Chaolao Tosang Beach Hotel

“Great place right on the beach”

As long as you appreciate that Chao Lao beach and the resorts in this area mainly cater to Thai tourists, you'll have a great time. We chose this as a last minute New Year stay and didn't really have much choice and didn't know what to expect, never having been to this part of the coast before. It… more

As long as you appreciate that Chao Lao beach and the resorts in this area mainly cater to Thai tourists, you'll have a great time. We chose this as a last minute New Year stay and didn't really have much choice and didn't know what to expect, never having been to this part of the coast before. It wasn't disappointing at all. The hotel is spread out along the beach, with bungalows facing the sea as well as some in a couple of two or three storey blocks at the back of the resort. As this was last minute, and we had two children with us, we had to take one of the larger rooms on the second floor in one of the blocks at the back. There wasn't much of a view and there is no balcony in the 'A' block to dry your swimming clothes, so bear that in mind. I think block 'B' rooms have balconies. The room itself was clean, pretty well equipped, though the bathroom was a little small. If you want a view of the sea, opt for a room on the second or third floors (3rd and 4th in this part of the world, I think). Overall, we had a great stay. The staff were really friendly, helpful, and attentive. The restaurant food was really good and at prices very reasonable, though for some strange reason, beer other than Chang is really overpriced for the area. Not sure the reason for that, unless ThaiBev have a vested interest in the place. I noted that some visitors have complained a little about breakfast. Don't expect any western style options here. This is predominantly a Thai place. The Thai breakfast food was, in my opinion, excellent. It varied each day and there's a lot to choose from. The only quibble I had is with the coffee. Perhaps a couple of espresso machines would be a good idea - almost all hotels I stay at, even 2 or 3 star in the middle of nowhere, have a decent coffee machine. The pool isn't massive, but it's clean and usually busy, especially towards the end of the day when people are returning to the hotel after a day out somewhere. The sea and beach were actually a lot cleaner than I expected. My experiences of a couple of decades in Thailand have made me very wary of the condition of the sea and beaches anywhere in the gulf, unless you're out at one of the islands. Places like Cha Am and Jomtien are pretty much no go in my book if you're looking for a beach that's litter-free and sea you can swim in without being concerned about what might be lurking there. The beach was pretty much completely free of rubbish, with the odd plastic bag or bottle washed up, and the sea pretty clean and shallow, so great for kids. Can't fault the hotel, really. Choose your room carefully and come with realistic expectations and you'll have a great time.

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