Chanchalay Hip Hostel (SHA Plus)

The staff were totally exceptional. I arrived not feeling well and was sick for a couple of days. They always checked in with me. Gave me a hot ginger drink freely to help. Extended my stay each time I asked with genuine care and hospitality. Helped carry my suitcase upstairs and generally are naturally beautiful humans. Beds and pillows super comfortable.

Not the fault of the Chanchalay however Krabi town lost water supply sometime on Saturday morning early so woke up to no water in my room. It was still not sorted as at Sunday 930am . The team at Chanchalay did their best in a big problem situation. Well done.

This was such a treat. Sadly we only stayed one night as we were passing through Krabi Town but so glad we chose to stay here. The room was very stylish, comfortable and clean. It had everything we needed and the staff were very friendly and helpful. I finished my book on the way to the hotel and exchanged it on the book swap shelf. A perfect respite for any traveller in need of some comfort and style. The night market nearby was excellent and sprawling. The cheapest eats so far in Thailand and the market is busy with local people catching up with friends and family. It made for some very wholesome ambling.

The property is in a great location, a short walk from the night market. It had my favourite blue and white colors. Its a good value for the money, and the owner helped me to arrange a taxi to take me for my flight.

I think the place has more potential if it had a more deeper cleaning – my downstairs room had dusty windows and hair in the bathroom when I arrived. There wasn't much light because it was downstairs and I needed privacy. Maybe other rooms would have been more suitable for me but they were already taken. You can also hear everything from the rooms above and next to you – so it is a good choice for 1–2 nights if you are on a lower budget.

A few of the rooms were like chalets and we stayed on one of them. It was very nice and clean. The highlight of this place is its staff. They are knowledgeable and willing to help get the most out of your trip. We ended up booking all of our tours through them. They got our breakfast ready just in time for us to go on the tour even if it was outside breakfast hours and always gave us a clean and dry towel for the beach.

The hotel is located in Krabi town. I didn't do my research and found out only when I got there that Krabi town is by the sea, but does not have a beach. It turned out that it wasn't really a problem due to the hotel booking excursions at an honest price and being so helpful. I guess most people stay in Ao Nang because of the beach, but it doesn't make much of a difference because to get to know the region, it has to be through boat tours and many people also rent scooters.

Amazing and helpful staff, amazing private room with bathroom. Fan is just as effective as air conditioning. It’s a bit fan hanging from the ceiling, which provides efficient cooling of the whole room. Lovely room aesthetic, cute colours etc. Really cool atmosphere, quiet and relaxing in the evenings. Highly recommend.

Wi-Fi could be a bit annoying. It automatically logs you out, and sometimes it’s annoying to try and log back in as it takes a few tries for it to work properly. Besides that, nothing.

Beautiful, relaxed hostel, just a 5 minute walk from the main area in Krabi. We stayed in the air-conditioned room with bunkbeds with 2 adults, 3 children (2 small children shared a bed). It was spotlessly clean, and the bedding smelt lovely. The vibe of the hostel is very zen, staff were lovely, and breakfast was good. The location was perfect as it was just off the main harbour front but far enough away from the loud traffic. We would definitely return here again.

This was my 4th time staying here since 2018, and I always have a great feeling walking in. It looks stylish, staff is very nice and helpful, rooms are clean, a/c works fine, walking distance to night market etc

Little things: Not every room has a dresser, a second night stand would be good and if you have to use the open bathroom during mid-day you have to put sunscreen on ;) Can be a bit noisy from the bars outside but they stop at a reasonable hour and usually it's quiet

- comfortable bed - the room we got first was by the street and too noisy for us, so we asked to switch, got a room that was in the backyard and so it was nicely quiet - the hosts were lovely - the half outdoor bathroom was special, (not all rooms have that), but you could shower under the stars which had something to it - our special requests were met - had the best sleep in days!

- the gaps between the wall and the window weren't completely closed, so we had mosquitos in the room and had to use a lot of repellent - maybe a second smaller towel would have been nice, but that's a minor thing

Lovely staff, really helpful and friendly. I was falling asleep as we had flown overnight and not slept well, they went out of their way to find a room for us to check in early, which they didn't have to do. Room was clean, comfortable, showers and toilet were always clean. Really liked the different common areas to chill in.

More of a Guesthouse than a hostel. As such, isn't very social so if you're looking to meet people this isn't the best bet. There were also children staying (guests) which were running around at points and making noise, which I didn't expect because I was expecting more of a hostel set up.

We stayed in a room with no AC for 2 nights total, but highly appreciated the stand fan that blew air at us because that made a huge difference versus a ceiling fan (in my opinion). The beds were firm but comfortable, and the cleanliness of the room was top-notch. The staff was also so so nice, and they were really kind in lending me an extra towel after I got mine dirty. Wifi was good, nothing to complain about - not sure how it would be for digital nomads though. Close to a night market and 711 in the area. Plus lots of cute cats around (even though I wished I could have adopted all the strays). It was a short stay and this booking was very random but pleasantly surprised at the quality, and a room with AC is not much more, so it would probably be worth it if no AC is a dealbreaker!

I'm very short so the sinks in the bathroom were a bit hard to reach lol but I wouldn't even count that as a negative if you're average height.