The Small Krabi Hotel & Resort: Pictures, Reviews and Rates

Probably the most inappropriately named hotel in Krabi, "The Small" is a hulking great building on the corner of Nopparat Thara Beach road, whose exterior is painted in a not-so-discreet bright vermilion. Admittedly, compared with its sister hotel, Krabi La Playa, it is smaller, with a comparatively few 38 rooms, and the concept is more "boutique", i.e. design-conscious, with an emphasis on high quality amenities and personal service.

Perhaps the hotel is named due to its clever design, which squeezes a lot into a relatively small area. In any case, let's leave the odd name aside and go on to look at the rooms themselves. Following on from La Playa's lead - the first hotel in Ao Nang to offer rooms with direct pool access - The Small's ground floor, past the compact triple height lobby and restaurant, is devoted to 11 pool access rooms, which share an effectively private long, narrow, glittering black tile pool. The rooms themselves are below average sized (no space for extra beds) but feel larger due to the high ceilings. All fittings are in the luxury category: custom made furniture, high quality linen, a large bathroom with walk-in shower (there is a whirlpool area for each room integrated into the balcony space in the pool). Design is spot on.

The 22 studio rooms are very similar in style to the pool access rooms, but are located on the two floors above with balconies overlooking the sea. Two mini-suites (connected by an interior door, should a family wish to share) are also on the second floor (there is a lift / elevator). These are not actually suites in the traditional sense of the word, as there is no real seating area, but they are slightly larger than the other rooms and have huge windows letting in lots of light. The twin bed mini-suite also offers a bonus large balcony area - the double bed mini-suite does not.

Three other rooms - the honeymoon and moon deck suites - are located on the top floors in a separate wing of the building and were not ready when we visited (end of January 2009), though we can assume that if they are in the same style as the rest, they will be very nice indeed!

Though there is no outdoor garden area in The Small, there is a (10 - 12m) rooftop pool and sundeck, as well as a rooftop restaurant. Each floor has a reading and relaxation area and internet access point - the whole building has WI-FI connectivity and there is also a flat panel TV, DVD player and iPod docking station in every room. Overall the feel is of a retreat for urban types who will not miss the lack of greenery.

The Small is conveniently located on the corner of Nopparat Thara beach, within walking distance of the commercial centre of Ao Nang, as well as the growing number of shops and restaurants along Nopparat Thara itself.

Interested? You can check rates and make a no obligation reservation enquiry now - click the link at the top of this page.