This was the cheapest Thailand hotel I’ve ever stayed at.
Tea Tree Boutique at Rawai Beach was $3 per night!
That’s not a typo – it really was only $3 per night when I had booked the hotel. The regular price fluctuates between $75-$110 per night.
Talking about ‘regular price’, when I booked the hotel via Agoda, I was thinking this can’t be for real.
I mean $3 per night, really?
Tea Tree Boutique Resort offers large rooms, a nice swimming pool (open 24/7), a bar area and is located in a quiet, secluded area.
How is it possible that such a nice hotel is so inexpensive?
Surely, there must be a catch …
The pool is pretty nice. There’s also a small balcony.
At the time of my stay, they were doing some minor restorations near the pool area.
Nothing that interfered with my stay or diminished the quality of my experience.
Cheapest Thailand Hotel (EVER)
I vividly remember the moment I found this hotel on Agoda.
I was at another hotel in Patong and interested in checking out other parts of Phuket, so I searched for Phuket hotels and then sorted listings based on price.
During low season, it’s fairly easy to find a guest-friendly Phuket hotel room for less than $10 per night. Such a hotel room will usually be in the Patong area and it will be somewhat basic – no breakfast included and often times not even a pool area.
Basic doesn’t mean it’s lacking anything important though – it’s simply not a fancy place, that’s what I mean.
Anyway, I saw the $3 listing on Agoda and instantly thought it must be a glitch – either that or once I make the actually booking, it will be rejected.
Oddly enough, the payment went through and booking was confirmed.
Can this be for real?
Booking confirmed, the hotel has good ratings. Surely it can’t be the room shown in the pictures. Perhaps they will have me stay in some closet, I thought.
Turns out, the $3 per night was a special promotion in order to collect reviews on Agoda. Upon arrival, the owner greeted us.
Why The Low Price? $3 Per Night?
The owner of Tea Tree Boutique is Dutch – he explained that he wanted to spread the word and offering such insane deals from time to time helps with that.
Tea Tree Boutique is a small hotel with (as far as I can remember) around 20 rooms in total.
Family-owned and the only people you’ll see there (in addition to other guests) is the owner (and his father who previously owned the hotel) and 1-2 additional staff.
The hotel is 30 minutes by taxi from Patong.
Other than a small few bars with unattractive women, there isn’t much nightlife in the area.
Is Tea Tree Boutique Guest-Friendly?
I don’t know and I’d guess no one has ever brought a random girl to his hotel there.
The hotel really is for couples or families.
Perfect place to bring a girl with you to chill – there is nothing else nearby (super quiet). The closest 7-Eleven is 10 minutes walking distance.
If you are thinking about staying there – below are the pros & cons.
PROS
The pool is open 24/7. This is fantastic as I liked to go for a swim or just hang out there even past midnight. I’m thinking this is only possible because it’s a small family-owned hotel. Most hotels in Thailand close the pool area at around 10PM.
It’s super quiet and there is no noise disturbance. That’s because there is nothing else in the area.
WiFi is fast enough for both watching 4K videos on YouTube and uploading large files (such as videos).
The rooms are being cleaned daily.
There was no deposit required upon checking in. Most hotels of in that price range ask for a 2000-3000 Baht deposit.
CONS (SOME NEUTRAL)
In the middle of the woods; nothing nearby. I mean nothing, really. No shopping malls. No street stalls. No restaurants.
Rawai Beach is the only place at which I needed to book a taxi in advance. There are so few taxis driving past the hotel that you are left with no other option. Taxi back to Patong, Phuket was around 700 Baht.
Closest 7-Eleven is 10 minutes walking distance. There is a Family Mart around the corner but it isn’t well-stocked. Very limited selection (sadly, that’s the case with most convenience stores in Phuket – even 7-Eleven).
Few bars in the area; only nightlife area within walking distance is Laguna Night Club, which is home to a few bars and a nightclub. When I was checking it out (Saturday night) it wasn’t busy at all and the nightclub wasn’t even open.
Conclusion
Should you stay at Tea Tree Boutique? If you come across a similar promotion, don’t hesitate to book. At $3 per night, it really is (was) a no-brainer.
I personally wouldn’t stay there for the regular price.
$100 is a bit too much for my taste. $30 per night? Sure – especially if I am with a girl already then it’s a great deal.
Lastly, factor in taxi costs. Getting there (and going anywhere), you will need a taxi. There aren’t many around in the area which could mean that you need to book a taxi in advance = expensive.