SE Asia Boutique Hotels: Thailand
In Southeast Asia, you can find the same international chains in most countries, as you can in the US and Europe. But there also are a lot of "boutique" choices, offering unique style at a very good value usually. Here are two that I stayed in, in Thailand
The Waterfront Bophut, Koh Samui
Room rate ~$70, including breakfast and wireless internet.
The English owners here are so friendly, and I was really impressed by the room when I first walked in. When I woke up in the morning, I was greeted by true ocean view!
Downsides were that the staff weren't all that hospitable when the owners weren't around, and I was also charged for a call that the staff placed to reconfirm a tour booking. And the local call cost $1/minute! If I came back to Koh Samui and wanted to stay around the quiet Bophut area, I would look into a new Ibis which is half the price and also located on a nicer stretch of beach.
Ban Tammila, Chiang Khong
Room rate ~$18 for aircon room, not including breakfast.
I was really nervous when I got to Chiang Khong, since none of the hotels in this little border town have websites where you can book online! So I told the tuk tuk driver to go to one of the hotels which I had read about previously online. It turned out to be a very typical looking hotel, popular with tour groups, and it was fully booked! We then walked along the main road to an alleyway with two guesthouses. The first one was dingy and dark, but then when we came to Tammila, we were blown away! The room we were offered had three facings of windows facing towards the river (and Laos on the other side).
The whole place was charming and whimsical. Breakfast was not included in the rate, but that meant that you could order from the menu featuring homemade breads, baguettes, and freshly ground coffee. When I ordered an iced latte, I was expecting cold Nescafe 3-in-1, but then I heard the whirring of the coffee grinder and out came a creation better than Starbucks!
