R-Mar Resort and Spa

The hotel is close to Patong beach, which was a plus. Even though the area is crowded, it was calm inside. Our stay was decent, neither especially good nor bad. We booked a Phi Phi Island trip through the hotel's travel desk and had a very good time, thanks to Tik for helping us arrange it. The deluxe garden view room was spacious, but the bathroom had no separate shower, so you have to bathe in the tub. It's very high for kids. They were also very strict about extra towels. We had to make do with the two bath towels provided, and pool towels were kept in the room, so we had to bring those along. Lose the room key and there's a 300bht fine. At the restaurant, no extra paper napkins were available beyond the one by each plate. The hotel had told me by email before booking that there weren't many choices for pure vegetarians from India. There is a vegetarian section at breakfast, but the food there smelled of fish sauce, and didn't feel worth the breakfast price. We paid a very premium rate for our late-December stay. Only after arriving did we realize there were a few Indian restaurants nearby.

The tour desk inside the hotel gave us good discounts, and we were very happy with the tours we booked. We also appreciated the free water and a few complimentary drinks, all replenished every day. The hotel and rooms were clean, with housekeeping daily. Though it's right in central Patong, the place was generally quiet. We stayed in pool-facing rooms, which may be why, so I'd suggest those if you want a quieter stay. Breakfast was the best part of our nine days at R-Mar Hotel. Kaew in the breakfast area was attentive, helpful, and well organized, and both the quality and range of food were better than we'd expected. The staff were friendly, and for the price, I don't think there's anything similar in the center of Patong. We were very satisfied and can easily recommend it for the location, cleanliness, breakfast, and service.

Our last night got unsettled by unruly guests next door. The hotel handled it professionally and called the police. I felt bad for the staff, who had to put up with abuse from them. We had asked for a high floor, but there are no lifts, so it meant three flights of stairs. The staff were happy to carry our bags, though, and even called before checkout to say they'd help when we were ready, a nice touch. The hotel is just off the main street, close enough to the action, with a few handy little bars and restaurants right outside. The room felt a bit tired, and I didn't love having the shower over the bathtub, but the bed was really comfortable and breakfast was very good.

Peace and quiet are a big part of what this place offers. It felt like a retreat from the chaos outside, though I could still hear faint music from the pub most nights, so the soundproofing could be better. If they fixed that, it would feel like a proper storm bunker. The TV was pretty useless too, nobody really watches satellite TV anymore, and a smart TV with YouTube would make more sense. Breakfast had some cheap-looking tin crackers that didn't belong there. Those are the main things to improve. Everything else was spot on, and Nathan made my day with his service. He turned down my fiddy bucks tip and asked for my “suggestions” on how the hotel could do better. I took that seriously and personally, as a way to honor his humble service. It was more than enough to give you guys full marks, 5/5.