Not Exactly Last-Minute, but 2 weeks out-- Thoughts?

[Starfighter99]

After hemming and hawing due to health issues, I finally used some of my accumulated Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card points and booked a flight from the US to BKK. I'll be in Thailand from 07 May all the way through the 30th, which will be the 3rd-longest time I've stayed in my 10 or so Thailand holidays. I was (wrongly, as it turns out!) assuming that since I'll be coming in what's historically been low season, that I would have a good selection of hotels even a few weeks out. There are still a good amount of rooms available, including hotels where I've stayed in the past (mainly LK Residence, Metropole, The Empress etc). The last time I was in Pattaya I was with my now-ex girlfriend and the two of us stayed mostly at the Metropole. I have mixed feelings about most of the LK hotels, at least the ones I've stayed at. The facilities tend to be very outdated, the internet/wifi generally is poor, outlets are fewer than I'd like etc. But of course, places like Metropole and The Empress (if you want to stay on Beach Rd anyways) are hard to beat.

I've been reading a bunch of reviews, mainly for places near-ish to LK Metro, as I will probably be spending a good amount of my time in and around Buakhao, with occasional jaunts elsewhere. Since I've been having various health issues, I want to pick a room that's actually comfortable to stay in for hours at a time while awake (just in case I need a break!). Ideally, I'd love to pick a place that is modern but doesn't skimp on creature comforts. Equally important for me is a walk-in shower, so I don't have any drunken wipeouts; I don't need a bathtub or jacuzzi. 

Another aspect that I'd ideally like to have is a place that has no problems with 18-19 year old BGs coming in, or at least a place where I can "bypass" ID checks if need be (ideal for if I want to bring in 2 girls and not slap down 500-1000 baht each time I do so!). I've had no issues with the Metropole in the past regarding this, but again, it's not my ideal type of place for this trip.

I could definitely be convinced to try a hotel that's not in the immediate Soi Diana/LK Metro area, but it should definitely be within the Central Pattaya area, nothing on the "Dark Side" if possible.

Dates for this would probably be 7 May through 21-23 May, and I wouldn't mind switching hotels while here.

Thanks in advance, gentlemen!

[Memurtle]

LK Royal Wing is on Soi Bukaow, you can bypass front desk by using lift on basement/carpark level. It also has a walk in shower and good size room. It’s not brand new but modern enough for me.

Edited April 19 by Memurtle

[RickyH]

Maybe the Heeton Concept (was Mercure), big hotel on Soi 15, huge pool, decent restaurant & room service for when you’re knackered.

Walkable to Buakhow, Boomerang, LK, Honey & Chiayapoon (though none are on the doorstep), also near enough to the baht bus for Soi 6 and the central areas (walk through Avenue Mall to Second Rd).

No hotel will want 18-19 year olds, but 20+ was no problem, easy sign in with no fee or embarrassment. 

[Greg_B]

https://www.arecalodge.com/

 

Easy bypass in the back way, I do it nightly

Edited April 19 by Greg_B

[Starfighter99]

7 minutes ago, Greg_B said:

https://www.arecalodge.com/

 

Easy bypass in the back way, I do it nightly

That was one of my first thoughts, but it's nearly sold out (only Superior Room is available for my dates, and I have no Desire to sleep on a futon).

[Luv2Phuket]

Don’t know what Chase card you have, but think about checking out the Chase travel portal - I think my Freedom gets me 5X on hotel spend booked through the portal.

WIDE variety of hotels available.

[Starfighter99]

22 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Don’t know what Chase card you have, but think about checking out the Chase travel portal - I think my Freedom gets me 5X on hotel spend booked through the portal.

WIDE variety of hotels available.

I've got the Sapphire Reserve. I was checking out the portal for hotels, although it seems the prices on the portal are generally "list price",e.g. much more expensive than Agoda. Good suggestion though! 

[Ziplee]

 

https://forum.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/126-hotels-accommodations-in-pattaya/

 

You can go on Agoda map and check on hotels near Buahkao.

Edited April 20 by Ziplee

[Starfighter99]

11 minutes ago, Ziplee said:

 

https://forum.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/126-hotels-accommodations-in-pattaya/

 

You can go on Agoda map and check on hotels near Buahkao.

Did you just link me to the sub-forum that I posted in? A bit on the nose, ain't it?

[jsmithj88]

Holiday inn express doesn't check IDs ......

[Greg_B]

This is right off Soi 15 & Soi Buahkao and it's always had my interest (location & restaurant)

https://www.pattayaguesthouse-hideaway.com/our-rooms.html

[Starfighter99]

15 minutes ago, Greg_B said:

This is right off Soi 15 & Soi Buahkao and it's always had my interest (location & restaurant)

https://www.pattayaguesthouse-hideaway.com/our-rooms.html

I've yet to stay at a small guesthouse in Thailand. It does look nice, but the no lift/elevator part would not be the best for me. Another good suggestion!

[Starfighter99]

17 minutes ago, Greg_B said:

This is right off Soi 15 & Soi Buahkao and it's always had my interest (location & restaurant)

https://www.pattayaguesthouse-hideaway.com/our-rooms.html

I probably should have guessed that this part of my post would be the one most guys would pick up on! It's only a small consideration compared to the quality and location, but I suppose it would be nice to have all three if possible.

[Greg_B]

This is a gem of a hotel and right across the road on Second Road (from Soi Diana)

Grand Deluxe Room (Top Floor with a lift)

Top floor and you have the use of a pool and a nice area to relax

https://dynastyinnpattaya.com/

Edited April 20 by Greg_B

[Starfighter99]

43 minutes ago, Starfighter99 said:

I probably should have guessed that this part of my post would be the one most guys would pick up on! It's only a small consideration compared to the quality and location, but I suppose it would be nice to have all three if possible.

Whoops... I'm a dunce. This was meant to reply to the guys talking about my wanting to bypass checking in girls, not your suggestion for the guesthouse! My fault. 

[Thomaz73]

When you checked Areca, did you put in the entire stay? You mentioned you might be open to try a couple of different places. Maybe try and play around with the dates. 

Have you checked Amethyst? 

Also, while I haven't stayed there myself, few mates of mine swear by Adelphi. Buakhao 21, if memory serves. Closer to Tree Town. 

[momo5]

11 hours ago, RickyH said:

Maybe the Heeton Concept (was Mercure), big hotel on Soi 15, huge pool, decent restaurant & room service for when you’re knackered.

Walkable to Buakhow, Boomerang, LK, Honey & Chiayapoon (though none are on the doorstep), also near enough to the baht bus for Soi 6 and the central areas (walk through Avenue Mall to Second Rd).

No hotel will want 18-19 year olds, but 20+ was no problem, easy sign in with no fee or embarrassment. 

Yet there are plenty that have no issue with it …

[momo5]

I’d recommend Amber … easy walking to LK Metro, Treetown, Buakhow … not really difficult to get to WS, Soi 7/8, Soi 6 either.   Nice pool, very comfy beds, large walk in shower, WiFi was reliable when I was there and the girls can access the elevator through the car park if you would prefer to avoid reception … found this out when a couple girls were ringing my doorbell without any call from reception … but didn’t have any issues with reception either.  Coming back late at night with my barfine/barfines, just sauntered on in without stopping at reception.  
 

I usually stay at Avani on Beach Road … reliable WiFi there as well, awesome oool set up and never had any issues bringing anyone back with me.  

[Ziplee]

6 hours ago, Starfighter99 said:

Did you just link me to the sub-forum that I posted in? A bit on the nose, ain't it?

Oh wow, sorry bout that. In my effort to make my post as short as possible, I reversed the sentences.

I was trying to say, go to Agoda map, then the forum for the reviews of any hotel that you might like.

 

 

 

 

 

[Starfighter99]

7 hours ago, Ziplee said:

Oh wow, sorry bout that. In my effort to make my post as short as possible, I reversed the sentences.

I was trying to say, go to Agoda map, then the forum for the reviews of any hotel that you might like.

 

No worries man. I actually was doing exactly what you suggested yesterday and the day before, and cross-referencing locations on Google Maps to hotel reviews in this forum. As usual, the issue is more that there are so many options, even just a few weeks out, that (at least for me) it's hard to pick one!

 

Edited April 20 by Starfighter99

[Starfighter99]

11 hours ago, Thomaz73 said:

When you checked Areca, did you put in the entire stay? You mentioned you might be open to try a couple of different places. Maybe try and play around with the dates. 

Have you checked Amethyst? 

Also, while I haven't stayed there myself, few mates of mine swear by Adelphi. Buakhao 21, if memory serves. Closer to Tree Town. 

I did play around with the dates, yes, but I'll try it again. I'll have to look into reviews here as well, since I know Areca has a lot of different types of rooms and multiple buildings etc. It definitely seems to be one of the, if not THE, most popular hotel in the Diana/LK area.

[Essexman1961]

21 hours ago, Starfighter99 said:

After hemming and hawing due to health issues, I finally used some of my accumulated Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card points and booked a flight from the US to BKK. I'll be in Thailand from 07 May all the way through the 30th, which will be the 3rd-longest time I've stayed in my 10 or so Thailand holidays. I was (wrongly, as it turns out!) assuming that since I'll be coming in what's historically been low season, that I would have a good selection of hotels even a few weeks out. There are still a good amount of rooms available, including hotels where I've stayed in the past (mainly LK Residence, Metropole, The Empress etc). The last time I was in Pattaya I was with my now-ex girlfriend and the two of us stayed mostly at the Metropole. I have mixed feelings about most of the LK hotels, at least the ones I've stayed at. The facilities tend to be very outdated, the internet/wifi generally is poor, outlets are fewer than I'd like etc. But of course, places like Metropole and The Empress (if you want to stay on Beach Rd anyways) are hard to beat.

I've been reading a bunch of reviews, mainly for places near-ish to LK Metro, as I will probably be spending a good amount of my time in and around Buakhao, with occasional jaunts elsewhere. Since I've been having various health issues, I want to pick a room that's actually comfortable to stay in for hours at a time while awake (just in case I need a break!). Ideally, I'd love to pick a place that is modern but doesn't skimp on creature comforts. Equally important for me is a walk-in shower, so I don't have any drunken wipeouts; I don't need a bathtub or jacuzzi. 

Another aspect that I'd ideally like to have is a place that has no problems with 18-19 year old BGs coming in, or at least a place where I can "bypass" ID checks if need be (ideal for if I want to bring in 2 girls and not slap down 500-1000 baht each time I do so!). I've had no issues with the Metropole in the past regarding this, but again, it's not my ideal type of place for this trip.

I could definitely be convinced to try a hotel that's not in the immediate Soi Diana/LK Metro area, but it should definitely be within the Central Pattaya area, nothing on the "Dark Side" if possible.

Dates for this would probably be 7 May through 21-23 May, and I wouldn't mind switching hotels while here.

Thanks in advance, gentlemen!

With the Baybreeze closed for rennovations last year I chose the Lk on Soi Dianna but found it much too noisy because of a bar that had a live band until 2.20am .Based on tips from here I chose the D hotel just off Bukhao and spent 8 nights there.LK area and Tree town less than 10 minutes walk and a Baht bus route seconds away BUT quiet in the hotel .See my TR below for some pics/video of my Economy room which was around 1000pn in late July/early August.

[Starfighter99]

I decide to double (or possibly triple!) book a room for my first week in town, since time keeps on ticking and my inability to choose is working against me. Don't worry, I don't have this problem when it comes to BGs. 😂

I just booked a "Deluxe Pool View King" room at Centara Azure since I didn't have to pay anything yet and chose the options to be able to cancel all the way up until May 4th. I do plan on spending a lot of quality time at Heaven Above, and Amethyst is fully booked. I am going to probably also book a room at the Metropole as my standby option, since I've stayed there a number of times and it's "okay" enough that I won't be miserable if I have to end up there. Being close to Buakhao is still the #1 thing for me. I imagine TF girls would have a harder time finding the Azure, but time will tell.

I did notice in Lottalee Winna's review of the Centara Avenue that the Las Vegas complex is now opened, and I imagine that would affect the noise levels a bit, perhaps not as much with a pool-facing room though. 

[Starfighter99]

On 19/04/2024 at 21:49, Thomaz73 said:

When you checked Areca, did you put in the entire stay? You mentioned you might be open to try a couple of different places. Maybe try and play around with the dates. 

Have you checked Amethyst? 

Also, while I haven't stayed there myself, few mates of mine swear by Adelphi. Buakhao 21, if memory serves. Closer to Tree Town. 

I checked again a few minutes ago and a room in Areca opened up on Agoda. However, it is the "Standard Plus, 1 King Bed" room style as the nicer/more expensive ones are all booked up. I'm wondering if this style of room would still be a good choice. I'll of course do as much reading here as possible, but I figured I'd mention it here as well.

[ghafarbaba]

What abt 247 Boutique hotel?  It's between Tree Town and LK.  If you use the link from Google Maps 👇, it's only around 1000b a night (the usual Agoda rate is 1600b).  Remember to log out of Agoda, Booking and other hotel apps before you click the link, else you may not get the discounted rate.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aPPBQkyyFFMMoVGX6