This place is one of the best value rooms we have ever stayed in, and we are frequent budget travelers.

We stayed 4 nights in jan 2012 and will most definitely be back. Something we noticed during our stay is how hard they are working to improve and add value, they obviously take note of what feedback they receive.

The positives:
* as noted the rooms are huge, cleaned daily and well appointed. The sheets and covers are soft, wifi works really well, air con is quiet, cable Telly, basic kitchen, nice towels supplied, fridge, balcony. There were no signs of bed bugs or creepy crawlies.
* the second day we arrived they opened their own breakfast service in their cafe and not the Indian joint. Their breakfast was way better with pastries, more food choices including soup and rice and filter coffee.
* they also opened the pool bar while we stayed here and it is pretty awesome. 90 baht cocktails which are ace, and a full drinks menu, plus snacks.
* the pool is great! Yeah it is a bit old, but we saw the. Cleaning it and there are two kiddie pools.
*the area is really interesting. Smattering of tourist shops and then local places to eat, including an issan place, a Muslim curry stand, grilled meat joint and so on. Feels like a small village.
* we found the staff so friendly and gorgeous, especially Nu, the receptionist and cha, the manager. I heard they changed management recently, so maybe that's why? They were so friendly to the kids.
-* there is a functional gym which I used daily. I did bring my own towel as the place needs a serious vacuum!
Negatives
* like much of Asia, there is a bit of a funky toilet smell that wafts in. I have smelled this even at 5 star joints. It's a plumbing issue. It does come in the air con unit a bit, it's true, but not really badly. You do get used to it, especially after about 5 mins.

* the place is a little rough around the edges. The shower curtains are spotted with mould, there are black marks on the walls and if you look around the place some things are a little old, but hey, it's Thailand and the rooms are $30AUD a night! What do people want? If you want total perfection, go to the sherAton and pay 4 times the price!
* on price, due to the Sheraton, prices in the village are inflated. However, there have been recent floods and that has apparently affected everything.
* no public transport to ao nang

Basically it's a total gem. A resort feel with rough edges for the price of a Vietnamese pho meal for
3 in Melbourne!

Some tips:
The esan food place about 200m down on the left (same side as Check inn) is great. The place called balini a few doors up is also terrific, more expensive (150-200 baht mains) but incredible.
There is a beach front restaurant (cut through Sheraton to get to beach quick, although the Main road is an interesting walk) next to Sheraton is pretty good. Not ace, though their alcoholic smoothies are very nice! A little pricey for what you get.

The massage place on the beach is better and cheaper than those on the road.

Big room would be nice if it was clean properly and daily. Sightings of a rat in the room. Can not use the AC because it brings the smell of feces. Non-english speaking non-smiling staff. Poor breakfast.

The worst place we have ever stayed in Thailand - full of bedbugs and cockroaches. It had so good reviews so we were not sure it actually was the same "hotel" - the rooms are big but that is the only positive I can say about this place - don't know were the others got the super clean from. Rundown and worn-out rooms, pool and restaurant - should called; "Don't Check in - crappy" at least it cannot be called a resort. Poor non-responsive, non-English speaking personal - not even the usual friendly Thai smile and greetings from anyone. Dirty pool - the pool bar haven't been open for years. Breakfast was cold and dull. Bad housekeeping - we had ask for cleaning at 1800 in the evening even if the "make up room sign" had been on the door from early morning. Bed linen full of holes but the bedbugs loved it. They didn't want to change our room - even if it was noisy (street noise and A/C units on the wall that was shaking the rooms all night), the bed had bugs and there was cockroaches (in both room we had booked). Far from the beach and all tour and restaurant prices much higher in the area due to Sheraton Hotel just across - the taxi pirates takes 500 Thai bath for a ride to Ao Nang. Not worth staying here - even if the price is low, so just don't "check in".

Massive rooms with 2 queen beds and a balcony. If you need 2 rooms think about only getting one to save costs (if practicle). Not much english spoken but warm and helpful staff. Pool is huge and very nice during the heat of Thailand. Great restaurants etc just down the road along with Travel Bureaus which appear on every corner. The motel is actually in Ao Nang and this area is booming, about 20 minutes out of Krabi. Like all motels in Thailand the mattress is rock hard.