.png)
Six Senses Samui Review: Quiet Luxury & Conscious Living on Koh Samui’s Most Serene Peninsula
- Faye Bradley
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
SAMUI
By the time you’ve wound your way up the hillside to Six Senses Samui, past sleepy beach shacks and off-duty coconuts, you’ll likely be ready for stillness — the kind you feel in your jaw, your shoulders, your inbox. What you find at the top isn’t pomp or polish in the traditional sense. There are no marble floors or uniformed doormen. Instead, there’s a quiet, low-slung arrival pavilion, the scent of lemongrass in the air, and a glass of cold pandan tea slipped into your hand before you’ve even set down your bag.
All images courtesy of CSP Times.
Perched on a remote promontory on the island’s northern tip, this eco-conscious sanctuary opened in 2004 as one of the first truly sustainable luxury resorts in Thailand. It has aged not only gracefully, but meaningfully. The villas — 67 in total — are still entirely private, dotted across 20 acres of jungle and all designed to draw the eye outward, toward the infinite blues of the Gulf of Thailand. You’re given a buggy to navigate the steep pathways (though we found walking helped justify the mango sticky rice), and greeted wherever you go with a smile that’s warm, not trained.
Accommodation
Perched on a lush headland with the Gulf of Thailand glittering in every direction, the villas at Six Senses Samui feel more like private sanctuaries than hotel rooms. Inspired by a traditional Thai fishing village, each villa is a study in barefoot luxury: think open-plan living, natural wood tones, and private pools that spill into jungle or ocean views. Whether you’re tucked into the tropical hillside or front-row to the sea, your dedicated GEM (Guest Experience Maker) orchestrates everything from Champagne picnics to long-tail boat escapades with the effortless charm of someone who knows exactly when to appear.
We stayed in one of the Ocean View Pool Villas, where mornings began with a gentle breeze rustling through palm leaves and the soft shimmer of the Gulf glinting just beyond the treetops. Perched on a hillside, the villa’s split-level design made the most of the natural setting: the bedroom upstairs opened onto wraparound views, while the lower pool terrace was a serene sanctuary for lounging and leisurely meals. Indoors flowed seamlessly into out, with an al fresco shower tucked behind tropical foliage, an oversized soaking tub, and a shaded dining nook perfect for in-villa breakfasts. The 18-square-metre infinity pool caught the light just so at sunset, turning golden hour into a private spectacle.
The Experience
We arrived in the afternoon and were greeted by Alice, the hotel’s kind and unflappable Marketing & Communications Manager, who walked us through the property’s layout and ethos. There is, she explained, no set “schedule” — only gentle nudges toward experiences that nourish more than they entertain.
That evening, we sat down to a four-course tasting menu at Dining on the Rocks, the resort’s architectural showpiece. It’s all open-air timber decks cantilevered over the sea, and the kind of food that leans into local produce.
In the mornings, you’re encouraged to head to the Farm on the Hill, where you can collect your own eggs before a tailor-made breakfast at Dining on the Hill. It’s as wholesome as it sounds, and the dishes that follow — coconut pancakes, Thai rice porridge, just-cut fruit — are some of the most nourishing you’ll find anywhere on the island.
Later, we wandered into the Alchemy Bar, where guests create personalised herbal inhalers — ours was a blend of eucalyptus and kaffir lime to soothe travel fog.
And at the Six Senses Spa, hidden in lush foliage, a private Tibetan singing bowl session followed by a deeply intuitive massage reminded us that this brand doesn’t just offer wellness — it’s baked into the foundation.
In the afternoon, we tried our hand at a Thai dessert class, folding coconut and rice flour into something resembling a dumpling, though our handiwork was more rustic than refined. Dinner that night was a Southern Thai set — punchy and fragrant.
The Ethos
Six Senses has long championed sustainability. Here, that translates to solar panels, on-site water bottling, composting facilities, and a genuinely educational Earth Lab, where guests can learn how cooking oil becomes soap or how glass bottles are upcycled into tableware. The resort has banned single-use plastics and grows much of its produce on-site.
The Verdict
While Koh Samui is home to its share of glossy and glamorous resorts, Six Senses Samui quietly sets itself apart by knowing exactly who it's for. It’s a sanctuary for those who seek serenity without isolation, where natural beauty takes precedence over scene-making, and wellness is a way of life — not a photo op. Here, there are no clipboards or rigid schedules. Just gentle invitations to breathe deeper, eat slower, and, if you’re lucky, lose track of time altogether.
Location: Six Senses Samui. 9/10 Moo 5, Baan Plai Laem, Bophut. Koh Samui. 84320. Thailand | Phone: +66 77 245 678 | Email: reservations-samui@sixsenses.com | Instagram: @sixsensessamui | Facebook: Six Senses Samui | Website: sixsenses.com/en/hotels-resorts/asia-the-pacific/thailand/samui