Pino Latte Khaokho — a hilltop cafe resort where the clouds drift right up to your balcony in Khao Kho
Khao Kho has hundreds of mountain-view stays, but only a handful began life as a famous cafe before growing into a full resort — Pino Latte Khaokho is one of them. A hilltop coffee spot that drew so many people shooting the sea of fog that it expanded into dozens of rooms, plus the upscale The Pino Khao Kho villas on the highest ridge. The draw is the panoramic mountain views and a location an easy drive from Wat Pha Sorn Kaew. Hotel-style rooms start at around ฿1,900/night, with villas climbing into the low five figures.
What sets Pino Latte apart from the usual Khao Kho mountain resort is that it started as a cafe, and the fame of the view pulled it into becoming a place to stay. People came to sip coffee and photograph the sea of fog from the upper terrace, and the owners gradually added around 60 hotel-style rooms, then the upscale The Pino Khao Kho villas on the highest ridge. The result is a property where the cafe, the restaurant and the view all live in one place — which most reviews cite as the main reason they booked here.
The rooms split clearly into two tiers. The Pino Latte Hotel side is compact, practical, clean and budget-friendly, starting around ฿1,900, while The Pino Khao Kho side has larger villas and suites — like the 50 sqm Honeymoon Suite with a sunken indoor tub and the 63 sqm Villa Deluxe. Villa guests praise the space, the cleanliness and the wide-open views, while the hotel rooms draw the occasional note that they are small and that some don't open onto the view as much as hoped. If you're here for the view, check the room type carefully before booking.
"Opened the curtains in the morning and the clouds had drifted right up to the balcony. Sat with a coffee watching the sea of fog slowly fade — worth the drive up the mountain."
The upper Coffee Club terrace is the heart of the place. Open daily roughly 07:00–19:00, it serves coffee, bakery, pizza and shabu, with seating that faces the mountains head-on. The morning, just after the sky clears, is when the sea of fog looks best, and many guests wake early to sit out and wait for first light. This is the edge a plain mountain-view stay can't offer — view and a place to linger, all without driving anywhere.
On food, let's be straight. Breakfast earns praise for the view and the fresh mountain air, but the morning coffee on some days comes from an instant machine rather than freshly brewed, and the kitchen closes fairly early in the evening — after dark the menu narrows, sometimes to just pizza, and alcohol isn't served on site. If you like an evening meal out, plan to drive down to the Khaem Son area before dark, because options up the mountain at night are limited.
Location is a clear plus. The resort sits in Khaem Son, Khao Kho District, about 14 minutes' drive from Wat Pha Sorn Kaew, the highlight nearly everyone visiting Khao Kho stops at. Around it are viewpoints, farms and more cafes to string together. Worth knowing: the mountain road up to Khao Kho is steep and winding in places, so a private or rented car is best, and in the cool season allow extra time as traffic builds up.
Honestly, Pino Latte is not a place where every room delivers the same postcard view. The complaints that surface include older villas with the odd stain or insects on rainy days, occasional power cuts, and some staff with limited English. But if what you're after is full-on sea-of-fog views, a genuinely good cafe on site, and a base near Wat Pha Sorn Kaew — at a price that starts affordable — this resort delivers, and its 9.2 from 100 Trip.com reviews reflects that.
A tip from following the reviews here closely: if your budget stretches, choose The Pino Khao Kho villas on the upper ridge — you get more space, an open view, and that sea-of-fog moment right off the balcony, which is better value than the hotel rooms below. Khao Kho's high season is late rains into cool season (November–January), when the fog is at its best and rooms fill fast on long weekends, so book several weeks ahead and lock a free-cancellation rate first.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beautiful mountain and sea-of-fog views, especially from the upper cafe terrace
- ✓ On-site cafe and restaurant — somewhere to relax all day
- ✓ The Pino villas are spacious, clean, with full open views
- ✓ Handy base near Wat Pha Sorn Kaew and Khao Kho's sights
- ! Hotel-side rooms are fairly small; some don't open onto the view as hoped
- ! Kitchen closes early; limited evening menu, no alcohol on site
- ! Some older villas have stains or insects on rainy days
- ✓ The panoramic view is a genuine standout — photogenic from every angle
- ✓ Relaxed hilltop cafe atmosphere, good for lingering all day
- ✓ Clean rooms with mountain-view balconies and a quiet setting
- ✓ Good value for the hotel rooms, which start affordable
- ! Morning coffee on some days is instant rather than freshly brewed
- ! Occasional power cuts, and water leakage from windows in some rooms
- ! Some staff have limited English
- 💡If you're here mainly for the sea-of-fog view — some hotel-side rooms don't open onto it as much as hoped → pick The Pino villas on the upper ridge, or request a mountain-view room at booking.
- 💡If an on-site dinner matters to you — the kitchen closes early and the evening menu is limited, with no alcohol → plan to drive down to the Khaem Son area before dark.
- 💡If you're coming in high season, late rains to cool season (Nov–Jan) — the fog is best and rooms fill fast on long weekends → book several weeks ahead and lock a free-cancellation rate.