Baan Manthana Hotel

While Baan Manthana is a fine base for those wanting to be near the beach and city action, it does look every bit the part of a budget hotel. From the outside, it's hard to get overly excited about the hotel. With rooms and limited common areas set throughout three different buildings, it looks almost like an apartment building, which makes sense as the hotel sits right in the middle of town. Inside, while everything is reasonably clean, it's all a bit downmarket. One side looks like a storage unit, with a jumble of cardboard boxes, plus a computer, a table and chairs, and not much space. A few rattan chairs and obligatory Thai tapestries are set about the other side of the room, and a whirring ceiling fan keeps things breezy, but it's not a place to linger. In fact the hotel is mostly a functional property for those wanting a reasonably priced home base for visit the surrounding attractions. Guests are usually couples and singles on vacation. 

Baan Manthana Hotel is located in downtown Hua Hin, smack in the middle of the city's action. The Night Market is just a half-block away, making this is an excellent place to be based if you're looking for restaurants, bars, street food, supermarkets, and shops. The railway station is also close by, and the beach is a 10-minute walk from here. Unfortunately, the city-center location means lots of traffic throughout the day and gridlock at night due to the proximity to the Night Market. It's a bit farther to sights like the Cicada Weekend Market or Chopsticks Hill, which will both take 15 minutes to reach by taxi. There are no airports in Hua Hin, and the closest are all the way back in Bangkok. Drives from the city will take up to three hours depending on traffic.

There are 75 rooms spread out over three buildings, and while they are fairly basic, they do have enough amenities to satisfy -- especially for the price. All rooms include free Wi-Fi, a TV (most of which are old tube units), mini-fridges, desks, and either old fashioned wall safes in the Standard and Superior Rooms, or regular safes in the Deluxe Rooms. Deluxe Rooms also come with DVD players and electric hot water kettles for making coffee and tea. Most rooms have tiled floors and are painted light pink or off-white. There's a bit of simple, mid-tone wood-veneer furniture that includes a closet and desk, but nothing else in the way of decor.

Rooms are bright, with plenty of natural light due to the big sliding glass doors leading onto the balconies furnished with white plastic chairs. Views overlook the city streets, and be warned that noise from the bustling city is hard to escape. Bathrooms are small, and come with generic shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Standard Rooms have old-fashioned shower/tub combos, while the Superior and Deluxe Rooms have more modern shower units with rainfall showerheads. These rooms also have more counter space around the sinks. 

As a budget hotel in the middle of the city, don't expect much in the way of features here. There is no restaurant, which isn't a problem, as the Night Market is just down the street, and there are tons of restaurants and street stalls in virtually every direction once outside. The hotel does have a small swimming pool, good enough for a few laps, but it has seen better days and looks a little beat up. There are a few weathered sun loungers at one end, and there isn't much room for many guests, but it works for a refreshing dip. Other than the swimming pool, the large covered car park area is the only other facility at the hotel apart from free Wi-Fi. Staff can arrange Thai massages in the rooms for an additional fee.