Green Mansion

The price is reasonable, but the hotel standard is unsatisfactory. There is no lift, and no staff member is on duty around the clock. One receptionist handles everything, including cleaning, since there is no cleaning staff, and most of the time nobody is at reception because one person can't work 24 hours. There is no telephone in the room to contact reception, so you're on your own if a problem comes up. The entrance area is worse than a laundry room.

The location was great, close to the beach and lots of restaurants, with the main nightlife road less than 10 minutes away. The room was fairly clean, but the bathroom was cramped and the bed quite stiff. When I tried to take a warm shower, there was no warm water for a couple of hours. A worrying crack ran across the room, from the left wall where light could shine through, across the floor, and up the right wall. Check-in was strict, and service below average. I arrived 40 minutes early, but reception was locked and nobody was there, so I couldn't leave my bags. I messaged on WhatsApp and they said the room was still being arranged, though I saw the staff member relaxing on her phone. After I followed up, the room was ready 20 minutes after check-in time. They required a 1,000 baht deposit, which was unusually high compared with other hotels I've stayed at in Thailand. I'd recommend it if you only need the location and can work around the check-in and checkout times. Staff may not be there if you leave very early, which could put your hefty deposit at risk.

We didn't stay in the rooms. We booked excursions through the very friendly woman who runs the place, who I believe is named Layla. She was helpful and arranged a taxi transfer to the airport for us. Her prices were really good compared with other agents. I'd definitely recommend her for booking excursions.

The rooms are decent, though a bit dated, and the staff are friendly and helpful. It's near the beach and an easy walk to anywhere in town. The downside is that tours booked through the hotel are group trips, not private ones. Unless your whole group has booked together, be prepared to spend a few hours being driven around Phuket to pick up strangers. If you decide to bail before the tour starts, don't expect a refund.