Phi Phi Banyan Villa — Hotel in Ko Phi Phi Don

Our two-night stay at Phi Phi Banyan Villa was an absolute nightmare. Despite being the most expensive hotel of our trip, it offered nothing but disappointment and frustration. Here’s why you should avoid this place at all costs:||||1. Rock-Hard Beds – Utter Disregard for Guest Comfort:||The main bed was as hard as a rock, making it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. To make matters worse, the extra bed they provided for our child was nothing but a flimsy floor mattress—also rock-hard—and they shamelessly charged 600 Baht/day for it. When we complained and asked for a replacement, the staff arrogantly told us, “This is what we have.” Zero concern for guest comfort.||||2. Disgusting Breakfast and Horrible Coffee:||The breakfast was atrocious and borderline inedible. The coffee was an insult to the word “coffee”—it was undrinkable, the worst we’ve ever tasted. We ended up buying coffee from a nearby 7-11 every morning because even convenience store coffee was leagues better than what this hotel served.||||3. No Beach Access:||None of the rooms in this hotel have direct beach access. The property is across the road from the beach, and you must cross it to even get there.||||4. Constant Noise – Zero Soundproofing:||The rooms are poorly built with absolutely no sound insulation. We were subjected to constant noise throughout the night, making it impossible to sleep. If you value peace and quiet, forget about it here.||||5. Rude and Arrogant Staff – No Respect for Guests:||The front desk staff were outright rude and unprofessional. At checkout, they made us wait unnecessarily while they “checked the room,” as if accusing us of stealing. This was insulting and ridiculous. Their attitude was condescending and dismissive throughout our stay.||||6. No Assistance – You’re On Your Own:||Despite informing the front desk 30 minutes in advance that we needed help with our luggage to the pier, no one bothered to assist us. We were left to struggle on our own, carrying heavy luggage, and nearly missed our speedboat. The staff clearly don’t care about their guests or their experience.||||CONCLUSION:||This was hands down the worst hotel we’ve ever stayed at—not just in Thailand, but anywhere. Every aspect of the stay was a disaster: hard beds, terrible food, constant noise, rude staff, and zero professionalism. For the exorbitant price, this hotel delivers nothing but disappointment.||||Do yourself a favor: avoid Phi Phi Banyan Villa at all costs and find a better...

Our two-night stay at Phi Phi Banyan Villa was an absolute nightmare. Despite being the most expensive hotel of our trip, it offered nothing but disappointment and frustration. Here’s why you should avoid this place at all costs:

Rock-Hard Beds – Utter Disregard for Guest Comfort: The main bed was as hard as a rock, making it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. To make matters worse, the extra bed they provided for our child was nothing but a flimsy floor mattress—also rock-hard—and they shamelessly charged 600 Baht/day for it. When we complained and asked for a replacement, the staff arrogantly told us, “This is what we have.” Zero concern for guest comfort.

Disgusting Breakfast and Horrible Coffee: The breakfast was atrocious and borderline inedible. The coffee was an insult to the word “coffee”—it was undrinkable, the worst we’ve ever tasted. We ended up buying coffee from a nearby 7-11 every morning because even convenience store coffee was leagues better than what this hotel served.

No Beach Access: None of the rooms in this hotel have direct beach access. The property is across the road from the beach, and you must cross it to even get there.

Constant Noise – Zero Soundproofing: The rooms are poorly built with absolutely no sound insulation. We were subjected to constant noise throughout the night, making it impossible to sleep. If you value peace and quiet, forget about it here.

Rude and Arrogant Staff – No Respect for Guests: The front desk staff were outright rude and unprofessional. At checkout, they made us wait unnecessarily while they “checked the room,” as if accusing us of stealing. This was insulting and ridiculous. Their attitude was condescending and dismissive throughout our stay.

No Assistance – You’re On Your Own: Despite informing the front desk 30 minutes in advance that we needed help with our luggage to the pier, no one bothered to assist us. We were left to struggle on our own, carrying heavy luggage, and nearly missed our speedboat. The staff clearly don’t care about their guests or their experience.

CONCLUSION: This was hands down the worst hotel we’ve ever stayed at—not just in Thailand, but anywhere. Every aspect of the stay was a disaster: hard beds, terrible food, constant noise, rude staff, and zero professionalism. For the exorbitant price, this hotel delivers nothing but disappointment.

Do yourself a favor: avoid Phi Phi Banyan Villa at all costs and find a better...

Location is good and prices are cheap, but don't worry, they'll find ways to tack on fees for reasons you won't be able to argue against. Upon checkout, I was told I didn't return a hand towel the first night of stay: I used two the first day plus a full sized towel, then was only given one replacement the next day. It's only 250 baht for a towel, but it's a pretty sour note to leave on considering it was their mistake/disorganization, and I offered to show them everything in my bag. It would be one thing to have informed me the day of the "missing towel", but what can you do or say when it's 2 days after?

I also locked my key in my room last night and got the front desk guy to help me open the door. However, nothing but a room number was needed to get him to open the door, so that's a pretty major security flaw: not even a name for the booking was asked. Anyone can simply say they are staying in a room to gain access, take your stuff, and be gone without any questions. Did not make me feel secure. My ferry off the island is in 4.5 hours, so I left my main travel bag with concierge, but after this morning's shifty events and the lack of proper security last night, I've made the decision to just carry my bag with me until I have to depart, as I can totally see me coming back at 3pm to find out I "already grabbed my bag".

Photos are definitely older, as the rooms were not quite as warm and fresh as I was expecting. Photos of the pool were very slyly taken or edited, as I was surprised at the size of the pool (not that you would spend a lot of time there with the beach a minute away) compared to the photos I recall. If you're a light sleeper, footsteps from people coming back from partying late at night can be heard easily as the floors are rickety. The buffet was a nice touch. Otherwise, service was good, but I can't help but think it's a bait and switch to try and gain trust so they can tack on a few hundred extra baht upon checkout. Not the nicest way to end a trip, that's for sure. I would definitely choose a different place to stay if I return to Phi Phi.

*Edit: As suspected, I was able to just walk in and grab my bag from the room where all the bags of checked out guests were being held without questions. Perhaps they recognized me and the bag I left and didn't say anything, but do you want to take those chances with...