Tamarind Garden Hotel

We stopped here on the first day of a road trip and were surprised by how big the room was. It was a triple share, and all the beds were real beds, which I was thankful for. Breakfast was simple but good, and the location was great. I was even able to get delivery.

I booked a single suite at Tamarind Garden Hotel, Rayong through Booking.com for October 8-9. I arrived around 1:00 PM on October 8 and was first given a room on the 4th floor with its door wide open. The front desk said the housekeeping lady had forgotten to close it. That points to a lack of basic management and hygiene control. After switching rooms, I went swimming on the second floor. On my way out, the nearby elevator shut down with a loud bang. Every button went dark except the emergency alarm. I was trapped for nearly 20 minutes, pressing it continuously and calling the front desk more than five times. They kept telling me, “Please stay calm, rescue is on the way.” Nobody asked where I was or how I was doing. When they finally opened the elevator, I was close to suffocating and collapsed on the floor. The staff just stared. I asked for dry clothes, and they said, “Sorry, we don’t have any.” Still wet and trembling, I went to the desk to ask why they took so long. They admitted they had searched other floors instead of the pool level. A citywide power outage doesn't excuse the lack of an emergency response at a four-star hotel. As a foreign traveler, I called the 1155 Tourist Police Hotline, where translation was available, and the 1166 Consumer Protection Hotline, which didn't respond. I eventually called the police myself. The hotel even made me pay for transport to the station. Police later mediated at the hotel. The manager agreed only to upgrade my room and refused my request for triple compensation, 3,900 THB. During mediation, staff and officers ignored me and laughed among themselves. They even accused me of not pressing the emergency button. When I defended myself in English, one officer snapped, “Since you can speak Thai, stop showing off your English.” As a 23-year-old solo Chinese traveler, I found that blatantly verbally and racially discriminatory. I was terrified and humiliated, and ended up crying in the lobby. Staff even told me to “cry in the meeting room.” A marketing manager later apologized and waived most charges, but I still haven't received any refund. I am demanding compensation of three times the room rate, 3,900 THB, for the emotional distress, safety negligence, and discrimination I experienced.

There was a very loud party event when we arrived, but our room was spacious, good, and quiet. The staff were a little short with us, though fine for a short stay.

The room was big and clean, and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast was very disappointing for a four-star hotel. The fried eggs were shaped and served cold. Continental choices dominate because most guests are Asian, though the intercontinental breakfast is improving.