Lonely Planet Review
There are birds chirping! There are also phones ringing and hammers hammering, but still a genuine breeze blows through Joe's guesthouse, tucked as it is in a quiet alley back from Khao San Rd. Somehow it feels like it's in the countryside and not deep in urban Bangkok. Here the relaxed environment makes the basic accommodation worthwhile.
The charm here is not so much about the rooms themselves but the setting, with a chilled restaurant area set in a calm courtyard full of flowers and greenery. Young travellers mill about at the simple plastic tables or play pool. A big kitchen serves up crusty pizzas and colourful stacks of noodles. Joe's is a cruisy, pleasant place to hang out, away from the frenetic comings and goings of the rest of the neighbourhood. A trip up the old stairs reveals a predictable cocktail of budget facilities: grimy walls, marked lino, peeling paint and simple rooms. While rooms are a touch shabby, they let in quite a lot of light and are not depressing. More expensive ones have hot water and air-con, while all have budget shower-over-toilet bathrooms, clean (if very thin) sheets and mini balconies.
Review by author
Annabel Hart