Many first-time visitors to Thailand simply find a nice-looking hotel either through a travel agent or via the web without taking the time to really find out what else is available. It can sometimes be a shock to them when they get there to find out how much better they could have done for the same money. All it takes is a little investigation before booking and a good place to start is to get a broad picture of what types of accommodation are available in your price range.
Due to the relatively low cost of living in Thailand hotel rates are, on average, a lot cheaper than the equivalent standard at many other popular holiday destinations. This in no way reflects on the overall quality which, thanks to the natural charm of the thai people, is often quite exceptional even at the lower end of the market. The following is a rough guide as to what can be expected within four broad price ranges.
LUXURY PRICE RANGEThailand is well known within the travel industry to have some of the finest hotels in the world such as the famous Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok or the superb Royal Yacht Club on Koh Phuket. This type of accommodation is not aimed at the budget conscious traveller but, although expensive by many people’s standards, it still compares very favourably price-wise with similar establishments in Europe and the U.S.
One area in which Thailand often exceeds the standard of other countries is hospitality. With their famous cuisine, easy smiles and exceptional politeness no-one is better at making a visitor feel special than the thais. The combination of price, superb service and the sometimes breathtakingly-beautiful locations of these hotels have made thailand holidays
one of the most popular choices for honeymooning couples from all over the world which is a good indicator as to how good these resorts really are.
Among the best LUXURY hotels according to customer ratings are -
BANGKOK : The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok PHUKET : JW Marriott Spa & Resort Phuket
KRABI / AO NANG : Amari Vogue Resort Krabi CHIANG MAI : The Chedi Chiang Mai
PATTAYA : Marriott Resort And Spa KOH SAMUI : Santiburi Golf Resort & Spa
PREMIUM PRICE RANGE A big drop in price but not necessarily in comfort are the often Thai-owned up-market hotels. Expect very nice rooms in beautiful or at least convenient settings for a lot less than you’d pay for the same standard in most countries. You can find some stunning hotels in this class and the good ones can often rival the luxury hotels especially in the area of hospitality. However, it really pays to read customer reviews as there are also quite a few over-priced hotels in this range.
Among the best PREMIUM hotels according to customer ratings are -
BANGKOK : Grand Millennium Sukhumvit PHUKET : Indigo Pearl Hotel
KRABI / AO NANG : Centara Grand Beach Resort CHIANG MAI : Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai
PATTAYA : Siam Bayview Hotel KOH SAMUI : Nora Beach Spa And Resort
MID-PRICE RANGEYou can get some fantastic bargains in this price range. These mostly small independent hotels often have everything you need such as aircon, satellite TV, wi-fi, nice gardens, pools etc. There are a large number to choose from in this category and many are very well appointed with wonderfully friendly staff but once again, be sure to read customer reviews as some are cheap for a very good reason.
Among the best MID-RANGE hotels according to customer ratings are -
BANGKOK : Emerald Hotel Bangkok PHUKET : Duangjitt Resort Phuket
KRABI / AO NANG : Vogue Resort and Spa CHIANG MAI : Raming Lodge Hotel Chiang Mai
PATTAYA : Sunshine Vista Serviced Aparments KOH SAMUI : Cliff View Resort
BUDGET PRICE RANGE (Under $30 a night) If you just want a place to sleep you can get a clean room with a ceiling fan(instead of aircon) for around 10 dollars a night. For just a little more and depending on when and where you stay its still possible to get quite a nice air-conditioned room in a small hotel with maybe even a swimming pool available. A good place to start looking for recommendations would be in one of the many Thailand forums which can be found quite easily using Google.
WHEN TO BOOK HOTELS IN THAILAND If you are heading to Thailand anytime during the high season it is extremely important to book well in advance. For the well-rated hotels, particularly in the upper price range, its possible for them to be fully booked as much as six months ahead. The busiest months are undoubtedly January to March but watch out for April as its the month of the Songkran water festivals which attract large numbers of overseas tourists and create a very busy two week period.
However, if you are forced to leave things to the last minute you can nearly always find somewhere to stay if you look hard enough but it can be quite frustrating trying to find something that suits.
Outside of the high months its unusual for the large hotels to fill up but if you decide not to book or wish to travel around with no fixed itinerary it would pay to find out if any of the many thai public holidays fall during your visit.
WHICH PLACES ARE MOST EXPENSIVEBecause Thailand has such a diverse range of attractions it appeals to an equally diverse range of overseas visitors from the fabulously wealthy to the young backpackers travelling on a shoestring. All of the tourist hotspots therefore have accommodation to cater for every budget but some destinations do tend to be more expensive than others.
Of the main tourist centres the very popular beach resorts Phuket, Koh Samui and Ao Nang Beach are most expensive. Chiang Mai in the far north of the country has a lot of mid-range and backpacker accommodation and tends to be quite a bit cheaper overall. Bangkok has so much available that even its world-class luxury hotels offer tremendous deals making it possible to stay there for a lot less especially in the high season. The other major seaside town, Pattaya, is by far the cheapest of the main resorts. This may be due to most visitors being attracted by the outrageous nightlife and being more interested in simply a nice room rather than a "resort experience".
If you stay anywhere other than the six locations already mentioned then you can look forward to paying a lot less though luxury may be hard to find.
BOOKING HOTELS ONLINE The days when you had to choose from a only a few hotels offered by your travel agent are gone. By using online booking services you have complete control over the accommodation type, location and price. It is important to know, however, that each of these booking sites can charge sometimes vastly different rates for the same hotel and it therefore pays to shop around. It also pays to be aware that not all sites have the same reputation for reliability and ethical business practices. For example, there is little point in finding the absolute cheapest rate on the net if you are not actually booked when you turn up at your hotel.
.
There are many good booking sites but two we recommend that offer particularly good value for Thailand hotels as well as a solid reputation for service are :
Agoda, being south-east asian specialists, have a huge list of thai hotels to choose from and usually offer bargain room rates. We have also found that while other sites may show a hotel as fully booked it is still often possible to get rooms through Agoda. The site is clearly laid out with plenty of photos, maps and customer ratings/reviews which helps make choosing a hotel that much easier.
NOTES : Instant Booking Confirmation, Customer Reviews, Lots of discount deals
Sawadeeare a long-established thai company who are well known to many expats and regular Thailand visitors for offering reliable service and very cheap rates. Like Agoda, they have a comprehensive listing of thai accommodation which includes the most luxurious down to the tiniest independent hostels which are usually not handled by the larger hotel booking agencies. They also have a very practical no-frills browser which allows easy scanning of hotel pictures and prices.
NOTES : Good support from local offices, Customer reviews, Consistently good rates