So disappointing. I actually cried I was so disappointed. I had been looking forward to this trip for months. It’s me and my teen son for 6 nights and I selected koh Samui over Phuket in large part bc of the W Hotel in koh Samui. I really love luxury hotels like the ritz Carlton and St Regis. Below is a list of reasons it was terrible:

We couldn’t find the reception desk upon arrival. Wandered a bit and someone came to greet us.

The lobby looks very beat up.
The lobby has zero class.
There was loud dance music playing in the lobby but it was pretty empty so it just seemed sad.
The rooms are very spread out. Nothing is walkable. The staff is very kind but not professional. The manager wears jeans and a W shirt but it looks just sloppy.
They showed us to our room.
Worst room ever! Very beat up. You can see the wear and tear. It feels like everyone has been partying there for years. The furniture had stains. The rug was faded and thin. There were no headboards. Only two pillows in the bed.
Very dirty windows with streaks. The most terrible lighting ever. I literally couldn’t read in bed. So depressing. Outdoor shower was dirty. We had sent two emails asking for two beds instead of a king. When we walked in the room they apologized they only had two 2-bedroom rooms and couldn’t upgrade us with points. Then they spoke to the manager and came back offering us an upgraded room for an additional $2,100 per night. Crazy. Then after we didn’t start unpacking they began making calls. Magically they said there in fact was one room with two beds but it needed to be cleaned. They showed us the room. It was just as dingy and beat up as the last room but at least it had two beds. They had us wait in the first room while they prepared the new room. They said it would take 20 minutes but it took over an hour. Fell asleep with my son on the dirty couch. Finally got to our new room. Too dark to unpack. I requested a lamp for the nightstand. They brought in a flood lamp and put it up in the corner ceiling to shine on my bed. They attached it with electric tape. It was an outdoor type floodlight. It was blinding. We just unplugged it. Then I lay down in my bed and was sooooo bummed out. Within 5 minutes my back began to itch and I broke out in terrible hives. We asked for them to help us move to another Marriott property. We moved to the vanna belle which is like a ritz Carlton. Lovely. The W didn’t want to refund the thousands of points but after arguing for a bit after three days they refunded 5 days. Their site is misleading. It looks NOTHING like the photos on the site. They should not have kept the points at all!!
The manager was very nice and helpful and wanted to do anything to make us happy. I felt badly bc they are employees and doing their best. It’s just an old crappy property.

My Husband and I stayed for 5 nights on the Luxury Escapes package over my birthday in July and had a great time here. Definitely a hotel with the Wow factor!
We got a complimentary upgrade to a larger villa on arrival, which was a lovely surprise!

Villa: very spacious, has everything you need and more. Very comfy bed and pillows. Pool is clean and larger than it looked from the photos. Bathroom has 2 showers, 1 inside and 1 outdoor, which made getting ready easy for us both at the same time. Villa’s can be quite far from the main reception area so buggy’s come and pick you up/drop you off. Most evenings this worked fine, except one night where we kept waiting for an hour! Enjoyed the illy coffee machine. House-keeping was great.

Breakfast: fantastic breakfast each morning at The Kitchen Table. Absolutely loved the mini mouse pancake that the kind Chef made me (so sorry cant remember her name) was so thoughtful. (Photo attached) loved the sparkling wine each morning (bloody Mary’s also available). Delicious omelette’s, fresh fruit, bakery section, Asian food also. Excellent.

Dinner: We had dinner at The Kitchen Table included in our package, which was great, however, the hotel wasn’t very busy so not a lot of atmosphere at times and stopped us eating out in the town.
Really enjoyed Namu - the Japanese restaurant, a must-do for sure. Best sushi I’ve ever had.
All hotel food was excellent and beautifully presented, definitely can’t fault it and very good service too. Fine dining style. Can eat inside or out.

Hotel in general: very clean, friendly staff who mostly spoke very good English.
Panoramic views are breathtaking! Absolutely awesome. Extras such as “sweet spots” with unlimited soft drinks, cold coffees, cornettos, magnums, water available 24 hours a day are a fun bonus!

Spa: we had massages included in our package, which were fantastic, however, we felt overpriced if not part of the deal compared to very similar massages we had in Fisherman’s Village for a fraction of the price. Nice to try both out.

Beach: very clean, lots of sun beds, hammocks etc and great vibe by Sip Bar and the Beach Grill. Food was tasty and we were given complimentary cocktails while we sunbathed which was a lovely touch! The complimentary fire show on Tuesday nights was amazing! Best one we’ve seen.

Pool: we loved the infinity pool and spent a lot of time here - we seemed to be the only ones there and could never work out where everyone was haha. Beautiful views and great service - we constantly had ice water delivered to us which was very much appreciated, as it was super hot.

Gym: large, clean and well equipped with excellent changing room/shower facilities. Didn’t try any of the classes but they were available.

Complimentary shuttle: to and from Fisherman’s Village and Chaweng. We used this once but the second time we tried to book a day in advance it was already fully booked so make sure you book in good time to get a spot otherwise you’ll have to pay for taxis. A taxi to Fisherman’s Village cost 400THB. Note that you can only get a return shuttle from Chaweng, not Fisherman’s Village.

All in all a great hotel for couples and honeymooners & those looking for a proper break from the real world. I would recommend getting a bed and breakfast package rather than one including dinners if you are staying in the off season, as it can be very quiet with not much happening in the evenings. Very modern and fashionable place to stay.