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21.04.'08 Wish I didn't have to tell you this, but our lovely Honey died early this morning. We can't believe it. Apparently, he ate something poisonous during the night. This is what happened to our lovely dog, Scuby, who died about two years ago. Two fantastic dogs and we loved them both greatly. Not only are we very sad about this, but I know that some of our guests will be very sad too. Honey was such a friendly and loving dog and, at only just over a year old, we thought we would have him with us for many years to come. Even paradise has its drawbacks now and again. I shall miss everyone here over the next three weeks and wish all our guests a very happy holiday. Best wishes Sue 20.04.'08 Well, Songkran arrived, as usual on 13 April. Songkran is a Thai word which means "move" or "change place" as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac and thus is the start of the New Year here. It is also known as the "Water Festival" when people throw lots of water over each other as they believe that water will wash away bad luck. Our staff were very excited on the day, as were many guests, and much fun was had by all. We have recently enjoyed the lovely guitar playing and sweet singing of two of our guests, Graeme and Jane - oh, I wish Robin and I could do that! And lots of other great people have been coming and going too. Our daughter has also been back from school for a couple of weeks, but I just saw her off at the airport . . . all the Mums out there know how I am feeling, I am sure! However, I shall be seeing my own Mum and Dad, and Robin's Mum and Dad, in a couple of days' time as I am flying to UK tomorrow with our son and staying for around three weeks. Consequently, Robin will be keeping the place ship-shape and, as usual, doing his best for our guests. Receiving lots of enquiries so, if you are thinking of coming to see us, send us an e-mail as soon as you have decided on your dates and we shall be able to do our best for you. I hope the weather isn't too cold in the UK . . . If you're coming here whilst I'm away, ENJOY!!! Best wishes Sue 07.04.'08 Hello Everybody! Phew, it's hot and sunny here - a bit different to snow in other parts of the world, I hear! Have just looked on the thermometer in the shaded reception area and, at 15.45 hours, it's 35 degrees celsius. I believe the internet is saying that it's stormy and rainy which just goes to show that we mustn't worry about those weather reports because they're never right, honestly! Thought I'd just mention the last two reviews on Trip Advisor. The one before last said that they were disappointed as the beach and sea are stony, that the pool is so small it is crowded with two people inside and that they were glad to be home. Other guests have since said that these particular guests should have done more research as our site has always said that we do not have soft, white sand, that the sea is not the best for swimming and that our pool is not large, (although not that small, I have to say!). I am so sorry that they felt that they were glad to be home - the majority of our guests have always been glad to be here! I also believe that another guest is intending to write a review saying that they were here at the same time and that the pool was empty for most of it! The next reviewer, I feel, told it how it is and we thank him for his kind and honest remarks. We are not the best 5-star on Samui, we are not even a 5-star and have never professed to be, but they very much enjoyed their stay, stated their reasons why and intend to come back. We are a family-run boutique hotel with 17 rooms which has been completely refurbished and revamped from a small hotel with 9 small rooms, very few guests and 4 staff to the size it is now with many guests, (although it never seems crowded - mainly because we have a wide beachfront for the amount of rooms and the guests are never all here at the same time), and 20 staff. We try to give our guests the sort of service that we would like ourselves as guests and it is appreciated by people of all nationalities. Our pool is very rarely crowded as most guests just use it to dip into and to cool off as the weather does not lend itself to lengths! We have thought of extending it, but have only had a small percentage of criticism compared to the many people who like it just the way it is! The sea directly outside is a bit stony and has coral, but is swimmable some months of the year. If not, we advise guests to swim just a little further along or 50-100 metres along where the swimming is very good. We do not charge 5-star prices either, but feel that we give just as good a service as 5-star hotels, with little extras free of charge, like pick-up from the airport and internet usage, (we also have free wireless for laptops all over the hotel). You will not feel like a number, (we hope you will feel like a friend!), and will not, hopefully, have to wait for a request to be fulfilled or a problem to be solved. Good food, lots of comfortable chairs, a nice bar area, a view to die for and, last but not least, lovely, happy staff. Oh, and the rooms are clean and comfortable too, also with that view from every balcony. We know we're not perfect, although we do try hard to make sure our guests have a trouble-free and enjoyable holiday. We love our hotel and hope that you will love it too. When are you coming to see us? Low Season prices in May, June and half of July and the weather should be great then too . . . Best wishes, as always Sue 03.04.'08 I can't believe it's 3 April! It seems only yesterday that we were eating turkey! Speaking of which, if you are thinking of coming over this year for Christmas and New Year, try to organise your trip soon as we have already received many bookings. We are receiving many for January and February 2009, so think about those plans again too. We still have space most months this year, at the moment, so why wait until next year? We have been having more celebrations here this week, with birthdays, engagements and honeymoons. All nationalities, all ages, all fantastic people. I really don't know where they all keep coming from! We're very lucky. You may pleased to hear that Khun Arum, generally known as 'Cooking', won our first Employee of the Month award. She has had her photo taken this afternoon which will be framed and hung in reception for the month. She is so pleased. We are very proud of Cooking who continually produces fantastic food and, even though she works quite long hours, she is nearly always smiling. If you voted for her, your vote could have made the difference! Lots of our guests didn't like to vote as they felt that all our staff deserved to win. We thank them for their kindness. Did I tell you that we had to transplant a palm tree a couple of weeks ago? That was something to be seen, I can tell you, especially when the old, diseased tree had to be taken away! And a few days before that, we renewed our sala where the massages and manicures/pedicures take place - that kept the guests interested too. Oh, and we had to build another bookcase yesterday as the others are already bulging. It's so nice to discover a book on holiday, don't you think? We have quite a few now as lots of guests leave theirs when they've read them. Many people ask us how long we've been here. It's 5 years in August. Just cannot believe it! I hope the next 5 years do NOT go as quickly! It has been a very interesting project, however, and we have enjoyed it tremendously. We've made friends from all over the world too. Not a bad job, eh? If you're reading this as a guest who has been here before, we hope to see you again soon and, if you are coming to see us in the future, we very much look forward to meeting you. Best wishes Sue 31.03.08 Just a little message for Lindsay Gallagher: we have replied to your four e-mails, but they don't seem to be getting through although none of them have bounced! Please e-mail again with a telephone number. Thank you very much. Best wishes Sue
29.03.'08 Hello Again! Just wished to inform you that our hosting website has recently made one or two changes in our configuration which were unbeknown to us. Consequently, if you have had a problem getting through to us on rworden@thewaterfrontbophut.com, or have this address on your files, please do not use it as our addresses are, in fact, sue@thewaterfrontbophut.com, robin@thewaterfrontbophut.com or info@thewaterfrontbophut.com If you have experienced problems, we apologise profusely. We are in the process of changing our Form Submission which has been showing this incorrect address. Apart from that, another lovely day here in paradise . . . Best wishes Sue
28.03.'08 Hi Everyone! Well, it's been really hot here and all our guests are very happy, as are we because we feel so sad for them if the weather isn't perfect, but luckily that doesn't happen very often. At the moment, we have South Africans from Johannesburg, Americans living in Silicone Valley, Americans living in Shanghai, Swedish, English, (one couple on their way back to live in England, having been in New Zealand for two years and another English guest working in Singapore), Irish, German, Swiss and Australian. Two couples are honeymooners, one couple has just become engaged and another guest is celebrating a birthday. There's always something to celebrate here at The Waterfront and, if not, we'll soon find something! This Tuesday, 25 March, found us conquering another step on the website, www.tripadvisor.com. We're still No 1 in Koh Samui, but now we're No 1 in Thailand too and No 2 in Asia. Help! We're sure that it cannot last very long, but are really pleased, if not a little embarassed. We must emphasize that we do our best for our guests and feel that we give value for money as well as being situated in a charming village. However, as you must appreciate, it is obvious from our prices that our hotel cannot be as palatial as others charging far more, but then our happy guests prefer the more personal touches and the friendly atmosphere. We only have 17 rooms here so, if you have not contacted us early enough, we could be full for your dates. If this occurs, we may be able to accommodate you if you are prepared to move rooms but, of course, we will always tell you before you decide - we wouldn't dream of telling you on arrival! Our staff would move your things too - you could just relax in the sunshine. We've seen more returning guests this week, which we love, and I received in the post three pieces of excellent artwork from the children of a family who recently returned to see us. These precious treasures are now proudly displayed on my office wall and I can't wait to see this lovely family again - apparently one of them is trying to make his parents decide on a date for the next visit which, I believe, will be February 2009. Had to say goodbye to a super little Australian girl today and a great little English boy too, but they've both promised to send me an e-mail. Children seem to like it here, probably because we like them too and they don't find the place huge or overpowering. Also, for some reason, very rarely do they seem to be difficult or unruly. They love to have a chat and we seem to get all the clever and interesting ones! If, on the very odd occasion, they have been a little excited on arrival, I have kept an eye on the situation. If the decibels do not decrease fairly quickly, I tell them that I am really pleased that they are enjoying themselves, but could they please try to not scream or shout as all our other lovely guests are on holiday too. This usually does the trick. Weeks and weeks go by when we do not see one little person, so it is always a pleasure to see them when they do come. Again, as well as all nationalities, we have all ages here at the moment. So, get out those suitcases, dust down those swimsuits and book yourselves a holiday. We'd love to see you . . . Best wishes Sue
18.03.'08 The catastrophe was soon solved and we were back to normal quite quickly, thank goodness. Having had a little unsettled weather last week and a bit before that, we are now experiencing glorious sunshine again and Koh Phangan, which has been hiding itself for a while, is nearly in full view. The sea and outlying islands are such a spectacular sight. At the moment, we have Canadians, New Zealanders, Norwegians, Danish, English, Irish and Swiss. The Danish family have been nicknamed the Von Trapp family, (The Sound of Music), as there are seven of them, (three sons and two daughters from 2 to 18) and one of them had a 16th birthday last week. Our Swiss family has a daughter who is 3 next week and their baby of 4 months is such a delight, constantly laughing! Two of our Irish guests are on honeymoon, but have brought four of their friends with them. Two English guests have just been camping for a month in Australia and two other English guests have been living in New Zealand for two years and are on the way back home. We hear some really interesting stories! Last week, we had four returning rooms too - always a delight. Why don't you come and see us too? If you're thinking of coming next year, we have already received many bookings for Christmas, January and February, so don't take too long in deciding. Of course, we have space for you this year, but not until the middle of April. Low season starts at the end of April, so the prices will be cheaper then too . . . Bye for now. Best wishes Sue 11.03.'08 We've had a little catastrophe in that some of our e-mails from yesterday and today have been deleted. We are trying to retrieve them, but would ask you to send again if you could have been a prospective guest enquiring during this time. We have three returning rooms here at the moment and we are so pleased to see them again. We also have guests from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, England, Australia, America and South Africa - all very nice people indeed. The youngest here at the moment is 3 months and the oldest is 73. If you're thinking of coming to see us, try to give us as much notice as possible so that we are able to help you. Best wishes Sue 07.03.'08 First of all, a lady with an e-mail address of emmava@d-m etc has written and we have replied, twice. However, it has bounced both times so, if this lady is reading our news, perhaps she would be kind enough to contact us again. Yes, we do have her dates available. Today sees nine rooms out and nine rooms in. Very sad to say goodbye to guests, but exciting to meet new ones. We were up at 5am this morning and shall be here until midnight, so quite a busy day. It's a hard life, here in the sunshine, but someone's got to do it - I am sure you understand! We have received a booking today for three weeks in February 2009 and already have bookings for that month and even for April and June 2009. It's very heartwarming to think that someone, somewhere is looking so far forward to a holiday with us, here at The Waterfront. Khun Tukta, one of our receptionists, has had a baby girl. No names have been chosen yet, but we send her our congratulations. Khun Fon is back at work already with a bandaged chin. I did ask if she'd like to go home early yesterday, but she wouldn't. Our staff do seem happy here - thank goodness! The Employee of the Month forms are coming in, but guests are rather concerned about their choice. They think that our staff are so helpful, happy and friendly that they do not want to disappoint any of them. We'll have to see how the exercise goes. The forms are handed to Robin and me, (we have a little look and then put them into a sealed box),and there is aleady a cross-section of choices. Guests have also been concerned that those more in the background will be forgotten. On the contrary, they are doing very well indeed! Bill, who has just been here on his ninth visit, went home yesterday, but will be back in August until October and has already booked for next January until March. He comes here so often that he leaves his suitcase with us! Well, I'm just going to have a chat with the guests. Come and be one soon . . . Best wishes Sue 02.03.'08 Happy Mother's Day to every mum in England! Three things have happened today. First of all, we have decided to ask our guests staying here to vote for the Employee of the Month, (Thai). This has now officially started and the winner will be announced on pay day which is April 1. We shall also announce it here, on our website, so that our guests may see if their vote makes the crucial difference. Our staff are very excited about this light-hearted competition and it can only have a positive effect on them and, of course, our guests. The second thing is that Khun Fon, our lovely young receptionist, was in a motorbike accident this afternoon and the doctor telephoned to say that it was very serious. We were so worried that it would be Khun Banjon all over again, but we are very pleased to tell you that she is not seriously hurt although had to have 14 stitches in her chin. She is staying overnight in hospital and we all wish her a speedy recovery. The third thing is that Radio Norfolk, (Robin and I come from Norfolk in England), telephoned me and asked if they could discuss a news item in which I was involved some years ago and that our conversation would be broadcast live. This did occur and they also asked me about The Waterfront. So, if you are one of those listeners who heard this today, we hope that you decide to come out to see us and, if you need any information, just send us an e-mail or complete the form on our Enquiries page. It was quite nerve-wracking actually and, unfortunately, the line went dead in the middle, but it was great while it lasted! More great people here - you'll have to come to see us! Best wishes Sue 27.02.'08 There's been lots of laughter here recently and it has been an absolute delight. Everyone here at the moment enjoys having a chat and it's so nice to see our guests, of all ages, making new friends. Last night two young couples went out together for dinner and a show in Chaweng and another couple joined three other couples, already friends, for a meal here in the village. We have three honeymoon couples here just now and they're enjoying their stay too. Many of these guests have said that that they are coming to see us again and we look forward to welcoming them back. We look forward to welcoming you too. Best wishes Sue 18.02.'08 Yesterday was a busy day again with some guests saying goodbye, but they were immediately replaced with new guests saying hello - I have to admit that I hate the goodbye bit though, I just want everyone to stay! It always amazes me how nice the guests are and it doesn't matter what nationality they are either. At the moment, we have Swedish, Swiss, American, French, English, Irish and Canadian. We have some single guests, some couples and some families. The youngest is five - and she is so good, on her second visit with her family - and the oldest is 78, going on 58 - yes, he's still here! We also had bookings, of course, lots of new guests coming, but quite a few guests booked again. One family of five from Australia, here for Christmas and the New Year, has booked again for next January, (two rooms, but this may be increased to four); an English couple, living in Kuala Lumpur, booked two rooms in September as they were leaving yesterday, (it was their ninth visit), and another guest, who is still here, (on his ninth visit also), booked again for next January, but had already booked for August and September too! A lovely Japanese couple is returning for their fifth visit soon as well. It really is a hard life here, you know. Sunshine, a fantastic view, tasty food, comfortable chairs and hammocks, great staff and, well, I shan't say anything else about the guests otherwise you'll think that I'm not telling the truth. Once you are here, the only decision you really have to make is whether to sit in the chair over here, or the sunbed over there, or maybe the hammock . . . Looking forward to hearing from you and, hopefully, meeting you one day. Best wishes Sue 12.02.'08 I hate to bore you with Trip Advisor news, (www.tripadvisor.com), but we are so happy to see that, from today, we have reached the No.2 spot in Thailand and the No.3 spot in Asia, still retaining our No.1 spot on Koh Samui. We heartily thank our guests for their support. We constantly aim to maintain our standards - really, all we are trying to do is to make sure our guests enjoy their holiday so, rest assured, if you have not been before and are thinking of visiting us in the future, we shall do our best to give you the sort of service that we would like to receive ourselves. Also, if you do decide to come, please try to give us as much notice as possible as we are receiving many enquiries and bookings. There are only three reasons why you may not receive a quick reply to your enquiry: 1. The server is down - this happened for over 2 days recently 2. Our reply has bounced back - we do resend and resend, but still we may not be able to get through 3. An incorrect or incomplete e-mail address making it impossible for us to reply. So, if you haven't heard from us, please e-mail again. Best wishes Sue 08.02.'08 As you see, from today, we are showing our 2008 Trip Advisor award on each page of our website. As I said before, it was for A Best Hidden Gem, Asia, so we are very happy and thank everyone very much indeed for their support. One of our receptionists has left to have her baby, but has promised '101%' that she'll be back in three months' time and we've also taken on another receptionist, our 19th member of staff, who will be starting on 1 March. Our staff are like one big family, (many of them are related!), and we are so lucky to have them all. Another lovely day here today . . . Best wishes Sue 07.02.'08 Here we are in the middle of Chinese New Year, enjoying perfect weather and perfect guests. I really don't know where they all keep coming from - everyone's so fantastic! Lots of friendships being made, lovely evenings in the bar or meeting others for dinner along the village, but remember, when you come here, you don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to. The thing is though that it is very difficult not to talk to anyone here because they are all so nice! Sorry to repeat myself! Today, we have received our glass award from Trip Advisor though we haven't decided where to stand it yet, but we have also been able to download publicity material so we'll be adding that to our website at some stage. If you wish to research us on their site, go to www.tripadvisor.com and read some of the recent reviews we received. Ryan and Liz, (American), were here on honeymoon from Manhattan, Connie and Roland, (German), were here for a romantic break from San Francisco, Esme and Graham, (UK), were also here on their honeymoon and the Powers, (Australian), were here taking a family holiday. But this week, our youngest is 10 months and our oldest is 78, so there is no specific age group here, just be young at heart! Have to go, time for a walk around and a chat with the guests. Bye for now. Have you sorted out your holiday dates yet?? Best wishes Sue 29.01.'08 Little left in February and March is getting busy too so, if you are thinking of coming then, e-mail us as soon as you can. The weather here today is fantastic. Some guests are sunbathing around the pool, others in the shade under the palm trees and others are even having their first cocktail of the day and are sitting at our beach bar admiring the splendid view of the sea and outlying islands. Get that case packed and come and join us! Best wishes Sue 24.01.'08 Have been very busy over the past month. On New Year's Eve, having had a very enjoyable evening of food, laughter, fireworks and lanterns, as well as one or two very small glasses of alcohol, we actually got to bed at 6am on New Year's Day! Also, we have just learned that we have won a 2008 award on www.tripadvisor.com for being a 'Hidden Gem, Asia', so we are very pleased indeed and thank all those very kind people who voted for us and for the continued support we receive from guests on that website, allowing us to keep our No 1 spot on Koh Samui, No 3 in Thailand and No 4 in Asia. As we have been receiving many bookings from old and new guests, we would strongly urge you to book early to save disappointment. Shall write again soon. Have a very Happy New Year and start arranging that holiday! Best wishes Sue 26.12.'07 We hope you all are enjoying your Christmas and wish you all a very happy New Year. We enjoyed our day yesterday with 64 for lunch out on the decking overlooking the outlying islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Som and Koh Tao. It was a beautifully sunny and hot day and everyone was very happy. This was followed by a very enjoyable evening too. It was a pleasure for us to welcome returning and new guests. Best wishes Sue 30.10.'07 It is with very deep regret that we have to inform our previous guests that, having been in a very bad motorbike/car accident on Friday evening, our dear friend, excellent security guard and barman, Khun Banjon, died about 7.00am on Saturday, 27 October. Robin and I had been with him in hospital until about 5.00am, but he never regained consciousness. Obviously, we are all very sad indeed and he will be greatly missed. We, and five of our staff, are going over to his home on the mainland tomorrow to attend his funeral. Michael, our son, is already there and staying for nearly a week. Khun Banjon leaves two daughters, June who is 12 years old and Ja who is only 2 years old. He always wanted the best education he could obtain for his daughters and we should like to honour his wishes and help pay for their education. Since informing some of his very close friends/guests about this tragic accident, some have very kindly offered to contribute on a monthly basis. We are overwhelmed by their kindness.
If anyone feels that they should also like to help, please e-mail us here on sue@thewaterfrontbophut.com. We shall not be paying out large amounts at one time, but smaller, regular donations to make sure that the children themselves constantly benefit.
25.10.'07
Hi Everyone!
Just a little update to let you know that we are still in one piece! 'One' is the appropriate word too because as, from Tuesday, 16 October, we resumed our No 1 position in Koh Samui on www.tripadvisor.com. We are so pleased and should like to thank our guests for taking the time and trouble to post a review and for the very kind words expressed therein.
A couple of weeks ago saw us welcoming six lots of guests who had stayed before: two rooms were here, separately, on their eighth visit, two rooms, separately again, on their sixth visit, one on the fourth visit and one on the third visit. It really is like welcoming family back, especially if they know each other too! And lots of new guests say they are returning and some have even booked already. We often have newsy e-mails from past guests too, which we love, and mentions of possible future guests to whom we have been recommended.
The monsoon season is already upon us which hopefully means that Christmas should be dry and sunny. Consequently, our Christmas luncheon should be 'all systems go' outside on the decking and, if it is as enjoyable as last year, should be really good fun. Nothing at Christmas and New Year is compulsory, but every guest joined us for the meal at Christmas last year and every guest was here at New Year too.
If you haven't already read the comments below, we were No 1 on tripadvisor.com for many weeks earlier in the year, but received some adverse comments from unknown sources which rather spoilt our ranking. However, all is OK again now and we shall do our best, as always, to make sure you, your family and your friends have a really enjoyable holiday.
Best wishes Sue and Robin
01.08.'07
Dear Guests, 'Old', Present and New: We've been having a super year with lots of wonderful guests and it's all been very enjoyable indeed. This week there have been birthdays, anniversaries and honeymoons and everyone has enjoyed themselves tremendously. It's always hard for us to say goodbye and it never seems to get any easier!
If you wish to read any comments from past guests, you will find some on www.Sawadee.com and also on www.tripadvisor.com although, over the past month, we have been seeing some very upsetting reviews on Trip Advisor which we mention below.
We felt that we had to write a little something on our website with regard to these adverse comments, making us lose our Trip Advisor No 1 slot in Koh Samui from today. Until very recently, we were also No 2 in Thailand and No 3 in Asia. One guest posting a review did not stay here although was allowed to mark us as ‘1’ for cleanliness as well as slating us very strongly for an unhappy occurrence when trying to book. Another guest’s report we were able to have removed as he certainly did not stay here. Another one is on now of which we have no record whatsoever so we are trying to have that removed too. Another reviewer said he stayed one night and check out without a refund – this never happened! And ‘Shabby’? The Waterfront is certainly not shabby as many of our guests testify on a daily basis. The other one with photos is mentioned below. When we came to Samui, four years ago next week, our dream was to make our hotel the sort of place people like ourselves would like to stay. We would want to feel welcome, feel that any help would be given in a kind and friendly manner, have clean, comfortable rooms, good food, smiling staff and know that any problem would be dealt with positively, as well as other little touches to make a memorable holiday. We feel that we have accomplished this, and more. We collect our guests from the airport, free of charge, give them a tour of the village, a good, (free), welcome drink, i.e. beer, wine, gin and tonic, etc, tell them about our hotel and genuinely make them feel welcome. We also introduce them to other guests which all adds to the friendly atmosphere and the elimination of that feeling you may have experienced before - that feeling of just being a number. We have free internet, free wireless for laptops, a free book library, a free DVD library, a very good breakfast is included in our room rate, we offer massage and manicure/pedicure at very cheap rates, our food has received many compliments and is extremely reasonable, our furniture is very comfortable and the view, well, the view is spectacular. We are also only steps away from excellent restaurants, bars and boutiques in our charming village of Bophut. We now have eighteen staff, many of whom have been here a long time. They are like one big, happy family and they welcome our returning guests like an extended family, as we do. We are so lucky as we now have lots of friends from all over the world – many guests have returned many times and have recommended us to others who have also returned themselves. Then some guests started to write to Trip Advisor. How lovely! Gradually, we watched our ranking rise, eventually to No 1! We enjoyed this for many, many weeks. But we were a little worried. Whereas guests before had ‘discovered’ us, now perhaps some would come with expectations and we even employed a few more staff. “Don’t worry,” said the guests, “it won’t be like that.” Recently, one guest said that this was ‘a pearl’ and he has stayed in excellent hotels all over the world. Another said that ‘this is one of the places God likes to go on holiday.” Well, perhaps not, but what a kind thing to say! Still the good reviews were posted and still everyone was so kind and complimentary. Then we received a spate of bad ones. Why? Does this mean all our other guests were posting untruths? We don’t think so. OK, so you cannot swim in the sea directly in front of our hotel for eight months of the year, but you only have to walk a few metres along, or even a couple of hundred metres along where you can also jet ski or even enjoy a banana boat. This means, however, that our beach is almost private. When we talk to many of our guests about this, time and time again we are told that we have so many other good things here that a few steps along the beach to swim in the sea is not a hardship, in fact they prefer to sit around and enjoy our pool! Yesterday, we received an enquiry from a guest who has already booked now wanting to know what ‘the deal’ is with the swimming. They only have to go onto our FAQ’s and all will be revealed. We have absolutely nothing to hide. OK, so the pool is not large, approximately 10 x 5 metres. We again have asked many guests about enlarging it, but they say that the intimate feel of the place could be lost and, anyway, who is here to ‘do lengths’ in this heat? Children love the pool, by the way, and they love the hotel and the staff too. OK, so a guest took a photo of a loo. This was not in ‘an old bathroom’ because all our bathrooms were new three and a half years ago when we opened as The Waterfront. The repair was not the most beautiful, I admit, but it was done as well as our staff could do at the time and it has been improved now. We must not forget that this is a tropical island and the locals do not have our history of building, etc. If only we could tell you half of the sort of problems we experienced when building and improving most of this hotel, you wouldn’t believe that we carried on! We thought the bathroom was 100% dry, so why could this guest not tell us of their unhappiness at the time instead of broadcasting it worldwide on the internet?? We even received a request yesterday for a room ‘with a renovated bathroom’! We have worked very hard and have built up a reputation of caring for our guests. As we say to all our guests, ‘if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask and, if there is a problem, do tell us straightaway so that we can sort it out immediately.’ We have always had this attitude and it doesn’t matter if a million internet travelling sites come along, we will always be the same. We are a little worried, however, as these reports seem to be very unkind and mostly untrue from anonymous people who have never stayed here, (name and details of booking are not requested by the site). Why? Who are they?
No 1? Yes, very nice thank you, but not if it brings unkindness and vindictiveness. And read all the good reviews, not only the many on Trip Advisor, but also those on Sawadee.com who write to their clients asking for comments after their stay. But the most important thing to us is that our guests are No 1. If you know us, you know that to be true. Thank you for your time. Sue and Robin Home | Our Location | Koh Samui | Gallery | Enquiries | Ratecard & Room Details | News |