Hop Inn Phuket (SHA Extra Plus)

The rooms are simple but clean, and I had a very pleasant stay. The front desk staff were consistently helpful and friendly. Hop Inn Hotels across Thailand have a coffee corner where guests can get unlimited coffee from 6-11am and warm up breakfast in the provided microwave. We also did laundry at a self-service kiosk by the hotel car park entrance.

The rooms were extremely clean and had balconies, comfortable mattresses, cold air conditioning, refrigerators, hot showers, and two free bottles of water each day. There’s an elevator, a nearby 7-Eleven, and reception is available 24 hours. Prices are affordable. There was some road noise from outside, and no water boiler in the room. It’s also several kilometres from the water. I’d rate it 4.5 out of 5.

The toilet was the worst part: there was long hair and feces splashed in the bowl. I also found an open DutchMill box left in the fridge, and ants were swarming over the desk by the window as soon as I entered. For a budget chain, a clean room and comfortable bed are the basics. This was my first Hop Inn with such serious cleanliness problems, so I have to take off two stars. Hop Inn fell short this time.

You’ll need transport to reach the main tourist spots, since they aren’t within walking distance. We also had a rough time sleeping: doors kept slamming in neighboring rooms and children were crying in the hallway, so light sleepers should bring earplugs. On the plus side, our room was spotless and had the essentials, including soap, shampoo, clean towels, and drinking water. There was plenty of parking on site, and the lobby microwave and hot water were handy for quick food and drinks late at night. A good fit if you have a car and can put up with the noise, though the soundproofing could be better.