Phulin Resort Phuket

The beds were very uncomfortable, the rooms had lots of mosquitoes, and the bar prices were far too high for such a low-quality hotel. We also had to pay a 3,000 baht cash deposit, which seemed completely unreasonable given the conditions and service. We absolutely do not recommend this hotel. This was a complete disgrace. We stayed two nights, and for one whole day there was no electricity because of a power failure. We couldn’t use any hotel services, and couldn’t even shower. The hotel offered no solution, compensation, or refund. They also refused to give us a room key card, saying there was only one master key for all the rooms. Every time we needed to get into our room, staff had to escort us and monitor us, which felt extremely uncomfortable and invasive.

The location is remote, and there’s no elevator. What really made the stay awful, though, was the front desk. The staff were rude, and I was told my twin room was only for one person. Bringing a second person meant paying another 20% of the room charge, even though breakfast wasn’t included. I’ve never run into such an unreasonable charge before. They also demanded a 3,000 baht deposit in cash, with no card option. Room rates are normally around 600 baht, and nearly 400 baht during Chinese New Year, yet they still added that fee. After my trips around Thailand, including Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Phuket, this was easily my worst hotel experience. I’d look elsewhere.

The rooms are just so-so and don’t feel like the advertised four-star standard. The bigger problem is the 3,000 baht deposit, which they require upfront in baht only. No card, online transfer, or payment in my home currency was allowed. I was lucky this came up before it got too late, but imagine arriving at midnight with no cash and all the money changers closed. I’ve seen this issue mentioned for a long time, with no apparent change. Better deals are available elsewhere.

The way the deposit was handled left me with a terrible first impression. They let me pay the other hotel charges by credit card, but wouldn’t accept a card for the THB 3,000 deposit, and nobody gave me a reasonable explanation. I hadn’t brought that much cash, so I politely asked to use my card. Tom, the staff member on duty, replied, “If no cash, I will not give you the key.” It was upsetting and escalated the situation unnecessarily. Hospitality should be respectful and focused on finding a solution. Tom’s manner was rude and unprofessional, far below what I consider acceptable. I hope management reviews what happened, clarifies the deposit policy, and trains staff to handle situations like this professionally. I look forward to a response and a proper explanation.