View Talay 1A Floor 4 Room

I stayed in room 505/126 for a short vacation. It’s a spacious place with a really big balcony looking toward Dongtan beach. The view was beautiful, and I loved the bathroom. There’s a kitchen as well.

The beach is about a 100-meter walk beneath palm trees, and restaurants are all around. Meals were listed at 160 Bath for breakfast and 150-250 Bath for lunch or dinner. The condo is clean and well organized, with over 400 privately owned studios, some available to rent for 1200 Bath a day. There’s a private pool, and sun chairs cost 50 Bath per day.

This was a miserable stay for my family and me, and nowhere near worth the money. The room was dirty, smelly, below average, and had no amenities. The refrigerator and microwave both reeked of rotten fish and eggs, and the air conditioner was too small for the room. The bathroom was worst of all, with a sewer smell, probably from a clogged drain. Cleaning was pathetic. They just sprayed loads of air freshener before we arrived to cover the smells. The three towels were rough, worn out, and smelly, and half the bulbs didn’t work. The kitchen and bathroom bins had no lids. The main door lock wouldn’t work from inside, so I had to lock it every time. A rude woman in office 15 on the floor handed over the keys and seemed to care about nothing except the 3000 Bath for two nights. She preferred cash. We also weren’t allowed to park in the basement, so the car had to sit outside in the sun. The staff seemed indifferent, probably because we weren’t permanent residents of the condo. I seriously wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

Aom, who manages my 16th-floor unit, is always on top of things and couldn’t be more helpful whenever I need something. The apartment itself is terrific, with a good layout, lovely views to wake up to, and a spot right on the beach close to everything. I’ve really enjoyed living here these past few months, and I plan to stay again when I return next year.