All this week, HotelChatter’s roving correspondent Claire Duffett will be reviewing several beach hotels that she visited during her trip through Thailand. Got questions or suggestions? Send them to us and we’ll have Claire answer them for you.

On On Hotel’s name is a little deceptive because it isn’t technically a hotel. It’s more like the hostel from hell… and we mean that in the best way possible. Though we try to steer clear of hostel living, there are times when a place’s historical significance warrants an exception. Plus, we have a motto that always serves us well: If it’s good enough for Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s good enough for us.

On On served as the setting for the Bangkok hostel where Leo’s character recruits companions to search for an idyllic island in the film adaptation of the far superior novel, “The Beach.” It also happens to be Phuket’s oldest hotel. It opened in 1929, and it looks like nothing has been updated since. Historical authenticity, we call it.

Its winding maze of teeny rooms resemble the hostel of our worst nightmares, complete with well-used share bathrooms featuring squat toilets, but the staff is friendly and it’s in a great location. Plus, the building’s exterior is pretty cool looking. So stand outside and admire it until you’re so tired that you pass out on the strip of foam they call a bed.

Spend a night there, if only to say you slept where Leo slept. The other guests are friendly and seem excited to sleep inside a piece of pop-culture history. Plus, On On costs about 400 baht per night, or little more than $10. At that rate, you can afford to splurge on The Taste, which is around the corner. And also pay for a back massage… you’ll need it.

Source: http://www.hotelchatter.com

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