We (2 adults & 2 kids) stayed for 5 nights over christmas in a presidential suite - very grand name! For 1200 USD per night I expected a really nice room - and we got it. The room was huge - with 3 good size bedrooms, a lovely lounge, diner / kitchen and huge balcony. The resort is at the southern most tip of Koh Samui - away from the tacky parts of town and really in a quiet area. Everything is quite a slow pace which was just right for us but if you are used to a big resort with lots going on then this is not for you. There is just one restaurant with quite a limited menu - although we had room service most nights which was great - the Thai food is fantastic!! The service in the resort is friendly but lacks professionalism - little things like no maitre die in the restaurant (which lead to us being accused of cutting the line by a rude lady at breakfast in the morning...which we did not) and no visible management on the front desk. To be frank - for the price and based on the reviews I expected more from a service point of view. If management is reading this review - please don`t blame your staff but have a look at yourself - I got the impression the staff members were doing their utmost best but after 5 days in a resort to not once see the manager speaks volumes for the level of involvement.

The weather was not so good when we were there so we could not swim in the sea at the back of the resort - it appears that the beach at Chaweng is better if you want time on the sand.

We only stayed three nights and really did spend a great deal of time at the resort but the suite was very luxurious and had everything in it that would make a self- catering holiday with family a real pleasure.
Although we were not able to swim in the sea straight out from the hotel, you could swim a bit further down the beach and the infinity pools in the resort really made up for it.
If you opt to eat out you probably need to take a taxi. It's no problem and the hotel staff are very helpful.

Like many others, I was inconvenienced by the delayed opening of the Intercontinental Koh Samui (and their bad handling of the fallout).

We chose to stay at the ShaSa for our four-night holiday, and couldn't be happier. The rooms are beautiful, the staff are very helpful and friendly, and the property is beautiful.

Our room was great; everything worked (although it took a little while to find the correct switches) and having a full kitchen and laundry in room was very helpful.

The three pools are big and don't get over-crowded, probably because the property only has thirty-something apartments.

The restaurant has a wide variety of Thai and western food, as well as a kids menu. Breakfast was generous, with lots of fruit, beautiful made-to-order omelettes, etc.

We had one less-than-perfect meal there; in our first lunch, the meat in both dishes was tough and overcooked, but this only happened once, perhaps because there was a less experienced chef on duty (we were the only people in the restaurant at the time). Otherwise, the food was fantastic.

They also don't seem to charge extra for room service, and they will bring it to your apartment, unwrap all of the dishes, and lay them out on the dining table.

We'll definitely be back.

Our family spent 8 nights at Shasa on Koh Samui and were truly treated to a wonderful experience. The staff are friendly and nothing was ever a problem to arrange and when they didn't have a plan they would make one and come back with a solution.

The entire experience is luxurious from the time you step into the transfer from the Airport (which looks like something from the Flintstones - very quaint), to the apartments, the rooms and the amenities. The apartments are a treat because they offer you all the basics from home especially if you are traveling with kids, there is everything from oven, stove, microwave, washer, dryer, fridge, cutlery, crockery and glassware.

The room service is quick and efficient, we were convinced they could read our minds the food came so quickly and when it came the quality was outstanding. Breakfast was included and such a treat as the service selection and quality once again is outstanding. Kai took care of us every day and by day two he knew how we liked our coffee, ordered the eggs for the kids exactly how they like it. All the meals were of great quality.

The pools and gardens are well kept and when something is not working in the apartment or on the grounds it gets fixed immediately.

The staff are always engaging the children to play ball or be part of the kids play area wich is great.

I have a note for the chef who was responsible for the New Years Eve Dinner, sometimes less is more, being in the industry myself I found there were too many over powering flavours competing on the plate, for example the peppercorn crust on the tuna steak was too overpowering, you could not taste the tuna which was a pity as the tuna was cooked to perfection and you could tell only the best bits were used.

The hotel itself is not inexpensive and it must be remembered it is a 5 star establishment and charges accordingly.

I had one massage at the hotel spa and found it not to be as good as the massages you get in the villages or on the beaches for about 20% of the price.

We were able to get great value by taking the hotel's free transport to the villages of Chaweng and Lamai Beach. There you can shop, sit on the beach, drink, eat and get a massage at the regular Thai prices which are generally 20% the cost of the hotel. Then it is always nice to return to luxury and comfort of the hotel.

The hotel itself is quite a distance from Lamai (about 20 min) and Chaweng (about 30 min). If you are a looking for the excitement of loads of people and a busy city don't stay here. We were happy to come back to the quiet and luxurious hotel once we were out and about on the island. We enjoyed the fact that the kids could run around and not worry about them wondering out of the resort.

Gripes
I must agree with previous moans on this website about the hot water does not keep temperature, but then its so damn hot you don't really notice.