Yes, Ao Nang is somewhat noisy & touristy. And the Phra Nang Inn is not 'high end' by any means. However we met up with my parents (in their late 70s) from the UK here, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our stay. My Mum is particularly glowing and reckons she couldn't fault any aspect of either the inn or its location.
The room itself was clean and a little quirky in design, but I personally like quirky. We were in room 1239 which is situated on the upper floor next to the main road and practically right above the bar. We didn't have the 'bath in the middle of the bedroom layout', and although the bathroom was a bit on the small side, we were generaly very pleased with our room. We had all the amenities we needed. The endless supply of fresh beach tools (kept by the pool) was most welcome as well. The maids were very friendly and did a generally good job. As previous reviews have mentioned, don't bother with the hotel laundry service - far cheaper option just outside the hotel.
As our room was both next to the main road and bar I feel very well placed to comment on the noise issue raised in previous reviews. I can confirm that Ao Nang street activity DOES NOT STOP at all over the 24 hour period, apart from a possible brief lull about 0400-0500hrs. The first night I spent here I thought I had made a big mistake. However 2 nights with earplugs and I was fully adjusted (and ear plug-less). My partner and parents had no problems at all. The bar music does go on until about 12, but it's some of the best live music I heard in Ao Nang and quite pleasant to drift off to.
The pool was lovely and always kept clean of leaves. I saw plenty of kids enjoying this amenity without any apparent problems. The upstairs rooms have a communal balcony outside with plenty of papasans to relax on. A particularly shady area, a welcome respite in the heat of the day. And yes mossies are about, but I don't know what else people expect in the tropics!!! A splash of repellant and that problem was dealt with effectively.
The location is excellent if you put the noise issue to one side. Straight on to the beach or main road, long tail boats extremely close to hand. One of the main reasons I chose this hotel.
The food is plentiful and quite good. Not 5*, but you're not paying for that. The staff were an absolute delight however. Yes, not many spoke fluent English. However we managed to communicate quite happily using a combination of our pitiful Thai & their pigeon English. The most striking thing about the staff though was the wonderful support they gave to my parents. They quickly adopted my Irish father as hotel mascot soon after our arrival, and were always asking how 'Mamma' and 'Pappa' were. My Dad was unfortunate enough to have a fall at the hotel, and from there on in the staff would supervise him closely (without being asked), and even rushed to his aid on the couple of occasions they observed him having difficulties on stairs. They were generally very accommodating with all our requests as well.
All in all a reasonably priced wonderful little option. If I'm ever in Ao Nang again, I would definately stay here again.
Room Tip: Don't go for the ground floor rooms - did look a little dingy. Upstairs rooms were great.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
