Kata Garden Resort

The photos are misleading. This place feels worn out and falling apart, like it might have been nice 30 years ago. My room was badly dated, the furniture smelled old, and the AC was loud and ran nonstop. Road noise came through too, and the walk to the room was down a very sketchy alley. The bathroom door had about a foot missing from the bottom. It was nothing like the pictures, and probably the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. Breakfast was poor, with hardly any options. You had to ask staff for eggs and meat, and the eggs they served were still runny and raw. I paid over $3000 Bht a night, which it absolutely wasn’t worth. I’d avoid it if you don’t want to be very dissatisfied.

I was placed at the very back, where the view was pretty nice. The rooms have just the bare necessities, though, and getting around the resort means tackling lots of steep stairs and a steep hill. Room service, if it had been available, could have made that hassle easier. The pool is tiny, and the sheets and towels smell like a boys locker room.

I booked Chanalai Garden Resort through Agoda, but when I arrived, they said they couldn’t find my reservation. The people at that hotel kindly called this scam hotel for me. I was eventually told that Agoda had used their image and name to lure tourists, and that it happens quite often. I couldn’t get my money back because of the policies. The place looks terrible and left me with a bad experience and a bad impression. Lesson learned: book only through booking.com!

The hotel is in a quiet spot, conveniently close to two beaches. But for the price, which wasn’t especially low, I’m sure there are better choices. The room was very old and not very clean, the mattress was hard as a floor, and there were problems with water pressure. The bathroom looked like it had mold. Reception staff didn’t speak English. Breakfast was pretty poor and the same every day, which got tiring after 10 days.