Pino Latte Khao Kho — A Hilltop Cafe That Became a Resort Where Fog Rolls Past Your Balcony
Most people in Khao Kho knew Pino Latte as a sea-of-fog cafe long before they realised it had rooms. The container-shaped, warm-timber coffee shop earned its reputation on the photo angle that frames the mountains in layers, and the villas and hotel rooms came afterward. What guests keep repeating is that on a clear morning you can watch Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew float above the fog straight from your balcony — no driving, just open the curtains and there it is.
Pino Latte began as a cafe on the Khaem Son ridge at roughly 960 metres elevation. The building is a run of warm-timber, container-style structures stepped down the slope, all facing the layered mountain view. Once the crowds turned it into a fixed stop on every Khao Kho itinerary, the owners expanded into accommodation split into two clear zones — villas under the name The Pino Khao Kho and a separate multi-storey block of smart-hotel rooms. The difference between those two zones matters a lot at booking time, and it's worth explaining.
The villa side, The Pino Khao Kho, is the real draw. It runs from a Honeymoon Suite around 50 sqm to Terrace and Family Suites reaching 90 sqm (some with an added loft level), plus a Villa Deluxe at about 63 sqm. Several villas come with an outdoor bathtub on a timber deck facing straight out at the mountains — the single detail guests photograph most. The villa zone also has its own clifftop panoramic pool, a fitness room and a separate clubhouse.
The smart-hotel zone is a set of compact, efficiently laid-out rooms — Superior King, Superior Twin, and Family rooms that connect several spaces together. It suits travellers who want an accessible price and don't need much floor area. One thing to flag up front, though: smart-hotel guests do not get access to the villa-side pool. If the mountain-view pool is the reason you're coming, check which zone you're booking, or you'll arrive confused.
One guest describes "soaking in the balcony tub at dawn as the fog drifts past in waves, the temple spire poking through the clouds" — and says the early alarm was genuinely worth it.
Breakfast is another point guests praise often. It's served à la carte and cooked to order, roughly 7:00–10:00 am, and the dishes that come up most are the eggs benedict and scrambled eggs, which several reviewers call better than expected for a mountain property. The cafe is open to non-guests too, with coffee, cakes, bakery and pizza. On weekends it draws long queues, because day-trippers drive up purely for the view and the photos.
The Trip.com score sits at 9.1/10 from 78 reviews, with TripAdvisor at 4.1/5. The consistent praise is for the view and location. The honest complaints are worth knowing: the restaurant and cafe close around 6:30–7:00 pm, and there's nowhere nearby to eat after dark, so evenings come down to stargazing. Some reviewers note rooms warming up on hot afternoons, and that long-holiday crowds erode the quiet. A few mention construction of other properties around the hill starting to clip the once-untouched views.
The location works in your favour for a Khao Kho trip. Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew is about a 15-minute drive, the area's headline sight, and Khaem Son temple is close by. But because it sits on the ridge, the access road is steep and winding — bring your own car or drive yourself, as taxis are scarce and expensive up here. Other sights like Phu Tubberk are an hour or more away, so plan the driving time.
The bottom line: Pino Latte works best for people who want to wake up to a sea of fog outside the room without fighting anyone for the photo spot. If the budget stretches, take the villa side with its balcony tub and mountain-view pool. If you're keeping it lean and just want a bed beside the cafe, the smart-hotel rooms start around ฿1,800/night and make a sensible entry point. Just plan for quiet evenings and pack some food in the car to be safe.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Fog and mountain views are excellent, especially at dawn
- ✓ Cooked-to-order breakfast — eggs benedict gets praise
- ✓ Staff attentive and friendly
- ✓ Rooms and villas clean with a good design eye
- ! Restaurant and cafe close early — nothing to eat after dark
- ! Rooms warm up on hot afternoons
- ! Steep access road — a private car helps a lot
- ✓ Villa suites with mountain views and balcony bathtubs
- ✓ Panoramic clifftop pool on the villa side
- ✓ Cafe on-site — easy to reach, no driving needed
- ✓ Close to Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew, a 15-minute drive
- ! Smart-hotel rooms are compact
- ! Smart-hotel guests can't use the villa-side pool
- ! Long holidays get busy — the cafe means queues
- 💡If you want the full experience — choose the villa side, The Pino Khao Kho, with the balcony tub and mountain-view pool → the smart-hotel zone is cheaper but skips the pool and the rooms are much smaller
- 💡If dinner worries you — the on-site restaurant closes around 6:30–7:00 pm and there's nowhere nearby after dark → carry dinner up in the car, or eat around Khaem Son before the climb
- 💡If you're chasing the fog — the peak window is late rains into early winter (Oct–Jan) and you need to be up before 7 am → fog depends on the day's weather, it's not guaranteed every morning, so set expectations