Araya Boutique Hotel

The room was clean and spacious, and the location was very good. When our air conditioner stopped working, the staff gave us a great fan, then fixed the aircon the next morning. We really appreciated their help. They also arranged a taxi to the pier for our ferry, which was very easy.

You get what you pay for, and this place is basic but decent for the price. The rooms are nice and spacious. We had a first-floor pool view room with a large bed and a balcony with a table and chairs overlooking the pool. There was room for us, a baby cot, and all our luggage. The small pool was fresh, and we used it a lot, often with the place to ourselves. There’s no kitchen or restaurant, just a bar serving beer and coffee. The staff were friendly, though not always around. The location wasn’t great for us, about a 10 minute walk from anything interesting. Check-in was a problem. We were traveling with a baby and, because of the heavy rain that week, I visited a few days ahead to make sure we could check in at a specific time rather than wait outside. Nobody was there, and I waited 15 minutes before leaving. On check-in day, I made the 25 minute trip back by myself at 11:00, but nobody was there then either. We called the numbers in the Agoda app and emailed, without getting a response. Because of the weather and uncertainty, we extended our stay at our current hotel and forfeited three nights here. Staff later said they hadn’t received calls or emails and that someone had been there during those hours. We weren’t refunded. These things happen, and we dealt with it. If you’ll mostly be exploring the island and just need somewhere decent to sleep and wake up by the pool, this could work well. If you plan to spend more time at the hotel, somewhere with a better location or a restaurant might suit you more. I tried to keep this review honest and objective, and hope it helps you navigate the hotel jungle of Pha-ngan. 😊

The manager was such a sweet lady and made sure I was looked after the whole time. My room was quiet and cozy, with an artsy touch that made it feel like I was on vacation just by being there. I had an amazing time. If I visit the island again, I’ll stay here. Thank you for having me ⭐️❤️ - BBYDnGR

The hotel was dirty, the pool was non-functional, and the renovation work didn’t help. It was also really bad and far too expensive. I’d strongly advise against staying here. The only nice people were the cleaning ladies. I was stuck there for three months because the people I joined had already paid for that whole period. If that hadn’t been the case, or if I’d been able to get a refund, I wouldn’t have stayed even two days before packing up and leaving. Annah, the manager, was in a bad mood, poorly managed the hotel, and wasn’t polite. I don’t think Annah is capable of managing a place like this and should move on. If my group and I had been welcomed properly and given more attention, maybe I wouldn’t have left a negative review. Honestly, I’d rate it 1/10.