A "blood-red pool" appears by the beach—shocking surprise at a Samui guesthouse

Reported and photographed by reporter You Ru / from Thailand

There’s a kind of vacation that doesn’t involve shopping, sightseeing, or chasing floral views. It’s more like this: putting on your simplest clothes, lying on the grass in the guesthouse, leaning against a tree trunk as you bask in the scent of fresh grass. Sunlight filters through the leaves and lands right on the book in your hands. In front of you is a crystal-clear light blue ocean and a pure white sandy beach, and right next to the shore sits a “blood-red swimming pool.”


▲ The blood-red swimming pool.

What?! A blood-red swimming pool? No mistake—that’s really the “blood-red pool.” Despite the shocking name, it’s actually the biggest highlight of The Library Hotel on Koh Samui. From afar, the pool may look as though the water has been dyed crimson, but it’s an optical illusion created by densely laid orange and red tiles on the pool floor. This eye-catching pool, designed to convey vibrancy and passion, stands in serene contrast to the blue skies and white clouds of Samui. Nestled quietly on the lawn within the hotel courtyard, it offers a uniquely vivid aesthetic.


▲ The Library Hotel, designed by local architect Tirawan Songsawat.

Opened in February 2007 and designed by local architect Tirawan Songsawat, The Library Hotel consists of just 13 white buildings housing a total of 26 suites. With its minimalist design, it quickly became one of the most popular new-style design hotels in the area, injecting a fresh wave of fashion and vitality into Samui’s resort accommodation scene.




▲ The hotel has only 13 white buildings, totaling 26 suites.

Walking into The Library Hotel from Samui’s bustling Chaweng Beach, the first thing you’ll notice is the famous white reading figure on the property. There are 10 different poses of this figure throughout the hotel—standing in corners, sitting, or lying down, always holding a book. This is the core concept that The Library Hotel aims to offer its guests.





▲ The iconic white reading figures, with 10 different poses found around the hotel.


▲ The words “PAGE 1, 2” serve as the basis for room numbering guidance at the hotel.

Follow the figures into the hotel, where markings on the lawn like “PAGE 1, 2” indicate the room numbering system. In this resort that communicates a reading-themed holiday vibe, using book page numbers to differentiate rooms adds an element of anticipation—as if turning the page in a book, each room brings a new surprise.

The rooms themselves follow a minimalist white design, but each hides a clever feature: every bedside wall is equipped with a lightbox that can be controlled remotely to change the room's color scheme. Tired of plain white? Switch to green or red for a fresh “flavor.” These playful touches bring a lively sense of creativity to each space.


▲ The bedside lightboxes allow guests to change the room’s ambiance to their preferred color.


▲ The “library” inside The Library Hotel.


▲ The Library Hotel is located right next to the bustling Chaweng Beach.

Additionally, The Library Hotel features a pristine white “library” built beside the pool. On the walls of this spotless library, seemingly free of any dust, are shelves filled with books available for guests to pick up and read. Because the greatest surprise here isn’t just the unique holiday experience—it’s also about embracing a tranquil way to unwind: lying on the grass in the hotel, leaning against a tree, and reading a book you never had time for in your busy life.



“The Library Hotel”
Address: 14/1 Moo.2 Bo Phut, Ko Samui, Suratthani 84320 Thailand
Website:http://www.thelibrary.name