Suandoi Resort Pai

The owners were amazing and made us feel like family. I booked six nights with a group, and we loved the atmosphere, the gathering areas, bonfires at night, pool, and pool table. The view is beautiful, too. The rooms are open concept, with no bunk beds or curtains, so there’s no privacy. It’s a social hostel. It’s not far from the center, with nearby shortcuts, but the walk can feel tedious because it’s a little uphill. The bus from Chiang Mai dropped me about an 18-minute walk away. The bathroom was the one thing I can’t write home about.

This was one of the dirtiest hostels I’ve ever stayed in. We had a private room, but it felt like a dorm because a plastic wall was all that separated the rooms, so you could hear everything. There was rubbish all around, and our room was dark and dusty. The toilet was outside. The owners were never at reception, so don’t count on them if you need anything. We were meant to check in at 14:30, but only got the room at 6 pm, even though we’d asked that morning. The old man was scary, always spying on you.

We paid for four nights but left after just one because the accommodation was so uncomfortable and misrepresented. We had booked a private room with an ensuite bathroom, but were put in a five-bed dorm room instead. Its walls didn’t reach the ceiling, so we could hear everything from adjoining dorms, including coughing, farting, conversations, partying until midnight, and people using the next-door toilet. Light from the dorm flooded our room and made it hard to sleep. The owner had given our private room to other guests who were “begging” for it, but refused our request for a refund for the remaining three nights. Before we spoke to her, the owner had been arguing with another guest who was trying to voice his complaints. She ignored him, repeatedly threatened to call the police, and held up a flyer about her story from the 2005 floods. When we tried to explain what had happened to us, she became emotional, started crying, and hugged me without my consent, making the interaction even more uncomfortable. I sympathize with anyone who has faced hardship, but that doesn’t excuse misleading guests, failing to provide what was advertised, or refusing reasonable refunds. The lack of privacy and professionalism, and the disregard for guest concerns, made this one of our worst experiences. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone expecting basic comfort, privacy, or proper customer service.

Darling, the host, really is a darling! She and her staff are so kind and loving. The hostel is in a great location with beautiful sunset views and plenty of spots to stretch out and relax. I definitely recommend it!