Grand Kata VIP

The convenient location is about the only thing going for this hotel. With so many other places in the area, I wouldn't book here. It isn't a 4-star hotel, 3 at best, and the photos are very deceptive. The rooms are gloomy, even with every light on. Construction right outside was very noisy, and it woke us early every morning. No one told us about it when we booked. I understand the work may be outside the hotel's control, but guests should at least be warned about the noise and given earplugs. Replies say they try to minimise the disturbance, but what exactly have they done? I was rudely woken on my first morning, which was a terrible start to the holiday. Sitting on the balcony felt like I was overseeing a construction site. The work also meant I had to keep the blinds shut for privacy all day, making the room even darker. Don't come here for a view. The buffet breakfast was very disappointing. Freshly cooked eggs were the only passable thing. We also had so many roaches in the room. I'm pretty sure I killed at least five during the stay, then the count went up to six. The rooftop pool is on level 5, so it doesn't feel very rooftop, and the views are poor even aside from the construction. I can't recommend this hotel.

I enjoyed my stays so much that I came back twice. The rooms were clean and well kept, and it was easy to get to the beach. The staff were lovely and reassuring. The pool was very nice, with a lovely mangolia tree.

The room was clean and spacious, and the smart TV was a nice feature. Breakfast was decent, with plenty of choices including cereal, yogurt, eggs, and pancakes. All the staff were polite and handled requests quickly, such as bringing fresh pool towels. Kata Walking Street is just 2-3 minutes away, with a 7-Eleven across the road and laundry service next door. The area felt safe. Kata Beach is a 10-15 minute walk, and there's a free shuttle several times a day. Karon Beach is about a 20-minute walk. Guests can use three clean pools, including one at the neighboring hotel. There were some real drawbacks. After 09:00, finding a seat at breakfast was difficult, and we often had to sit outside in the sun at around 30°C. The Wi-Fi was fast, but the hotel system logged us out constantly, so we had to reconnect at least five times a day and re-enter the username and code each time. Construction across the street wasn't noticeable in the room, but it was very loud at the infinity pool. The gym is small and so crowded in the morning that working out then is almost impossible. There's a puddle of green, dirty water where water leaks over the infinity pool's edge. It seems like an easy fix and looks unpleasant. Two of the pools get no sun at all and are very cold. The infinity pool is the only sunny one, but it has the problems mentioned above. Be really careful when booking. Two or three days before arrival, I received an email asking me to reply with "CONFIRM" within 24 hours or my reservation would be cancelled. It also asked for my estimated arrival time. We had already paid for the hotel in full, so that 24-hour deadline and threat of cancellation felt unbelievable, and honestly, I'm not sure it was legal. It seemed clear they wanted to free up the room and resell it quickly, without considering that someone might be travelling for two days and too tired to check email. Luckily, I happened to see the message, and there were no problems when we arrived.

Our two-bedroom apartment was very comfortable, and breakfast each morning was included. The egg station was good, and the pool and its bars were nice too. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the location worked well. One letdown was the kids' club: it was just an empty room with old toys, so I'm not sure why it's advertised. Thanks from the UK!