Panda Hotel（Patong Beach）

We left without spending even one night there, the first time I’ve ever done that at a hotel. A cockroach crawled over us soon after we got into bed. The rooms are dated and badly need renovation. The location is fine, but the place feels like a back alley, and it’s the only hotel I’ve stayed in where you have to leave your room key behind when you go out.

The staff wouldn’t move me to another room. The air-conditioning didn’t work, the bathroom wasn’t clean, and the bed was painfully hard. I woke up the next morning with the springs pressing into my back. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

The one thing in its favor was that it was relatively clean for this kind of place. The rooms look like nothing has changed in at least 20 years, right down to the old CRT TV. It felt more like a hotel by the hour. If you just need a room for a night with someone you’ve just met, it might suit you. Otherwise it’s terrible. I’d fall into depression if I had to stay longer than one night.

The beach is about a five-minute walk away, and Paolo the manager was around whenever I needed anything. It had just opened, and I was surprised by how clean the rooms were. The staff were friendly and well organized, the shower was big, and the mattress was comfortable. Happy stay!