After 7 years I decided to go back to the picturesque town of Ao Nang in the Krabi province in Thailand. I remembered the lively streets, the Krabi beaches, the lovely boulevard and the amazing food culture and was eager to go back. On top of that finding a place to stay ended in 5-night collaboration with the Alisea Boutique Hotel and the Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort.
The exhausting trip from Koh Phangan to Ao Nang took about 8 hours but I arrived safely. Normally I always travel with Lompraya, but this time I chose Songserm, simply because they only asked 850 THB ($24) where Lompraya was asking 1,350 THB ($38). The service was just as good, so next time I will take the cheaper option again. Spending money wisely is an art and if you want some serious budget travel tips for long term travel check out my travel blog about it. In total I have been traveling in Thailand for more than 12 months and gathered all my Thailand travel tips in an article plus some island hopping routes for Thailand.
Check in Alisea Boutique Hotel Ao Nang
Due to a misunderstanding the check-in was not pretty smooth and I waited for more than one hour for my pick up. Things like this happen when you are travelling in Thailand and as a long-term traveller I am used to worse things on the road believe me. The amazingly friendly staff apologized about a 20 times for the situation, but to me it was not a big deal.
As I arrived to the Alisea Boutique Hotel I was treated with a cold towel and a delicious guava juice. I never had one before, but the same day and the day after I ordered them on the streets. Damn these things are yummy, you should try them!
First thing that caught my eye was their certificate of Excellent by Tripadvisor and their 8,7 rating at Agoda. Former guest were apparently very satisfied which gave me a good feeling.
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The white exterior of the hotel reminded me of the Mediterranean. This 34-room boutique hotel is not nestled right at the beach, but a 5-minute walk away from it. Actually none of the hotels in Ao Nang are right at the beach, but the quiet location is perfect as it is a pleasant stroll on the main street to the bustling city center. The location is great, especially if you are a street food lover. It is only a 1-minute walk to the famous street food culture where they sell papaya salads, pancakes, delicious Thai food, fruit shakes and fresh fruit.
Suite with bathtub at the balcony
I was offered a loft suite on the top floor. Entering the spacious loft I fell in love with the massive bed. It was so huge that it could easily sleep 3 people. The wooden stairs to the separate living room on the second floor gave that the room that extra Mediterranean flavor. The massive wooden tub on the second floor balcony is probably just that little extra that adds up to the charm of this hotel. Unfortunately the tub in my room was leaking and therefore unable to fill it up. The staff jumped right on it and wanted it to get fixed straight away, though I was not bothered as I had too many plans for the next day anyway!
Infinity pool
The infinity pool was super quiet and calm and most of the time it was all mine. The extremely comfy beanbags came in super handy as I could blog while chilling on the pool and the free Wi-Fi was excellent. Something which is not always the case in Thailand, but I was able to upload and download at a very good speed. The spa on the top floor has great views over the limestone islands in the distance. Price are very competitive, so worth a try!
Private beach club Krabi beach
A great feature of this hotel is their private beach club on a deserted beach close to Ao Nang. A free 10-minute shuttle drive will take you there. It is a super quiet place, with hammocks, beanbags and a lush garden and restaurant. Such a quiet place, you will love it. Go in the morning and just get lost on the beach.
I did not make use of it, but the cinema room on the ground floor looked like a perfect hideaway on those rainy days, so did the pool table. Apparently the attached restaurant Umberto’s is a great Italian restaurant and every evening when I walked passed it was packed. Though I am a sucker for street food!
I sincerely think that the Alisea Boutique Hotel is great value for money. The great rating on Booking.com says a lot. In low season they offer rooms starting from $25, which I think is an amazing price for the comfort you get in return. Although the bath tub on the balcony was not working and there was a misunderstanding regarding the pick-up I had a very pleasant stay at the Alisea Boutique hotel and as in most hotels in Thailand the staff is always ready to help you out with a big smile and making sure your stay is as comfortable as possible. Thank you!
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If you have a little larger budget then you might want to check out my review of Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort. Some other resorts in KRabi and Phuket that I have stayed are: Samsara Phuket, the same villa Rihanna stayed in the week before me. If you are looking for a hidden adult-only gem then surely take a look at the Layana Resort & Spa in Koh Lanta. Romantic sunset villas in Koh Lanta? Check out Crown Lanta. Or take a look at the luxurious private pool villas on a peninsula in Phuket: Sri Panwa.