is right on the beach, with 110 seats outside and 78 inside, and is open from noon to 10:30 p.m. It is the hotel’s social spot, with seafood, grill, cocktails, and live music in the evening. We had lunch here on our second day.

Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen sign at Centara Reserve Samui with the sea behind
Salt Society Beach Bar & Kitchen, right on the beach. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Classic steak tartare and prawn rolls at Salt Society on Chaweng Beach
Classic steak tartare and prawn rolls at Salt Society, with the beach right behind the table. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The tables stand on a wooden terrace right above the sand, with a view of the bay, and it was the best lunch view we had on Samui. Along the edge of the terrace are large daybeds with cushions and trays, so you can eat lunch and then stay put. The name is taken seriously: on every table stands a rack with a dozen small jars of flavored salt, from lime and herbs to smoked and pink, and the bread arrives in a linen bag with aioli.

Salt Society dining table on a wooden floor open to the beach and the sea
A table set at Salt Society, open to the bay. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
White sofas under a hanging wooden ceiling in the Salt Society lounge
The lounge at Salt Society, under a ceiling of hanging wooden slats. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

We worked through a good part of the menu: tuna tartare with herbs and flowers, beef tartare with raw egg yolk and crispy chips, prawn rolls, fish tacos with corn and red cabbage on a wooden board, a white fish on creamy puree with glazed carrots, and a seafood pizza from the wood oven with squid and basil. For dessert came a coconut crème brûlée served in a half coconut shell with grilled pineapple and sorbet, and a strawberry pavlova. The cocktails arrive in glasses shaped like fish and squid, which is a fun touch.

Grilled fish tacos, gambas, larb salmon and steak tartare at Salt Society
Grilled fish tacos, gambas al aglio e olio, classic steak tartare and larb salmon at Salt Society. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Strawberry pavlova with sorbet at Salt Society Centara Reserve Samui
Strawberry pavlova with meringue and sorbet at Salt Society. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The signature dish is whole baked red snapper. On Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. the restaurant hosts the Vitamin Sea brunch with seafood, grill, homemade pasta, live music, and a DJ, which regulars often call the best brunch on Samui. It costs 2,088 baht (about $65) plus tax and service with soft drinks, 3,588 baht (about $112) with free-flow beer, wine, and cocktails, and 4,188 baht (about $131) with prosecco on top. Children from four to eleven pay half on the soft-drink package. Lounge chairs on the beach in front of the restaurant can also be booked by those who are not staying at the hotel, for 1,299 baht (about $41).

Act 5 The Grill

Act 5 is the steakhouse, open every evening from 6:00 p.m. Thai Wagyu, imported beef, and seafood are cooked in KOPA ovens, and the restaurant has 116 seats, indoor and outdoor, plus a private room for twelve. It is a superb choice for an evening of steak and seafood by the sea.

The Gin Run

The Gin Run is on the second floor, in a rotunda that looks like a sunroom in a colonial villa. The floor is terrazzo in blue and gray, the bar is sculptural, and the details are taken from old pharmacies and Thai indigo textiles. The shelf holds 51 gins from around the world, from Italy and Japan to Germany, plus four house gins the hotel makes itself with botanicals from the forests of Chiang Rai, in a spiced, a herbal, a floral, and a fruity version. The gin and tonic gets pandan, ginger, chili, or lemongrass from the hotel’s own garden. The bar is open from 1:00 p.m. to midnight. It is the place for a drink before dinner, with a view over the garden toward the sea, and one of the prettiest bars we have seen at a beach hotel.

Bread Society

Bread Society is new in 2026, a small bakery counter in the lobby with bread in baskets and a glass case with pastries, cakes, and confectionery, open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is the place for a coffee and something sweet between the pool and dinner. The croissants and cakes are well worth a morning stop.

Bakery counter with pastries and a menu board seen from above
Bread Society, the hotel’s bakery counter in the lobby. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Daily bakery menu board on an easel beside the pastry case
The daily menu board at Bread Society. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Pool, beach, and day pass

The hotel has two large pools, and both are right by the beach. Both have an infinity-pool feel. We used the main shared pool most, because it is closest to the sand and Salt Society, so you can move between pool, beach, and lunch without thinking about it. It is free-form, with a hot tub, lounge chairs that stand half in the water, and a swim-up bar. On the far left, more sheltered, is the adults-only pool. It is the quieter of the two and our favorite spot on the whole property, and the one we recommend for a day when you plan to do nothing at all.

Centara Reserve Samui pool with a shaded sala, palms and the sea beyond
The pools run right to the edge of the garden, with palms and the sea beyond. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Adults-only pool on the far left at Centara Reserve Samui, with an infinity-pool feel toward the sea
The adults-only pool on the far left, quieter, with an infinity-pool feel toward the sea. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The beach is Chaweng, six kilometers of white sand and the best known on the island. The hotel is at the southern end, where the sand is widest, and the buildings are set back behind a long lawn and palms, so the beach itself feels almost untouched. The north end of Chaweng has a reef close to shore and shallow water far out, while the south end, where the hotel is, has the widest stretches of white sand and the best swimming water on the beach. The sea was calm when we were there, and the hotel has lounge chairs on the sand and clears the beach every morning.

Loungers and palms along the white sand of Chaweng Beach
Loungers and palms along the wide white sand in front of the hotel. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Palm trees along white sand on Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui
Palms along the beach in front of the hotel. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

The water in front of the hotel is crystal-clear and blue. Standing in it, you can still see the fine white sand around your feet. We liked it best early in the morning, when the loungers stood empty in their rows and we had the beach almost to ourselves. The beach flags show the day’s sea conditions, so a quick look before a swim is all it takes. And with two beautiful pools right by the sand, every day is a good beach day.

Rows of empty sun loungers on the sand in soft morning light
Early morning, when the loungers on the beach are still empty. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
White sand and turquoise water at Chaweng Beach below Centara Reserve Samui
Crystal-clear blue water and white sand on Chaweng Beach, right below the garden. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

For children there is Kids Zone, a free, technology-free kids’ club with a water playground and fountains. It is set apart from the adult pool, so both groups get their own space.

Long turquoise pool lined with loungers, parasols and palm trees
Loungers and parasols line the length of the pools. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Pool edge lined with green hedges, palms and white parasols
Green hedges and palms frame the pools. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

You do not need to stay at the hotel to use the pool. The Experience Day Pass costs 1,888 baht (about $59) net per adult, half price for children and free under four, and gives access to the main pool with lounge chair and towel plus 15 percent off food, drink, and spa. The adults-only pool is reserved for hotel guests. If you are staying elsewhere in Chaweng and want a day at a proper resort, it is a good option.

Loungers on the lawn by the main shared pool, with an infinity-pool feel
Loungers on the lawn by the main shared pool, which also has an infinity-pool feel. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Reserve Spa Cenvaree and fitness

Spa Cenvaree is Centara’s own spa brand, and this is the first Reserve Spa Cenvaree in the chain. It sits in its own part of the garden, with seven treatment rooms, five single and two for couples, plus steam room, sauna, hot tub, relaxation room, and a small beauty bar. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The oils and clay are mixed on site with herbs from the spa’s own garden.

The signature treatments are inspired by the forces of nature, and guests on Tripadvisor use phrases such as “best massage of my life” about the therapists here. Treatments can be booked in advance via the hotel’s website, or through your Reserve Host on WhatsApp.

The gym is new and well equipped, and the hotel holds yoga and pilates in a separate pavilion and on the beach in the morning. There are also kayaks, and a PADI dive center that arranges trips to Koh Tao and Ang Thong.

Centara Reserve Koh Samui location: why Chaweng works

In June 2026 Travel + Leisure readers named Koh Samui the best island in the Asia-Pacific region. Chaweng is the island’s main beach and its liveliest area, with Chaweng Beach Road at the center of things. Along its six kilometers, Centara Reserve has the peaceful southern end to itself. From the gate, the restaurants and shops of Chaweng are about a ten-minute walk north, and Central Samui, the island’s shopping center, is about twenty minutes away on foot.

We walked into Chaweng on the second day, and it was one of the nicest things we did. The streets near the hotel are full of small shops, tailors, and restaurants, and it is easy to wander. We ended up at Central Samui, 2.1 kilometers from the hotel, which has Uniqlo and most of what you need if you have forgotten something at home.

That is the point of this hotel. Here you can have dinner at a local restaurant, buy a shirt from a tailor, and walk home to a property as quiet as the secluded ones.

Centara Reserve Samui garden path through palms to a white wing of rooms with balconies
A garden path through the palms to one of the room wings. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©
Centara Reserve Samui sea-facing back entrance at night with glass doors open to the lit double staircase
The sea-facing entrance at night, with the glass doors open to the lit double staircase. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Distances from the hotel: Samui Airport 4.9 kilometers, Central Samui 2.1 kilometers, Fisherman’s Village in Bophut 6.1 kilometers, Big Buddha 8.2 kilometers, Lamai 9.6 kilometers. Your Reserve Host can order a taxi, and Grab also works on Samui.

From Europe or the US you fly to Bangkok and on to Samui with Bangkok Airways, the only airline flying directly to the island. Fares for that short, scenic last leg are typically around $190 to $380 each way, and booking early helps.

Centara Reserve Samui prices, best time to visit, and booking

Centara Reserve is one of the top hotels on Chaweng and offers outstanding value for a resort of this standard. Rates are usually shown before a 10 percent service charge and 7 percent VAT, which come to about 17.7 percent combined. A Deluxe Ocean room typically costs 15,000 to 22,000 baht (about $470 to $690) a night in low season, and a Luxury Ocean Suite like ours from around 25,000 to 35,000 baht (about $780 to $1,090). High season runs from November to April, and packages and member discounts make the stay even better value, so check the current offers.

The hotel sells a package called The Reserve Journey, five nights with breakfast, dining and spa credit, and a minibar with alcohol refilled daily, from 30,080 baht plus tax and service for the whole stay in the entry rooms. Dining and spa credit starts at 1,500 baht per stay, the larger suites and villas include a round-trip airport transfer, and stays run until December 15, 2026. Members of CentaraThe1 get 15 percent off, and membership is free.

The best time to travel is February to April, which is the driest period, and June to August, which is hot and popular. Samui’s rainy season comes later than Phuket’s, from October to December. We traveled in September, which is low season with lower prices. We had sunny mornings and lunchtimes, with passing showers later in the day. That suits a hotel like this: beach and pool until lunch, then spa, The Gin Run, and a long dinner. Check current rates on Booking.com or directly with Centara Reserve Samui.

Clear shallow water and blue sky off Chaweng Beach
Clear water off Chaweng in September. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Seven tips before you travel

  1. Book a table at Sa-Nga when you book the room. The restaurant has 18 seats and is closed on Mondays.
  2. Ask for the top floor. The view is best, and you hear only the sea.
  3. Join CentaraThe1 before you book. It is free and gives 15 percent off the room and on food and drink.
  4. Download the Centara app. That is where you set your Reserve Time check-in and check-out.
  5. Plan the stay to include a Sunday if you can, for the Vitamin Sea brunch at Salt Society.
  6. Use your Reserve Host for everything: table reservations outside the hotel, taxis, tips about the island. Mind answered within minutes.
  7. Traveling with friends who are staying elsewhere on Chaweng? The Experience Day Pass gives them the main pool and 15 percent off for 1,888 baht, so you can spend the day together.

Good to know

  • The hotel avoids single-use plastic. The water in the room is the hotel’s own, still and sparkling, bottled in glass, and food waste is turned into biogas used in the kitchen. You can pick herbs yourself in the spa’s garden and have them used in your food.
  • The grounds stayed calm and peaceful throughout our stay. Rooms facing the main pool have a sociable daytime buzz, and suites and upper floors are the most tranquil. Your Reserve Host is happy to help with anything you need during the stay, from spa bookings to island excursions.
  • An extra adult in the room costs 3,000 baht a night with breakfast, children under twelve 1,500.

Frequently asked questions

Is Centara Reserve Samui worth it?

Yes. You get a large beach resort with two pools, seven restaurants and bars, and suites of 81 square meters at excellent value, with Chaweng within walking distance. It is our top pick on Samui if you want a peaceful base with the town on your doorstep.

Is Centara Reserve Samui on the beach?

Yes. The hotel is right on the southern part of Chaweng Beach, with lounge chairs on the sand and two pools by the beach.

Is Centara Reserve Samui the same hotel as Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui?

Yes. It is the same plot and the same owner. The hotel opened in 1995, closed in 2019, and reopened December 1, 2021, as Centara Reserve Samui, fully rebuilt.

How far is Centara Reserve Samui from the airport?

4.9 kilometers, ten to fifteen minutes by car. The hotel's transfer costs 1,600 baht each way.

Which room is best at Centara Reserve Samui?

For couples, the Reserve Pool Suite or Luxury Ocean Suite. For families, The Garden Pool Suite. For great value with a sea view, the Deluxe Ocean.

Does it have an adults-only pool?

Yes. The quieter pool on the far left is adults only. The main shared pool is for everyone.

Is it good for families?

Yes. There is a free kids' club, a water playground, family suites, and 34 rooms that can be connected.

Can you walk to Chaweng?

Yes. Restaurants and shops are about ten minutes away, and Central Samui around twenty.

Does it sell a day pass?

Yes. The Experience Day Pass costs 1,888 baht per adult and gives access to the main pool with lounge chair and towel, plus 15 percent off food, drink, and spa. Lounge chairs at Salt Society can be booked by non-guests for 1,299 baht.

When is the best time to visit Koh Samui?

February to April is the driest period, and June to August is hot and popular. The rainy season is October to December.

The verdict

What we remember best is the large, modern lobby, the suite, and the food at every meal. And the atmosphere, which is hard to get right: classy and timeless, yet relaxed and island-casual. You have everything you need for a good holiday in one place.

Centara Reserve Samui bar at night seen through open wooden doors
The hotel bar at night, framed by the open wooden doors. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

Of all the hotels on our Thailand trip, Centara Reserve Samui is the one we recommend first when someone asks where to stay on Samui. It is a large, modern and calm beach resort where everything works, with a town right outside the gate, a combination you rarely find on the island. For couples and for families, it is our first choice on Chaweng. We will be back.

Planning Bangkok before or after Samui? Read our reviews of Capella Bangkok and KROMO Bangkok, or browse more hotel reviews in Stays.

Illuminated Centara Reserve Samui sign at night on a green wall
Centara Reserve Samui at night. Photography by Mads Nordsveen ©

About this article

Traveler Magazine stayed at Centara Reserve Samui as guests of the hotel. The words and photographs are our own, shaped by a stay we enjoyed from the first marigold to the last breakfast. We stayed in a Luxury Ocean Suite in September 2026.

Our impressions come from that stay, and the photographs are ours. Background facts such as opening date, room count and history come from Centara and the hotel. Opening hours and rates are updated regularly, so the hotel’s website has the latest details. See current rates on Centara Reserve Samui’s website.

We are already looking forward to coming back. Thank you to Centara Reserve Samui for the stay, and a warm thank you to Andreas Soe Thura, PR Director, International, and Jérôme Richard, Vice President, at Delivering Asia, who work closely with Centara and helped arrange our visit with great care. More of our hotel reviews are in Stays. Last updated October 2026.

This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are based on our own experience.

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