The Dewa Koh Chang — A Black Pool on Klong Prao Beach in a Raw-Concrete-and-Timber Resort
If you've ever scrolled through Koh Chang resorts and stopped on a photo of a long, curved black swimming pool right by the sand with a water jet rising from the middle, that's The Dewa Koh Chang. It's a 4-star resort sitting directly on Klong Prao Beach on the island's west coast — the side that faces the sunset. The buildings run a fusion style of raw concrete, timber, and thatched roofs that reads more like a Bali resort than a typical Thai hotel, and it has held a Trip.com score of 8.8 from 137 reviews and a steady top ranking on Koh Chang for years.
The Dewa sits right on Klong Prao Beach on the western side of Koh Chang — fine white sand with a gentle, shallow slope that's easy to wade into. The thing guests mention most is the 700 sqm black swimming pool, a long curve of dark glossy tiles running parallel to the beach with a water jet in the middle and a swim-up bar at one end. In the late afternoon the sunset reflects off that dark surface, and it's the shot most people take home. There's also a separate kids' pool, which makes it workable for families.
The resort is built in a fusion style — raw exposed concrete paired with teak, heavy concrete columns, and tall thatched roofs. The lobby is open-sided to catch the sea breeze with a high ceiling that feels closer to a Bali resort than a standard Thai hotel. Rooms come in three main types: Deluxe at 48 sqm in the buildings around the pool with pool views, Villas at 60 sqm as standalone units with garden views, and the largest Grand Villa at 120 sqm. Some villas add an outdoor bathtub or a private Jacuzzi.
Guests describe opening the room door on the first morning and immediately knowing they had chosen right. The Deluxe room sits in the building closest to the pool, so it is a short walk past the large concrete columns and across the teak deck before you are standing at the edge of the black pool. At that hour the surface was completely still, reflecting the thatched roofs and the palm line above them. Nobody else was there yet. The water looked dark and calm, and a dozen photos get taken before anyone even thinks about breakfast. That is not a small thing when you have spent the previous afternoon on a minivan, then a ferry, then a songthaew with your bags — you arrive hoping the pictures were not misleading, and when they are not it genuinely matters. Breakfast at The Beach Restaurant runs as a mix of buffet and à la carte. The Thai side has rice soup, noodles, and a few hot dishes; the Western side has eggs, bread, and the usual cold spread. The fruit was fresh and replenished steadily, and the staff moved between tables without being asked. The room itself has a very high ceiling and is open on the beach side, which catches enough breeze that even in Koh Chang's humidity it felt comfortable to sit and eat at a pace that suited the morning rather than the clock. Guests note the coffee early on — it is not the strong point, and the price on the menu sits a bit above what you get in the cup. If you drink a lot of coffee it is worth noting; for a single morning cup it is fine, and there are better cafés along the road if you want to walk out. The beach at Klong Prao is fine white sand with a gradual shelf — you can walk out quite far before the water reaches chest height, which makes it genuinely good for swimming rather than just wading. The resort sets out loungers and umbrellas under the coconut palms along the shoreline. In high season they fill up early, so if a good spot matters it is worth coming down before nine. The beach itself is quiet by Koh Chang standards; it does not have the volume of White Sand Beach to the north, which suits anyone who came for rest rather than activity. In the afternoon the pool bar opens and by the time the sun drops toward the water, the black surface catches the orange light in a way that is genuinely striking. Guests describe sitting there with a drink watching it until the colour faded completely, and it felt exactly like what four hours of driving and a ferry were for. The resort is not new — there is wear in a few corners, the air-conditioning in one of the corridor rooms was audibly louder than it should be, and a couple of the sun loungers by the pool showed their age. None of that changed what the place felt like at seven in the morning with the pool to yourself, or at six in the evening with the light going orange over the water. Many say if they come back they'll book one of the villas with the outdoor tub, because the atmosphere of this place calls for slowing down completely and there is no reason not to.
The main dining room is The Beach Restaurant on the sand, a high raw-concrete-and-timber space serving Thai and European food. Breakfast runs as a mix of buffet and à la carte with both Thai and Western options, and most guests rate the variety well. There's a separate garden café for coffee and snacks, plus bars by the pool and on the beach, with live music on some evenings. One honest caveat: several reviews flag the coffee quality as not quite matching the price, so serious coffee drinkers may want to walk out to one of the cafés along Klong Prao instead.
The spa occupies a poolside building with the same quiet raw-concrete feel, offering Thai massage, aromatherapy, and skin treatments alongside a sauna and a whirlpool. For activities, kayaks and body boards are available to borrow, and the beach is long enough for a proper walk. One thing to know: there is no fitness room or gym on site, so daily-gym travellers should plan around that. The Dewa has also been open for more than 15 years — the design still holds up, but some rooms show wear consistent with their age.
The Trip.com score sits at 8.8/10 from 137 reviews. Repeated praise goes to the beachfront location, the pool, and warm, easygoing staff. The honest complaints from lower-rated reviews flag fairly dark room interiors from the exposed concrete and dark timber, some villa bathrooms that are semi-outdoor and feel short on privacy, noisy air-conditioning in a few rooms, and a limited number of beach loungers that fill quickly in high season. Worth knowing before you book so none of it is a surprise.
On pricing, a Deluxe starts around ฿3,500/night in low season (May–October, which is Koh Chang's rainy stretch). High season (November–February) lifts that to ฿6,000–8,000, and a Grand Villa can reach ฿14,000+. The New Year peak usually carries a 3–4 night minimum. The upside is that most rates include breakfast. As always, compare Agoda, Booking, and Trip.com before committing — the gap between platforms by season is meaningful here.
The bottom line: The Dewa suits travellers who want a good-atmosphere beachfront resort on Koh Chang at a reachable price without paying Phuket or Samui 5-star rates. You get a striking pool, a quiet beach, distinctive design, and a mid-Klong-Prao location with restaurants within walking distance. If you want more privacy and the budget stretches, look at a Villa or Grand Villa with an outdoor tub. But if your priorities are a brand-new build and a full gym, this isn't the one.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Right on Klong Prao Beach — step straight onto the sand
- ✓ Striking black pool with a great atmosphere
- ✓ Staff warm and easygoing
- ✓ Varied breakfast with both Thai and Western options
- ! Room interiors fairly dark from concrete and dark timber
- ! Coffee quality doesn't match the price
- ! Noisy air-conditioning in some rooms
- ✓ Raw-concrete-and-timber design stands apart from typical resorts
- ✓ Quiet beach that's genuinely restful
- ✓ Some villas have an outdoor tub or private Jacuzzi
- ✓ Mid-Klong-Prao location with restaurants within walking distance
- ! Some villa bathrooms are semi-outdoor and short on privacy
- ! No fitness room or gym
- ! Beach loungers limited in high season
- 💡If bright rooms matter to you — the exposed concrete and dark timber make rooms look dim in photos and in person → choose a pool-view Deluxe, which catches more outside light than the garden-side villas
- 💡If you want bathroom privacy — some villas are semi-outdoor and open · note this at booking or pick a room with an in-room (enclosed) bathroom instead
- 💡If you're travelling with young kids — there's a separate kids' pool and a shallow beach, but no gym or kids' club · better for a relaxed beach family than an activity-packed trip