Tara Lake Hotel

Friendly staff, and it was nice and clean. The hotel is a little out of the way on a busy main road. There’s a good Korean BBQ-style restaurant about 100 m away on the other side of the road.

There were ants all over, including on the bed, and my children were bitten and developed rashes. The bed and pillows smelled of urine. Our first room had a very strong, unpleasant odor, and the floor was covered with water. We had to use our own perfume to make the smell bearable. In the second room, the bathroom was clogged. The air conditioner was extremely noisy and barely cooled the room. The room description mentioned a kettle, but none was provided, and no one answered when we asked about it. We were given just two small bottles of water per room regardless of how many people were staying. When we asked for more, staff said we’d have to pay three times the grocery store price or buy it ourselves. That’s very unusual compared with my past stays in Thailand. We also had trouble communicating with staff because they struggled with English, even at reception, so we had to use a translator. At checkout, they add bogus charges just to keep your deposit, so be careful if you visit. Our few days at Taralake Hotel were a very poor experience for the price. As walk-in guests, we were charged more than the rate quoted by phone just before check-in. It was late and we were tired, so we had to accept it. The quality and service were nothing like what we’d experienced at other stays in Thailand. I strongly advise checking everything carefully before booking.

There’s a laundry nearby, along with plenty of supermarkets, a KFC, and Pizza Company. It’s a cheap option if you’re looking to stay far from central Bangkok. The staff and reception were extremely friendly and helpful. The beds are hard and very uncomfortable, so I didn’t sleep well. Still, it’s an affordable hotel.

The restaurant was dirty, and when I wanted to order food I had to use a translator because the staff didn’t understand English. The pizza seemed like old stock that had been reheated. There were lots of mosquitoes, too. The Agoda photos didn’t match what I found in person. The listing showed a bathtub and kettle, but there was no kettle, and there wasn’t a bathtub either. The air conditioner was very old. The bed was old, dusty, and smelled bad, and my legs got itchy. The pillow wasn’t good either. There was only one charger socket, and it was far from the bed. Not a good experience, I can’t recommend it.