Pratunam Casa

I checked out on the 31st and left disappointed. From the moment I arrived, they asked me to pay an extra 400 baht per night because my child was 10. Agoda had shown no terms and conditions about this. I reported it to Agoda, and they tried calling the hotel, but the staff deliberately wouldn’t answer. So cruel. The place doesn’t look like the photos or what I’d call a hotel, just ordinary accommodation that relies on being clean. It smelled like an old house when I walked in. The guards didn’t speak English at all, and the receptionist was rude and impolite. I don’t recommend staying here. Cleanliness alone isn’t enough with that kind of reception, and I regret booking it. Hotel staff should be able to speak at least a little English.

The front office ladies really made this stay for me. They were so friendly, especially the morning-shift woman whose name I regret not asking. Being greeted warmly whenever I came back after a long day made the place feel like home away from home. They even offered to carry my suitcase, though I’m physically bigger than them. I booked because I needed to extend my stay and this hotel fit my budget. The reviews had worried me, so I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It’s a walk-up apartment with no elevator. The room is huge, with a small living area, microwave, fridge, two sets of dining utensils, and a kettle. I think the bathroom was newly renovated. The AC works well, though it’s quite noisy. The location suits anyone going to the wholesale center. It’s down a small alley, which is expected in this market area. You get good value for the money, and I’d definitely return.

Getting to the hotel means going through a narrow alley, and there was heavy construction on another building across from it. We also heard a lot of noise from the neighboring house. The view outside is so ugly that we kept the curtains closed. At check-in, they require a 500 THB deposit, which should be mentioned during booking. I booked through Agoda and only had 300 THB in cash, so explaining that to the staff was a bit difficult. The room was big and clean, with a good shower, strong water pressure, and hot water. Thankfully, there’s no elevator and we were on the second floor. The women at reception are friendly, but speak very little English.

Our spacious suite was on the fourth floor, room 401, and had a sofa and fridge. The bed was king-sized and comfortable, and the room was clean. There’s no car or tuktuk access down the small alley, which is right in front of Lavender Spa Hotel. They helped us carry our luggage upstairs. The TV never worked because of the WiFi, and connecting to the WiFi was nearly impossible, so getting a tourist SIM card is a better idea. I’d told them I wanted a birthday surprise for my boyfriend and asked them to decorate while we were out. They did a lovely job and even prepared a small cake, which really impressed me. There was a little language barrier, but it was understandable. The cute receptionist was helpful with anything we asked, and the guy who seemed to be the night guard or housekeeper greeted us with “good night” whenever we came back. One time, we saw mice peeking at us while we were talking in the room. My boyfriend called reception while I pulled the bed apart looking for the mouse that had been hiding behind it. It had stolen coffee mates and chewed one of our cup noodles. The receptionist brought traps and went up and down for a ladder and other things to help us catch it, but it escaped through the ceiling. She said it was dead the next day and our room had been made up. I’m not really sure, but we stayed until the end and nothing else happened. The shower was the thing I hated. After more than 15 minutes, the water would run out and we had to call reception to fix it. Sometimes you just want to soak in hot water! The hotel is in the middle of Pratunam Market, three minutes from Baiyoke Fashion Mall. There’s plenty of food, fruit, and drinks outside, plus lots of 7E shops. We enjoyed the fried chicken from one aunty’s stall and the Thai tea and coffee stall every day. A money changer and ATM are around the corner. Cha Cha massage parlour is about four minutes down the road, and the Thai massage was really good and authentic. They’d open for us whenever we went, even at 3:30am. A tuktuk to Central World is only about 80 ฿, while a Grab to the airport is around 350-400 ฿ depending on traffic. It was a really pleasant stay, and we had fun. I think I’d stay again. I don’t think you can get a better room and location for under RM100, if you don’t mind there might be Mickey in your room!