Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [563]
Budget
Budget rooms have pretty much gone the way of the dodo, although if you wander around the soi behind the Jung Ceylon shopping complex, you’re bound to find something for less than 1000B.
Crown Backpackers ( Map; 0 7634 2297; crown_hostel@yahoo.com; 169/3 Soi Sansabai; female-only dm 250B, r from 500B; ) Expect bare-bones basics and late-night rumblings in this hostel in the heart of the Patong war zone…er…we mean bar zone.
Capricorn Village ( Map; 0 7634 0390; 2/29 Th Rat Uthit; bungalows from 700B; ) Capricorn is a rare cheapie in Patong’s inflated sleeping scene. Bright little bungalows with terraces wind back into a quiet garden. Guests can take a dip in the pool at K’s Hotel next door.
Casa Jip ( Map; 0 7634 3019; www.casajip.com; 207/10 Th Rat Uthit; r 1000B; ) Italian-run and great value, this place has very big, luxurious rooms (for the price bracket) with comfy beds and a taste of Thai style. You get cable TV and there’s even a special breakfast room service.
Swarms of low-priced accommodation hovers around Th Nanai. The following are recommended:
Khun Vito Guest House ( Map; 0 7629 7061; www.khunvito.com; 74/7 Soi Nanai; s/d from 600/1000B; ) Friendly Vito offers a dozen spic-and-span rooms.
Chalermporn ( Map; 0 7629 6994; chalermporn9@hotmail.com; 74/32 Soi Nanai; r 1000B; ) Standard-issue rooms are spotless.
Midrange
Expat Hotel ( Map; 0 7634 0300; expat@loxinfo.co.th; r 890-3000B; ) At the end of a bar-packed alley, this popular spot is a hit with unfussy foreigners – there’s a communal, buddy-buddy feeling between staff and guests. Monthly rates are available, too.
K’s Hotel ( Map; 0 7634 0832; www.k-hotel.com; 180 Th Rat Uthit; r from 1500B; ) Although K’s caters mainly to Germans, everyone is made to feel plenty willkommen. Beer aficionados will adore the on-site biergarten. Upstairs, standard rooms have been gussied up with plasma TVs and stone-tile bathrooms. It’s a popular spot for families.
Villa Del Mar (off Map; 0 7634 5698; www.villa-delmar.com; r 1600-2800B, ste 3600-6300B; ) Like a weathered Mediterranean ship, Villa Del Mar has a lot of shabby-chic charm but can sometimes feel a bit mildewy.
Yorkshire Inn ( Map; 0 7634 0904; www.yorkshireinn.com; 169/16 Soi Saen Sabai; r from 1800B; ) About as Thai as the Queen Mother, this is one of a string of unabashedly British outfits courting homesick visitors. The Yorkshire offers a flicker of homey B&B charm, and can put together a mean fry-up –the Yorkshire pudding is a little less successful. The rooms are spotless and come with cable TV.
Baipho & Baithong ( Map; 0 7629 2074; www.baipho.com; 205/12 & 205/14 Th Rat Uthit; r incl breakfast 1800-3300B; ) This much style isn’t usually found in this price range – particularly since ‘chic’ isn’t really in Patong’s vocabulary. Zen trimmings mingle with modern urban touches in the dimly lit, nest-like rooms of these twin hotels. Guests can use the pool at the unsightly Montana Grand Phuket next door.
Baramee Resortel ( Map; 0 7634 0010; info@barameeresortel.com; 266 Th Phra Barami; r 2700-3300B, ste 5700B; ) Brand-new Baramee is one of the best midrange deals in Patong. Spacious rooms have crisp white furnishings befitting a chic, top-end resort. Although not located directly on the beach, the hotel has many rooms with ocean views (the others look out onto a parking lot).
Top End
Holiday Inn ( Map; 0 7634 0608; www.phuket.holiday-inn.com; Th Rat Uthit; r from 4500B; ) What? A Holiday Inn in a Lonely Planet guide? Don’t worry – this hotel is way glitzier than those Holiday Inns near your hometown’s airport. Beach-resort amenities come standard here, plus there’s an upmarket spa to repair your post-Patong battle wounds.
BYD Lofts ( Map; 0 7634 3024; www.bydlofts.com; 5/28 Th Hat Patong; apt from 5000B; ) Style and comfort reign supreme at BYD, whose urban-chic apartments feature loads of white (floors, walls, curtains), which feels angelic when compared