Kept Bangsaray Hotel Pattaya

The room was spotless, with a beautiful view, good air conditioning, and a great shower. Check-in was a breeze, and everyone was friendly and efficient. They also offered juice and cold towels, a really nice touch. I’ll definitely come back.

Breakfast was fresh and delicious, and the service there was lovely. My room was clean and cozy, with a sea view so close to the water I felt I could almost reach out and touch it. The hotel was beautiful, the staff were really sweet, and everything felt peaceful and relaxing. I left feeling happy and refreshed.

I only stopped for a Chang, but the long jetty Cafe was a lovely find. The setting is impressive, and sitting on the deck with a cold drink and those views was great. It costs more than most places since it’s attached to the hotel, but I thought the stop was worth it. I’d ridden a motor bike down to Bang Sare for the day when I came across it.

There’s plenty of quirky charm here, and the price is refreshingly reasonable. The water won’t pass for a Maldives postcard, more murky curiosity than clear blue escape, but the rooms are modern, clean, and more polished than I expected. They’re arranged like apartments, nothing award-winning architecturally, and our balcony had a jacuzzi tub. The jetty becomes a squid fishing spot at night. Guests try their luck in the shallow water with rods and a bit of optimism, but the squid are tiny, toddler-sized. One baby, about a centimeter long, was made into a live “squid shot” by hotel staff watching the jetty, served in a cocktail glass and eaten alive. A few slightly older, still small ones were served as sashimi with wasabi. Weird, fun, and hard to forget. In countries with sustainable fishing rules, those little squid would probably be illegal to catch. Breakfast is nicely presented, with hot food in silver pots, pastries on a lovely live-edge wood table, and an egg station in the corner. They even made Japanese Taiyaki fresh on hot pebbles, the fish cakes, not the pebbles. The steamed pow, though, was cold and brick-like, practically a self-defense tool. Whatever the steamer was meant to do, it didn’t work. It’s not a luxury hotel, but if you’re after laughter, sea air, and squid stories for the group chat, Bangsaray’s budget Maldives has its own appeal.