Capital O 406 Krabi Success Beach Resort

I stayed three nights and it worked really well as a base. It’s at the far end of Krabi, away from the busy parts, but close to Ao Nang market and the other things you need. If you’re mainly after somewhere to shower and get a good night’s sleep, this hotel does the job.

Our balcony looked out over the pool and coconut trees, and the place was wonderfully peaceful. It’s around a 30-minute walk from Ao Nang. Some older fixtures, like the shower and bath, aren’t as efficient as those in a newer hotel, but the traditional Thai architecture and calm setting make up for that. We really enjoyed our stay, and it seems suited to couples or families.

The room was spacious, the air conditioning worked very well, and the hair dryer was good. The rest of the hotel badly needs an upgrade. Agoda listed it as four stars, but I’d say three at best. The large bed was two singles pushed together, and the mattress was extremely hard. We asked for a topper, but it never arrived. The towels were thin and worn. There was no bath plug, and the bath was so dirty I wouldn’t have used it anyway. Water also took ages to drain from the basin. There was no safe, the walls were thin enough to hear neighbors, and the satellite TV had Thai channels only, with no English or subtitles. We left the included breakfast untouched. There’s no elevator in this four-storey hotel, and although someone showed us to the room, we had to carry our own bags. The pools need cleaning and repairs too. One was leaking so badly it was nearly empty.

It’s handy for the beach and one of Ao Nang’s central markets, but we had major problems with cleanliness and service. The hotel is old and smells bad. Basic things like a hair dryer or decent toiletries weren’t provided unless we asked several times. We think there are better-priced places nearby that take better care of the basics.