We’ve experienced everything from the most basic hostels to luxury resorts while traveling in Asia. Gotten used to tiny bathrooms, some with just a shower over the floor, where drenching the toilet as you wash yourself is just part of the package. Dealt with bugs in the shower, sandflies in the bedroom, slept in rooms with windows, rooms where only the bathroom had a window, rooms with no windows at all.
Here’s some of the places that stood out.
SS City Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Our little room was tiny but clean and in good condition, and a place we were more than happy to return to at night – just what we needed.
Nakara Longbeach resort, Koh Lanta. The nicest place by far of our whole journey – for one glorious night. (We then moved on to the cheaper Lanta Palm Beach resort, which was – more or less – next door. Still fairly nice, with a friendly and entertaining manager, though he was often nowhere to be found.)
Rainbow Guesthouse/Hostel, Bangkok. Budget accommodation – shabby but serviceable, the rooms were pretty dingy. But the location was top, the inhouse Indian restaurant was pretty rad and all around the friendly staff helped create a great vibe. Just watch out for those low ceiling fans.
Hak’s House, Siem Reap. Admittedly a little far from the town center (10-15 minutes on foot), it’s a quiet oasis with a decent free breakfast plus books and TV in the lounge.
Binh Duong 2 Hotel, Hue. Away from the backpacking street of Pham Ngu Lao, this wee hotel is still handy to everything. It’s right around the corner from a local market, close to the river, and within walking distance of plenty of eateries.
Pearl Suites Grand Hotel, Hanoi. Super friendly staff, tucked away down a quiet alley in the center of the Old Quarter, free water, tea/coffee, and an awesome breakfast – what’s not to like?
