The Rizin Hotel Phratumnak

The location is good, and I'd been staying at this hotel for over 20 days. For more than a week of that stay, the pool was closed. Each day we were told it was only a temporary problem. My partner and I went to spend a few nights in Koh Larn, then returned to find the pool water not only contaminated but neon green. In Pattaya's 35 C heat, we needed and wanted a working pool. I wrote to the manager to explain that we had to leave one night early, but never got a reply. The hotel still charged us for the final day and refused to refund us. That's a peculiar way to treat loyal customers.

I've been coming to Pattaya since last year and have usually stayed in the north, in Nakluea, because I really like Bamboo Beach. This time I wanted to try The Rizin in Phratanmak, between Pattaya center and Jomtien Beach. It's a really nice, practically new hotel in a quiet area, yet a stone's throw from everything. The service is excellent. The pool is small, but it's on the 7th floor and has a beautiful view. Good value for money, and I'll definitely want to come back.

The service was good to excellent. Housekeeping was attentive, and the front desk staff went out of their way to help. The hotel sits about 50 yd down a side road from the main soi 5, so you don't hear noise from the bars and restaurants. I booked because my usual places were full, but I'd choose it again for the high-quality rooms and low prices. Bolt taxis kept turning down the wrong street and canceling the ride, so I ended up walking out to the main road, soi 5. The room has a cooktop and a larger-than-usual refrigerator because the building was originally designed as apartments or condos. The toilets are electronic bidets too. Even so, cooking isn't allowed in the room. To reach the lobby, you can walk up the stairs or take the parking elevator, but you need a pass key to open the entrance door.

The room is roomy, and I liked the Japanese toilet. The tucked-away location is quiet and good for resting, but the downsides outweigh that. There wasn't a single English-language TV channel, so no news or anything to watch when the weather was bad. Reception said there was no way to pay for even a few English channels; everything was local. After mosquito bites on day two, I killed one and it left a bloodstain on the right side of the bed. My sheets weren't changed until after 23 days, and the pillowcases had sweat marks too. The air-conditioning wasn't enough for a room this size. Would I stay again? Definitely not.