8 Photos of Hotel and Guesthouse Rooms in Thailand
Hotel rooms, aren't they something... I started this photo series of hotel and guesthouse rooms because I don't like the photos they show on booking sites and in travel guides. They're either horrible or just not the truth. Hotel rooms have a personality and as a photographer that's I want to see in the photos so I just started taking a picture of every room we stayed in during our trip... every one of them taken right before we check out.
When you're traveling long term you'll get to know what's really important about the room you'll be staying in. Cleanliness, of course, ranks pretty high but there are some other things that can make or break a room. In Thailand we booked some of the best hotel rooms and guesthouses of our trip so far...
Windows and natural light
A window might not seem that important for some people but for us it is. And it's not that we need a nice view or the possibility to open the window but when you stay in a room for more than a few nights, natural light is essential to make you feel good and comfortable while you're inside the room. Some days you might need to spend a whole day in because you need to work or because it's pouring outside.
Our favorite room in Thailand. Koh Lanta.
Not having a window will make it feel like a prison cell and will start to make you feel depressed and unmotivated... A bright and spacious room on the other hand, will instantly put a smile on our face and as far as photography goes, nothing beats natural light from a window for me...
The higher the better
It might not always be the case but when we get a room on the ground floor it feels a bit like they're putting you in the storage room. People in the reception area will see you going in and out and in some cases we even had the communal dining area right outside our door. It just doesn't feel comfortable and private.
Joanna: to me, the main reason to go high, is that (in my experience) there's less possibility of getting cockroaches in your room. I don't know if this is scientifically proven but it still gives me some peace of mind. Any one else has this problem?
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Square meters count
Again, if you want to stay somewhere longer than a few nights, the size of the hotel room will make all the difference. We hate it if we have to put our luggage somewhere in a corner that's barely reachable without having to climb on the bed.
Normally, a spacious room will have windows, which kills two birds with one stone.
Our Budget Hotel Rooms and Guesthouses in Thailand
In Thailand the budget hotel rooms are overall pretty decent. You'll get a lot of value for money if you do the research. We almost always had spacious rooms with a window and lots of natural light. The best one for us was our room on Koh Lanta. We booked a few days initially but ended up staying ten and we were able to catch up on a lot of work.
In Bangkok the prices always go up a few dollars, even for accommodations that aren't necessarily very good. Location usually decides what the price will be.
Bangkok
At Home Guesthouse • $18 / night
We only spent two nights here on our way to Laos and it wasn't too bad. The room was spacious and bright and the location close to Khao San Road was perfect for that couple of days. The only thing we did was to walk back and forth between our room and the food and drinks at Khao San.
Chanthaburi
Hop Inn • $21 / night
Coming from Cambodia, we decided to stay a night in Chanthaburi on our way to Bangkok. It's not a popular city so there aren't that many options but we found a modern looking hotel that was only slightly over our daily budget for accommodation. Not much else to say than it was a nice place to stay the night.
Bangkok
KC Guest House • $18 / night
Another Guesthouse close to Khao San Road. It's the most touristic part of Bangkok but let's be honest: it's convenient and everything you need is close. Just walk out the door and there's cheap food and access to transportation around the city.
Bangkok
Baan Bangkok Home • $19 / night
We added some nights in another guesthouse in Bangkok. Further away from Khao San but in a quiet neighborhood. If you really want to stay close to Khao San, then this might be a tad too far from the action...
Krabi
Baan Sabaidee • $14 / night
Krabi was just a one night stop for us on our way to Koh Lanta but the room was really nice. Large windows, spacious and clean. If you want to spend a few days in Krabi then this is definitely a good choice.
Koh Lanta
Lanta Baan Nok • $12 / night
Probably one of the best rooms during our travels in Thailand. We booked only a few nights initially but we ended up staying 10! The rooms are hidden in a nice garden area away from the main road. They're cheap, bright, super clean and there's unlimited free coffee in the morning...!
Trang
Sleeper House • $15 / night
If you want to visit a real Thai town with no Western tourists, Trang is the place to be. We had a lovely stay in Sleeper House. The lady at the reception was super nice and helpful even though she didn't speak that much English.
Hat Yai
Chamnan Residence • $17 / night
The city that wants to be the next Bangkok. It's basically a smaller version of Bangkok without the crowds but with plenty of things to do and restaurants to discover. We stayed for five nights and we loved the vibe. It's more walkable than Bangkok and the food court at Greenway Night Market was awesome. Be prepared to be greeted by the locals a lot because apparently they don't see many Western tourists here either...