Luxury resorts and hotels on Koh Chang continue to thrive and improve, meeting the growing demand for top end 4 to 5 star accommodation on the island.
The cheapest rooms range from 4,000bt to 6,000bt, but expect to pay much more for the deluxe suites, pool access and private pool villas, 10,000bt to 20,000bt or more.
Kai Bae Beach and Klong Prao Beach are home to the majority of the resorts, but you’ll also find great choices in White Sand Beach and Chai Chet Beach.
The resorts are not listed in ratings order.
- The Chill
- KC Grande Resort
- Awa
- Santhiya Tree
- Sylvan
- The Dewa
- Gajapuri Resort
- The Retreat
- Paradise Resort and Spa
- Dinso Resort and Villas – coming soon
Rates given are for high season but not the Xmas/New Year period, when they will increase substantially and may also be subject to a minimum stay period + mandatory New Year’s Eve meal charge, see below.
The Chill – Kai Bae Beach – Koh Chang Luxury Resorts
Sandwiched between Awa and Gajapuri on the seafront in Kai Bae Beach,The Chill is considered one of the most luxurious 5 star resorts on Koh Chang.
Rooms, Pool and Luxury Design
Stepping off the bustling main street into an immense white tiled reception, with its huge sofas in contrasting black gloss finish, you immediately get a sense of The Chill’s cool demeanour. Continue on past the artworks and sculptures and that sense of ordered calm reveals itself still further when you emerge into the main resort area.
Here, immaculately kept lawned gardens, regularly planted palms and a single straight path line one side of the resort, a 100 metre tiered pool runs down its centre and the accommodation in 3 storey ultra sleek whitewashed buildings lines the other. It just exudes coolness and sophistication.
Five different styles room are on offer – deluxe rooms on the 2nd floor, the splash pool rooms on the first, sky jacuzzi rooms on the top floor, 2 pool villas over 2 floors and the top of the range, a single beachfront villa. Interiors, indeed the whole resort, continues the design from the reception – white gloss floors, gloss black fixtures and fittings, soft furnishings with a splash of colour. Each room of course comes to the highest specification – ensuite bathroom, storage, a/c, LCD TV, tea and coffee making facilities, WiFi, safe and more.
Dining at The Chill
The restaurant is open all day, with full menu for Thai and western food and a great Happy Hour every day at the bar.
The resort is in the middle of the village, so just by stepping oustide the front, you’ll find a vast choice of restaurants, shops and bars. The beach in front of the resort is not the best, but you can walk along the sand to a much better section within 5 minutes.
Spa
The Spa includes a steam room, jacuzzi and massage. There is also a fitness center with everything from bikes to cross trainors, weights to treadmills and yoga mats.
Prices and Booking
Deluxe rooms are 8,000bt a night, Splash Pool Access at 10,000bt, Sky Jacuzzi at 16,000bt. The Pool Villa is 17,500bt per night and the most luxurious, Beachfront Pool Villa at 21,000bt. Minimum 7 night stay in Xmas period, check for mandatory gala dinner charge at NYE.
KC Grande Resort – White Sand Beach
KC Grande Resort sits at the northern end of White Sand Beach, offering a dizzyingly wide selection of villas, suites and rooms in its two accommdation areas, oceanfront or hillside, close to 210 in total.
Rooms and Luxury Design
The hillside block is built over 4 storeys, with a choice of deluxe, ocean view, pool view or pool access. Design in all the rooms is cool and sparse – neutral colours, greys, light wood features with cream coloured tiled floors, large bathrooms and jacuzzis.
Over in the seaside area, deluxe rooms in KC’s original 3 storey hotel block look out over the sea or down onto yet another fabulous pool, this time beachside. For your luxury options, separate ocean and garden villas run northwards in a prime location parallel to the sand. They too have their own smaller pool.
All rooms in all areas provide WiFi, tea/coffee facilities, fridge and safe as standard.
Pools, Location
KC Grande has an array of swimming pools so wherever you stay you will never be more than a few steps from refreshing dip.
Up on the roof of the hillside block, you’ll find their stunning infinity pool, complete with bar. At the foot of the main block on this side, another great one comes with water cascade and water slide.
Over by the sea, the main pool is literally by the sand, again with its own bar. There are also pool villas further down the beach In addition, pools run alongside those access rooms too.
The beach here too is one of Koh Chang’s finest, so swimming in the sea is a must.
Dining at KC Grande
Buffet breakfast is served in the one of the restaurants by the sea, the other is home to the evening BBQ. The hillside block has an Italian diner, Gusto and at the front of the hotel, you’ll find a good coffee shop.
Spa and Facilities
For pampering or working out, KC Grande provides a full spa and fitness center
White Sand Beach is the most developed town in Koh Chang, so step outside the hotel and you’ll find everything you need from restaurants to bars, supermarket and banks.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
In high season, luxury rooms in the hillside area – Deluxe, Deluxe Pool View, Deluxe Ocean View, Deluxe Pool Access – range from 4,350bt to 5,700bt. By the sea, rates per night for the Deluxe Room and Seaview Grande Deluxe are from 4,500bt to 6,500bt. The Seaview Grand Suite is 10,000bt. The villas, Garden View Villa, Beachfront Deluxe Villa and Paradise Beachfront Villa are 6,200bt, 8,000bt and 10,000bt respectively.
Awa Resort – Kai Bae Beach
The 120 roomed Awa Resort, which sits in the centre of the bustling village of Kai Bae Beach, has one of the most striking designs of any luxury hotel on the island.
Pool, Rooms and Luxury Design
After entering through vast 20 metre doors into an equally high ceilinged atrium, you arrive at the feature length swimming pool, which runs another 50 metes or more down to the dining area, itself facing the sea. Surrounding this, the rooms themselves are housed in a series of 4 storey minimalist accommodation blocks.
Throughout the hotel, stone work latticing on every balcony and many of the walls in turn combines with taseful ornaments and vivid hanging plants to break things up. It’s magnificently striking, modern and opulent.
As for the room options, you can choose between deluxe, deluxe premium, beachfront or the suites. Their interiors too are uniformly white in design, everything from walls to floors to furniture, linens and indeed the bathrooms. Each offers WiFi, tea/coffee facilities, fridge, safe and TV.
More rooms, this time with a thatch roof are found over the road in a low rise two storey block, which looks over a lawned garden. Their interiors follow the resort theme of white with its uncluttered sense of space and are just as comfortable.
Dining at Awa
Buffet breakfast is served at The Spoon restaurant – look out for the birdcage lighting fixtures – whilst you can also eat indoors by the sea at The Sala or out on the sunset terrace.
Kai Bae Beach is known for its wide array of restaurants, bars and shops – you just need to walk out those magnificent doors and you are in the heart of the action. The pool itself has a sunken bar at one end.
Spa and Location
You can grab a massage at the in-house Spa.
The one drawback to Awa Resort is the beach itself. It’s rocky just in front of the hotel and the sea is unsuitable for swimming. You can stroll, however, to a much improved section in under 5 minutes.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
The Superior Hillside rooms are priced at 4,800bt direct at their website. On the seaside, Deluxe rooms are 5,100bt, 5,700bt (Premium) and 6,200bt (Beachfront). The most luxurious Beach Front Suite is 12,350bt. 4 days minimum stay applies in Xmas period, NYE gala charged.
Santhiya Tree – Klong Prao Beach
Over on Klong Prao Beach, Santhiya Tree is a vast high end 4 to 5 star luxury resort with two separate accommodation areas alongside two pools, massage and a handful of restaurants.
Rooms, Pools and Design
The original part of the resort consists of three styles of villa – garden, pool access or hideaway pool. These are all linked together via interconnecting paths which lead down through the immaculately kept gardens to the beachside swimming pool.
The villas themselves are designed in the Lanna style, with pool access as pictured above, The more expensive hideaway variety are tucked away with their own private numbers.
Luxury Riverside Area
Meanwhile, on the canal at the rear of the resort, the newest accommodation is housed in a fabulously indulgent faux Thai Summer palace of four storeys, with magnificent views out over the Koh Chang interior.
The rooms themselves come with 4 poster beds and are clad from floor to ceiling in ornate lattice work and wood panelling, Uniquely, each has its own plunge pool instead of a balcony. On the ground floor level, a further swimming pool runs the length of the building.
In all rooms across both areas, TV, safe, fridge, tea/coffee facilities, bathroom accessories are all standard.
Dining at Santhiya Tree
There are three restaurants – two down by the sea and a new one, Saaitara by the pool on the canal.
For other dining options as well as shops and the odd bar, the resort runs a shuttle up to the main village area, which is a good 15 minute hot walk away. Alternatively, turn either left or right on the beach and you’ll find plenty of other choices such as the very acceptable restaurant at Tiger Huts.
Speedboat Service
Santhiya Tree operates a speedboat service, private or share to and from Trat Airport using a small pier at Ao Tan Khu. For the share service, the price is 1,150bt one way with share minibus and join speedboat or 800bt if join speedboat only. The private speedboat service is 10,000bt from 06.00 to 21,00, 13,000bt from 21.00 to 24.00.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
Prices start at 5,700bt to 6,600bt for the Pool Suite (Water View) or Grand Pool Suite (Water View). Suites (River View and Mountain View) begin at 8,000bt. In the seaside area, Garden Villas are 5,700bt, Pool Access Suites from 8,000bt and the Hideaway Pool Villas at 11,000bt. Check for mandatory dinner gala dinner at NYE.
Sylvan Resort – Kai Bae Beach – Koh Chang Luxury Resorts
At the southern end of Kai Bae Beach, Sylvan (formerly Seaview) is perhaps the most family friendly of the luxury resorts.
Rooms, Pools and Design
Its 150 rooms are centred in two areas, down by the ocean or up on the clifftop. In the former, you have a choice of deluxe rooms or ocean villa suites in the main hotel five storey hotel block. Design throughout is ultra modern and crisp, with sections of light wooden flooring combined with white gloss tiling, white washed walls complimented by wall coverings and Thai art, all offset by pastel coloured furnishings. The balconies too allow lots of light into the rooms to give it that summery holiday vibe. In room WiFi, TV, fridge, safe and so on are of course supplied.
Luxury Clifftop Area
Up on the clifftop, grand deluxe or panorama suites are housed in a 4 storey modern block clinging to the hillside. These rooms too have that elegant and light design, but from every balcony, you also get a simply stunning view both out to sea and of Koh Man Nai, the uninhabited island just offshore.
You can also stay in a very sleek family pool villa, which is also finished in brushed concrete. It comes with its own roof terrace and jacuzzi.
For the newly weds, Sylvan offers an equally luxurious honeymoon suite with panoramic views of beach and ocean.
Dining at Seaview
Breakfast is served buffet style at 1989 Restaurant on the cliffside, with it then open all day for à la carte dishes. Down by the sea, the Sunset Restaurant opens at 10.00 in the morning, with its speciality an evening BBQ.
Pools, Spa and Activities
Sylvan has two swimming pools, the better and quieter one up the hillside at the top. There is also a (slow) funicular railway which runs from the cliff to the beach. Given the amount of steep steps which connect the two distinct areas, this becomes more useful than you would think, especially if mobility is an issue.
Rainforest Spa, often cited as the best on the island, offers massage, an aromatherapy steam room, a Finnish sauna and treatments. It’s open from 10.00 to 20.00.
You can rent kayaks, great for visiting that offshore island as well as snorkeling at its neighbour, Koh Yuak.
Prices and Booking
Grande Deluxe Rooms (Seaview) start at 4,700bt, the Junior Family style at 5,400bt, the larger Deluxe Family at 6,400bt. Superior Beachfront rooms and the Panorama Suite are 5,200bt. The luxurious Pool Villas, the most expensive option, start at 13,800bt.
The Dewa – Klong Prao Beach – Koh Chang Luxury Resorts
On the beach and an immediate neighbour to the soon to open Dinso Resort (the old Emerald Cove, see below), The Dewa is one of Koh Chang’s smaller 4/5 star resorts, with just 40 deluxe rooms and 19 villas.
Rooms, Pools and Luxury Design
The deluxe rooms are housed over three floors in a uniquely styled main building which elegantly curves alongside a feature length swimming pool. The in-house restaurant dominates the opposite side, with evenly placed fountains firing jets of water from its base.
The main building itself combines brushed concrete exteriors, with wooden facades and narrow internal stairways. Up on top, a modern Thai motif, also of concrete, spirals out at regular junctures from the slated roof. Like its sister resort, Awa, the eye-catching design is integral to the luxury, giving The Dewa, together with its location and service, that feeling of staying somewhere special.
Inside the a/c ensuite rooms, the brushed concrete style is carried through onto the floors and walls, with darker furniture and fittings serving as a contrast. They feel cool but very comfortable. WiFi, safe, fridge, TV and balcony are needless to say all included.
Nearer to the front of the resort, the Villas are built in the round, either upper or lower storey. They are styled in that brushed concrete again but this time, the exteriors are also partially bedecked in thatch. The seriously decadent, Grand Villas, are standalone, with jacuzzis and a beach view.
Dining at Dewa
As well as the main restaurant, which serves a buffet breakfast and full menu, you can also dine on the sea terrace or in the cafe by the lobby. The pool has its own bar too.
Spa and Location
Alongside the usual massage and treatments, The Spa offers a steam room.
The beach and sea in this section of Klong Prao Beach are excellent. Head down the sand in either direction and you’ll also find plenty of other life, including some nice cheap beach diners.
Alternatively, it’s just a few minutes walk up to the main road for more choices or to grab a taxi to another area.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
Deluxe rooms start at 6,570bt a night, Villas 7,700bt and the Grande Villa at 13,400bt upwards. Obligatory NYE gala dinner charge and minimum 4 night stay in Xmas period.
Gajapuri Resort – Kai Bae Beach – Koh Chang Luxury Resorts
Back in Kai Bae and the the second of the four luxury resorts in this area, Gajapuri Resort sets an all together different tone at its 46 room offering.
Luxury Rooms
The resort is comprised of wooden, tiled roof cabanas joined together by slightly raised walkways, which lead through mature tropical gardens, past canals filled with water lilies, down towards the sea. As Gajapuri very much intends, a stay here feels like retreating into a minature eco-village, an oasis of peace and tranquillity away from the crowds.
The resort has a wide range of rooms from superior to Lanai (deluxe with seaview or jacuzzi), to wonderfully private pool villas or the top of the range, 2 bedroom suites also with their own pool. Interiors use wood throughout – walls, floors and ceilings, bedroom, bathroom and terraces. WiFi, tea/coffee facilities, fridge, safe, TV, a/c, ensuite with shower or bath are all included.
Pools, Sea and Spa
There are 2 excellent swimming pools, the newest one just a few steps from the sand.
The beach immediately in front of the resort is not the best on the island. Realistically, you can only swim in the sea at high tide due to the rocks underfoot but you can head north up the sand for a much better section within a couple of minutes.
Gajapuri has its own Spa for massage, treatments and steam.
Dining at Gajapuri
For dining, you can choose between Chaan Gaja, home to the buffet breakfast and its mixed menu or Matang and its International cuisine. For a break from those and indeed, the peace and quiet, Kai Bae village is on the doorstep.
Prices and Booking (Peak Season)
Superior/Deluxe/Beachfront rooms are from 3,900bt/4,300bt/4,800bt. Family (1 Bedroom) or Family (2 connecting bedrooms) are 5,200bt or 7,800bt. The luxury Pool Villas go from 10,800bt.
The Retreat – Kai Bae Beach – Koh Chang Luxury Resorts
The Retreat opened on the headland at the southern end of Kai Bae in 2023. Sister resort to The Chill, it has quickly established itself as one of the Koh Chang’s leading luxury options.
The resort is laid out in two opposing 2 storey accommodation blocks, garden between them, with the large swimming pool, restaurant and lounge areas down by the sea.
Luxury Rooms
Rooms are on the 2nd floor comprise the 45m² Deluxe and the larger 50m² Premier King. On the ground floor, you can stay in 55m² Deluxe Doubles, 55m² Deluxe Twins, 55m² Double Disability Access, 60m² Premier King Pool Access, or 70 m² Deluxe Pool Access. There are also a couple of special alternatives, the 125m² Seaview Suite and a whole 240m² Pool Villa over two floors with its own private access.
The large rooms are designed to the highest specification – greys, whites and cream soft furnishings and bedding complimenting grained real wood light furniture, flooring and beds, with screens and other clever touches bringing it all together. The bathrooms carry through the same styling. It’s modern, crisp, full of light and smacking of summer.
Each room comes with WiFi, tea/coffee facilities, fridge, safe, mini-bar TV (with streaming service), a/c, fan, bathroom accessories, outdoor terrace or balcony, seating.
The Villa has its own entrance, lounge, kitchen area, private pool, two bathrooms, open stairs to the bedroom, balcony.
Dining at The Retreat
A buffet breakfast/part cooked to order is served at the in house restaurant, The Ocean Terrace. For the rest of the day, you can choose from a full menu of classis Thai and western or unique to the island, it also has Japanese cuisine at Zojima and a specially designed cocktail list to go with it at the Teak Bar.
You can also step out from the resort to find an amazing choice of different restaurants – a cheap Thai food court, Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Mexican and more. There’s plenty of bars too.
Pools, Sea and Spa
If you are not in a pool access room, you can take a dip in the mightly impressive feature pool with its cabanas and loungers. It has a kid’s pool alongside.
In front of the resort, it’s not really possible to swimming and there is no beach per se. Instead, you simply walk a few minutes south, where you’ll find the a lovelty stretch of sand and perfect shallow sea for swimming – no great hardship given how near it is to the resort. Or you can grab a kayak or SUP from the resort to explore the coast.
In house, The Retreat has a beautifully deisigned ‘wellness’ spa offering all types of massage, treatments and volcanic sand baths. The Glasshouse Gym gives you a place to work-out and it has sea views too!
Location
The Retreat is in the heart of Kai Bae Beach, perhaps now in 2024 Koh Chang’s most popular area. It’s buzzing with activity in the evenings, all your shopping needs on hand, other great luxury spots and yet still wonderfully peaceful and calming within the resorts themselves.
Prices and Booking
The Deluxe and Premier King rooms are 9,600bt to 11,200bt a night respectively. Deluxe Doubles, Double Disability or Twin with Pool Access are 12,000bt. The King Premier with Pool Access is 14,400bt. The Seaview Suite is priced at 32,000bt. The Private Villa at 56,000bt. Minimum 7 night stay in Xmas period, check for mandatory gala dinner charge at NYE.
Koh Chang Paradise Resort – Chai Chet Beach
Bang on a fabulous stretch of beach at Chai Chet, Koh Chang Paradise Resort is one of the island’s longest running luxury spots, still going from strength to strength after over 2 decades of operation.
The resort comprises single storey bungalows and villas in a grid system, with central seaside swimming pool, restaurant and bar. It also offers a gym, massage spa, kids’ club and shares a large water park across the street with its junior sister resort, Paradise Hill.
Rooms and Luxury Villas
The resort itself comprises accommodation in Superior and Deluxe rooms towards the back, Grande Deluxe (Garden View, Seaview, Beachfront) Villas and an array of Pool Villas (Garden, Beachfront or Family).
Using wood finishing right from the flooring through to the paneling and furnishings, the Superior rooms tend towards a darker style, whilst the Deluxes use modern, fresher, lighter hues. Each room has an outdoor terrace, patio doors, flat screen TV, king size bed (some twins too), safe, fridge, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, bathroom accessories, WiFi as standard.
The Deluxe Villas and Pool Villas continue with that modern, light wood styling seen in the Deluxe rooms, combining it with either high vaulted or raised ceilings, taking full advantage of the extra space afforded by the traditional Lanna pointed roofs. The Villas offer additional interior seating areas too, all very plush and comfortable.
Overall, Paradise has succeeded in bringing its original traditional Thai style up to date, giving everything an uncluttered, very comfortable experience, with all the amenities you would expect of a high class resort.
Dining
For dining, the open-air Paradise Restaurant offers a buffet breakfast and then a full menu throughout the day including a nightly seafood BBQ. It’s all served up beachside with terrific views across the bay.
The resort has a well designed beach bar too and LANi Cafe meets those caffeine needs via a Starbucks affiliation. You can also pop into other spots along the beach –Flora i Talay is a few doors down or you can walk to street level for Italian at Marco or try one of the places in the Neighbor Plaza.
Facilities at Paradise
Guests staying at the resort have access to the Kids Club, the water park, spa massage, a fully equipped gym and even kayaks and SUP.
The beach in front of the resort is fabulous, shallow safe blue waters, white sand, all sheltered by the headland at one one.
Location
Paradise is located in Chai Chet, about 10 minutes from White Sand Beach and 15 from Kai Bae. Known for its beach and plaza areas, you have plenty of shops and minimarts at street level, cheap Thai diners and even a few beer bars at the northern end.
Prices and Booking (High Season)
Superior Rooms start at 3,990bt, Deluxes from 5,100bt, Garden Deluxe Villa at 7,200bt, Seaview Deluxe Villa at 7,800bt, Beachfront Deluxe Villa at 8,300bt, Pool Villas 10,000bt to 15,000bt (Family), all with breakfast.
Dinso Resort and Villas Koh Chang by IHG – Klong Prao Beach – **Coming soon**
Located on the beach at the southern end of Klong Prao Beach, Emerald Cove (as pictured above), the vast 165 room luxury hotel, was sold in 2023 to the IHG Group. Partnering with Dinso Resorts, who also have a property in Phuket, this will become the 3rd in IHG’s so-called Vignette Collection.
The hotel is being extensively rebuilt, remodelled and rethought so expect some high quality accommodation once finished including pool villas. There’s no question that Dinso will immediately become one Koh Chang’s top luxury resorts so we are listing it now in anticipation of its slated opening in late 2024.
UPDATED June 24
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