Shades of Blue

Spread across three levels in Choeng Moen, this contemporary villa is built around privacy, sea views and room to be together without having to spend every minute together. The layout gives you separate corners for sleeping, eating, watching television and simply sitting outside with the view.

Couples get a properly private base with a large master suite, its own terrace and an outlook towards the sea. Families and groups have more to work with: the villa sleeps eight, includes three bedrooms, and has a downstairs room with a concealed double bed that can become a fourth bedroom. There is also a high chair, two baby cots, board games and toys.

It is a villa rather than a conventional hotel room, so the mood is domestic in the useful sense. You can cook, eat at a proper table, use the pool when you please and close the door on the island when the day is done.

You are in Koh Samui, in the Choeng Moen area, at the end of a small quiet lane away from the busier parts of the island. The town centre is 11 km away, which puts this firmly in the private-villa camp rather than the walk-everywhere camp.

Samrong Beach, Plai Laem Beach and Choeng Mon Beach are among the nearby places to explore. The setting also gives the villa uninterrupted sea views, while the off-road car port makes arrival by vehicle straightforward.

Bars, restaurants and white-sand beaches are within the wider area, but the villa itself is arranged for staying in: a kitchen, dining space, terrace and pool do much of the work once you are back through the gate.

The sleeping arrangements suit a group better than a pair of unrelated hotel rooms. The master suite has a king-size bed, a private terrace and sea views from both inside and out; the second bedroom also has a king-size bed, while the third uses twin beds. Each bedroom has its own shower room, television, storage space and good-quality bed linen.

Travelling as a couple, you can keep the villa feeling generous rather than filling every room. Travelling with family or friends, the separate bedrooms and the convertible downstairs room give everyone more breathing space. The downstairs entertainment room also works as a playroom, with bean bags, table football and an internet-connected flat-screen television.

Air conditioning runs throughout the villa, which matters when the island has done its best to cook you. The kitchen includes a large American-style fridge-freezer and a wine fridge, while the bedrooms have wardrobes, slippers, toiletries and private bathrooms. The house also has Wi-Fi and a Sonos sound system, so the evening can be quiet, musical or occupied by a film without anyone arguing over one small screen.

The practical centre of the villa is its open-plan kitchen, fitted with an electric oven, halogen hob, microwave, coffee machine, kettle and large fridge-freezer. Behind the island, three bar stools face a proper glass-topped dining table with room for eight. That is the sort of arrangement that works when everyone returns hungry and nobody wants to eat from their lap.

A restaurant is also available at the property, while the barbecue gives you another way to handle dinner without leaving the villa. The kitchen and dining table make self-catering realistic for a full stay, not merely an emergency breakfast solution.

There is no stated meal plan to build the booking around, and no breakfast schedule to organise the morning by. For a diving holiday, that leaves you free to make the first meal as early or as unhurried as the day requires.

The main attraction when you are not in the water is the infinity pool on the terrace, with panoramic ocean views and sun loungers facing the horizon. It is a simple proposition, but a sound one: get wet, get dry, and then decide whether moving again is strictly necessary.

The villa has several ways to keep a family occupied without turning the evening into an organised programme. The downstairs room includes table football, bean bags, board games and toys, and can also serve as the fourth bedroom. A separate massage room contains a massage bench and hand basin, giving you a dedicated space for treatments arranged during the stay.

A large terrace, outdoor furniture and a complete sound system add to the villa's indoor-outdoor design. Babysitting is available, and the family equipment includes a high chair and two baby cots, so the grown-ups can occasionally sit down while still remaining part of the same holiday.

Airport transfers can be arranged through the property, including a return arrival-and-departure transfer. Car hire is available too, which is useful for reaching beaches, restaurants and the island's other corners from a villa set away from the main bustle. A concierge service can help organise the practical side of the stay.

Check-in starts at 15:00. Reception operates around the clock, and private check-in and check-out are available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, air conditioning is included, and there is a safe for valuables. Currency exchange and ironing facilities are also available.

A refundable cash security deposit is required when you arrive. Daytime construction noise is possible during the current period, so light sleepers and anyone planning long afternoons on the terrace should take that into account before booking. Foreign travellers entering Thailand must also complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before arrival.