Ark Bar in Koh Samui

[Queef_Sniffer]

I stayed in Ark Bar this month for a few nights.  Overall, I'm kind of torn on whether I think this is a good place to stay or not.  Here's my breakdown of the hotel.

 

Pros:

 

Close to Airport (about 15 mins by taxi)

Not too expensive to stay at (booked for about $50 a night through Expedia)

Close to the core of nightlife

Nice beach on premises

Decent pool

Ok staff

Free 2 bottle water daily

Provided 2 umbrellas in closet

In room safe (Too small for 15" Macbook pro, might be ok for 13" Macbook Air - but doubtful)

Room Balcony with rack to dry clothes

 

 

 

Cons:

 

Rooms are outdated and showing signs of salt water damage (likely be due to proximity of being near the beach)

Old key system (not card based)

Room needs plastic attachment on keychain inserted into slot, for electricity to stay on

Hard bed

Air conditioner in room has cold or fan setting.  Could not be regulate temperature, was either too hot or too cold.

Fridge in room was worthless, because it would turn off when you left the room.  (Needed plastic attachment in slot)

Noisy at night, especially if you stayed near the pool, because it's a club at night, and music doesn't stop till 2AM.

Directly under the airports Runway.  (So will be noisy having planes landing overhead every few mins)

hotel security is mixed, anyone can walk onto the grounds since it has a night club on it's premises.

Few channels on the T.V.  (Maybe like 10 or 11, and only like 2 english speaking ones)

Bathroom door must be closed if you have AC on, because the bathroom window cannot be closed due to it's design.

Shower head is rusted and has signs of mildew growing on it.

 

 

Stayed here for a few days this month.  The staff is okay, but they literally push to you, how much you pay if x-y-z is missing.  They literally spell out prices if your room is missing a bottle opener.  I don't steal anything when I'm staying somewhere, but they make you feel like one by constantly informing you of what you need to have in your room, and the count of items, and how much they cost.  Heck, losing the key to your room will cost 2000 baht, and losing your pool towel card is 500 baht.  Seriously, a plastic card they call a pool card will set you back 500 baht.

 

The staff is ok, but the guests are mostly couples, white europeans, and a few Arabs/Indians.  It's mostly a party type of hotel.  The party goes into 2AM, and if your close to the pool or beach side, the noise will def. be bothersome.  The beers or drinks they sell in their restaurant/beach bar are pretty up there.  1 Singha beer is 120 baht.  

 

It's nice that it's so close to the beach, and is on a street that is close to all the action in Bo Put, but it's a couples destination, or a group of youngsters location.  It's not the ideal place to stay if you're a mongerer.  Mostly everyone there is in the 20-25 y/o range.  Hardly any families, or other solo travelers.  Bringing back a barfine is not a discrete matter, and you will get PLENTY of stink eyes from the hotels patrons (~20 year old women)

 

 

Final Verdict:  Would probably stay somewhere else.  Hotel is noisy, dated - and it shows.  But if you're in your early 20's and on a budget and you like to party A LOT, you might enjoy it.

[dnaliaht]

Thanks for the report. I'm staying in near Ark Bar in November for a few days. How was the nightlife in town other than the beach scene?

[Queef_Sniffer]

Night life was ok.  There were a few FL's hanging around.  You could easily grab one for 1000 baht ST.  The looks were between average to below average.  Ko Samui is on the more pricey side though, keep that in mind.  Of the 4 places I visited while there (Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket) it was the priciest.  

 

While there, I went down to Bar solo, and it was confusing because it was soooo loud, and was a bar.  It was as if it was confused in regards to is it a bar, or a club?   Most of the people there were couples though, and the FL's would hang around just outside of it, or some would come in and just "hang" out.

 

Going to it's party area near the Green Mango, there were more FL's.  They would come into the bars, and linger.  They would constantly ask for you to buy them a drink (not sure if they were in cahoots with the bar getting a cut of drinks you buy for them), but almost all I met would hassle you to buy them drinks.  

 

Green Mango didn't get going until late (around midnight), and you could spot the FL's.  In all, if mongering is your idea of nightlife, it's around... but it's not really its strength.  Mostly western women and they give you the stink eye if your there to monger.  And most of them are there with their boyfriends, since it's a couples destination location, so you can imagine what type of aura it gives off.  '

 

If you're going with your wife or girlfriend, you'll probably both enjoy the nightlife and the location overall.  

 

Since I was only there for a few days, I didn't make it to the other parts of Koh Samui (Marina Villa or Anong Villa, etc).  It might be different, but I can't say for sure.  But the area where Ark Bar is (Bo Put), it would be a middle of the road location for night life.  There's like 1 or 2 gogo's in the area, but they look and feel weird location wise.  Esp. with all the westerners around.  And I didn't see any bars with bargirls like in Pattaya there.  

 

Hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy your time while there.  I don't think I'll ever go back to Koh Samui though, it was nice to visit once; but wasn't really my cup of tea. 

[plahgat]

Koh Samui used to be my favorite place for many years, but haven't been back since 2011!

What I can remember though is that Ark Bar is on North Chaweng Beach and not in Bo Put?!

There were plenty of beerbars and bargirls in Soi Green Mango and Soi Reggae Pub, and 3-4 gogo bars.

Heard that all the gogos closed except one, Dreamgirls in Soi Green Mango?

There were also lots of beerbars and girls in Lamai Beach that had a more relaxed feel.

 

Plahgat

[Mystery Man]

Cheers for the TR on a well known Samui institution - Ark Bar.

 

It is in Chaweng as plahgat noted, unless they've opened another one.

 

It's coming up to 5 years since my last visit a well. Sad to hear there's been a reduction in venues.

 

There was a beer bar street about 5 or 10 minutes out of Chaweng that not many were aware of that I use to frequent.

 

Not sure if that's still in operation but that was a good destination for mongerers.

[P.A.A.G. Hunter]

Thanks for the review...

I was seriously planning to visit Koh Samui and stay at Ark Bar on my next trip to Thailand. But now I will pass. I don't want to chill and party around couples.

 

PH

[learningthaihelp]

That photo of a toilet left me really puzzled for 10 seconds. It's a only photo, that is rotated horizontally.

 

How the hell would you use a toilet like that?!