ēRYA by SURIA Cherating

The staff at reception were friendly, and from outside the hotel looked decent enough, though not luxurious. But several things fell short of what I expect from a three-star hotel. Of the five employees we met, only one spoke English. The promised upscale comforts and service weren't there, and the room furnishings didn't feel cosy or well maintained. A reception desk should be staffed at least 10 hours and available around the clock. Other expected features include a breakfast buffet, a selection of drinks in the room, and amenities like a hairdryer, full-length mirror, telephone, and luggage service on request. These were not fulfilled. The pool is only for children, with a maximum depth of 90 cm, and the sea can't be reached because the rocky embankment is off-limits. Calling the room “deluxe” is a blatant exaggeration. “Simple” or “standard” would fit better. Drinks in the room amounted to just 4 dl of water per day. Service wasn't very customer-friendly. On the first morning, they called at 8:30 a.m. to ask why we hadn't come to breakfast, even though it was served until 10:00 a.m. On the second-to-last day, they rang at 7:50 a.m. to say there'd be no buffet and breakfast would be sent to the room. We were on vacation and didn't want to be disturbed so early. The room breakfast choices were Malaysian or American. We ordered only toast and fruit, then got another call 10 minutes later saying neither was available. We skipped breakfast. That day the room wasn't cleaned, and the room-cleaning/do-not-disturb door card was taken from the room. This hotel was a disaster compared with its advertised three stars. It deserves two at most. We can't recommend it, and how it received such good reviews is a mystery to us, perhaps they came from employees.

The location is okay, and the resort does have beach access, but there's no proper path or stairs down to the beach. The room also felt old and could use improvement. During our 3D 2N stay, my 7-month-old had lots of bug bites on their feet and legs, which was frustrating. I hope management addresses both issues.

The room we got had an amazing seafront view, and the whole experience was much better than I expected from the Google reviews. Booking through Cik Syaza and the service from Pn. Azira and her team both went smoothly. We really enjoyed staying at EryabySuria Cherating, and I'd recommend it for team bookings or family day events.

The receptionists and other staff were all very friendly, and the terrace view from our room was lovely, looking out to the sea and pool. It's a quiet, nice place to stay, though the room and furniture are old and there isn't food nearby. You can drive to chukai town to eat. Hopefully they'll update the old furniture in future. Apart from that, we'd definitely come back with friends.