Ayara Grand Palace Hotel

I found this nice hotel while I was in town for a funeral. The room and bathroom were clean, with no mold, the bed was soft, and the air conditioner worked well. The restaurant wasn’t open, though, and the only breakfast was ridiculous and cold. You can tell the hotel used to be grand, but I guess it’s fallen on hard times since covid-19. It looks like they’re struggling to keep the doors open. I don’t expect it to be around much longer.

The location is okay, fairly close to the market, restaurants, train station, and 7/11. The pool area looks better in pictures, but it was still decent and usable. I found the aircon in my room very poor and slow to cool things down. Rooms are spacious and in decent shape, so it’s a decent hotel for a couple of nights. There was no early check-in, even though I had Agoda platinum vip membership. That seemed odd since the hotel was far from full.

The stay was comfortable and the breakfast was good, but the hotel is pretty average, with some tacky interior. The staff didn’t know English, which made it very hard to communicate or even order something. The swimming pool was below average and not very clean. The price felt a bit high for the ambiance or the location.

The place is large, but don’t be fooled by the name, it’s not Grand. From arrival until even after we left, we felt the staff didn’t care whether we were there as people, let alone as paying guests. The property is tired and badly needs repairs and renovations. Blown light bulbs, an unplugged fridge, broken or missing bathroom and light fittings, and missing toiletries all add to the sense of absolute indifference from the people running it. It was satisfactory as a place to stay, but certainly not for the price. Look elsewhere and you’re bound to find somewhere more cheerful and affordable.