Grand Mandarin Betong Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

We rented Rooms 505 and 507 for three nights, with housekeeping every day. On the second day, after the room had been cleaned, the hotel accused us of cracking the parquet floor in Room 505 by moving a sofa. The crack was under the sofa and only became visible when it was shifted slightly. It followed the joint between floor panels, so we had fair reason to wonder whether it was already there. When staff inspected it, they insisted we had caused the damage and threatened to call the police. They showed us a quote of 3,012.50 THB to replace 25 panels and asked us to pay 50%, or 1,500 THB. The amount first given verbally was different from the final figure, and they didn't explain technically why all 25 panels needed replacing. We felt pressured to pay just to end the dispute, so we paid 1,500 THB under protest. Travelers should know that damage claims may come up after housekeeping without an immediate check. I'd recommend documenting the whole room, including under furniture, as soon as you check in. This experience fell short of the transparency and fair process guests should be able to expect.

The pool was huge and cold, and I liked everything about the place. I stayed one night over NYE. The room was massive and very clean, with a bathtub in the toilet. The location is super convenient for walking to eateries and a nice massage place, and the staff were really friendly. Breakfast didn't have many halal choices, though.

You can get a fresh bottle of drinking water for free when you return an empty one at the counter. I gave one star because they charged us for a broken cup that we hadn't broken. A tip for everyone, check the towel count, bedsheets, and cups for damage when you check in.

No towels at the pool, and we were charged extra because there was dandruff on the bed. The front desk was very rude and the service was awful.