Courtyard by Marriott Phuket, Patong Beach Resort

Pros: The room was very comfortable, not damp, no AC noise, and the facilities were new, so I slept soundly. The front desk upgraded our room for free to a pool-facing room. The upgrade normally costs 250 THB per room and was on the second floor, connecting buildings 5 and 3. It wasn't actually a leftover room, just very close to the elevator. I heard that the street-facing rooms can be quite noisy. The pool inside is crystal clear, and there's a bar. There's also a nightclub at the other exit of the hotel. Cons: The bathroom was a bit small. Overall, great value for money!

The hotel is conveniently located, and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. The rooms are spotless, and all the facilities are top-notch, especially the well-equipped gym. The pool area is also very impressive.

The old Patong Merlin Hotel has been rebranded after renovations, probably under new ownership. However, the interior renovation quality is somewhat disappointing, at best comparable to a Chinese budget hotel chain like Hanting or Rujia. After all, even slightly better hotels in China now offer smart toilets and smart home systems. The only commendable aspects of the hotel are the swimming pool and the entire service staff (with the exception of a bespectacled elderly woman in the restaurant and the front desk staff who checked me in). Everyone else was very enthusiastic, and the room was cleaned exceptionally well. The reason I'm excluding the check-in staff and the restaurant elderly woman is because I arrived at the hotel a bit early and asked if I could check in ahead of time. The front desk told me there were no rooms available and I'd have to wait until 3 PM to check in. She then left me to wait in the lobby, which is open-air and extremely hot. What's more, when I went to check in, I clearly saw a large group of people checking out. I have to specifically thank Trip.com here, as it was through their negotiation that I didn't have to wait until 3 PM to get a room. The next day, I had an early start for a Similan Islands tour. Hotel breakfast starts at 6:30 AM. I went to check it out at 6:10 AM, and a lot of food was already prepared. I just took a look and didn't touch anything, but that elderly woman came over and told me that breakfast starts at 6:30 AM and wasn't open yet. If her attitude had been pleasant, it would have been understandable, but her tone and demeanor were unacceptable, as if I owed her money. Speaking of breakfast, it's significantly worse than what the old Merlin offered. They even dedicated an entire section of food specifically for Indian guests, which was very disappointing. I expected that with the renovation and price increase, it would be better than the original Merlin, but it's actually worse, which is truly disheartening. I probably won't consider staying here again.

The hotel is right by Patong Beach, with direct access to the sand from the west exit. It has a classic Southeast Asian resort vibe. I especially loved the balcony, and this time my room faced the pool directly. Sitting on the balcony in the evening, enjoying a few drinks, was absolutely delightful!

Upon checking in, I was given a room directly facing the road. I had to call customer service to request a room change. Please be mindful of this when booking, as rooms facing the road are simply not suitable for families with children. The noise from the road was incredibly loud, and my child couldn't sleep because of it. When I went down to the front desk to try and change rooms myself, they were unaccommodating. The staff was completely inflexible. The breakfast was also just mediocre.