Address: 216/6 Khao San Road, Phra Nakon, Banglamphu, Bangkok
Website: none
This great place is near the end of the famous Khao San Road which although noisy until 1:30am-2am from the nearby pubs and clubs, isn't right in the middle of the action to make you pull your hair out from hearing Lady Gaga right next to your ear.
The place contains three levels of single, double and twin rooms in a clean and friendly environment. There's internet in the lobby which you have to pay for but free wi fi in all the rooms. There's also a common space for travellers looking to watch some dvd's on the flatscreen tv and some tables and chairs.
Our room (400 baht per night for a fan room which was about A$13) was quite small with hardly any space to walk around but had a window and a low shelf. The fan worked well which was definitely a necessity as it gets very hot starting in the morning without an airconditioner (600 baht for an airconditioned room). The room was very clean with tiled floors and walls, but being on Khao San Road, definitely expect booming music until the early hours. The location is very convenient though, metres from one of the three 7-11 convenience stores on this road, across the road from Hungry Jacks and on top of Subway! There's also many street vendors as well in this area, as well as other cheap Thai eateries, and the main road where you can catch the local bus to other tourist attractions.
Overall, one of the best places we've stayed in so far, with clean rooms and friendly staff. Excellent location for budget travellers at a good cost- be sure to draw the curtains before the sun rises or you'll have to make do with an extremely hot and uncomfortable night ahead!
Rating: 8.5/10
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The On On Hotel- Phuket Town, Phuket, Thailand
Address: 19 Phang Nga Road, Phuket Town
Website: none
The On On is situated in the heart of Phuket Town, sandwiched between a cafe and a coffee shop which also serves as an internet cafe. It is famous for featuring in the movie 'The Beach' in 2000 with Leonardo Di Caprio where one of their rooms was shot as a dingy hotel room in Khao San Road, Bangkok. The spacious, encompassing lobby is indicative of the grander days that the hotel must have seen but which have long gone.
The hotel is very large, with some sections seemingly no longer in use. Two creaky wooden staircases lead up to the rooms on the second floor where the walls are white with dark brown beams. Just walking on the floorboards makes one feel like the whole place is going to break and crash down but the dust and emptyness of the place definitely adds to the historic atmosphere of the place (it was established in 1929) which would not be found in newer, more modern guesthouses in this town.
We checked into a room with a fan and ensuite bathroom for 250 baht per night (A$8) after viewing the rooms (which is a good idea as the first room's fan was only a small one on the wall which in this climate, would have been unbearable). The hotel also offers rooms with air conditioning. The room was large enough, with very high ceilings and a cold shower. Although old, the room and bathroom were relatively clean, with mosquito nets covering the windows.
The place is definitely one of the best value for money accommodation choices here in Phuket Town as it is basic with no wi fi and no power sockets in the rooms. To charge up electrical equipment, one must go downstairs to the lobby where there are a few sockets available, but in extremely dilapidated condition- one or two are definitely unusable. During our stay, we even saw the cover of the socket gone, with live wires hanging out of the hole. Luckily, a member of the staff noticed this and covered it up, but seeing the lack of renovation to the rest of the place, chances are that they weren't going to get it fixed which probably left only one 'safe' socket behind the tv available to use.
Speaking of renovation, the hotel could definitely use a few day's work done, especially to the power sockets, staircases, shared bathrooms (I felt sorry for the poor bastards who had to use those- they were very old and dirty with no basin or mirror) and the fans in the rooms. On several nights, we had to get up and stand in the shower to cool down because the fans (so high up on the ceilings) did nothing to circulate the air in the very hot Phuket climate. The hotel receives a steady stream of guests (probably due to its fame from the movie) so that'd be a great reason for a facelift.
Overall, a pretty good stay in Phuket Town at the On On, with its character and charm the main reasons for choosing this place above nearby guesthouses. It's probably the best value for money and in a great location (5 minutes walk to the shared bus depot to the beaches, the Downtown market and nearby cafes and second hand bookstores) so definitely top of the list for budget travellers.
Website: none
The On On is situated in the heart of Phuket Town, sandwiched between a cafe and a coffee shop which also serves as an internet cafe. It is famous for featuring in the movie 'The Beach' in 2000 with Leonardo Di Caprio where one of their rooms was shot as a dingy hotel room in Khao San Road, Bangkok. The spacious, encompassing lobby is indicative of the grander days that the hotel must have seen but which have long gone.
The hotel is very large, with some sections seemingly no longer in use. Two creaky wooden staircases lead up to the rooms on the second floor where the walls are white with dark brown beams. Just walking on the floorboards makes one feel like the whole place is going to break and crash down but the dust and emptyness of the place definitely adds to the historic atmosphere of the place (it was established in 1929) which would not be found in newer, more modern guesthouses in this town.
We checked into a room with a fan and ensuite bathroom for 250 baht per night (A$8) after viewing the rooms (which is a good idea as the first room's fan was only a small one on the wall which in this climate, would have been unbearable). The hotel also offers rooms with air conditioning. The room was large enough, with very high ceilings and a cold shower. Although old, the room and bathroom were relatively clean, with mosquito nets covering the windows.
The place is definitely one of the best value for money accommodation choices here in Phuket Town as it is basic with no wi fi and no power sockets in the rooms. To charge up electrical equipment, one must go downstairs to the lobby where there are a few sockets available, but in extremely dilapidated condition- one or two are definitely unusable. During our stay, we even saw the cover of the socket gone, with live wires hanging out of the hole. Luckily, a member of the staff noticed this and covered it up, but seeing the lack of renovation to the rest of the place, chances are that they weren't going to get it fixed which probably left only one 'safe' socket behind the tv available to use.
Speaking of renovation, the hotel could definitely use a few day's work done, especially to the power sockets, staircases, shared bathrooms (I felt sorry for the poor bastards who had to use those- they were very old and dirty with no basin or mirror) and the fans in the rooms. On several nights, we had to get up and stand in the shower to cool down because the fans (so high up on the ceilings) did nothing to circulate the air in the very hot Phuket climate. The hotel receives a steady stream of guests (probably due to its fame from the movie) so that'd be a great reason for a facelift.
Overall, a pretty good stay in Phuket Town at the On On, with its character and charm the main reasons for choosing this place above nearby guesthouses. It's probably the best value for money and in a great location (5 minutes walk to the shared bus depot to the beaches, the Downtown market and nearby cafes and second hand bookstores) so definitely top of the list for budget travellers.
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