Book the Best Places to Stay in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Despite the name, Hangover Hostel is far enough from the bars that you’ll get a decent night’s sleep. Not that the atmosphere is staid – the white-walled mixed dorms (with metal bunks and tiny ensuites) are bare, but guests share a communal restaurant area out front. It’s close enough to the sea for a cooling breeze, and there’s excellent-value Thai food. There’s a strip of sand right next to the hotel for an early dip, while long, broad Loh Dalum Beach (and its nightlife) are a few minutes’ walk beyond.

It’s not right by the sand, but Chaokoh is in a very good location, five minutes’ stroll from Tonsai Bay, where the best restaurants, bars and spas are concentrated. The villas, with polished floor tiles and decorated in creams and light woods, feel corporate cool. The best suites have floor-to-ceiling windows for great sea views, spacious ensuites and balconies. There’s a lively al fresco Thai restaurant with live music most nights.

Viking is near to the action but feels close to nature, on a tree-covered cape next to Long Beach, with villas climbing from the ocean into a steep jungle garden. The sands are an easy stroll away, and you can get to lively Tonsai Bay in 15 minutes on foot on a rough track (bring a flashlight) or a five-minute water taxi ride. Palm-thatched villas range from simple bamboo boxes to plusher air-conditioned bungalows. The best are on the shore, with big balconies and gorgeous sunrise and ocean views.

SAii village is about as close as hotels on Koh Phi Phi get to a mega-resort. It occupies an entire bay, with more than 200 villas spread out over a large garden dotted with palm trees. Villas, in honey-coloured woods and contemporary creams and greys, have floor-to-ceiling French windows that open onto large balcony sundecks. There’s a huge pool, with shallow areas for kids, as well as a menu of activities and on-site restaurants. To access more dining and nightlife, you’re looking at a two-hour walk or a boat ride.

Right on the talcum powder sand of Laem Tong Beach, in the far north of Koh Phi Phi, Zeavola is about tranquil comfort. The stylish glass-walled garden villas are decorated in sumptuous Thai style, with rich wooden interiors under high gabled roofs, traditional textile wall hangings, bright Thai silk scatter cushions, contemporary Asian chaise longues and hardwood lounge chairs. There are a few restaurants nearby, but it’s a long boat ride to the main Koh Phi Phi scene.

Koh Phi Phi locations don’t get any more central – this mega-resort sits under the crags at the far western end of one of the famous half-moon bays. Villas are decked out in light woods, bamboo and woven palm thatch. Most open onto large balconies. There’s a huge pool, and the best bars, restaurants and spas are a few minutes’ walk away. Expect everything to be tightly squeezed in – and bring earplugs, as the rooms have thin walls and, with party central close by, noise can be an issue.

You won’t regret upgrading to an ocean-view villa at the Beach (it’ll cost you the price of a burger back home). In the late afternoon, the sun drops golden at the foot of your big, teak-wood balcony, glittering off the waves as it sets orange behind the craggy cliffs. Despite the resort’s name, the villas don’t sit on the sand, but are positioned ascending a steep hill at the eastern end of Long Beach. The sea and restaurants are a minute away, while the nightlife in Tonsai is a quick hop in a water taxi.

Lovely views of the sunset over the Andaman Sea from your balcony, pristine forest all around, little noise but the sound of the waves and the wind in the palms: the Holiday Resort is a tranquil spot. There’s a gorgeous pool, cradled by shady trees, and the villas in whites and warm woods are spacious and modern; some have plunge pools. Uncrowded Laem Tong Beach is a five-minute walk away, but there are only a handful of restaurants nearby, and it’s a long boat ride anywhere else.