CU at Jomtien

The hotel was decent otherwise, but there was a strong sewer gas smell on the last day or so. The daytime lobby staff were rude, apart from one lady, and nobody tried to help me. The night staff were a little better. When I booked, I was promised free breakfast made the way I wanted. Once there, they said I could only have boiled rice.

For a budget stay, it's hard to beat $25 AU for a decent bed just 100 meters from the beach. The neighborhood has great food too. You get what you pay for, and there's a reason it's cheap, but budget travelers shouldn't be put off. Just avoid the neighboring hotels that own this place, as they aren't very nice to budget travelers.

For the very low price, I was okay with it. The room has no sea view and the outlook isn't pleasant, with abandoned buildings and a dark alley neighborhood around it. You'll also need to bring your own baht kit. The flushing toilet smelled, so sewer deodorizer or keeping the lid closed may help. There are two-leg US outlets, so bring a converter if you have a three-leg grounded plug. There is no elevator, so stairs could be a problem with heavy bags or if you're not fit. On the plus side, the room is big, with a big bath and fridge, cool air-con, a washing machine, balcony, two working desks, a dining table set, culinary, and a safebox. Each floor has a pantry and microwave oven. Breakfast is included, the WiFi is good, and the place is quiet. VERY Very saving price.

I found this a good-value stay if you have your own transport, since the area has lots of abandoned buildings and not many places to eat nearby. It’s owned by A2SEA and feels like a stripped-down version of that hotel. Breakfast is served there. A2SEA has an elevator, pool access, gym and a golf cart ride to the beach, but CU guests have to pay for those extras. If you don’t need them, the price can be very good. The direct hotel rate is b400 a night, though I paid much less through a third-party site. Early check-in and late checkout cost extra, with rates posted in the hallways. The room had a useful set of basics: a fridge with a small freezer, four chairs, three tables, dishes, cutlery, kettle, wardrobe and safe. Bottled water is free, and there are refill stations. Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, but I had to re-enter the password whenever my devices restarted. Breakfast runs 7:30-10:00 and the chicken rice porridge was good, though it’s the same only option every day. There are communal kitchens with microwaves on each floor. It was quiet at night among the mostly empty buildings. The curtains include both a lace layer and a dark one, the shower had working hot water, and good insulation helped keep the room cooler than outside. A few things were frustrating: the bathroom smelled of sewer, and the AC thermostat was imprecise, swinging between too cold and too hot. Fan mode still seemed to run the AC, though the unit was powerful enough otherwise. There’s just one short drying bar on the balcony, a real problem near the beach when the floors have coin laundry but nowhere to dry clothes. Check-in also required a b500 cash deposit, with no credit card hold option. There’s no light by the bathroom mirror, but the desk lamp can be moved over. Cleaning could have been better: there was dust on room surfaces, and the shared kitchen garbage sat unemptied for days. It seemed to include food waste, so it smelled and could attract pests.