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This would be our pick among a cluster of similarly priced resorts on this tightly packed part of the beach, which gets its share of late-night noise from nearby Sabay Bar and others. If you don’t mind the noise and you seek easy access to the beach, restaurants and nightlife, and 15 Palms is above your price range, Apple should do the trick, perhaps with a hiccup or two.

Rooms enjoy a poolside view. Photo: David Luekens

Approaching from the beach, Apple grabs your attention with an attractive two-floor, open-plan restaurant made almost entirely of wood—it draws in the crowds around sunset. Beyond that stretches a narrow swimming pool that looked rather cloudy on our visit, though it was hard to see clearly in the shade of the overhanging palms.

A pair of two-storey white concrete buildings each come with tiled air-con rooms accessed through glass doors—we’d opt for the pool-view versions with balconies rather than the “mountain view” or, worse, a windowless room. Though not memorable at all, these are comfy enough thanks to fridges, TVs, kettles, firm beds and hot-water wet bathrooms. The ground-floor room we checked out smelled a bit musty, but an upper-floor edition appeared fresh.

Functional rooms. Photo: David Luekens

Apple’s higher-class rooms come in freestanding dark-wood bungalows packed in very close together on one side of this fairly small property. These were full during our visit, but they appeared to be a big step up from the concrete rooms. Only a couple of bungalows have sea views, with the rest facing the pool.

Reception works out of a little office at the back of the property, where the owners told us the available options and showed us rooms in a jiffy. The older women can seem brusque at first, but bring a smile and they’ll warm up.

We like Apple a smidgen better than the similarly priced Bamboo Resort next door. If you’re looking for air-con in this price range and are willing to let go of the great beachfront, resorts found further south, like Grand View, Top, Banpu and Chang Buri, are worth considering.