Sharaya Residence Patong

I paid online for 13 nights and am giving up 11 of them to move to another hotel. The place just wasn't what I expected. The staff were very nice, but the rooms weren't up to a reasonable standard in my opinion, and the pool badly needs repairs. It looked nothing like the advertised pictures. The pool cushions shown there weren't available, just a few filthy, torn ones, and there was no pool bar or room service as advertised. Breakfast meant walking down the road. The balcony railing was rusty and the paint was peeling. Touch it and paint flakes end up on your hands. It seems the photos were taken when the hotel was new. It's cheap, but look closely before booking to avoid disappointment. The place needs maintenance and refurbishment. I expected two stars, but the ads are so far from the truth that I give it one.

We never checked out the pool ourselves, but my friend said it was decent while the chairs and pool area were ridiculous. I didn't feel like going to see it. The hotel is about a 20-25 minute walk to the beach and over 30 minutes to the bars. I'd suggest a room with a balcony or at least a window; without one, it feels even more depressing. We paid about $20 USD total per room for two nights and had two rooms, so we went ahead despite the lobby sign saying "Brothers Residence" instead of Asialoop. I knew this was a no-frills budget stay, and the place was technically livable, but there are probably better budget hotels nearby. I wouldn't return. Both rooms smelled moldy. I know it's a beach city and wet clothes can smell, but without ventilation the rooms never aired out. The sheets weren't fully clean either and smelled like someone had got into bed straight from the beach. Room service knocked loudly and came in around 10 a.m. each morning. I yelled "mai ow," meaning "I don't want," but the worker still came in to leave two water bottles on the dresser while I was trying to sleep. The next morning I said it firmly when she opened the door, and she quietly closed it and left. There was no hot water heater, so the shower water was absolutely cold, not lukewarm. Around 4 a.m. on Sunday, 16 July, the pressure got very low when I used the toilet. By 10 a.m. the water was off completely. I called reception, and they said they knew about it. I was so disgusted that I brushed my teeth and washed with bottled water, then checked out. The hallway smelled awful, and a mattress sat in the middle of it all weekend. When I took the elevator on Sunday, it was pitch black. I only had to go down two floors, but that's ridiculous. At checkout, the woman at the desk was rude and curt. The man who checked us in had been kind and professional, but the morning staff member on July 16 was not. I waited about ten minutes while she called housekeeping to inspect my room before she returned my 2,000 baht deposit.

I left after two days at another hotel and got no refund, so I can't recommend this place even at its low price. My room was wet from the leaking air conditioner, the TV didn't work, and the shower was cold. I quietly told reception, but was yelled at, "No refund." They moved me to another room, where the air conditioner still leaked, the shower was still cold, and the TV still didn't work. I raised it with staff again, but nothing was done.

The location was perfect, surrounded by Thai massage parlors, food places, convenience stores, and other useful things for a trip. There's also a great food market nearby where you can get dinner, including freshly grilled seafood, pad thai, and fresh fruit to take back to your room. We used Orange car Phuket twice, found quickly on google, and were happy with it both times. I loved the decor, art, and atmosphere, and the rooms were clean and really comfortable. It was quiet, the bed was good on my back, the AC was perfect, and the warm water pressure was good. Free WIFI worked great, and I loved having a balcony. The room had a refrigerator and a TV with basic cable.