We arrived at the Conrad off the back of a few nights at the W Koh Samui, and the contrast between the two properties was immediate. The journey between them takes the best part of an hour by taxi, winding south through a string of local towns and villages until the road climbs sharply and you find yourself at the gates of the resort. Knowing the Conrad sits in a relatively remote pocket of the island's southern coast, we'd been forewarned that an early check-in wouldn't be possible as the hotel was at capacity, so we paced the morning at the W accordingly and rolled in at the standard hour.

Arrival

The Conrad's reception is unlike any I've experienced before. Rather than a traditional indoor lobby, you're brought into an open-air pavilion perched at the very top of the cliff, with the Gulf of Thailand spread out beneath you. A cold towel and a welcome drink appear promptly, butterfly pea flower water, while the paperwork is handled you're left to take in the view. It's a clever piece of theatre: by the time you're being shown to your villa, you are already in awe.

From reception, an electric golf buggy carries you down a series of switchbacks, the trees parting periodically to reveal more of the sea below. The whole property cascades down the cliffside, with 82 villas, the restaurants and the central facilities all stitched into the slope. A wooden property map near Aow Thai shows the full layout - the resort is larger than it initially appears, and that provides a lot to do for its guests.

The Villa

Whatever villa category you book, the view is broadly the same: ocean, sunset, and on a clear afternoon, the five small islands strung out across the horizon. Each villa has a private 10-metre infinity pool, a couple of loungers, a daybed, and enough planting between you and your neighbours that you'd be hard-pressed to know they were there. Our villa was number 115 - a One Bedroom Ocean View Pool Villa on the lower slope.

The interiors are calm and grown-up — wood, stone, soft lighting, a few geometric flourishes. The bedroom is centred on a large king bed with a woven headboard wall, turned down on arrival with towel swans and rose petals. The sitting area faces the pool and the sea beyond through full-height glass. A Nespresso machine, minibar cabinet and pillow menu sit beside the desk.

The Bathroom

The travertine bathroom takes up roughly half the footprint of the villa. The bathtub sits in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that looks straight out to sea — a pale stone freestanding egg, positioned so you look directly at the Five Islands across the water. The shower isn't far behind: full marble enclosure, walk-in, with a rainfall and handheld combination. Amenities are Byredo Mojave Ghost, consistent with the Conrad brand standard elsewhere.

The Pool, Beach & Grounds

We spent most of the day in the villa, which sounds indulgent until you realise it's almost certainly what the architects intended. The whole property is built around the idea that your villa is the destination. The infinity pool, the loungers, the sound of the canopy below — it's all engineered for guests who want to draw a line through the world for a few hours and just be somewhere.

We did break out for a jet ski session, which was a good way to see the resort from the water and burn off some of the post-transfer restlessness. The beach beneath the main pool is small and shrinks further at high tide, but it is well-stocked with loungers and the waterfront team operates kayaks and paddleboards from here. The "For Sandy Toes" sign at the top of the beach stairs and the "Wash the sand off your feet" barrel at the base are the kind of small details that suggest a property with a considered sense of humour.

The Sunset

The Conrad faces west, which means the sunset is always part of the deal. Ours was a clear, unhurried affair — the sun dropping behind the Five Islands silhouettes, painting the Gulf in shades of pink, amber and pale violet. Watching it from the villa pool is one of the better things you can do in Thailand.

Breakfast at Aow Thai

Breakfast is served at Aow Thai, the resort's main restaurant, a beautiful open-sided space with rattan pendant lights, latticed timber screens and views across the bay. The a la carte menu is one of the better hotel breakfast lists in Thailand — the Conrad Signature omelette with acacia leaves and yellow curry is worth ordering, as is the coconut French toast with caramelised banana and maple cream. Coffee comes from beans grown in Northern Thailand and roasted at the resort's own coffee shop, Botanikka. The buffet runs alongside with a strong Asian section.

The Fitness Centre

The fitness centre is located mid-resort and is considerably better equipped than a typical island resort gym. Life Fitness Synrgy360 functional training rig, a full rack of rubber dumbbells, cable machines, a leg press, incline and flat benches, and a separate cardio room. The amenity station provides chilled towels from a glass-front fridge, fresh fruit, gym wipes, a massage gun on a wooden tray, and headphones available to borrow. It is, frankly, better than most city hotel gyms.

Evening - the Bar & Night Views

In the evening we made it up to the bar for a couple of drinks. The terrace is gorgeous at night — fairy lights in the frangipani trees, a saxophonist playing quietly by the entrance, rattan hanging chairs and low candlelit tables facing the bay. The cocktails are well-constructed; a butterfly pea and lychee number alongside a chilli-salt rimmed tequila sour both landed well. The pool glows blue below. The resort at night is, if anything, prettier than it is during the day.