Chaokoh Phi Phi Hotel & Resort

The location near Tong Sai port and some great nearby restaurants is very good, and the pool was nice. Those are the reasons I’m giving two stars instead of one. The rest of our experience was pretty horrible, mainly because of the showers and the stains. The shower was the worst I’ve had in a hotel, worse than many hostels. The water kept shifting randomly between cold and warm, often staying cold for a while, and barely came out of the shower head. It was so low pressure that showering was difficult. The water also had a disgusting salty taste and smell. Our shower had mold on top, making the whole room smell awful, and the supplied shampoo and soap smelled horrifying too. There were stains everywhere: mold on the walls, and marks on sheets and towels. I know the bedding and towels are washed, but there’s no excuse for every towel we were given to have a huge stain. Even when we asked for replacements, the towels were still stained.

The location is great, and the pool and poolside bar are lovely, but staff were often cold and rude, apart from the kind, helpful man who handled our bags at the port. After the checkout mess, he even offered to take our bags to the ferry for us. Borrowing a beach towel turned into a huge ordeal and required an excessive 500 baht deposit. Our second key card didn’t work, so housekeeping had to let us into the room, and during the confusion we no longer had that card. At checkout, reception reviewed CCTV from across our three-day stay to see if it had been returned and said they’d charge 500 baht if it wasn’t. We insisted we didn’t have it and that it had been returned when we were let in, but they still carried out a full investigation. We waited almost 30 minutes while they checked cameras. I’ve never been charged for a hotel key card, let alone had CCTV checked for one that probably costs a few cents to replace. It was a ridiculous waste of our time and security’s. That left a sour taste after what was otherwise a fabulous time in Phi Phi. This doesn’t feel like 4-star service, and guests seem to get no trust around towels, key cards, or deposits. I’ve read other reviews saying people didn’t get deposits back over trivial things, so the behavior seems dodgy to me. There’s better value on Phi Phi.

The property has a pleasant atmosphere, a beautiful pool, and well-kept grounds, so it’s clear some areas are looked after. The room, though, was far below my cleanliness expectations. Lots of surfaces, windows, and mirrors were visibly dirty, and there were cockroaches inside. I was stressed trying to sleep with cockroaches in the room and couldn’t feel comfortable there. I’m relieved I only stayed a short time. I’d considered booking longer, and I’m glad that didn’t happen. I left with a negative impression.

It’s a lovely resort, and I don’t quite understand why reviews are so mixed. The rooms are large and clean, and the grounds are pretty and peaceful, a quiet oasis right in the heart of Phi Phi. It’s basically next to the port, which makes everything very convenient, and a porter meets you at the ferry to take your luggage. Great value for money.