Bantatuk Resort & Restaurant

We stopped by because the restaurant looked nice, but it took 50 minutes for the food to arrive. Most of it tasted pretty good, except the crab was actually frozen solid. Later that evening, we were making trips to the toilet with upset stomachs. What a time. I won't be going back.

The staff were excellent, but I wouldn't recommend staying in the cottages. We got one through a group booking and were completely dissatisfied, so we asked to move. They gave us the cottage next door, which was just as old and moldy, with broken furniture. The cottages are overpriced and disgusting. Maybe the main hotel building is nice and new, but I don't know. They're small private buildings with one bedroom and one bathroom.

The pool is beautiful, and the staff were really friendly when we asked to have the eggs cooked again. Breakfast was bad, though: the fried eggs were raw and had to be sent back, and the white toast was soggy. For £23 a night, we expected better. The room was cramped, dated and grimy, so the hotel felt a bit overpriced for what you get. We stayed here before going to their sister hotel on Khao Sok Lake the next night.

The rooms were run down and badly in need of renovation. Pipes ran through the walls, and parts were rusty and not entirely clean. Still, it was fine for a night or two. The reception looked presentable, and the staff were quick to hand over our room keys. The Phutawan Boutique Hotel at Chiewlarn was one of our stops on a trip to Phatthalung in southern Thailand.