The One Hotel

We paid for the room twice. At check-in, the staff asked us to pay in cash, then after checkout the hotel charged our bank account as well. We called several times, but they refused to refund us. We definitely can’t recommend this hotel.

We only needed a night in Surat Thani before going to Koh Tao, so the location didn’t matter much to us, even though it’s not central and about 40 minutes from the airport. We got in at 22.30. The receptionist was very kind, and although her English wasn’t easy to understand, we managed with smiles and a few words. We paid a 300 baht deposit and got a receipt. We got the money back the next morning. We also booked our ferry to Koh Tao at reception. The room was tiny and very basic, hot, with worn sheets and old, dirty furniture. There’s no safe, and the door didn’t seem very solid, so be careful what you leave in the room. We had no trouble ourselves. The bathroom, with shower and toilet, is cramped, while the sink is in the main bedroom. I’d rate the hotel two stars at most, and for about 20 Euros you can find something better. My girlfriend tried the included breakfast, but the room smelled strongly of spices, fried food, fish, and meat, none of it very appetizing. There was only instant coffee, and breakfast meant choosing Chinese or Thai food: pad thai, curries, meatballs in broth, or fried barracuda. A group of Korean grandpas, who were the only other guests, seemed happy with it. The next morning the staff drove us to the bus for the ferry. The night before, we ate at the pub beside the hotel, hangar. The food wasn’t memorable, but the waiters were very friendly, and we had a couple of fun hours in a typical Thai pub with Thai guys singing typical Thai songs.

The room was comfortable and really clean. It’s on a very quiet street close to the night market, and the reception staff were always kind and helpful. Great location and a great deal.

Not a good place. The shower pressure kept changing, and the Wi-Fi didn’t work. You also have to pay for drinking water and all sorts of other things.