The beach of W Koh Samui is located between Mae Nam and Bo Phut beaches and is shaped like the letter “A”. If you stand near the famous large “W” letter known from photographs, Mae Nam begins on your left and Bo Phut on your right.
The W-Retreat Koh Samui hotel is so perfectly positioned that you can only access this part of the beach through its grounds or by walking along Mae Nam. From the Bo Phut side, the W-Retreat Koh Samui hotel beach is protected by rocks and sharp stones.
Beach Overview
I should remind you that according to Thai law, all beaches belong to the royal family, and no one can block access to the water for Thai citizens or other nationals.
Therefore, if a hotel owns the land in front of a beach and its fencing doesn’t allow access to the beach any other way, anyone has the legal right to pass through the private territory, no matter how exclusive it claims to be.
Another matter is that the strictness of laws, just like in Britain, is often balanced by how loosely they’re enforced. And security can be quite stubborn about admitting people. But not in the case of W-Retreat Koh Samui.
The beach of this luxury hotel looks like it’s been combed to perfection.
The sand is perfectly smooth, just like on all of Mae Nam, coarse, yellow and loose. The shoreline has some variations in height, and near the rocks at the border with Bo Phut, there’s even a small drop about 1.5 foot (40 sm) high.
The beach is immaculately clean. There’s no point listing places where there’s no rubbish on W-Retreat Koh Samui beach because there isn’t any. Anywhere. At all. Given that room rates at the hotel start from ~90,000 baht PER NIGHT, the paradisiacal setting and cleanliness are a logical decision by the hotel management.
The closed territory, the cost of the hotel, the isolation of the beach itself from the island’s main road β all this affects the number of people on the beach. There’s always an amazingly comfortable coexistence of the few hotel guests who lounge in sunbeds, hammocks and massage shelters.
Few package tourists staying for a fortnight know about the laws and possibilities, so coming here with your own beach mat to relax under the sideways glances of the loaded toffs is an absolute treat.
In case anyone’s interested in reading about other places, I have a brief overview of all Samui beaches that will help you decide which beach to choose.
Swimming
The sea is deep with a sharply descending sandy bottom. During low tides, the beach hardly changes its appearance and characteristics, but the sandy spit, which is W-Retreat Koh Samui’s trademark, becomes more exposed.
The water is quite murky even in sunny weather. Waves are regularly present during windy weather and are especially wild in winter, which is noticeable from the drop on the shore. The hotel staff had to dismantle the “W” logo, which used to stand at the very edge of the spit, and place it closer to the shore.
Sunbeds and Shade
The beach is equipped with the latest technology, but all the pleasures are not for you. The only thing you’re allowed to use is the shade from the palm grove, which provides wonderful shade to the entire shore.
Beach Photos
Amenities
The beach is located 650 feet (200 meters) from the Ring Road, between two densely populated, bustling areas of the island. Along the road, there are all necessary services, private establishments and financial organisations, water dispensers, shops β basically, absolutely everything.
Big C is a stone’s throw away, or more precisely, about a 10-minute drive. Makro and Lotus’s are also located near Big C. Among the nearest attractions within a ten-minute reach, there’s the Phu Khao Thong temple (Wat Phu Khao Thong) and the Secret Falls waterfall deep in the mountains.
On the beach itself, entertainment includes a volleyball net, massage pavilions, a bar, and kayak rentals. The coral reef near the shore offers snorkelling opportunities.
Accommodation
As mentioned, Bo Phut and Mae Nam areas don’t suffer from a lack of accommodation. The shoreline is occupied by W Koh Samui – Sha Extra Plus 5, and 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from it begin resorts where you can find quite budget-friendly accommodation, especially during the low season.
How to Find the Beach
Finding W-Retreat Koh Samui beach isn’t difficult. But the turn to it might not be noticeable at first, especially if coming from Mae Nam. That’s because the sign with the hotel name is hidden behind the leaves of a large tree.
Then you need to go straight ahead, pass a couple of speed bumps until you reach a security guard with a radio. Say the code word “to the beach” and follow in the direction of the hand wave. Down there, another security guard will meet you and record your vehicle number. There’s also a small guest car park with five spaces.
