Imperial Narathiwat Hotel

The location is central, and you can walk pretty much everywhere. We got a room for about RM85 a night midweek, when it wasn’t a public holiday in either Thailand 🇹🇭 or Malaysia 🇲🇾. No breakfast was included, and the restaurant claimed to be halal. The employees all seemed to be local Muslims. The room was old but clean and well equipped, with all the basics, and there’s a pool, though we didn’t use it this time. There’s a huge parking lot with 24/7 guards. I’d recommend it. Bring your own power adapters and basic toiletries, like a toothbrush and toothpaste. Update 9/9/2025: Update 6/2/2026.

We booked two rooms, and both looked old. The bathroom furniture had peeling wood, tiny cockroaches were in the room, and the air conditioner leaked onto the plaster ceiling just outside the bathroom. The complimentary drinking water came in glass bottles. We took two, but the receptionist demanded that we return them, which was embarrassing and made us feel treated like thieves. We hadn’t been told we couldn’t take them, and another hotel had let us keep its bottles. Finding them in the luggage packed in our car was a hassle. We had intended to keep them unopened as a souvenir because that’s unusual. When we asked at check-in for a Muslim prayer mat, the receptionist told us to ask the room cleaning crew directly. I objected that I might not see that staff member, but he insisted. In the end, we had to find him again and ask for the mat. So much for Thai hospitality.

The staff made my one-night stay especially pleasant. They helped at check-in and even spoke with security so I could leave my motorbike under the lobby shade, which meant a lot after a long ride. There’s plenty of halal street food within walking distance, so dinner was easy. I’ll make this my go-to place next trip. One heads-up: if you’re particular about smells, this may not suit you. For travellers like us, you make do and appreciate comfort, safety, and good people.

We had five rooms here. In one, the bed was broken and the springs poked into your body. The bathrooms were all badly maintained, with broken flushes. My room had cockroaches, and the corridor to our floor was smelly and dirty. The front desk staff should be more approachable and helpful.