ARECA LODGE

[Laid Back Larry]

On 13/10/2023 at 03:51, Gonetothedogs said:

Have to say Larry. You dont sound very “laid back”

 

anyway, yes I’ve always found the Wi-Fi there to be a joke

I am sitting here chuckling. I have contemplated my next trip to Pattaya and want to explore LK Metro and Soi Buakao a bit more. In doing so I am telling myself Areca was perfect for my stay and I had a real good time previous trip. I cant even recall the post I made above. It shows I had a good time  being offline and had other activities when in the room. Hail to offline - way to go when in Patts!!

[ctp2018]

Since the last post on this thread it was made about two weeks ago, just wondering if there’s any recent news from a board member regarding the Wi-Fi at Areca Lodge.
 I agree that it’s better to be off-line, but these days sometimes you have to go online especially if you’re on a lengthy trip to LOS.

[PGSTC776]

1 hour ago, ctp2018 said:

Since the last post on this thread it was made about two weeks ago, just wondering if there’s any recent news from a board member regarding the Wi-Fi at Areca Lodge.
 I agree that it’s better to be off-line, but these days sometimes you have to go online especially if you’re on a lengthy trip to LOS.

It's the same as it's always been, and probably always will be barring some extensive upgrades that management doesn't seem to think are needed.  It ranges from ok, to absolute hot garbage depending on what part of the hotel you're in, the time you're using it, and the season.

As someone that works online when I stay at Areca I know I will often be required to tether for useable speeds.  It's just something to calculate when staying there.

[Ptquad]

Spent 4 nights there in the Refurbished Deluxe +, paid £52 a night. (Corona)

Nice little room, but the bed and pillows just to firm for me, never had a decent sleep.

Shower is pretty decent, the WiFi is weird, it was very poor on my phone but flawless when watching football on my firestick.

Pool very crowded and reminded me of a Benidorm version of Pattaya.

Glad I only booked 4 nights.

Staff very polite and friendly, especially towards the girls

Currently back at the Amethyst and wish I had booked 8 days instead if the 4.

[fondylius]

Hi. I have just booked 26 nights during Songkran. Would you recommend finding something else. The hotel is almost fully booked at the time?

I've have heard many good things about it? But never stayed there before.

[purescience]

The location is unrivalled. Beds are some some of the best in Pattaya, certainly on the firm side, but high quality mattresses and pillows.

[Skyryder]

Cannot argue with the location.  The wifi is spotty at best, and I wasn't impressed with the brekkie.  Maybe it was just my room, but I was on the 5th floor main building and it was noisy late in the evening.  All that being said, the staff was not pleasant my last stay, I felt like I was a burden just asking a question.  Then they totally messed my reservation and told me I had to change rooms.....and made it sound like it was my fault.  I waited two hours late afternoon and then moved...across the hall into the same room I was in, just across the hall.  It seemed they were overwhelmed when things started getting busy.  My last trip I went somewhere else.

[fondylius]

I guess I will just check it out when I am there. I have the option to cancel the last 14 days, if it is not as good as alot of people are suggesting 😀

[kd_traveller]

1 hour ago, Skyryder said:

The wifi is spotty at best, and I wasn't impressed with the brekkie. 

Agree that the Wifi can be spotty but the last time I was there in September the Wifi system had changed and I found it the best it had been, but then again it could depend on location.

It might just be a personal choice but I have always enjoyed their breakfast, have even been tempted to go in and have when I am staying in a nearby Condo, alas in the Condo I am not usually up and ready to go by 10am to be there in time for breakfast!

1 hour ago, Skyryder said:

across the hall into the same room I was in, just across the hall.

They may have totally messed up your booking and there is no excuse for that, but usually rooms across the corridor are not identical in that one side usually overlooks the pool in Areca and Corona buildings and the other side does not.  The pool side in the past were usually 100 or 200 baht more expensive.

As I said I stayed there in September 2023 and it is my hotel of choice, I love how it is spread out and has more of a resort feel about it, however different people have different priorities and one of my criteria for a hotel is a ground based pool and it has two of the best in the price category it is in!

[LeoTex]

I'm here sitting my room in the Evergreen Building just finished breakfast with my new best friend of the evening. 

Catching up on emails and so far, the wifi is working well and seems a little better than my September trip. 

[Greg_B]

9 minutes ago, LeoTex said:

I'm here sitting my room in the Evergreen Building just finished breakfast with my new best friend of the evening. 

Catching up on emails and so far, the wifi is working well and seems a little better than my September trip. 

I was hoping you were in a renovated room, so we could see the improvements...?

[direct_voyage]

Just finished a one-week stay at the Areca over Christmas. Loved it. I was late booking, so the only room available was in the first building with no pool view. Still loved it. A pool view is better for me, but I have no complaints since this was what was available.

Room booked on Agoda: Standard Plus, 1 King Bed, Non-Smoking

Mini-Review: The service and location are great. The maids are sweet and accommodating. They've added an omelette lady at the breakfast station who makes a darn good omelette. They also added soaps and shampoo to the showers, which is an improvement. Personally, I love the breakfast here: omelette, bacon, potatoes, and beans, with pineapple juice for the ladies. 😉 Only drinks in the mini-fridge now; 30 THB for a large water beats lugging it from 7-11. Soi 15 repairs are done, so you can cut out the back to access the avenue and Second Road, with LK out the front. Loved it here and will stay on my next trip.

 

 

 

 

[LeoTex]

21 hours ago, Greg_B said:

I was hoping you were in a renovated room, so we could see the improvements...?

I will get one of the bellboys to take up to one of the 'new' rooms in the middle Corona Building and take a look and take a few photos and send to you. 

[PGSTC776]

On 02/01/2024 at 14:51, LeoTex said:

I will get one of the bellboys to take up to one of the 'new' rooms in the middle Corona Building and take a look and take a few photos and send to you. 

Bruh, don't leave us hanging.  

[swede37]

1 hour ago, PGSTC776 said:

Bruh, don't leave us hanging.  

Here are photos of a new room in the corona building, they are pretty much identical to those in areca wing. I was the first guest in this room so everything was new.

Edited January 16 by swede37

[swede37]

And the reason they made them identical is so they can assign rooms in both buildings on that type of room booking. I tried to tell them I wanted a room in corona building again for my upcoming trip but they just answered that I will be assigned a room at check in (areca or corona bulding).

Edited January 16 by swede37

[Greg_B]

@swede37

Thanks for the pictures, I think I booked a room like this for May 2024, as it is in the old section

 1 Standard Plus room with 1 king-size bed-walk-in shower in the Areca / Corona wing.

[swede37]

Just now, Greg_B said:

@swede37

Thanks for the pictures, I think I booked a room like this for May 2024, as it is in the old section

 1 Standard Plus room with 1 king-size bed-walk-in shower in the Areca / Corona wing.

The room in the pictures is deluxe plus pool view king bed with shower. but should look the same inside as the one you booked. The view of the pools are the only difference i think.

[LeoTex]

1 hour ago, PGSTC776 said:

Bruh, don't leave us hanging.  

@swede37 beat me on photos.

Yesterday before checking out (Evergreen Building) I took a look at the remodeled room in the Corona Building.

Pretty much like when the Areca Building was remodeled. Now with walk in showers.

My only gripe it there is no storage space like before the remodel. 

As far as the WiFi goes and speaking only form the Evergreen Building and main lobby, I had the choice of either 2.5 or 5g connection. 

No log in problems or staying logged in. The speed was very good for all my needs for all my downloads and checking websites, like banks and airlines accounts. 

[wallywest]

Can anyone please tell me the  difference between the Areca and Corona buildings? I’ve never stayed here before but I’ve booked a deluxe plus king room with pool view and when I ask the hotel which building I’ll get I’m told it will be in either areca or corona… I assume one building  is newer/better  than the other based on what I’ve read. My booking is cancelable. Should I be concerned or is there no real difference?

[vivid2]

3 minutes ago, wallywest said:

Can anyone please tell me the  difference between the Areca and Corona buildings? I’ve never stayed here before but I’ve booked a deluxe plus king room with pool view and when I ask the hotel which building I’ll get I’m told it will be in either areca or corona… I assume one building  is newer/better  than the other based on what I’ve read. My booking is cancelable. Should I be concerned or is there no real difference?

As I understand it….Areca was the original building, and business was good enough to justify building the Corona building soon after.  Both buildings are just about identical, and they both have been remodeled very recently to a very high modern standard.  
Business was good enough that some years after the first 2 buildings were finished they built the Evergreen building which is very different. The rooms are bigger and the corner rooms are bigger still, and they have a few large patio suites on the first floor.

[kd_traveller]

The Areca Building is the one you can see from Soi Diana, the Corona Building is in the middle of the 3 buildings, the last building the Evergreen Building is at the back of the complex.

Both buildings have now been refurbished and so there is really not much between them but as the Corona Building was the last one to be refurbished its rooms might have a newer feel.

As you have booked a deluxe plus king room with pool view, I think the only difference will be the Areca Building rooms overlook the Cabana pool and the Corona Building overlook the Blue Ocean pool.

I would not be concerned as to which building I was allocated to.  Most previous times I stayed in the Corona Building, but as it was being refurbished I stayed in the Areca building which was fine.  I would not cancel my booking on the basis of not knowing which building I was going to end up in.

If you were staying in a Standard room after the new Las Vegas beer bar complex is up and running, I would prefer the Corona building as some Standard rooms could be close to the beer bar complex, but only time will tell!

[wallywest]

@kd_traveller, @vivid2 ok thanks. I do overthink things sometimes and get stressed about hotels, but all sounds cool.

[vivid2]

1 minute ago, kd_traveller said:

As you have booked a deluxe plus king room with pool view, I think the only difference will be the Areca Building rooms overlook the Cabana pool and the Corona Building overlook the Blue Ocean pool.

I think that only half of the Corona building rooms overlook the Cabana pool, and half overlook Blue Ocean pool.  

[vivid2]

2 minutes ago, wallywest said:

@kd_traveller, @vivid2 ok thanks. I do overthink things sometimes and get stressed about hotels, but all sounds cool.

I’m a bit like you….overthinking everything.  I stayed in 5 or 6 different hotels when I started coming here regularly, but ever since I stayed at Areca I’ve been back 20 times for a total of over 500 nights.  Just like in real estate….the 3 most important things that I consider when choosing a hotel are location, location, and location.