Grand Palazzo Hotel

The Chinese dishes were the standout at our family buffet dinner at Jimmy Restaurant, and the overall selection was pretty good. The seafood, though, was mostly cooked too long and came out tough and rubbery, especially the shellfish. I'd have liked more kinds of seafood and more ways of preparing it than just grilling. Having that station outside also made the buffet feel disconnected. There's real potential here, especially in the Chinese food.

The rooms are large, but that's about the only thing that made this place seem better than a glorified two-star hotel. The furniture is cheap, dated, and dirty, the fixtures are old and often damaged, and the tiled floors came with no slippers or basic kits. There are very few room accessories, the light switches are awkwardly placed, and there's no power outlet by the bed. The balcony also makes strange noises all day when it's windy, which made it hard to sleep. Breakfast was just as minimal and unappetizing as the rest of the experience. Service and atmosphere were dull and lacking, and this is not the five-star hotel it claims to be. The first warning sign was a price list for damaged items. Then we got a bill for 800 baht, supposedly because a plastic bottle for the soap dispenser had been broken. Night manager Mong told us to check our room. We said there were no broken bottles, and the security guard he sent didn't find any either. He then claimed room service had replaced the bottle, though they never told us anything, even as they tidied the room while we were there. How could a cheap plastic dispenser, a consumable, be worth 800 baht? The manager seemed dismissive and uninterested in finding out what happened. It felt like a deliberate scam, and I've since read other reviews describing similar experiences. At night, the staff didn't seem to care about helping. If you don't speak Thai, it can be hard to get a message through to the front desk; staff hung up when we called because they only spoke Thai. By then we'd already paid and felt stuck. I was excited about the trip, but ending up here was a huge disappointment.

The only thing keeping me from giving this a full five stars was guests banging doors. I've stayed here three times and enjoyed every visit. Miss Ice and Miss Cream at reception were welcoming when I arrived and quickly sorted out a small request. My room on Floor 16 was spotless, huge at 55 sq mt, and had an outstanding city view. The bed was comfortable, and the big bathroom had both a bathtub and a separate shower. The shower and aircon worked perfectly. It's a bit out of town, but a Bolt/Grab taxi to Central Pattaya costs only 70thb. Terminal 21 is a short walk away for shopping and lots of food options. I didn't use the pool or gym. I'd rate the stay 4.5/5.

The service was awful, and this felt more like a hostel than a hotel. I booked expecting a five-star property, but it was nowhere near that. Reception staff didn't speak English, and my room was musty and dusty. It looked like it was designed thirty years ago, with barely two outlets on the wall, both far from the beds. I had specifically requested a balcony for smoking before arriving, but after check-in reception told me smoking on the balcony wasn't allowed.