Villa Aruhe by Tropiclook

We loved the villa and wished we could have stayed longer. There are plenty of restaurants around, and although boat trips were 40-60 minutes away, having rented a car meant that wasn’t a major problem. Check-in was meant to be at 3:00 PM, but the room was still being cleaned when we arrived, so we had to wait at a nearby restaurant. The bed linens didn’t arrive until about 20 minutes after check-in time, and we couldn’t properly settle in until nearly 4:00 PM. I was also unhappy to find the electricity bill charged separately. It felt like an unexpected extra cost that hadn’t been clearly mentioned in the listing.

The villa was clean and nice, but for Thailand the luxury price felt too high. It isn’t by the beach, and the end of the stay left me with a bad feeling. They first said we owed money for “damaged sheets,” though that had never happened. They eventually dropped the charge. They also require you to pay for electricity, mentioned in the fine print when booking, but there’s no estimate of what it might cost. Payment had to be in cash and handed over in person. On our last day, I didn’t like having to go to an ATM and withdraw some random amount. A very hostile European woman demanded the money and lingered while we were checking out. I understand this sort of process at a small family-run place, but not at an upscale location where I could pay the same amount for a welcoming, all-inclusive stay.

We had a villa, but because we paid for one bedroom, they locked the door to the second toilet. We booked the one-bedroom option thinking the living room would be larger, since the listing described both one and two bedrooms as 140 square meters and the prices were the same. They also wouldn’t give us the washing machine key, even if we paid, and refused to bring a second coffee at breakfast. The service was awful, and I don’t recommend the place. I don’t think it will ever be fully booked with service like this. The managers should learn how to treat guests.

The host was really kind and helpful. The apartment was spacious, clean, and lovely, with air conditioning throughout. There’s a beautiful green garden with a pool, and the location is very good. I felt safe in the villa complex and would definitely recommend it.