Phi Phi The Beach Resort Hotel

Set on Ko Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi The Beach Resort Hotel is built for the part of the day when the fins are back in the bag and the only serious decision left is whether to swim, eat or sit down. The resort has direct access to a private beach, a swimming pool, a restaurant and a beach bar, so your evening can stay pleasingly close to sea level.

The atmosphere is informal rather than ceremonious. You can move between the garden, the terrace, the pool and the sand without turning the evening into an expedition. Massage, a barbecue area and an on-site medical facility add useful practicality, while the beach bar brings cocktails and fire shows with a DJ after dark.

English, French, Spanish and Chinese are spoken by the hotel team. That matters when you are arranging transfers, excursions or simply trying to explain that the room fridge is doing heroic work with the water bottles.

The resort sits on Ko Phi Phi Don in Thailand, directly beside the sea. The town centre is 3 km away, which leaves you close enough to reach it but far enough for the hotel to feel separate from the busiest part of the island.

Long Beach, Loh Moo Dee Beach and Viking Beach are nearby. The setting gives you a proper beach base rather than a town hotel with a distant glimpse of water, and the private beach has loungers, parasols and beach equipment for unhurried hours between activities.

The address is 177 Moo 7, T. Ao-Nang, Muang Krabi, Thailand. There is no lift, so bear that in mind if stairs are a consideration when choosing your room.

The accommodation is arranged around double rooms and villas, all designed for two guests. The choice is mainly about the setting of the night: garden surroundings, a partial sea view, a front-side position or a fuller sea view. If opening the curtains onto water is part of the holiday, the sea-view villas are the obvious direction; if you expect to spend more time outdoors than indoors, a garden villa keeps the decision simpler.

Air conditioning is available throughout the room categories, which is welcome after a hot, salty day outside. Rooms also come with a private bathroom and shower, a fridge, a television, a hairdryer and a bathrobe; several villa categories add a minibar, tea and coffee facilities, towels and toiletries. The fridge is the small practical win here: cold water waiting upstairs beats negotiating with your own hydration after a long day.

Some villa categories include high-speed internet access, while free Wi-Fi is available at the resort. Wardrobes, telephones and in-room safes appear in the villa equipment, and selected rooms include bottled water. The room cards below give the exact space, bed and occupancy for each category, so the useful choice here is the view and location rather than another recital of measurements.

The restaurant serves Thai and international food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with tables on the beach and terrace. Breakfast is a buffet from 7:30 am, while the restaurant runs from 7:30 am to 10:30 am for the morning service and from 11:30 am until 11:00 pm for the later meals. Private dining is also available when you want dinner to be less communal and more deliberately your own.

There is one named bar: Let’s Sea Bar, a beach bar specialising in cocktails. It is the sort of place that makes an evening easy after diving; walk from the sand, order something cold and let the island handle the soundtrack.

The evening entertainment is specific rather than vague. Fire shows and a DJ accompany the cocktails, so this is not a silent retreat once the sun has gone down. A barbecue area and a kitchen are also available, and the hotel can prepare a diet menu on request.

The private beach is the natural starting point when you want to do very little. Loungers, parasols and beach equipment are available, while the outdoor swimming pool offers a change of water without requiring a trip anywhere. Beach towels are also provided for pool and beach use.

If sitting still proves too ambitious, the resort offers kayaking, snorkelling and fishing. Boat excursions can be arranged, with outings including Phi Phi Leh, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island and Monkey Beach. A cooking class gives you something more structured to do without asking your legs to perform another expedition.

The Thai Traditional Massage service is there for the quieter recovery plan. Add the garden, terrace and solarium, and you have several ways to spend an afternoon without adding another dive to the logbook. Evening fire shows with a DJ provide the livelier option.

Airport transfers are available on request, either privately or as a shared service arranged with the hotel. Excursion assistance is also available at the resort, useful for organising boat outings and island visits without turning the reception desk into a second dive briefing.

Reception is open from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm. Check-in runs from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm and check-out is by 11:00 am. If you expect to arrive after 10:00 pm, contact the hotel in advance for the late-arrival instructions.

There is free Wi-Fi, luggage storage, laundry and ironing, a currency exchange service, a safe and room service. Visa, Mastercard, JCB and cash are accepted, while the hotel also has facilities for guests with reduced mobility. Smoking areas are available, and the accommodation is non-smoking elsewhere.