Amari Residences - Lottelee Winna Review

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

Intro - Just a word of warning, this hotel will not suit many readers of PA. If you like to be on top of the action, this isn’t for you, on the grounds that the hotel is located on Pratumnak Hill. However, if you like a little more of a chilled vibe, or if you have a GFE on the go, then I would thoroughly recommend it. 

General - 4.5 star luxury  hotel,  with a great pool and exterior bar area doing 2 4 1 drinks (5-7pm). Well equipped gym, helpful staff and the very best breakfasts I have ever had in Pattaya. The hotel has a very nice pool & bar. Good food and breakfast. My compliments to the staff who were very service oriented, friendly and did their best to make us comfortable. 

Room - I had a well fitted-out 1 bedroom suite (separate living room and mini kitchen) + huge bathroom with tub. The room is fitted out with smart TVs, automatic sensor lighting etc, indeed wall to wall creature comforts. The cleaning is to a very high standard  - immaculate (as always chaps, consider leaving a small gratuity for the cleaner). We stayed on the 14th floor - one bedroom suite with spectacular ocean views. We could see the whole of the Pattaya Bay from there. The balcony sit-out was superb. The living room was great with a small kitchenette and a dining table. The bedroom had a large and comfy bed.

Location- Its on Pratumnak Hill, next to the convention center, on a quiet street. Not so easily accessible to the city on foot, unless you enjoy a good daytime walk (which I do). The route back to hotel is 2- 3 km walk with some of it, steep uphill & desolate in the night, not advisable to walk alone late nights. After a late night in town, just grab a taxi bike 60 thb and a 10 minute ride home. There is a complimentary hotel bus, which has to be booked in advance. Suggest to keep a route / location map showing exact pick up locations etc so any new-comer tourist can understand where to get off / wait for the pick up.  

Customer Service - Outstanding, nothing is too much trouble for the staff. Helpful and friendly.

Pratumnak Area - I love this part of town...chilled vibe, almost Village like feel to it. Behind the hotel, a 10 min walk, you have very nice classy restaurants like Chocolate Factory and the Sky Gallery. There is also Country Road Bar (with BF available), there is Heaven GC at bottom of the hill - usually some nice gals there. Lots of cafes and 7/11s. Best of all, there is Cosy Beach...one of my faves, a top place to chill out for the day.

General- While being upmarket, this is still a ‘guest friendly’ hotel. It is classy, but not quite up to 5 star standards - for that you want the excellent Royal Cliff next door (at double the price). However for around 2000-2,300 a night (inc breakfast) it represents good value.

Cost 2,300 for a one bedroom suite, with separate living room (breakfast included).

LW Rating 7.5/10

[sadisfied]

LW, as always thanks for the review. I read on Agoda that this place gets the Chinese by the bus loads. Was this the case when you were there?

 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

2 minutes ago, sadisfied said:

LW, as always thanks for the review. I read on Agoda that this place gets the Chinese by the bus loads. Was this the case when you were there?

 

No mate, never saw any Chinese bussed in guests at all. Mostly independent travelling Koreans and European guests. Plenty of affluent Thais travel from Bangkok at the weekend too.

[Tarpon]

Is Jomtien the closest Beach area? How far?

[james 71]

Is the bar open to non residents on the 2-4-1 drinks is that for beer and cocktails

[james 71]

A very informative review as always 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

7 hours ago, Tarpon said:

Is Jomtien the closest Beach area? How far?

The closest one is Cosy Beach (pictured) 10 minutes walk.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

7 hours ago, james 71 said:

Is the bar open to non residents on the 2-4-1 drinks is that for beer and cocktails

Yes mate, poolside bar open to non residents also.

[don henley]

Stayed here for 7 nights over New Year. I can agree with most of the comments from LW. However just a few points I would make...

The music around the swimming pool was far too loud. It wasn’t possible to listen to your own music with headphones which I find annoying. I understand the want to make the pool area atmospheric but I think in some respects it was more for the benefit of the staff rather than the guests.

Whilst on the subject of the swimming pool there are not enough sun loungers. I think there were 12 or so when we were there. It’s a big hotel and also a condo residence, many people during my visit turned up and were unable to get loungers.

So that brings me in to the fact this is in part a hotel and also partially a condo block. I think the first 12 floors are run as a hotel and everything above is a condo. They have separate entrances. Some of the facilities are shared, dining area and swimming pool. They do have separate Gyms though, the hotel gym is first class, one of the best I have used in Pattaya.

There were a couple of days when bus loads of Chinese turned up. They only seemed to stay one night though and if they had breakfast it wasn’t whilst I was there.

The staff are good and try hard to please.

There was an ongoing incident with some Russian residents from the condo area whilst we were. Not too sure what was happening other than it was obviously an eviction of sorts. Lots of property in plastic bin liners etc on the front step, frantic waving of arms, shouting, crying etc etc. The police were there 2 days on the trot and it took hours to resolve. Thought the Amari staff would have tried to deal with it more discretely - they seemed to make it worse, several of them at a time trying to get a word in. Think the police got bored in the end and the Russians were taken away in a police pick up.

I did pass on my thoughts to the staff about the swimming pool music and lack of loungers. As this is Thailand not too sure if things will improve but other than that it’s a good hotel. Probably it would be classed as 3 star back in the U.K. but here it fits their 4 star grading.

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

@don henley Many thanks for your observations mate. Most helpful. Agree that the gym is top class, and also agree that there should be more sun beds (although we could always get on during our stay - maybe that was due to it being windy all week). They do appear to have taken your advice about music volume on board, it was quiet and offered a nice chill-out vibe.

I would have enjoyed watching the Ruskkie eviction...regrettably no such cabaret during my stay  

[Clem Fandango]

@LOTTELLEE WINNA lovely review as always. I was looking for a hotel out of the madness for 4 nights on my 23 day trip end of Dec into Jan. I seen this and thought hang in didn’t Lottellee winna stay here with his wife and kid. Can I bother you with a couple of quick questions.

1- As a keen golfer I Golf out of LK Metro 8am. Is there plenty MB outside the hotel? Or can reception get you one.

2- I read about the bars in your report,can I walk to these and back safely of an evening.Sometime after 8 days in Soi B and another  11 to follow you don’t want to go central Pattaya for a few nights?

3- Would you recommend anyplace with a great pool and chilled environment just out of the madness for this price (£275 for 4 nights one bedroom apartment. 3-7th Jan)?

Thanks and hope the new job is going well and the wife and kid are good.

 

[LOTTELLEE WINNA]

@Joethescot Mate thanks for your kind compliments.

Stayed three times at Amari Residence - always on a ‘flash sale’ from Agoda or Expedia. If you like Pratumnak and genuinely enjoy being out of Patts, then it offers 4.5 star luxury at a very good price. I have stayed twice in a 2 bedroom corner suite and once in a one bed suite. If you want breakfast (and it really is good), then best to get it as part of the package as it costs 450thb over the counter.

I really like this place, upmarket, family oriented but not chockablock with kids. Quite a few Arab families and Russians too...never bothered me. 

Nice pool area, and swim up bar.

Q1 Yes, right outside the front gate there is a motorcycle shack...the dudes start early, so you shouldn’t have a prob.

Q2. There aren’t lots of bars, but Country Road bar is quite good, my mate bf a LLT out of there. 5 minutes walk back to your hotel, very safe. MB taxi available too.

Q3. This is a hard one, as it depends on your definition of ‘out of the madness’. Somewhere like Pratumnak is great with a gal...but I personally wouldn’t stay there on my own. Although Acqua is near the center of the madness on soi Honey, the rooftop pool is outstanding, it’s very tranquil and you can relax...they also play mellow Ibiza chillout tunes...I would choose this as a real classy hotel. 

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions mate.

[Clem Fandango]

7 hours ago, LOTTELLEE WINNA said:

@Joethescot Mate thanks for your kind compliments.

Stayed three times at Amari Residence - always on a ‘flash sale’ from Agoda or Expedia. If you like Pratumnak and genuinely enjoy being out of Patts, then it offers 4.5 star luxury at a very good price. I have stayed twice in a 2 bedroom corner suite and once in a one bed suite. If you want breakfast (and it really is good), then best to get it as part of the package as it costs 450thb over the counter.

I really like this place, upmarket, family oriented but not chockablock with kids. Quite a few Arab families and Russians too...never bothered me. 

Nice pool area, and swim up bar.

Q1 Yes, right outside the front gate there is a motorcycle shack...the dudes start early, so you shouldn’t have a prob.

Q2. There aren’t lots of bars, but Country Road bar is quite good, my mate bf a LLT out of there. 5 minutes walk back to your hotel, very safe. MB taxi available too.

Q3. This is a hard one, as it depends on your definition of ‘out of the madness’. Somewhere like Pratumnak is great with a gal...but I personally wouldn’t stay there on my own. Although Acqua is near the center of the madness on soi Honey, the rooftop pool is outstanding, it’s very tranquil and you can relax...they also play mellow Ibiza chillout tunes...I would choose this as a real classy hotel. 

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions mate.

Thanks for the reply it’s a great help. If have stayed in most locations in Pattaya now. Nova Gold,Adelphi,DHotel and also right on LK Metro(less said about that the best).

This trip is a longer than normal one so 4 days up on Pratumnak I feel is a good idea to get to know and explore an other area of town. Also not to far out when I need to venture in for the golf or a meal.

I like to have 3-4 days in the middle off the booze and just chilling. Last few trips I have gone out of town to Chiang Mai to name one place. 

This trip as it’s a winter trip I’m keen to make the most of the golf and 4 days up in Pratumnak might just relieve some of the Pattaya sounds ,smells and tastes which I love but 10 days at a time is plenty. 

Staying once again at D hotel Boxing Day to 3rd and the new sleep with me hotel 7-18th. Will do a full review on both hotels to give back to the forum.

Im in between Amari as discussed or a trip to Koh Samet. 4 days alone are what I like and enjoy. 

Thanks for the reply