La Marina - Khlong Nin Beach

There’s a 7-Eleven and several good restaurants within walking distance, and Klong Nin Beach is just across the road. The hotel staff were friendly, though they seemed a little reserved when we didn’t speak Thai. We also liked the pool, which was clean and looked well maintained, despite what we’d read in other reviews. The building feels old and dated, and there are prayer calls and roosters early every morning. Light sleepers may want earplugs or another hotel. For the price, though, it’s a good place and you get what you pay for.

We had a handy base for seeing the island, with local scooter rental and a market nearby where we found very good, affordable food. There was food next door too, though we didn’t eat at the property. The bungalows were fine, but housekeeping didn’t come until we asked one day for fresh towels and a clean room. You can find better places elsewhere. What really disappointed me was losing the key and being told a replacement would cost 500 baht. After I reacted with surprise, the woman lowered it to 300 because I’m Muslim. That’s not fair or Islamic. Islam calls for fairness to everyone, without discrimination. 500 baht for a new key is a rip-off, and 300 is too. There shouldn’t be different prices for Muslims and non-Muslims.

I wouldn’t recommend the standard rooms. Ours felt dated and wasn’t very clean, and the bed was hard and uncomfortable. The rooms are close to the main road, with noise going on all night. The bungalows might be fine, but our stay was disappointing.

The beach nearby was nice, but there seemed to be fewer options around here than farther north on the island. Our room also fell well below what the booking.com photos led us to expect. It was dated, the bed wasn’t comfortable, and being so close to the main road meant it could get very loud.