There is something quite uniquely special about boutique hotels from design elements which creates personality for the hotel to the personality of the staff. Boutique hotels tend to also stray away from typical styles most of big named hotels have and tend to blend in with the environment that they are in which can really help enhance your experience even if you don’t spend a lot of time in your hotel room. Boutique hotels in Southeast Asia have been some of my favorite hotel experiences and I’m excited to share my top five favorite boutique hotels in Southeast Asia!
MUCA Boutique Hotel- Hoi An, Vietnam
Has a 95% positive rating and ranks #10 out of 81 hotels in Hoi An on Trip Advisor
The Ancient City of Hoi An quickly became one of my favorite cities in Vietnam. It’s known for the calico of beautiful lanterns made here which light up the nights. While there we booked 6 nights at the MUCA Boutique and fell in love with it. The hotel has bicycles guests can use for free and the beach is only a 15 minute bike ride. The location of the hotel is a bit out of the way from the historic area, about a 30 minute walk, but the hotel provides free shuttle service.
Frangi Pani II- Siem Reap, Cambodia
Has an 85% positive rating and is ranked 114 out of 340 for hotels in Siem Reap on TripAdvisor
My favorite flowering tree is the frangi pani, also the name of my favorite boutique hotel, Frangi Pani II, in Siem Reap. The room we had was plush, had great air conditioning, a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by frangi pani trees and lounge chairs and by far they had probably the most hospitable and friendly staff. We stayed here to be near Angkor Wat which was a great decision because a tuk tuk ride was only 10 minutes. While it’s not right next to the busy pub streets, it’s only a 10 minute walk to that area.
Abi Bali – Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia
Has a 85% positive rating and is ranked #17 of 37 for hotels in Jimbaran on TripAdvisor
When you’re in Bali, you obviously want to be right by the beach, but let me introduce you to the Abi Bali. The Abi Bali is in Jimbaran and is a 5 minute drive, but a 30 minute walk up hill from the beach. The great thing is that the hotel offers a free shuttle you just have to let them know where you want to go. I liked this hotel because it had everything I pictured a hotel in Bali to have, minus a beach view. The massive rooms have an outdoor bathroom including an outdoor shower! Some rooms even have a private pool, our room did not, but there was a pool only a few feet away.
Lilu Hotel- Pai, Thailand
Has a 61% positive rating and is ranked #13 of 25 for hotel in Pai on TripAdvisor
Pai is a beautiful town in northern Thailand surrounded by lush green vegetation. While in Pai, we stayed at the Lilu boutique hotel which was located very conveniently near the bus stations, night market and river. The hotel room was spacious in that it actually had a bedroom, a long hallway leading to the bathroom and an area with a couch an television. While the decor was minimal, there was also lovely art work displayed around the room.
Dodol Lembongan- Nusa Lembongan, Bali Indonesia
Has a 85% positive rating and is ranked #21 out of 57 for hotel in Nusa Lembongan on TripAdvisor
Nusa Lembongan is only 30 km south off the coast of Bali. It’s a dry desert island with a quaint personality and probably one of the best places to watch the sunset. One of the best places on the island to catch it, is actually Dodol Lembongan which is a cliff side set of villas with only 6 accommodations. The rooms are not actually cliff side but there are cabanas facing the seascape as well as a swimming pool. You of course can still hear the crashing of the waves while in bed. The location offers a feeling of being secluded even though you’re only a 10 minute rickshaw ride down to the “busy” area of the island. While we were there, we had a chance to go snorkeling and swim amid beautiful coral reefs and alongside massive mantas!
What are some of your favorite boutique hotels that you have stayed in recently?
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