Samui seems to be attracting more than its fair share of upscale developments recently. The latest to join the fray goes by the rather curious name of The Library, which is set to open on 2 January 2007. The odd name aside, the specifications on the place look interesting: a modern minimalist design set on the beach amidst a stand of old trees, in-room computer with internet access and only 26 rooms in all - 13 suites and 13 “studios”. Of course, places this posh come at a price, especially on Samui. It looks like the best rate you can get is around US$300 a night.

With developments like this, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before a place on Samui makes the list of Asia’s best hotels or the top ten resorts list, where the competition is very intense.