Meet Boutique Resort

The pool has a great vibe, and we ate and drank really well at the resort restaurant. We spent two nights here on our way to Khao Suk national park and then Bangkok. It's close to the airport, though the rooms felt a little small, which was expected, and we hardly spent time in them anyway. You can't really walk anywhere from here, so you'll probably need Grab or Bolt. Would recommend :)

We were left without a place to stay that night, which was really disappointing. After our Agoda booking was unexpectedly cancelled, the hotel asked us to book again and pay again, even though we'd already paid $76. We'd booked two rooms, but because the dates were wrong we immediately tried to change them in the app. It kept showing errors, then cancelled the reservation even though we hadn't meant to cancel. We explained what happened and offered to take just one room for one night for three people. We weren't asking for our money back, but the hotel still wouldn't accommodate us. At the same time, Agoda and other booking sites showed a room available for that night, while the hotel said there was none. It felt as if keeping the money mattered more than helping us when we were in a difficult spot.

The last thing we needed was to hunt for someone at the front desk when it was time to check out, but we couldn't find anyone. That capped off a one-night stay that tested my patience. The room was like a poorly kept dorm: uneven, worn flooring with spots missing, and tiny ants across most surfaces. It was just big enough for a bed and small writing desk. I asked for two extra pillows and was charged for them. The front desk looked smudged and neglected, and check-in took about four times longer than at comparable hotels we've stayed at in Thailand. Breakfast was another wait. We walked into an empty restaurant, ready to order, and were told before we could say anything that it would be ready in 40 minutes. We were also told the airport pickup would cost 200 baht because Grab was supposedly hard to find there. We agreed because we were tired, then checked Grab and Bolt after arriving and found plenty of drivers at around half the price. Lesson learned. Surat Thani is a useful transit hub, but this hotel isn't the move. I'm not angry, just very disappointed.

The restaurant meal was awful, and when we told the staff they didn't seem to care. There was no apology or refund. It was the first and only Thai meal in a month that I found disgusting, and I couldn't even look at the chicken noodle dish, let alone eat it. The rooms smelled strongly of toxic mold. We changed rooms, but the second one stank too, and the resort was full so we had nowhere else to go. The bed was far too soft and uncomfortable, the blinds didn't work, and the windows wouldn't open. I felt like I couldn't breathe, but opening the door would let mosquitoes in. They also messaged us saying taxis were hard to get and would cost 300 B. We booked a Grab instead; there were about five nearby and one arrived within minutes for 118 B. That claim from the staff wasn't right.