9 Best Hotels in Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and the Andaman Coast

This resort couldn't have a better location—it's on a beach shared with just three other resorts, where the gorgeous blue water has a sandy sea floor and you can swim and snorkel year-round. Most bungalows have identical design, with parquet floors, comfortable indoor daybeds, and decks with lounge chairs. A few rooms are family-style duplexes; those numbered 100 to 118 are also beachfront. There are also hillside rooms with spectacular beach views, and an additional pool, bar, and restaurant. The Terrace Restaurant, which serves Thai and international cuisines, has splendid views of the sea, and the cliff-side satay bar is one of the few sunset viewpoints on the island. Classes in Thai culture, arts, cooking, and language are offered throughout the week. The resort offers boat service from Phuket.

Chao Koh Phi Phi Lodge is a collection of unfortunately lime-green, basic but comfortable bungalows near Tonsai Bay. There's a great swimming pool, and the resort features family-size suites. At the back of the resort there are still some budget-friendly wooden fan huts. Evenings, the lodge runs a seafood restaurant by the sea, with a nice view of the bay.

This is a small comfortable resort in the middle of Laem Tong Beach, next to the sea gypsy village. The spacious cottages all have wooden floors and ceilings with golden curtains and comforters. The beach bar is great for lazy-afternoon cocktails, and there's a small museum about the sea gypsy community that you can check out when you need a break from the beach.

Despite having undergone renovations and pushing up its prices, Paradise Resort continues to offer great value for money. Make sure to book ahead (it's popular) and don't settle for less than beachfront. These are the best sea-view rooms on Long Beach, and the other rooms aren't all that special. All rooms have tile floors and are relatively characterless, though superior rooms are slightly better than family rooms, which are far from the beach. You probably won't spend much time in your room, however, as the water is crystal clear and the tree-lined facade of the resort offers essential shade.

Every bungalow here has a large deck with a great view of both Phi Phi Lae and Tonsai Bay, though the rooms are a bit dated. The resort is on the quietest spot along Laem Hin Beach, and it's only a short (although sometimes slippery) 15-minute walk along the rocks to gorgeous Long Beach. Electric cars transfer guests from distant rooms to the reception and restaurant areas.

Beautiful sunrise views from the seaside bungalows are this resort's biggest draw. The 20 deluxe rooms along the rocky shoreline have wooden floors and Thai arts and crafts. The resort is on a hill between the north end of Laem Tong Beach and a smaller secluded beach, which is quite private but less than ideal for swimming. Budget rooms also have good views, as they are high up on the hill. Nevertheless, the restaurant here is crowded by tour groups daily at lunchtime.

On the western hillside overlooking Loh Dalam Bay, the hillside bungalows here are stacked pretty tightly next to and on top of each other, but the six beachfront bungalows will give you a little more breathing room and privacy. The outdoor bar and the pool also have outstanding views of the beach and bay.

Large thatch-covered huts in a natural setting give Phi Phi Villa a relaxing island feeling quite different from bustling Tonsai Bay, a short walk away. All bungalows have small patios with wooden handrails and spacious interiors. The resort is on a stretch of private beach where boats are prohibited from landing; the absence of the longtails that clutter Tonsai's shore makes the beach here a little more suitable for swimming, although it's still shallow and quite rocky. It's great for travelers who want to stay close to the action without being a part of it. Rooms closest to the beach are only for sound sleepers or night owls; the reverberations from Hippies Bar and Carpe Diem beach bar can be heard late into the night.