Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort and Golf, Chumphon

This is a very pleasant hotel and considering it is really close to being 5 star the value for money is extraordinarily good. If you phone the hotel they will arrange to meet you at the railway station (a "taxi" ride of 500bt). The hotel is about 15 km away from the rather frumpy dowdy town of Chumphon, whose streets look like something from a film set for the Wild West. Once you get to the hotel, you have acres and acres of peace-inducing landscape, and across the road is this quite beautiful beach. Rooms were immaculate. Service prompt. Truly a wonderful sense of openness and calm in the lobby. Prices in restaurant were on the high side, but even worse in Samui, even in cheap restaurants on Samui (avoid the latter, unless you are a backpacker). All in all, the Novotel is a hotel I would happily return to over and over again. Good amenities, including excellent, if small, fitness centre, and a very adequate buffet breakfast.

This is a great place for a relaxing weekend away. a little bit of a trip to get to from Bangkok, but well worth it for the relaxing atmosphere.

My friends and I had gotten ripped off by local tuk tuk driver on way there. But that was only hiccup. The Novotel staff were amazing. So friendly and helpful. The food was great, the pools were great, the rooms were beyond our expectations and at a very reasonable price. Alcohol was a little expensive, but everything else made up for it. The staff even organised a private bus for us to get to Phuket (little pricey but worth it). Not much sight seeing to do, but if your happy to stay in hotel (we were) you'll have a great time. You can take boats to the island, but they need time to organize it (only downfall).