Kata On Sea

Our honeymoon was ruined by this hotel. Getting there was a struggle because it sits up a huge, steep hill, especially hard with luggage, despite how it presents its accessibility. We arrived early and were told we couldn’t check in before 2 PM unless we paid extra. Nobody offered water, and they demanded a 2,000 THB cash deposit even though there was no ATM nearby. The service was practically nonexistent. In 35°C heat, we had to haul our own luggage for 15 minutes because staff didn’t know where our room was. They eventually took us outside the main hotel area, away from the nice pool shown in the pictures, to another building. Our first room was filthy, with dirty walls, barely working AC, a fridge beside the bed, and leftover mismatched headboards bolted to the walls. The bed felt like a rock, its springs were stiff, and the pillows had no filling. The view was a pile of trash. There was no hot water and no water pressure, so we had to wash using the toilet hose. After we contacted Booking.com to complain, staff suddenly found a “better” room. Why wasn’t that the room we got for our honeymoon in the first place? To reach it, we climbed outdoor stairs covered in trash. It looked slightly better, but the bed was just as hard and gave us back pain every day. The WiFi didn’t work, and the shower stopped working again the next day. We asked management to refund our remaining 3 nights so we could leave and sleep somewhere with running water. They flat-out refused. This place didn’t care about comfort or cleanliness. Save your money and vacation, and book somewhere else. And don’t trust the 5-star reviews here. Our experience made them seem fake.

The location is the best thing about this place, since it’s very close to Kata Beach. Getting to the entrance means walking up a really steep hill. The mattress was so uncomfortable that we could feel the springs, and noise and light came into the room. The shower had poor water pressure, and the towels didn’t dry well. We stayed five nights; it wasn’t comfortable, especially for the price, though it was tolerable.

The manager spent his time staring at guests like we were doing something wrong. If you want value for money, pitching a tent on the sidewalk would be a much better option. The room was a joke. The hot and cold taps were reversed, there was no hot water on the first day, the sink didn’t work, and the toilet roll holder was tilted like it had survived an earthquake. The bed frame was cracked, and both aircon remotes were useless. Getting fresh water every day felt like a luxury. Housekeeping broke my $100 charger and acted like it was my problem. I arrived with low expectations, but this place still managed to exceed them, circus-style.

We stayed four nights and arrived late, but the staff were still awake at 1 am and super friendly. Our first room had a curtain coming off, a strange smell, and an uncomfortable bed. We’d booked the more expensive bungalow thinking it might be a bit nicer than the standard one, but it had a shared balcony and those odd curtains. I messaged the staff to ask about changing rooms, and they accommodated us. The new one was cheaper and smaller, but nicer, with a private balcony. I’d recommend trying to book that one. Nice staff and a nice stay overall.