Phi Phi Banyan Villa

Ko Phi Phi Don hotels fall into two loose categories: secluded bungalow properties scattered about the island, and lower-middle-range or mid-range hotels in the town center. Actually most of the in-town hotels could be considered lower-middle-range, as they are largely hostels for backpackers and students looking to party and hook up. While Phi Phi Banyan Villa is in town, it is decidedly more mid-range and mature. In fact, it has a no-guest policy, meaning that paying Phi Phi Banyan Villa guests can't bring back one-night stands. Past solo travelers have expressed exasperation with this rule, but most other guests praise the policy as it helps with quiet nights. (Couples make up most of the guests, followed by groups of friends and families. Guests are usually visiting from the U.K., the U.S., Australia, South Africa, Singapore, and mainland Thailand.)

Another factor in the hotel's overall quiet vibe: It's located on the south bay, a good distance from the raging-all-night bar scene on the north bay. During the day, gardeners are constantly watering, trimming, and tending to the plants in the green spaces between the two-story room buildings. The front garden near the beach road has a grassy lawn, mature trees, potted plants, and a picnic table built into an antique rickshaw, and there is also a rooftop garden with a pagoda and flowering plants and trees. From here you can see the water and the island's dramatic green mountains. 

The hotel isn't incredibly modern -- its last major renovation was in 2009 -- but there is nothing egregious about its style, maintenance, or service. An on-site water tower next to the pool may seem unsightly, but it ensures that there's decent water pressure in the showers (a common shortcoming at other hotels). Most past guests recommend the property for its central-but-quiet location, sweet staff, and solid amenities -- including free breakfast at the beachfront restaurant and the best hotel gym on the island. 

Phi Phi Banyan Villa has a great location in Tonsai, a three-minute walk down the beach road heading east from the pier. New arrivals can look for the hotel's massive banyan tree on the left and its beachfront Tonsai Seafood Restaurant on the right. Because the hotel is in town, there are all manner of tourist conveniences surrounding it: coffee shops, bakeries, laundry facilities, massage parlors, banks, guesthouses, restaurants, tour operators, dive schools, and Thai pancake stands. Although it's super-central to everything in the village, it's on the opposite side from the bars pumping out loud music until all hours of the night, which are mostly along or near the north bay. Ferries to Phuket and Krabi leave from Tonsai, and both mainland towns have international airports. Ferry trips to Krabi and Phuket take about two hours.

Phi Phi Banyan Villa's 40 rooms are either located in the Banyan wing or the Garden wing. Banyan wing rooms have an older style, with wood walls and floors. Rooms located in the Garden wing are more modern. These units have white-tile floors, white and cream-tile walls, and pale wood panels behind the beds.

Despite their stylistic differences, all rooms contain the same amenities. Each room has a flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge (not a stocked minibar), a safe, and an electric kettle with ceramic coffee mugs and free coffee and tea. Free bottled water is provided daily. All rooms have a balcony or a terrace, but the ones in the Garden wing are more private; they have full walls dividing them from the neighboring balconies, whereas the balconies off the Banyan rooms are only divided by half-walls. All balconies and terraces have wooden porch furniture and face the gardens or pool. 

Rooms have air-conditioning, which is activated by the room key, a system that isn't always embraced. Past guests have complained about returning to a hot room (the hotel only distributes one key per room), but this is an energy-saving measure, plus most agree that the powerful AC units cool rooms down quickly.

Bathrooms have walk-in showers with hand-held -- not rainfall -- showerheads. The water pressure is consistently strong thanks to the hotel's on-site water tower. Towels and shower gel, shampoo, and bars of soap are provided. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms.

Nearly everyone who stays at Phi Phi Banyan Villa is very impressed by the hotel's fitness center, and we found that reputation well deserved. While most Phi Phi hotel gyms (if they have one at all) are a few pieces of old equipment in a thatch hut, this property has a dedicated, enclosed, air-conditioned building. It feels like a real gym, and non-guests treat it like one, paying the receptionist a fee to access the facilities. The fitness center has a full set of weight machines and cardio equipment, as well as a yoga studio, a boxing ring, a terrace with ocean views, and a juice/coffee bar serving protein shakes. Separate and modern locker rooms for men and women contain showers, a changing area, and a steam room. Both locker rooms have outdoor areas with a wood sauna and rainfall showers. Phi Phi Banyan Villa's gym is easily the best one on the island. 

The hotel has a nicely landscaped pool with a shallow section and outdoor showers. Loungers with blue cushions are spread around, but guests often note that there are not enough. There is also a rooftop garden with flowering plants and trees, a pagoda, and views of the village and the steep island bluffs.

A free breakfast is served across the beach road at the hotel's restaurant, Tonsai Seafood. In addition to cereal, toast, juice, and coffee, there is a made-to-order omelet station. Most guests love eating breakfast right on the beach, where white plastic tables are set up in the sand by the tied-up long-tail boats. For lunch and dinner, the restaurant specializes in seafood and Thai dishes. It displays its fresh offerings -- lobster, crabs, prawn, fish -- in a colorful long-tail boat by the walking street.

Computers for guest use are located near the coffee/juice bar in the fitness center, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.