Diamond Place Ao Nang

The hotel's location is great, right by the Muay Thai stadium and just above the night market. A 7-Eleven is about 5-10 minutes away. The pool was good and usually empty, so we could relax quietly there. Our room was nice and very clean, with a little fridge, two bottles of water, instant coffee and tea, and a kettle. But we were skeptical when we arrived and saw the hotel was under renovation, which we hadn’t been told about. The online listing said the room had a balcony, but it didn’t. Instead there was a strange little room with a sink, and I still don’t know what it was for. Since the hotel is being renovated, no other services were available, including breakfast.

The location was okay for the price, but I’d stay somewhere else for a much better experience. The night staff member was a nice lady. The older woman who works during the day and wears a hijab was extremely rude. There’s a reason this is a two-star hotel, and it should be one. I’ve been in Thailand for months, and even cheaper rooms had nicer people. Our room had bugs and actual lizards all over because they’d left a window open. Staff wouldn’t remove them. When we asked for more towels, they tried to charge us over $100 and made us go to a laundromat to wash their towels.

The staff were kind, polite, and friendly, and their service was good. That was the only good part of the stay. Noise at night from the boxing gym next door made it hard to sleep. There was no power outlet beside the bed, which made charging devices inconvenient, and no toothbrush or toothpaste was provided, so bring your own. My room’s air conditioner wasn’t cold at all. After I reported it, staff came in but didn’t inspect the unit, just brought a fan. It seemed as if they already knew about the problem. They said a technician would come, but gave no clear solution at the time. The room and facilities were very disappointing and unacceptable. 🥲

We stayed on the parking lot side, where the boxing stadium noise was barely audible from the balcony and not audible inside the room at all. The shower had great water pressure and hot water, the internet was unusually stable compared with most hotels I’ve stayed in around Thailand, and we appreciated being able to connect our own Netflix on the smart TV. It’s exactly as advertised as a two-star hotel. The facilities aren’t impressive, but they’re clean, and staff are friendly and attentive. The common areas could use a facelift and more furnishings. I don’t understand the hate here. If you don’t expect a five-star experience, you’ll probably be satisfied.