P.P. BANTHAI GUESTHOUSE IN KO PHI PHI

We were excited when we made the decision to stay on Ko Phi Phi, Thailand, the island that is the jumping point for the popular day tour of Maya Bay where The Beach was filmed.

We heard that hotels can get booked up and that sometimes backpackers who didn’t reserve ahead of time have to ride the ferry back since they couldn’t find budget accommodation.

Since we were going to Ko Phi Phi during Christmas, many of the low budget hostels were already booked up online. But thankfully, we found P.P. Banthai Guesthouse with reasonable prices for our last minute booking.

Private Room:

Our private room was spacious with two twin beds pushed together. We stayed at Banthai on two separate occasions. The first room the hot water didn’t work in the bathroom, and the twin beds were uncomfortable for Mark. In the second room the hot water worked great and Britnee had a hard mattress. So it was a hit or miss on what parts of the room would work. We liked the many hooks and clothes racks available to hang our wet swimsuits and towels. There is also a vanity dresser and a table with chairs.

Amenities:

We stayed in two different rooms during our two stays at Banthai. Both rooms we had were with a fan (air conditioned bedroom is available for a higher price) and kept us cool during the cloudy, rainy days. On the sunny days though it was pretty hot and it might have been worth the splurge to pay extra for the air conditioned room. WiFi was not available at the guesthouse. Most of all the nearby restaurants provided free WiFi that we would use. The room was in a quiet hallway, but outside was pretty loud at night with the nearby clubs blasting their music. So that meant we usually didn’t go to bed until late in the night.

Mrs. Lee is the owner and can always be found in the lobby or front desk. She helped us book tour tickets and ferry tickets, making it simple and easy. Mrs. Lee is very nice and makes an effort to remember her guests’ names. She also likes to tease them and is often heard telling guests who are checking in to “don’t pee on the mattress!” In the evening the backgammon boards are brought out that are fun to play with other guests.

Pricing:

We paid 2700 baht for three nights to stay in the private room without air conditioning. This was a great price since it was a last-minute booking we made online during the busy Christmas holiday.

Location:

This is the perfect location to be in the heart of it all in Ko Phi Phi. It is in the middle of the downtown village next to shops and many restaurants. It’s only a five minute walk to a beach on either side of the island. It’s also just a few minutes walk from the ferry terminal.

Next hostel on our travels: AT HOME BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN PATONG BEACH, THAILAND.