Jaroonwej Bangsaen

This place is so old it feels like time stopped, and everything seemed dirty with little attention to cleaning. The price is way too high for what you get. If you’re walking, you have to go through a dirty forest to reach it, and there are mosquitoes everywhere. I wouldn’t bring children here. I also asked whether there was a fridge because we needed to store medicine. They said no, but I could see from the corridor that they had one that worked. I would even have tipped them for the trouble, but they still wouldn’t help. Ridiculous. I’ve traveled for years and stayed in hotels all over, including months in India, and this was the worst place I’ve encountered. I booked a fan room because hotel ceiling fans are usually big enough to move the air and keep mosquitoes off you. This one had a tiny fan like you’d see on a bus, which was useless. Agoda hadn’t mentioned how small it was. After a long trip there wasn’t even hot water. Around 450 baht a night for a room without hot water is absurd. I went down to reception right away, but nobody was there. Another guest had to call someone for me because the staff don’t speak English. When the woman finally came, I felt she was mocking me. I asked to speak to the manager by phone, but she told me to cancel my booking before even discussing the problem. I laughed. I’m not going to let people take advantage of tourists. I insisted they call the boss. The manager’s call with the boss lasted about ten seconds, and he just told her to cancel my booking. I kept pushing, and only then did they move me to a room with hot water. Even in the Middle Ages they heated water over a fire. The replacement room had no fan, just AC. Instead of apologizing for the mix-up, which I’d have gladly tipped them generously for, they took away the remote and said the AC “wasn’t working.” Who did they think they were fooling? The fan they gave me made an absurdly loud noise for two nights, and I barely slept. I can see why people avoid this place. No tourists stay here, and after talking to others I heard everyone advises against it. The staff seem to think tourists are stupid. One of the worst travel experiences of my life. Totally not recommended.

The area is quiet, and the staff are friendly, but you’ll need a car or motorbike to get around since it’s off the main road. There are unfriendly dogs nearby, so walking along the road at night isn’t possible. I stayed one night over a holiday weekend. The price was very reasonable. My basic fan room was clean and had one bedroom, a bathroom, and a balcony. There was access to a gym, a washing machine, and an outdoor space to relax. They provided towels, two very small blankets, two bottles of water, toilet paper, and some toiletries. There was no hot water in the shower.

The photos are very misleading. The wall is paper-thin, there was hair on the bed, and the shower is so cramped you nearly have to sit on the toilet to wash. Only cold water came out, and the hot water didn’t work. The curtain let in the streetlight, and the fridge wasn’t plugged in when we arrived. I’d need to be paid to stay here again. Would give it zero stars if I could.

The owners gave excellent service, and I can tell they’re working hard to improve the rooms. The price suited my needs well. The beach is a four-minute walk away if you take the shortcut that isn’t on the map.