Unpacked by AFAR · Thursday, September 10, 2026
Romaine argues that choosing luxury hotels and international chains in Thailand can limit the authentic cultural experiences available, particularly in secondary or tertiary destinations. She encourages travelers to consider smaller, less polished boutique hotels and guesthouses, even if their online presence is minimal, to better connect with local flavor.
“But in Thailand, that really limits you to what you can actually experience. Especially if you want to go and feel the genuine culture and a smaller place in a secondary or third destination, as they call them. And really get more of that local flavor.”
“But there are guest houses and little boutique hotels and little tiny resorts of like anywhere from five or six rooms to 15 that are all in these tiny destinations. And you might look at it online and feel like, oh, their website doesn't look great, there's barely any English, it's a three-star hotel, it's only $50 a night.”