Here's why we chose this hotel:
1. My partner suggested it, saying the hotel had a restaurant with live music. He was meeting friends there, so they could all stay at the hotel. His friends live near Samut Prakan (we were coming from the North, having traveled to various beaches, and this was our last stop).
2. As soon as we set the GPS and arrived, I had a bad feeling. The hotel's atmosphere, the entrance, and there were two buildings. One looked like it was being renovated (it was an old-looking brick building, like a collection of old things put together).
3. When we went to check-in, the reception was inside the building downstairs. The staff weren't smiling or welcoming at all. Some mumbled, some spoke curtly, but no one smiled.
4. After checking in and entering the room, the condition was nothing like the pictures on the app. It looked like a 500-700 baht room, but we paid 2,xxx baht. My partner looked crestfallen, not saying a word. In the bathroom, there was no soap or cream. The room wasn't soundproof; we could hear a lot of car noise from outside. The hallways were dimly lit, and the stair landings on each floor were cluttered with old, disused items.
5. We put our things in the room and went to explore. The other side was under renovation, but they still allowed people to use the sports facilities. Inside, it was arranged like a museum of old things – I'm not sure what style. It was extremely hot, with no air conditioning.
6. My partner had arranged to meet friends for dinner and music – 9 people in total. So, we went to the counter to reserve a spot, worried there wouldn't be room. The staff informed us there was a 1,000 baht deposit per person. We didn't mind as we had kids with us, and they said it could be used towards the food bill. After my partner transferred the money, the same staff member came back and said (customers must eat food to the full amount or buy takeaways to the full amount; the hotel will not refund any difference if you don't consume the full amount. But if you eat more than the deposit, customers have to pay extra. My partner was extremely upset. They didn't explain fully, kept changing their story. When we asked for a refund, all the staff, including the manager, were completely unhelpful. They acted like it was normal and stubbornly refused to refund! 😡)
7. We decided to pack up and check out. We didn't care about the room fee anymore; we just wanted to leave. We had brought our child, intending to relax, but instead, we felt completely let down. We went back to the counter to ask about the refund again, but the staff refused to return it and offered no method whatsoever to process the food deposit refund for customers.
8. So, we decided to consider this a charity donation and a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience – one that was unpleasant and cost more than a good hotel. My partner then had his friends come to the same place to eat. Fewer people came than we had paid the deposit for. We didn't mind, but everyone had to eat and order enough food to exceed the deposit amount to make it worthwhile.
9. The staff and atmosphere in the restaurant area, we have no complaints about. I'm not sure if we just encountered them differently, but they were welcoming and spoke much better than the staff in the accommodation section. The air conditioning in the restaurant was super cold, too much even; it was freezing to the bone, and we had to go outside periodically. The musicians sang beautifully, which was good. The food taste could probably be improved, but it was okay.
10. In conclusion, after dinner, we drove straight home to another province. It wasn't enjoyable at all, and we felt extremely disappointed. We wanted to relax and bring our family, but encountering this kind of experience just left us feeling utterly deflated.
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
