A pleasant, pretty holiday village on Haad Yao beach, with a stunning room at a very reasonable price - and insects every night in the new wing.
Yes, but...
Some hotels do not need to be lavish to be enjoyable. Sometimes all it takes is a bungalow among the palm trees, a green lawn, a small pool and a beautiful beach a few steps away. Long Bay Resort on Koh Phangan is exactly that kind of place.
We stayed at Long Bay Resort in February 2025, for about a week, on Haad Yao beach in the west of Koh Phangan. We loved the atmosphere, the location and the well-kept grounds. The room we were given was especially pretty, and the price was very reasonable for what we got.
But there was also a problem we could not ignore: during our stay we were bitten by insects every night, and in our view the room in the new wing was not sealed well enough.
Even so, we enjoyed our week there. That is one of the reasons we wanted to write this review: not every hotel is a complete success or a complete disappointment. Sometimes there is a place you would be happy to go back to, but only once you have made sure that one particular thing has changed.
We arrived at Long Bay Resort at a busy time, when Koh Phangan fills up with travellers.
The hotel itself looked exactly like the kind of Thai holiday village we love: warm bungalows scattered between well-kept lawns, trees and tropical plants, with a pool and a restaurant, and the sea just beyond the grounds.
We wanted to stay in one of the bungalows, but when we arrived it turned out they were all taken.
Instead, we were given a room in the new building.
At first this actually seemed like a great upgrade. The room was stunning, and the price was about 2,400 THB (about $71 / €63) per night. Given the location and the standard of the room, we felt we were getting excellent value for money.
And then came the first night.
We were bitten during the night, and the same thing happened on the following nights. Our sense was that the room was not sealed well enough and that insects were managing to get in.
We cannot say for certain which insect caused the bites, or whether the problem still exists today. But that was our experience throughout the stay, and it certainly affected how well we slept.
The interesting thing is that, despite this problem, we carried on enjoying the hotel.
We loved the place itself, the surroundings and being right on one of the most beautiful beaches on Koh Phangan. It was a very pleasant holiday during the day, with a drawback that we felt mainly at night.
Long Bay Resort is on Haad Yao beach, one of our favourite beaches on Koh Phangan.
It is an area that manages to combine several things you do not always find together on the island: a beautiful beach, places to stay right by the sea, cafés, restaurants and a lively, pleasant atmosphere.
Long Bay's big advantage is that you can enjoy a beach holiday without feeling cut off from everything going on around you.
On the one hand, inside the grounds there are lawns, trees and the atmosphere of a small holiday village. On the other, behind the hotel strip is the street where the cafés and nightspots are concentrated.
We especially loved being able to start the day by the sea, go out for breakfast at a café and come back to the hotel without turning every outing into a transport project.
In our view, that is a significant advantage if you want to spend a few days on Koh Phangan without depending on a scooter or a taxi all the time.
Haad Yao is not a completely isolated, quiet beach. There are restaurants, bars and a sociable atmosphere in the area, and at busy times it can be quite lively.
We loved that mix. During the day you can enjoy the beach and the hotel, and in the evening you can go out and find places to sit.
If you are looking for total quiet, far from any tourist activity, you may prefer another part of the island. But if you like being close to things without sleeping in the heart of a big party area, Haad Yao is a good choice.
Long Bay Resort is not a big luxury resort in the style of Panviman. Its charm is simpler.
The grounds are laid out like a small holiday village, with bungalows scattered among green, well-kept lawns. It has a pleasant tropical atmosphere, the kind that recalls the Thailand of classic beach holidays.
We loved that the open spaces are such an important part of the place.
Instead of long corridors and a single hotel building, it feels like grounds where you can step out of your room and spend time outdoors.
The bungalows looked warm and inviting to us. We did not sleep in them, but they were our first choice from the start, and they also fit the character of the holiday village better.
The hotel also has a pool and a restaurant, and both added a great deal to our positive experience.
The room we were given was one of the things that surprised us most, in a good way.
It was very pretty, and at about 2,400 THB (about $71 / €63) per night we felt it was a great deal.
But it is important to separate how the room looks from how comfortable it actually is.
Throughout the week we were bitten every night, and we got the impression that the room was not well enough sealed against insects.
For us, this is not a minor issue. You can enjoy a pretty hotel, a pool and a wonderful beach, but in the end a hotel room has to let you sleep well.
We do not know whether it was a one-off problem in the room we stayed in, a problem with the whole wing, or something that has since been fixed.
So we would not rule Long Bay out altogether, but we would definitely look into it before booking again.
Next time we would ask about staying in a bungalow rather than a room in the new wing.
Not because we know the bungalows are better sealed - we did not sleep in them, so we have no way of telling - but because they were our original choice, and we would like to try a different kind of stay on the same grounds.
Either way, before booking we would contact the hotel and ask whether there are mosquito nets, how they deal with insects getting into the rooms and whether the sealing has been improved.
It is a question worth asking at any tropical hotel, but in Long Bay's case it matters to us especially because of our own experience.
One of the things we liked about Long Bay was that we never felt the need to leave the hotel every moment.
The grounds have a nice pool, a restaurant and pleasant seating areas. Together with the closeness to the beach, they let you spend a whole day at a relaxed pace.
The pool is not a dramatic infinity pool on a hillside, and that is not what we were looking for here either.
It is simply part of a pleasant holiday village, where you can swim, rest and then carry on to the sea or to a meal.
The restaurant added to the atmosphere too. We enjoyed it, and being able to eat without straying far from the hotel.
We do not have detailed enough notes on particular dishes or the restaurant's menu to recommend specific food, but our overall experience of the place was positive.
In our view, Haad Yao is one of the most beautiful beaches on Koh Phangan, and Long Bay's location is a key advantage.
It is exactly the kind of place where you wake up in the morning knowing the sea is a very short walk away.
You do not need to organise a day trip or book a transfer to get to the beach. It is simply part of the holiday.
We loved the mix of sand, greenery, the businesses nearby and the pleasant atmosphere of the area.
Some beaches on Koh Phangan are better suited to parties, others to total quiet, and some are harder to reach. Haad Yao strikes a good balance between a beautiful beach and everyday convenience.
That said, bear in mind that swimming conditions change with the tides and the weather. A hotel being on a beautiful beach does not guarantee the same swimming conditions every day.
We would recommend considering the hotel especially if you are looking for a beach holiday at a fairly affordable price, rather than a luxury resort.
It can suit couples, travellers who want to stay a few days in the same area and anyone who prefers a holiday village with lawns and greenery to a big hotel building.
It also suits anyone who wants to combine time at the hotel with going out to cafés, restaurants and bars nearby.
On the other hand, if you are very sensitive to insect bites or find it hard to sleep with insects in the room, we think you should check the condition of the rooms carefully before booking.
And if you are looking for a particularly luxurious stay, with big facilities and five-star resort services, you may prefer another hotel.
In February 2025 we paid about 2,400 THB (about $71 / €63) per night for the room we stayed in, in the new wing.
In our view it was an excellent price for the room and the location.
But it is important to understand that hotel prices on Koh Phangan vary with the season, the room type, availability and the dates of the Full Moon Party.
So what we paid is a reference point from our own experience, not a fixed price or a guarantee of what you will find today.
We would start by checking availability for the bungalows and for the rooms in the new wing.
Then we would compare prices on Agoda, Booking and booking direct, if that is available.
But in this case there is one question we would ask even before looking at the price: has the sealing of the rooms against insects been improved?
If the hotel gave a clear, reassuring answer, we would carry on looking at the options.
When we arrived at the hotel, at a busy time on the island, all the bungalows were already taken.
That is especially important if you plan to come to Koh Phangan around the dates of the Full Moon Party, even if you have no intention of going.
At that time demand for accommodation on the island can be high, and you cannot always choose the type of room you want at the last minute.
If you have a clear preference for a bungalow, a particular room or a particular spot on the grounds, we would book ahead rather than counting on there being space when you arrive.
Yes, but only after finding out what has changed regarding the insects.
It is not a clear-cut answer, but it reflects our experience.
We loved Long Bay. We loved the location, the lawns, the atmosphere and the pretty room we were given. We spent about a week there and, overall, really enjoyed it.
On the other hand, being bitten every night is not something we would want to go through again.
If we knew the problem had been solved, we would definitely consider going back, and perhaps this time try one of the bungalows.
But if we had to book without being able to check, we would also look at other places to stay around Haad Yao.
The great thing about the area is that it has several accommodation options (we list them in our guide to where to stay in Koh Phangan), so you do not have to compromise on something that matters to you.
The bottom line: Long Bay Resort is a pleasant, pretty holiday village in an excellent spot on Haad Yao beach. It offers a tropical holiday at a price that can be very good value, but comfort at night matters just as much as beauty by day. For us, it is a hotel with plenty of strengths and one question mark that needs resolving before we go back.
This article is based on our own stay in February 2025. Prices, the condition of the rooms and the hotel's services may change.
On Haad Yao, Koh Phangan, right next to Haad Yao Bayview. The café street starts behind the hotel.
Yes, but only if the insect problem in the new wing has been fixed.
