From the moment me and Katja stepped foot into the Phi Phi Island Cabana I knew I was in for a treat – sweaty, turtling my rucksack and camera bag, barefoot and pretty hungover I stepped into the reception lobby, greeted by a friendly staff member with an ice cold glass of orange juice…the perfect welcome!
The place is MASSIVE – in fact the hotel borders both sides of the island, straddling the centre of the beautiful landscape – with the front entrance on the pier side (a minute walk from the ferry) and the back onto the horseshoe bay which is the centre of Phi Phi nightlife.
I must admit though I felt slightly out of place checking into a place of such grandure in my usual backpacker state – I would love to know what the rich German family checking in behind me thought they’d let themselves in for! But occasionally a bit of flashpacking is in order, a dabble of luxury amongst the 15 bed backpacker dorms I’ve been living in for the best part of the year.
And luckily AsiaRooms.com came through and hooked me up with 5 nights of double room, air con, en suite bliss!
Negotiating the slightly maze like gleaming white corridors with a porter lugging our baggage (something I had never really experienced before, and felt slightly uncomfortable with as keeping my bag on me has become second nature now!) we arrived at our room and as the door swung open the room before us had me grinning like a Cheshire cat!
The double room was airy and spacious, with a sea view balcony to match. The en suite bathroom with hot water (oh the joys!) was an equally pleasant surprise.
Complete with air con, a mini bar (dangerous!), huge king size bed and in room safe I was happy to based in it for a while, and the look on Katjas face was priceless!
Over the next few nights we made the most of the facilities – relaxing in the HUGE pool within the complex which overlooks the beach, ordering in room massages (no happy ending!), relaxing on the balcony in the evening with an ice cold rum and coke and generally enjoying some serious down time in a comfortable private room which was made even sweeter by the fact when we returned every evening it had been cleaned from top to bottom!
After tucking into the free morning breakfast – an epic buffet feast of made to order omelettes, thai dishes, pancakes, fresh fruit juice and some seriously strong coffee – the location of the PPIC means it’s easy to explore the island.
Within a few strides from the front door are a whole host of restaurants and a couple minutes will bring you into the main part of Phi Phi where food, shopping and bars line the street, and of course you can decide which beautiful beach you wish to spend the day topping up your tan on!
Cost wise I’ll be honest – it’s a full on flashpacking affair, with double rooms starting at around £130 per night! But I was also surprised at the amount of younger people staying there and chilling by the pool – unless of course they’re being savvy backpackers and sponging up the facilities! If so good on them!
Still if you’re looking to treat yourself or have a bit more cash to splash its an amazing place to stay.
My only real gripe is the fact that although all rooms have wifi it’s not included, and at 120 baht per hour (about £2) it’s not cheap to work as a blogger from there! However there are plenty of cafes nearby who are more than happy to give you free access to the web so it’s an easy flaw to get around.
Overall I was stoked with the place – look at the pics, who wouldn’t be stoked with that place?! And although it lacked the communal vibe of hostel life the pleasant and friendly staff always had a smile on their face.
The perfect way to take a break from the backpacker bubble.
Facilities – 4/5 (would’ve been 5/5 if the wifi was free!)
Location – 5/5
Cleanliness – 5/5
Value – 3/5 (simply due to the fact the price tag is pretty hefty!)
** I received a complimentary stay at the Phi Phi Island Cabana courtesy of AsiaRooms.com – but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own**
Nice write up Chris, looks like you a great time!
indeed i did Ben – it was like a holiday from my holiday!
Currently planning 3 months in thailand/indonesia with my boyfriend and your website has been invaluable- thankyou! Wondering if you have any suggestions of cheaper places to stay on Phi Phi? Thinking more like very basic bungalows than hostel/hotel rooms…
Wow, Phi Phi Island in one of the place that I wanted to visit. I read reviews about it and it is so good like you can relax, refresh and unwind. Additional to the reviews is this post, thanks to this Chris. Excited to be there with friends and for sure it will be a memorable experience.