BlueSotel Krabi

With 190 rooms on seven floors, BlueSotel is among the bigger hotels in Ao Nang. It's set slightly back from the main road, separated from the busy sidewalk by its parking lot, which is big enough for large tour buses. A string of country flags from around the world stretches across the cavernous lobby and a row of world clocks line one wall -- good indicators of the international clientele this hotel attracts, including Europeans (especially Scandinavians), Malaysians, Chinese, Singaporeans, South Africans, Indians, and Australians. In the couches by the front desk, big groups wait around with piles of suitcases and bags, killing time before checking in to their rooms or loading back on to their motor coach. Teens kick back with their phones and young siblings play games on the hotel's computer. A lobby bar/Segafredo coffee counter separates the reception from BlueSotel's main restaurant, an airy double-height room where the breakfast buffet is set up each morning. Beyond this soaring entrance area, the hotel's main public space is its huge rectangular pool, where a swim-up bar starts serving beer and strawberry daiquiris to groups of friends starting soon after breakfast. 

Guests are a mixture of families, couples, and large tour groups. Overall, the hotel is a good pick as it is clean, contemporary, and well-located near Ao Nang's beach. A closer inspection will reveal that this is one of the many Ao Nang hotels that have been thrown up in recent years, as evidenced by some cheap materials, such as already-crumbling bathroom tiles and easily nicked composite-board room furnishings. Also, when BlueSotel went up in 2016, its neighbor to the west, Ava Sea Resort, didn't yet exist. Now, some Ava Sea rooms have clear views of many of the balconies at BlueSotel.

The walk from BlueSotel's front door to the beach takes about 9 minutes, but this distance bothers few guests. That's because the hotel sits right on the main road that cuts through the center of Ao Nang, and it's packed with massage shops, street-food vendors, beach bars, mini-marts and pharmacies (there is a Boots down the block), motorbike rentals, laundry drop-offs, adventure tour outfitters, mini-marts, and other hotels. (Many of them, including BlueSotel, are new to the scene, and more are on the way, as seen by the town's numerous half-built hotels and crane-equipped construction sites.) The drive from the hotel to Krabi Airport takes 30 minutes. 

Rooms are in line with what you'd expect from the hotel's sleek and modern exterior. They're equally contemporary-feeling, with a color scheme of pale and cornflower blues, grays, and beiges. Yellow armchairs give a small burst of brightness and blue-and-white chevron-print pillows add some graphic appeal. 

The hotel has eight room types, ranging from the entry-level, 390-square-foot Superior Rooms to the two-person Deluxe Sweet 1 and 2 (463 and 570 square feet, respectively), which have whirlpools on the balconies. Notable room categories in between are the Deluxe Family Rooms (both 463-square-foot Triples and 570-square-foot Quads are available) and the 410-square-foot Deluxe Pool Access Rooms. The latter is the most popular category at BlueSotel, and, as their name spells out, they have staircases on their patios leading right into the pool. These rooms come with cushioned patio loungers, pool towels, cotton kimono-style bathrobes, and slippers.

Superior, Deluxe, and Deluxe Pool View Rooms are all 390 square feet, and can be set up with extra beds upon request. Superior rooms look onto neighboring hotels, while the Deluxe level overlooks either the pool (specify Deluxe Pool View) or the towering rock mountains. Deluxe Sweets, all Family Rooms, and the Pool Access have sofa beds.

All rooms feature 43-inch flat-screen LED TVs, free safes, minibars (canned Chang, Singha, and Coke, for a fee), free Nescafe coffee and tea, and two free bottles of water per day (you can also buy cold bottled mineral water from the minibar). Peek-a-boo bathrooms have separate showers and bathtubs -- this is quite rare in Ao Nang, where most hotels just have walk-in showers. In the Deluxe Sweet units, the walk-in showers open out directly to the balcony, where there is an outdoor jetted tub (presumably a more exciting feature before the now-neighboring AvaSea hotel was built right next door). The hotel provides a good selection of toiletries, including cotton swabs, shower caps, minty shower gel, and conditioning shampoo. Note that the BlueSotel's drainage system, like many local hotels, is sensitive, so the hotel asks that toilet paper be thrown away instead of flushed. 

Free Wi-Fi is standard in all rooms, but note that on our 2018 trip, we couldn't find enough power sockets to charge our phone, laptop, and camera all at once. Upper-floor rooms have views of the sea and get tons of natural sunlight, but there's another caveat: The midday heat from all that beautiful sunlight can be so powerful, it renders the A/C nearly pointless. And one final word of caution: BlueSotel went up as part of Ao Nang's recent hotel boom, and signs of its slapdash assembly can be seen in the form of cheap furniture, some already chipped; flaked paint; and the occasional poorly installed fixture, such as the seal strip that fell off the shower door during our stay. 

Concerning hotel features, BlueSotel covers all of the basics. Its pool is one of the largest in town, though most of the shade is provided by the neighboring hotel, as there are only two palm trees. (The main pool at Panan is bigger and better landscaped.) The pool's swim-up bar is populated from late morning till mid-evening with a steady stream of bronze boozers wanting a cold beer or coconut shell cooler. (The bar sells light meals, too.) Upbeat music is on play, but the scene stays mellow. Guests can also order drinks from the hotel's lobby bar, which serves cocktails, wine, and coffee during the day.

BlueSotel's full restaurant opens up toward the street so guests feel connected to the going-ons outside. Certain room rates (but not all) include buffet-style breakfast, where options run from strawberry yogurt, fruit, pastries, and silver dollar pancakes to spaghetti Bolognese and baked chicken to chicken soup with rice, pad Thai, fried rice, and stir-fried mixed vegetables. An egg station offers fried, scrambled, or boiled eggs or omelets. Lunch and dinner feature a la carte menus with Thai and Western menu items, like massaman curry and Hawaiian pizza. Room service is available until early evening. 

Blue Orchid Spa uses Jurlique products and offers Thai massages and 60-minute facials -- deep cleansing, hydrating, or anti-aging. Next door, the hotel's fitness room has three treadmills, an elliptical, a bike, a multi-use workout bench, and a set of free weights. A conference room that can sit up to 80 is available for meetings and events, and a computer near reception is free for guest use. Wi-Fi is free throughout.