Hotels

Tucked along the quiet shores of Thailand’s Andaman coast, JW Marriott Khao Lak Beach Resort & Spa offers a slower, more spacious alternative to Phuket’s high-energy resort scene. Located about an hour and a half north of Phuket International Airport, the resort is perhaps the largest in the entire province of Phang Nga and is best known for its enormous lagoon-style pool that winds through the property and connects many of the guest rooms directly to the water.

Everyone knows Phuket but not many know about Khao Lak. I have to admit, despite countless visits to Thailand, I had never heard of Khao Lak until 2025 when JW Marriott Khao Lak first entered my radar. The province of Phang Nga, where the property is located is sparsely populated and mostly rural. It boasts of a long coastline and a mountainous interior. 

During my stay, I experienced one of the resort’s most sought-after room categories — the Deluxe Lagoon Pool Access — while also exploring several of its dining outlets and facilities.

overlooking the lobby of jw marriott khao lak

The resort is huge and I had to get my bearings when I first arrived. Reception handed me a map which I used to navigate the many dining outlets, facilities as well the different wings. My room was at the northern side of the resort. 

lobby of jw marriott khao lak

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Nestled along the sun-kissed shores of Tanjung Bungah—translated as “Flower Cape”—M Social Resort Penang emerges as a bold and stylish new hotel option in Penang’s hospitality scene. Officially launched in July 2025 after a refurbishment from the previous Copthorne Orchird Penang, this is the seventh global property under Millennium Hotels & Resorts’ M Social brand and its first in Malaysia. For those unfamiliar, Millennium Hotels & Resorts has a number of properties under their wing including the M Social Singapore and Copthorne King’s Hotel.

Stepping inside, one is greeted by bright colors and a distinctly fun vibe —think geometric patterns, lively color palettes of rose pink, sky blue, sea green and cream—that pay homage to George Town’s heritage shophouses and coastal beauty. An expansive mural in the lobby leads one to gaze outward toward panoramic sea views from the signature restaurant, Beast & Butterflies. 

By the lobby, the naturally lit The Social Hub was probably thought of as a co-working space but the funky furnishings make it just as appealing as a lounge area, especially with the pinkish hues of the bougainvillea by the window adding more colors to the eyes. During weekends, a live band graces the venue to serenade guests looking for an evening tipple. 

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Located right smack in one of the most strategic places in Bangkok – just opposite Centralworld and within walking distance to Erawan Shrine and Pratunam, Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong opened in 2024 as the largest Moxy hotel in Asia-Pacific.

Part of an integrated development with a shopping mall called The Market (currently under renovation), Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong was later built on top of the shopping mall as an extension of the development. 

moxy bangkok ratchaprasong lobby

With 504 rooms, this is a large hotel by any measure but its multiple entryways and open concept belies its size. The hotel is uncomplicated, with most facilities located in one main floor. It has the same fun and vibrant vibe that I also witnessed in other Moxy hotels I’ve stayed in such as in Bandung and Bucharest. 

Transport-wise, the hotel is located in between Chit Lom and Siam BTS stations, with the former being slightly nearer to the hotel. Chit Lom is roughly 8 minutes walk. The proximity to the BTS stations is quite handy especially since the area is quite notorious for traffic jams that stretch late into the night. 

As mentioned previously, there are multiple entryways to the hotel. The main entrance is located along Ratchaprasong Road, a small alley that branches from Ratchadamri Road. This is strategic for taxi pick-ups. For pedestrians, there is a more convenient lift entrance facing Ratchadamri Road itself and is joined together with the elevated walkway that connects to as far as Siam. 

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Booking.com is an essential app for most people, including myself, when it comes to booking hotel stays. Due to its ability to aggregate various hotels in a particular destination, their prices are often competitive and at times, even cheaper than booking directly with the property. Beyond hotels, flights and attractions can also be booked via Booking.com.

For those looking to get the most bang for their buck, platforms like Booking.com are not advantageous due to price alone. Extra perks, such as their loyalty program called Genius, offer benefits similar to those found in hotel chains’ loyalty programmes.  

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With a few new hotels coming online plus normalization of visitor numbers to Singapore, we are starting to see hotel room prices moderating somewhat compared to the same period last year. For the next few weeks in particular, you can expect rates to go slightly lower especially in city hotels owing to the start of school holidays. 33 out of the 39 hotels we track are charging lower rates for June 2024 as compared to 3 months ago. Many families are opting to travel overseas for school holidays this year which may explain the moderating of prices during this period.

Many of these prices are available for booking from now until room inventories last. The deals are indicated based on the percentage discount or 1-for-1 offers (if any). 

You can also join our newly-launched telegram channel here and receive updates on NEW staycation promotions as well as other hotel flash deals.

These are the hotels with staycation deals in Singapore:

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