Ao Nang Phu Pi Maan Resort & Spa

Blindly book a hotel in Ao Nang, and there's a good chance you'll end up at one of the tons of basic properties on the highway that runs through town, cramped alongside restaurants, motorbike rentals, and excursion operators. For travelers hoping for some extra elbow room and a little distance from the free-for-all of the main road, Ao Nang Phu Pi Maan Resort & Spa might come as a huge relief. 

The Muslim-owned resort opened in 2011 in a residential neighborhood three blocks from the highway. This location means relative quiet in a famously uproarious area, plus room to spread out. Its entrance off the side street is marked by a bright orange sign fixed to a four-story building. A paved path leads up to the main lobby and then to Phu Pi Maan's garden pool, which is surrounded by villas. The resort continues up a hill (buggy transport available) to a larger building that houses more rooms, a second reception, and the bulk of Phu Pi Maan's features. The elevation of the main building provides beautiful panoramas of the hotel grounds, the town, and the sheer rock cliffs. 

Such spacious and peaceful grounds are really rather rare in Ao Nang. Some noise from the road will cut through, as will the loudspeaker-equipped calls to prayer at the nearby Ao Nang Mosque. (Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, but here in the deep south of the country it is mostly Muslim.) As a halal-friendly property, Phu Pi Maan has no-pork and -alcohol policies, as well as a prayer room and separate steam rooms for men and women. The hotel attracts predominantly couples for its romantically styled rooms and villas, as well as many families who benefit from the spaciousness of the units. 

Phu Pi Maan is located three blocks off of the main road in a residential area. A three-minute walk down to 4203 will bring guests to restaurants and food vendors, taxi stands, convenience stores, banks, and pharmacies. The hotel is behind Ao Nang Mosque and Muslim Street, which has a halal food court. A night market sets up on both sides of the street, with vendors selling food, clothing, and souvenirs. It's about a 20-minute walk to down Ao Nang Beach, and the hotel provides a free shuttle. (The drop-off/pick-up point is the giant marlin statue on the beach.) The ride to and from Krabi Airport takes between 25 and 30 minutes.

Ao Nang Phu Pi Maan Resort & Spa offers an enormous variety of room categories. They vary in their layout, square footage, and views, but they also have many shared elements. All have lovely traditional decor centered around dark woods and deep jewel tones and some form of outdoor space: balconies (some swim-out) in the rooms and suites and terraces in the villas. All have daybeds, flat-screen LCD TVs, free Wi-Fi, free safes, and coffeemakers with free Nescafe coffee and Lipton tea. There are nonalcoholic minibars with soda and chips and two free glass-bottled Crystal spring waters. Every room has at least a separate rainfall shower and separate tub; some rooms have whirlpools. Hot water is plentiful -- rare for the area -- and amenities include shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, combs, and vanity kits. Hairdryers, cotton robes, and slippers are provided.

Options start with 463-square-foot Deluxe Rooms and 550-square-foot, corner-positioned Deluxe Family units. Top-floor Mountain View rooms have uninterrupted cliff views; Premium Spa Mountain Views units add whirlpools on the balcony. Located on the first floor, Premium Pool Access and Premium Suite Pool Access have swim-out terraces, and there are dividable living/bedrooms in the Premium Suite Pool Access units. The Two-Bedroom Premium Suites can accommodate up to five guests, and have full kitchens, jetted tubs, and private infinity pools with straight-on cliff views. One- and two-bedroom villas are scattered around the garden pool and feature canopy beds, kitchenettes, and romantic indoor/outdoor bathrooms.

Compared to many hotels in Ao Nang, Phu Pi Maan has a lengthy list of features. Many local hotels have pools, but few have two. Phu Pi Maan's garden pool is surrounded by lush greenery and has a side of jets, a shallow section, and glimpses of the cliffs. On the deck of the main building at the top of the property, the infinity pool offers panoramic views of the famous vertical rocks, as well as a circular hot tub.

Free breakfast is offered during a four-hour period at La Faliase Restaurant, located in the main building. The buffet spread includes Western, Indian, and Thai selections -- everything from yogurts, pastries, and fruit to fried rice, pad Thai, clear soup with minced chicken, and massaman curry. Phu Pi Maan's other restaurant, Darla, focuses entirely on Thai cuisine. Room service is also available. As the hotel is fully halal, there is no alcohol or pork served on the premises.

A range of massage options, including Swedish and traditional Thai, are available at the on-site Parnmas Spa. Body scrubs (lemongrass, pomegranate, and tamarind) and facials are also available. The spa has two treatment rooms for couples, both with soaking tubs. The hotel's fitness center is open from early in morning until late at night. The facility has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the cliffs, and men’s and women’s changing rooms with rainfall showers and steam rooms. An unsupervised play room for kids is stocked with toys and climbing equipment.

Outside of the main building, a separate conference and special events facility can accommodate up to 120 people. Other features include a tour desk, a library lounge, and a prayer room. Reception is open 24 hours a day. A free shuttle bus runs on the hour all day and until late at night, although we've heard some complaints about its reliability. The bus transports guests from the hotel to the swordfish statue on Ao Nang Beach. There is also golf-cart service throughout the hotel, as the property is quite steep. Wi-Fi is free throughout.