Koh Tao Homestays

We started in a private room in the hostel and it was great! The room was large and the air conditioning worked well. There was a desk and a lovely little balcony with a table and chairs. A safe in the room and the internet worked well. The room and bathroom was very clean and it had a large size refrigerator. The hostel staff were very friendly and had English people working there. After 11 pm it was very quiet! No noise keeping you up! Across the road is a large supermarket and it’s a short walk to the beach where there are some nice restaurants

Let’s be clear: this hostel/hotel is exactly what it says it is on the web site. It’s a stylish boutique property in good condition. We had a private room for THB1900 and it met our expectations. Bed linens were crisp and the room felt very clean. I was happy to find decent shampoo and shower gel and even toothbrushes and ear buds in the bathroom. There are large common areas on each floor for lounging around in. Staff were friendly and as check in was strictly 2pm we left our bags while we went out for lunch across the road on the beach. At 2pm, check in was fast but almost uniquely in Thailand they do not accept payment with Thai QR codes (and they charge 3% on Visa/MasterCard). This implies they really don’t expect Thailand residents to stay here or to buy food and drink from the restaurant because Thai QR codes are accepted everywhere from the smallest street vendor selling THB99 cocktails. It’s inexplicable and they missed our extensive spend on drinks, food, and breakfast because everywhere else we went on Koh Tao takes this ubiquitous QR code. I had to find a Bangkok Bank ATM to withdraw the THB1900 in cash because we live in Samui and don’t carry much cash any more. As well as the bathroom supplies, the room has a safe, fridge, and four large towels. I was expecting a kettle and there’s no communal kitchen to boil water so we went without morning coffee (I’d brought an Aeropress). The aircon in the room was strong. Soundproofing is relatively poor with returning partygoers waking us up multiple times during the night. There was a savage stink of sewerage in the bathroom in the morning. We spent our last morning before 12pm check out on the rooftop pool which is a lovely area. There’s a bar up there that apparently opens in the afternoon but we didn’t try it because of the QR payment issue and had drinks by the beach instead. This is a classy hostel that is ideally located in the middle of the Sairee Beach walking street for all the beachfront bars and restaurants. It’s less rustic and better designed than many of the older cabins and cottages along the beach and I hope they can maintain it in its present condition.

THE BEST HOSTEL I STAYED AT IN THAILAND. Apologies for shouting, but I had an incredible experience of staying in the Dearly hostel. Hostel/Dorms: I stayed for a week in a female dorm which I would recommend - sheets changed every 3 days, new towels available daily if needed, clean and nice smelling space, and comfortable beds that were not bunk beds. Modern and fresh decor with partitions between beds for more privacy. Such a simple and smart solution! Lovely and friendly cleaning ladies as well:)) The hostel itself surrounded by palm trees; I would definitely recommend to check out their common space on the 3rd floor (pictures attached). Shared Bathroom: clean, modern and nicely smelling bathrooms with shampoo and soap provided in the showers. Diving: I did the PADI open water course organised via dear hostel. As I was staying for a week the hostel offers a good deal for the accommodation combined with diving. The big advantage is a deep swimming pool at the hostel where you can practise diving skills before going into the open water. The swimming pool itself was great - they use salt instead of chlorine, which is both appreciated for the skin and hair. I would definitely recommend the diving instructor we had - Fam - who made us feel comfortable and ready to move from the swimming pool to open water diving. When speaking with other people staying in the hostel they also had a very positive experience with their diving instructors. Social: the hostel organised daily activities which were written on the blackboard in the lobby. I have not participated in many as I have been diving/studying for diving at the time, but it sounded like a good opportunity to meet other ppl. Personally, I made the most connections in my dorm bed and during breakfasts:) really great people and smiley faces with people wanting to be approachable. For partying we were going to the Sairee beach part of the island. This is not a party hard hostel, but it had a very good atmosphere of pre-drinks before going out and having a beer with some friends. Staff: very helpful, attentive and accommodating staff. Good email communication as well:) Breakfast: served 7-10 am; very useful to have it in the hostel when doing morning dives; everyday breakfast included toast, pancakes, fruit in coconut milk, and a rice/rice noodle dish. This was the first hostel breakfast I could eat in Thailand as I have food allergies and the rice/rice noodle dish was always very tasty. I recommended this hostel to three of my travel friends & all really enjoyed their stay here. For me, there is no other hostel alternative on Koh Tao ;) definitely will be back for another diving session! Thank you!

Located in Koh Tao, Samatha Bed & Breakfast is near the beach, within a 5-minute walk of Sairee Plaza and Sairee Beach. This guesthouse is 0.6 mi (0.9 km) from Island Muay Thai and 1.2 mi (1.9 km) from Mae Haad Clinic.Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access. This guesthouse also features a television in a common area, tour/ticket assistance, and a picnic area.Grab a bite to eat at the guesthouse's restaurant, which features a bar/lounge, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours).Featured amenities include luggage storage, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 6 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and minibars. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.

Worst place I have stayed in 5 months of traveling. I am still in shock at the behaviour of the staff here, particularly from ‘Pu’. We were lied and threatened. Staff only care about money. The problems we faced in summary: •Many electric power cuts (obviously no one’s fault) •air conditioner not working when we arrived to our room •broken safely locks on inside of door of room •having to spent 2 hours of our evening until midnight having to wait for the air conditioner to try to be fixed, with no success. Air conditioner was still broken so then had to pack all our stuff very late at night to move. •Being lied to by a staff member called ‘kee’. We were told by a staff member ‘Kee’ on the phone at night we would have to stay in a very hot room and said we would have to wait until the morning. She told us there was no other rooms. This was a lie and not true as the maintenance man who came later said there was a room. We had to ask her again and again to call the maintenance man who she said had gone to sleep. Again this was not true. As he came back to help us move rooms. •Threatening and shouting from a staff member called ‘Pu’. In the morning we went down to reception at 9:30am as we had not heard anything from the hotel and we were unsure on the room situation and wanted to express that we were upset that ‘kee’ had lied to us but were thankful for having our room changed. We were told we had to leave by Pu as new guests were going to stay in the room we had moved into. We were offered only 500baht refund. When we had booked for 2 nights for a total of 3460baht. When we expressed we had no place to stay and we would like a full refund due to the air conditioning issues and having to pack and move. This is when Pu (the receptionist) became very defensive and showed no kindness or understanding that we now had no place to stay now. She even said we had to pack our bags in 10minutes time and leave, otherwise she threatened to take 400baht off the refund. She said that we had to leave before the official check out time of 11:30am because us being in the room is costing her money with the use of electricity. We explained we needed time to find another place to stay but she kept saying I will take 400baht off the refund. Pu would not give the refund until we had packed our stuff and got a man to check the room. They do not care about customers, it is clear they only care about money. Kindness goes a long way and they certainly do not have any.

We ate breakfast here the first morning we came to koh tao and ate every meal here since, untill leaving koh tao. Breakfast and dinner are both very good. A lot of variety and everything tasted great! Very friendly english speaking staff aswel. Great price for the quality.

Located in Koh Tao, Sarin Guesthouse is near the beach, within a 5-minute walk of Mae Haad Pier and Mae Haad Bay. This guesthouse is 0.6 mi (1 km) from Mae Haad Clinic and 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from Jansom Bay.Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access.Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, luggage storage, and laundry facilities. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 6 guestrooms featuring refrigerators. Cable television is provided for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include safes and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.

With a stay at JS Guesthouse in Koh Tao, you'll be near the beach, just a 2-minute walk from Mae Haad Clinic and 7 minutes by foot from Mae Haad Pier. This guesthouse is 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Sairee Beach and 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Ko Nang Yuan.Take in the views from a terrace and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and tour/ticket assistance.Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge.Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, laundry facilities, and coffee/tea in a common area. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 12 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and complimentary toiletries.

Kind on the pocket...Sairee Sairee Guest House is clean, basic, affordable accommodation, simply decorated in a contemporary industrial style. The room is adequately appointed with everything you need including both a/c and ceiling fan, television, safe, ensuite bathroom with shower gel and shampoo; and there's a little verandah on which to chill. It's not luxury, but it's perfect.....comfortable and spacious and excellent value. We stayed for over a week and we were very happy there, slept well and would definitely stay there again. The location is perfect, close to the beach, popular eating spots, bars, pharmacy, 7-Eleven, grocery stores, clothing boutiques, tattoo shops, mo-ped hire etc. There is an onsite restaurant. It's not the cheapest in town but not very expensive. We ate there on our last night and we were super impressed with the food. They also do a good cup of tea, especially when paired with their chocolate brownie....a winner after hiking the steep hills of the island. The owners were just lovely and the staff all very friendly and helpful. Definitely a winner!!!

It's a nice hotel but unfortunately it's extraordinarily loud even if you stay in a room opposite the bar street. If you like to party and don't mind the noise it can work, but if you need quiet then this is a place to avoid.