Mr & Mrs Smith

The island of Koh Samui’s infamous Chaweng Beach is littered with hotels, but none of them comes close to The Library in terms of that all-out beach bliss-out factor. Standing out like a finely manicured thumb from the three-star crowd, this elegant and modern boutique hotel is most remarkable for its blood-red pool, the tall trees that seem to grow in, around and through the building, as well as the alabaster-white library complex that gives the hotel its name.

NEED TO KNOW

• Rooms 13 suites (ground floor) and 13 studios (upstairs).
• Rates Double rooms from THB 12,600, excluding tax at 18.7 per cent..
• More details Rates include breakfast.
• Facilities Spa, gym, library (naturally), DVD/CD selection, free WiFi in the restaurant, library and pool area. In rooms: huge flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, wireless headphones, coffee maker, minibar. Suites have Macs with broadband.
• Poolside Looking out over the beach and the bay, the Library’s eye-catching pool is lined with vivid scarlet Italian tiles, coloured to match the parasols and loungers on the wooden decking that surround it.
• Check-out Noon, but flexible subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
• Children Under-12s stay free in their parents’ room; cots (free) and extra beds (THB2,000 a night) can be provided. There’s a kids’ pool, and an assortment of beach-based activities on offer. Babysitting costs THB250 an hour. More...
• Eco-friendly The Library was designed to minimise environmental impact, being built around rather than over the on-site flora. Recycling is de rigueur, and all waste plant matter is made into compost.
• Also After check-out, guests can leave their luggage in storage and use the shower facilities at the Fit (fitness unit) to go sandlessly from beach to airport. Smoking is not allowed indoors, but you can light up on your terrace or balcony.