Taling Ngam & Lipa Noi Hotels
7 West-Coast Stays
with Sunsets over the Islands!

Nikki Beach is the most upscale resort on the west coast, set on Lipa Noi beach on the sunset side, with the area's best-known beach club attached. It scores 8.8 from 335 Expedia reviews and ranks #1 in Lipa Noi on TripAdvisor. There are 48 suites and villas, some of them beachfront pool villas. The headline is a 60-metre pool and a beach club on white sand over calm flat water — guests rate the beach one of the best on Samui. The Sunday Brunch with a DJ on the sand is known across the island, and you can watch the sun set behind the islands from the pool edge in the evening. Worth knowing: it's a beach club, so there's music at the pool through the day (roughly 10am–6pm) — if you want pure quiet this may not be it — and the remote location means a car for anything off-site.

The Sunset Beach is a small boutique resort on Taling Ngam beach — the spot guests and the resort alike call the clearest place on the island to watch the sun set into the sea. It scores 8.8 on Trip.com and 4.6 on TripAdvisor from 616 reviews. There are only about 25 rooms and villas, from Sunset Rooms up to beachfront pool villas, spread through well-kept gardens. The private beach is quiet, with good sand and clear water for swimming, and in the evening you sit on the sand and watch the sun drop behind the islands in full view. Staff draw strong praise for warmth, and breakfast is cooked to order. Limits: there's a single restaurant and it's on the pricey side, pool loungers are few, and reception isn't staffed after 6pm — let them know in advance if you arrive late.

Centara Villas Samui is a Thai villa resort on a hillside above Natien beach on the south-west coast, with a quiet private beach. It scores 4.3 on TripAdvisor from over 2,659 reviews — the most of any property here. Around 100 villas, gabled Thai houses, step down the slope to the beach, ranging 38–151 sqm. There are three pools, a spa and a PADI dive centre. The private beach in front is peaceful and this side catches the sunset, but there are rocks in places along the shore and the water goes shallow at low tide, so it's more for sitting and taking in the view than swimming all day. A shuttle runs to Lamai (about 10 min) and Chaweng (about 30 min). Limits: it's an older resort with some parts due for repair, and the hillside means plenty of stairs.

Lipa Lodge is a beachfront boutique resort on Lipa Noi, running since 1982, built around sea-facing villas that look out to the islands. It scores 8.6 on Expedia, with 9.2 for cleanliness and 9.0 for service. There are around 21 rooms and bungalows in a Thai garden, some of them plunge-pool villas. The draw is the sea-view villas looking across to the national marine-park islands, with the sunset in the evening. There's a beachfront pool and a sea-side restaurant guests rate, on a quiet stretch of white sand and shallow water well away from the bustle of Chaweng and Lamai. A good fit for couples or anyone after a quiet stay at a reachable price. Worth knowing: it's a small, simple resort, without the full facilities of a big property.

Anahata Resort (formerly Lipa Lovely) is an eco-minded beachfront resort on Lipa Noi, with Thai bungalows spread through a garden and linked by a beachfront path. It scores 8.5 on Trip.com, and couples rate it 8.8. The gabled Thai bungalows sit in leafy gardens, with two pools, a spa, and free kayaks and bicycles. The Lipa Noi sand here is white and the water is shallow, flat and clear with almost no rocks — easy and safe for young children to swim. The beachfront Alchemy Cafe focuses on healthy and vegetarian dishes, and you can watch the sunset from there. A good fit for families with small children and anyone after a quiet, close-to-nature stay. Worth knowing: it's remote from shops, and the rooms are simple rather than luxurious.

Viva Vacation is a value Thai-villa resort on Lipa Noi beach, with a private white-sand beach and a large pool. It scores 9.2 on Trip.com (from a modest number of reviews). Rooms are spacious Thai-style villas and bungalows in bright tones, set through a garden. The draw is a quiet private beach with shallow water and a fine sunset, plus a big swimming pool, all at a reachable price. Breakfast has a good spread and the staff are friendly. A solid pick for travellers on a smaller budget who still want a quiet beachfront spot on the west coast. Worth knowing: it's a small resort with a modest review count, and it's remote from shops, like its neighbours on this stretch.

Lipa Bay is the most affordable beachfront resort here, still with a pool and a sea-side restaurant on Lipa Noi. It scores 8.4 on Expedia from 90 reviews. Rooms and bungalows sit through a green garden, with a private beach in front. The draw is a pool and a beachfront restaurant where you sit looking straight out at the sunset, plus a sunset-view bar. It's right next to the Nikki Beach club, an easy walk if you want to go out. A good fit for travellers on a budget who want a quiet west-coast beach. Worth knowing: soundproofing is poor — at night you'll hear birds and insects from the garden — and breakfast is fine rather than a highlight.