The Kimpton Koh Samui plants its flag on Choeng Mon Beach – the quieter, more introspective cousin to Samui’s see-and-be-seen shores – just 15 minutes from the airport. With 138 rooms, it’s pulled off something impressive: big resort amenities with boutique resort charm. Think multiple pools without the multiple elbows, modern design that doesn’t try too hard, and enough restaurants to keep your taste buds guessing for a week.

Speaking of pools, they’ve scattered them across the property, so you’re never short of pools here. There’s the Olympic-sized showstopper, but if you’re feeling antisocial, book a pool-access suite or go full lifestyle-envy with a beachfront pool villa. Five restaurants and bars cover your cravings from beachfront seafood to Japanese fusion, plus a café. There’s a spa that knows what it’s doing, a 24-hour gym, and they’ll even welcome your four-legged travel critic.

The Kimpton brings its signature style: smart without being stuffy, designed without being designed to death. Rooms hit all the right notes (including a minibar that actually understands what “mini” shouldn’t mean), and service strikes that sweet spot between attentive and hovering. Fair warning though: while the beach is perfectly nice, it’s not quite the stuff of desktop wallpapers. But if you’re after sophisticated coastal living without the stuffiness – and don’t mind sharing your sunset with the occasional golden retriever – you’ve found your spot.