Eastiny Seven Hotel

We were less than a five-minute walk from the beach, with plenty of food, bars, and convenience stores nearby. The room was comfortable, the bed was good, and there was a small balcony. The front desk was very nice, and housekeeping left us bottled water in a bag on the outer doorknob while our do-not-disturb sign was up. That was thoughtful service. Good value even during Songkran, and I'd stay again.

The head maid was friendly, but the rest of the stay was a letdown. I paid for a city view and was given a room facing a wall. They said nothing else was available, even though rooms with pool views seemed to be open, and wouldn't offer one. The listing made the room look different, and this felt like being stuck with something I might not have booked. It could really spoil a trip. The front desk attitude was bad from the beginning. They kept insisting the hotel was full, which didn't seem true, and I felt they were more focused on putting someone in a poor room than helping. The room itself was extremely basic, with a bed like chicken wire, no kettle for tea or coffee, and an old TV that looked unused. It's also in the middle of Soi 7, where you have to pass lots of girl bars walking along the street. That's not for me. A pretty depressing experience, and I'd spend my money elsewhere.

The hotel is right in the centre, which makes the location really convenient. The downside is that the doors barely block sound, so an early night is unlikely. If you're a young, fit guy with no particular plans, walking past the night bars may feel funny or strange. That's true of the city as a whole, though.

The hotel's location is excellent for shopping and restaurants, though the noise carries on until morning. Staff were well behaved, but when I asked why the bathroom tap shown in the hotel's photos wasn't in my room, they said it wasn't in all rooms. The rooms weren't clean, and complaints about what I noticed didn't lead to any results. The TV and channels were very basic, and the hotel did nothing about loud noise from other rooms at any hour. Restaurant smells also reach the fourth floor.