Holiday Inn Express coming to Buakhao

[slalom]

Enquired for my dates on IHG website 6th Nov - 16th Nov (10 nights)

No room info available on site as yet, only given standard double room no other choice available.

Booking for 2 adults @ membership cost. 29,525 thb or £710 incl breakfast + 7.7% additional charges, that's for a pay later deal, wasn't paying there and then until I know if the room is bigger than a broom cupboard etc.

Also in the price breakdown it's quoted - Extra Persons Charge 2000thb or £48??

Even though room booking was for 2 adults?? But it does state in Rate Details section, 200 thb per extra adult starting with the 2nd adult not included in price. That is something I have never seen before!

Decided not to book.

[SiamDreamer]

53 minutes ago, slalom said:

Also in the price breakdown it's quoted - Extra Persons Charge 2000thb or £48??

Even though room booking was for 2 adults?? But it does state in Rate Details section, 200 thb per extra adult starting with the 2nd adult not included in price. That is something I have never seen before!

Decided not to book.

No doubt - it appears they are trying to discourage mongerers and focus on tour groups and non monger tourist who are willing to spend money.

[skink]

My thinking is that their 200 baht is just a breakfast charge, since Holiday Inn Express automatically gives free breakfast.

I noticed they are charging 20k IHG points a night which seems a bit high.

[striderman]

8 hours ago, phenixr said:

This is now available for booking on the IHG site for my dates in December/January. Quite economical for that time of the year. I can't pull the plug yet because I want to survey the area while I'm visiting in May/June. The deal breaker for me would be if the area is too noisy. I'm aware of the different opinions offered earlier in this thread on the subject of noise. I just want to see for myself and make a decision based on my level of tolerance.

re the noise factor.

unless you are given a room overlooking buakaow there should be no problem at all.

i dunno how many rooms it will have but i would guess over 200 and only a handful of those would face buakaow.

if you want a balcony look elsewhere there do not appear to be any

[slalom]

7 hours ago, skink said:

My thinking is that their 200 baht is just a breakfast charge, since Holiday Inn Express automatically gives free breakfast.

I noticed they are charging 20k IHG points a night which seems a bit high.

Yes maybe, not exactly a free breakfast then is it.

[Luv2Phuket]

8 hours ago, skink said:

I noticed they are charging 20k IHG points a night which seems a bit high.
 

I agree.  

At 15,000 IHG points, I might be intrigued, but saving 5,000 points vs Holiday Inn isn't going to move the needle for me, especially since I think the Holiday Inn is in a much better -- albeit not incredibly convenient -- location.

Given the perks I get through the IHG Ambassador program, the most likely scenario for me is that I will continue to use my IHG points at the InterContinental.

[striderman]

while nosing round the south of south pattaya i thought i'd check on the express inn site there

nope. zippo. except i think the piling has been done years ago now

[Luv2Phuket]

On 12/04/2019 at 15:38, skink said:

I noticed they are charging 20k IHG points a night which seems a bit high.
 

 

On 13/04/2019 at 00:17, Luv2Phuket said:

I agree.  

At 15,000 IHG points, I might be intrigued, but saving 5,000 points vs Holiday Inn isn't going to move the needle for me, especially since I think the Holiday Inn is in a much better -- albeit not incredibly convenient -- location.

Given the perks I get through the IHG Ambassador program, the most likely scenario for me is that I will continue to use my IHG points at the InterContinental.

Following up on this briefly, I was checking room rates on some random dates in October and November, and the new HI Express was listed for $55 to $65 USD per night.  At 20,000 IHG points, that is a TERRIBLE "return" on the points (at the high end of $65, it is only .325 cents per point).  Much better off paying the cash.

To put it into perspective, I do not think that the Holiday Inn is a very good "return" on points, but the rates there for the same date period were in the $105-115 USD per night range, so much better at 25,000 IHG points per night (.46 cents per point at the high end).

[Luv2Phuket]

11 hours ago, striderman said:

while nosing round the south of south pattaya i thought i'd check on the express inn site there

 

nope. zippo. except i think the piling has been done years ago now

But at least they already have some lost luggage!

[striderman]

okey dokey.

i went past the buakaow site twice this afternoon. an inspection of falangs/thai managers in progress.

by chance on my return sweep 1 falang was exiting the building.

when i asked "when u hope to open"

answer "end june start of july"

ability to book on line unlikely to happen until they are certain.

[petermik]

9 hours ago, striderman said:

 

 

by chance on my return sweep 1 falang was exiting the building.

when i asked "when u hope to open"

answer "end june start of july"

 

yes striders but which year exactly....................

[striderman]

gardener req. apply within......................

then, feb 26th

now......................

then feb 26th

now.....................

 

[striderman]

time for bed

[Luv2Phuket]

6 hours ago, striderman said:

time for bed

THAT'S gotta be a good sign!

[striderman]

some workers have spent most of the week trying to clean the large windows in reception.

looks great on a plan but keeping them clean on buakaow will be an ongoing challenge

[striderman]

[wash747]

if it's $50 range, have swimming pool (apologize if i miss info) and girl friendly... could see it being as my mattress run to rack up IHG status but IHG status isnt meaningful as other major chains such as Marriott or Hyatt or Hilton. 

[Luv2Phuket]

27 minutes ago, wash747 said:

if it's $50 range, have swimming pool (apologize if i miss info) and girl friendly... could see it being as my mattress run to rack up IHG status but IHG status isnt meaningful as other major chains such as Marriott or Hyatt or Hilton. 

I ran a couple future dates a few months ago, and recall that one series of dates came up in the mid-$50s, while the other dates were pushing $100.

[SiamDreamer]

I'm here now and was hoping they would be open by now. Perhaps by October. Nevertheless, progress is looking good though. I always stay at the Holiday Inn Expresses in BKK (SIam near MBK, and the other on Soi 11)  and have no major complaints although a pool would be nice. This location hould provide immediate competition to Travel Lodge and Bay Breeze (my usual hotels in Patts).

[Luv2Phuket]

According to IHG's website, it will be open as of September 1. 

I was able to pull up specific dates in early September for reservations (around $48 USD for a fully refundable rate), BUT when I clicked on the "Check Availability" button to show the full month,  the same dates did not appear, but all of October did.  Odd.

Those rates make using IHG points nonsensical.  For example, on the dates that I checked, you had a choice of paying $48 for a refundable rate, paying 20,000 IHG points OR paying 10,000 IHG points AND $70 USD (almost double the basic rate itself!  5555).

I don;t know how accurate it is until they are open, but the amenities listed on IHG's website DO include a pool, a limited gym (treadmill and free weights), and an onsite laundry facility for guests (i.e., washers and dryers, NOT somebody to do it for you!  555).  

Here is the webpage:  
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/pattaya/pyxex/hoteldetail?qDest=Pattaya, Thailand&qCiD=1&qCoD=4&qCiMy=82019&qCoMy=82019&qAdlt=1&qChld=0&qRms=1&qWch=0&qSmP=1&setPMCookies=true&qRtP=6CBARC&qAAR=6CBARC&qSlH=PYXEX&qAkamaiCC=US&srb_u=1&qRad=150&qRdU=km&presentationViewType=select&qSrt=sDD&qBrs=re.ic.in.vn.cp.vx.hi.ex.rs.cv.sb.cw.ma.ul.ki.va

[striderman]

tuesday

with bonus reflection !

Edited June 4, 2019 by striderman

[davidge]

38 minutes ago, striderman said:

with bonus reflection !

There must be a distortion in the glass 

[striderman]

standing water right outside the entrance

they have spent several days laying a black/tarmac style surface into the underground car park and out the front. unfortunately they had previously only put in 2 drain slots which you can see and omitted 1 in the lowest section right outside the way in. dohhhh !

this was on a slow and steady rain day, nothing out of the ordinary............i see some remedial work coming soon

Edited June 5, 2019 by striderman

[petermik]

17 hours ago, striderman said:

standing water right outside the entrance

 

they have spent several days laying a black/tarmac style surface into the underground car park and out the front. unfortunately they had previously only put in 2 drain slots which you can see and omitted 1 in the lowest section right outside the way in. dohhhh !

this was on a slow and steady rain day, nothing out of the ordinary............i see some remedial work coming soon

Flippers and diving masks will be issued to anyone parking their car underneath.....

[phenixr]

I was in Pattaya the past several weeks. Visited this location and the hotel is beautiful indeed. My personal preference is for less congested and less crowded locales such as where the Holiday Inn is. Hence this one is now off my list. Incidentally, stayed at the Mytt Beach hotel which I will review elsewhere on this site. Suffice to say, it is a very well appointed facility but again not 5 star as popularly claimed on the internet, mostly by the hotel itself.