First things first: Panviman is one of the nicest resorts on Koh Phangan. But at the same time, it's not a hotel without flaws - and one of them really changed our entire stay.

Although it was actually a small thing...

If you're looking for tranquillity, views and a slightly cut off location from the outside world, this is where you'll get it. But if you're expecting the perfect 5★ experience without compromise, read on.

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Why we chose Panviman

In truth - the photos were the deciding factor.

The hotel is built on a hill between Thong Nai Pan Noi and Thong Nai Pan Yai beaches, so you can see the open sea from most of the villas. And that's exactly what we wanted.

Plus:

• A quiet eastern part of the island away from the party chaos around the Full Moon Party.
• good accessibility by good road from the main harbour (but still quite far)
• combination of luxury + nature

👉 If you're deciding where exactly to stay on the island, check out the full review:

• Where to stay on Koh Phangan
• The best beaches on Koh Phangan

How much did it cost us to stay?

Prices vary a lot depending on the season. We travelled in one of the high seasons - just after New Year.

And the high price corresponded to that.

The resort only offers private villas with pool and sea view - they only differ in size or location (the higher ones have better views).

I booked a room type Pool Villa Grande with Sea View.

For 3 nights with breakfast we paid 38 000 thb.

👉 Prices in low season are easily half.

Compare prices on different dates

First impression (and arrival)

The journey here is an experience in itself.

From the port of Thong Sala, it's about a 40-50 minute drive over the hills. The last part is very winding but wide. But the whole way is through very steep climbs and descents - if you are planning to scooter, I recommend reading the article first:

• ➡️ Transportation on Koh Phangan - how to get around the island

Parking for cars is free down by the entrance gate. You can take a scooter to the reception, which is roughly in the middle of the whole area.

A golf cart will take us from the car to the reception - we don't have to wait 2 minutes for it.

On arrival:

• classic welcome drink
• quick check-in
• buggy transfer to the villa (we couldn't have made it up the steep hill with the suitcases without it!)

And then it comes - first room inspection, first view.

Wow. This is just wow.

Villa with private pool - the highlight of the whole stay

This is the reason to come here.

What awaits you

• a large terrace with a sea view - the "catalogue" kind with palm trees, hills and thick greenery!
• private large swimming pool
• complete privacy
• sunrise view (TOP moment of the whole stay)

In the morning you sit on the edge of the pool, coffee in hand, the sea in front of you... and realistically you have no need to go anywhere.

BUT: a major problem - cold pool

And now the catch. For us, it's crucial. But for some, it can be an advantage. This is really just our subjective view.

The water in the pool was extremely cold for us. Not "refreshing". Cold enough that:

• we didn't use it.
• swimming was uncomfortable

It's fair to say:

• we're a little more sensitive to it.
• some people may be comfortable with it.

But for a hotel at this price, we expected the pool to be usable at any time.

❗ This was the biggest disappointment of the stay for me. Sure, it's crap in the end. But it sucks because the pool with a view was one of the main reasons we went here.

But it's good to say that the exact same problem awaited us a few days later on the next island at the W Koh Samui resort.

Room and facilities - very good, but one detail...

Overall the room was great. Style slightly old fashioned but functional, pleasant and very spacious.

What you will find in the room

• minibar (classic, less stuff, prices pretty good)
• safe
• bathrobes + slippers
• capsule coffee machine and kettle
• large, beautiful and very clean bathroom (bath + shower)
• good air conditioning
• quite small desk (but I worked on my laptop outside on the terrace)

Spacious bathroom

I was very pleasantly surprised by the large and spotlessly clean bathroom with bath, shower and plenty of towels.

The toilet is unfortunately not separate from the bathroom, but that's a minor detail.

There is also quite a rich amenity kit such as shavers, toothbrush and more.

Cleanliness

• perfect at first sight
• daily cleaning without any problems

But...

Under UV light (yes, we tested 😄) there were strange stains on the pillow. Perhaps from blood or wine? Do you have any tips?

Nothing that would be visible normally, but for a hotel of this level it's a bit of a bummer.

The hotel's private beach and communal pool

The beach is one of Panviman's main assets, although it is actually very small.

The resort doesn't lie directly on the long Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach - it's separated from it by a creek mouth.

Despite this, Panviman has a small, but all the more beautiful, private beach bordered by photogenic large boulders that resemble the coastline of the Seychelles.

The beach itself is small, but spacious, with free sunbeds or towels for hotel guests.

There is also a kayak rental service (free) right on the beach.

• ✅ The beach is visually beautiful with photogenic rocks
• ✅ Fine light sand
• ✅ Comfortable sun loungers and a restaurant right on the beach
• ✅ Sun almost all day
• ❌ Deep water close to the shore
• ❌ The beach is relatively small

You will also find a large public pool with a view in the middle of the area just below the breakfast restaurant. Beautiful, but has the same problem as the pools at the individual villas - very cold water!

Breakfast: breathtaking views but a throwback to the 90's

Breakfast at Panviman Resort Koh Phangan takes place in the main restaurant on the hill overlooking the sea.

I've rarely experienced a breakfast with a better view - perhaps only again at the W Koh Samui resort.

Atmosphere and space

This is the strongest point of the breakfasts.

• Open restaurant with panoramic views
• plenty of seats (we never had to wait)
• the ability to sit right on the edge overlooking the ocean
• pleasant morning quiet without the chaos

See current prices for Panviman

Immediately upon seating, you write down what kind of coffee or tea you want on a small paper menu and hand it to the attendant.

Food selection - what to expect

At first glance, the menu looks broad, but when you look at it in more detail, it's more "classic hotel".

Hot dishes:

• Eggs in various ways (omelette, scrambled, ox eye)
• a couple of Asian hot dishes (rice, noodles, soup)
• a couple of western classics (sausages, bacon)
• waffles, coconut fritters or fried chicken (rotates daily)
• egg station
• soups
• dim-sum dumplings

Cold buffet:

• fruit (good, fresh)
• yoghurt
• muesli and cereals
• pastries
• vegetables
• fruit

Next:

• pancakes / waffles
• juices (rather average)
• coffee (OK, nothing special)

Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing original.

Quality - where it scrubs a bit

Here's the difference between a "nice breakfast" and a "fancy breakfast".

• Taste-wise, it's rather average.
• no distinctive signature dish
• nothing to remember.

👉 Overall impression? Not offended, not impressed. There was a bit of a 90's vibe here.

Hotel services and facilities

Panviman is strong here.

What the hotel offers

• fitness center (nice big and free)
• spa and massages (individual treatments are charged)
• table tennis (free)

• shuttle buggy around the grounds (free at any time - you call it from your room or from phones variously placed along the paths)
• reception 24/7
• laundry service - prices are relatively low, but still disproportionately higher than the regular public laundries, which are also in the village of Panburi
• cooking lessons (relatively low prices 3 800 thb for two)

👉 Resort is large and hilly - you will be using the buggy a lot.

Restaurants vs. Panburi Village

The hotel has two restaurants

The main hotel restaurant

Located roughly in the middle of the resort near the pool.

• Decent food and drinks, but nothing special to remember
• Beautiful setting
• prices significantly higher than in the villages, but less than half the price of the luxury resorts on Koh Samui

Beach restaurant

There is one other restaurant directly on the hotel beach that only operates in the evening.

The food and prices are very similar to the main restaurant.

Panburi village (a few minutes walk)

• small but lively place
• lots of cheap restaurants
• a more authentic experience

👉 We used to eat here mostly.

Location - the biggest advantage and disadvantage

We chose Panviman mainly based on location.

We wanted peace and view. A contrast to the bustling Koh Samui, where we came to Phangan from and where we returned to.

Advantage

• Quiet, away from any busy city
• the resort is set in dense greenery
• breathtaking views
• minimum tourists

Disadvantage

• far from everything
• worse accessibility
• ideally have a scooter or even better a car (the road through the hinterland is very steep!
• far from the Full Moon Party

Find out practical information about Koh Phangan in our guide:

• 👉 O ur experience with Full Moon Party
• 👉 How we drove our car on the island
• 👉 The best beaches on Koh Phangan

Alternative hotels

The Panviman is a reasonably priced luxury hotel, but this style may not suit everyone.

Similar quality, better location

• Anantara Rasananda - the most luxurious resort on the island and right on a great beach (just a 5 minute walk from Panviman)
• Bliss Villas - luxury villas in a completely different part of the island, known mainly as a yoga centre

Cheaper but very good

• Phangan Utopia Resort - a well rated resort in the north of the island near Koh Ma

👉 Full selection and our recommendations:

• Best hotels on Koh Phangan

👉 And if you are hesitating between islands:

• Accommodation on Koh Samui

My Verdict

Panviman is a hotel that:

• will amaze you with the views
• gives you peace of mind
• but it's not perfect.

✅ Biggest pluses

• villa with private pool and views
• photogenic beach
• atmosphere and tranquility

❌ The biggest cons

• cold pool
• not very original breakfast
• small things in quality

👉 Recommendation:

• yes, if you want peace and views
• no, if you expect luxury without compromise

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