Drunken Duck Guest House

[robio]

The Drunken Duck Guesthouse and Bar – Soi LK Metro

 

Price: 850 a night. Rooms on higher floors were a tad more expensive

 

The Good:

Great location – LK Metro is now my favourite area in Pattaya with its cheap hotels, great restaurants, decent gogo bars, multitude of beer bars, and general party atmosphere. I have been to Pattaya many times, but this was my first time staying on LK. I will stay here from now on and would recommend that all newbies use this as a launching pad into Pattaya.

The room at Drunken Duck had some benefits as well. I was in Room 1, which has a deck overlooking LK Metro (and specifically Devil’s Den). The bed was comfortable and the linens and pillows were nice for a guest house at this price point. The flat screen TV had good sound and picture quality, and the channel selection was good. The overall size of the room was acceptable.

 

The Bad:

Cleanliness. When I checked in the last punter had left his disgusting comb (with white shit stuck in it), a razor with shaving clippings, and a toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom. It was not a nice first site when I went in. There was also no toilet paper, which I did not realize until after it was too late. A little more attention to detail is needed by the cleaning staff at Drunken Duck.

 

Bathrooms: Black mould had taken over the bathroom. The shower was worse than some of the short time rooms on Soi 6, dribbling out drops of warm water. The drain was backed up, so the floor did not dry for a long time after showering. The bathrooms are in dire need of care at DD. It really is a laziness issue, as black mould can be easily taken care of with a cheap bottle of bleach.

 

Noise: If you stay on LK, be prepared for party noise. I am totally cool with that – being so close to the party was a big draw of staying in the LK area. My issue was the drilling noise that occurred from within the bar at 10 AM on January 28^th. In an attempt to upgrade the substandard bar area, some new TVs were being installed. Holes were being drilled in the ceiling – right under my floor. After partying until 5 AM I was not impressed. When I went down to ask why they could not do it in the afternoon (most guys staying in this guest house stay up late and sleep the day away), the snarky staff member said “Boss wants it done”. So the expat boss of a guest house in Thailand had commissioned morning repairs – thanks for considering the guests, Tony! This would not be the only ill-advised managerial decision.

 

The Unbelievably Bad:

The management at this hotel is ridiculously poor. I had met the manager, Tony, on previous occasions, one being a Bang Chang tour, another being through mutual friends from Canada. When I needed a room for a few days at the end of the trip, and had decided to stay on LK, it was a no-brainer to go with the guy I knew. It was a mistake.

I signed into Room 1 for 3 nights and paid in full on January 24^th, 2 nights before I needed to move in. I realized I had made a mistake an hour after I paid – my flight actually left on the 28^th, not the 29^th, so I would not be needing the 3^rd night after all. As soon as I knew I went to DD to inform the staff of the mistake. Tony was not in so I left a message with the woman sitting behind the bar. The next day I tried again, but still no Tony and still no change to the booking book. Finally the 26^th came, and I again informed the lady behind the bar that I had made a mistake and would not need the room on the 28^th. She called Tony, who was golfing, and he told her he would talk to me at 6PM that night. As she was talking to him, I noticed that room 1 was empty for 5 days after the 28^th, so I was happy that I would not be stranding the guest house with a single night of no occupancy by cancelling. I should have known that this would not matter due to TIT rules (This is Tony).

Just after 6 I talked to Tony. Looking down, he said “I am not lying, but we had to move people around so that you could have that room”, an obvious lie because I had already seen the book, and the vacancies both rooms 1 & 2 for the week after the 28^th. The fact that he prefaced a complete and utter lie with the words “I am not lying” told me everything I needed to know about his character.

 

Realizing that Tony was either a graduate of the Thai school of management (which states that cash in hand today is more important than repeat business), or so hard up for cash that he had to lie to keep my $25 (sad if true), I offered a solution. Give me a credit at the bar, and I will drink the room rate away, still giving the hotel the chance to fill it on the 28^th. No dice.

 

The saddest part: for the next 2 nights every time Tony saw me he looked down and walked away! The other funny thing is we spent thousands of baht eating and drinking at Kilkenny (another similar guesthouse across the road) during our stay - all of that money would have gone into the Drunken Duck if Tony had done the right thing instead of being greedy.

It became apparent that we were not the only ones disillusioned by Tony and his Thai-style tactics. At midnight one can walk up and down LK Metro and see lively beer bars at virtually every guest house, except, you guessed it, the Drunken Duck. It would seem that Tony’s negative attitude and money-grubbing ways have turned off many a punter and made his bar an undesirable place to hang out.

 

Suggestions for Improvement:

The successful businesses on LK Metro are successful because their owners or managers always try to make their guests feel welcome. Tony is the opposite, with his negativity and mood swings truly creating a culture of fear at both the bar and the guest house. Suggestion 1: Create a more positive atmosphere and more people will want to stay there and drink there.

 

Suggestion 2: Go to Friendship or Big C and buy a bottle of bleach. Pay someone to bleach the black mould from your bathrooms so that people other than dirty backpackers will be comfortable staying in your rooms. The sign says LK Metro, not Khao San Road! The other guest houses on the soi have stepped up their game – time for you to do the same.

 

Suggestion 3. Think ahead! This was my 9^th tour in Thailand and you have guaranteed that you will never see another of my baht again. Repeat business is key in low season in the mongering circuit. Do more to secure more of it or watch other guest houses thrive as you continue to struggle with high vacancy and empty bar seats.

 

I would not stay at the Drunken Duck again and would strongly advise others to look carefully before booking this guest house.

[drunkduck]

So basically Tony has a no cancellation/refund policy just like a vast majority of guesthouses. I found Tony to be a sound bloke. I found the rooms to be cheap but good for the money. The OP has used what is disguised a review to get revenge for not getting his Baht back.

Edited January 28, 2012 by drunkduck

[robio]

So basically Tony has a no cancellation/refund policy just like a vast majority of guesthouses. I found Tony to be a sound bloke. The rooms to be cheap but good for the money. The OP has used what is disguised a review to get revenge for not getting his Baht back.

 

This is my honest review of the guest house. I have done similar reviews for many bars in town and like to paint a complete picture. Yes, I am amazed that the management refused to give me back my money considering the situation, but revenge is a strong word. I would prefer the word "warning" instead.

[dean2926]

Don't sugar coat it mate, tell us what you really think.

 

Thanks for the update.

[drunkduck]

You painted a good picture but then it was destroyed by the revellation of your motive.

[badboybilly]

A good ...honest review ..........and without personal attacks.

 

mmmmmmmmm.......far better to take your own 'exit mould' bottle with you....u can buy the spray bottle up at Villa....mould does grow fast though....my bathroom also gets it...have to spray the tiles with 'exit mould' all the time.

 

Some places are not run 'seriously'...that is....they are more of a hobby.........and im not referring to this business.

Edited January 28, 2012 by badboybilly

[robio]

You painted a good picture but then it was destroyed by the revellation of your motive.

 

My only motive is to warn other punters that DD might not meet their expectations. It did not meet my expectations, and I am always happy when another guest gives a review so I can make an informed choice before locking in. To me, that is the main purpose of this site!

[Baron of Beef]

sorry you had a bad experience mate. I've never stayed there so i can't comment on the room quality, but the bar's good, and I've always found Tony to be a good guy, as well as Bobby, the canadian guy who's also in the bar. Have had a few good nights there, so dont know what went wrong on your stay. Hopefully a one off problem

[drunkduck]

My only motive is to warn other punters that DD might not meet their expectations. It did not meet my expectations, and I am always happy when another guest gives a review so I can make an informed choice before locking in. To me, that is the main purpose of this site!

If you had not mentioned how upset you were about not getting your refund then your review may have been taken at face value but clearly it has grossly influenced your opinion of this guesthouse. You could have just simply said "this guesthouse has a no cancellation policy". That may not meet expectations but it is something that can be checked before booking.

[badboybilly]

Regardless mate...............it would of made good business sense to have gave him credit for the extra night...........

[WalkingSt]

I can't see any problem with the OP revealing his error with the booking and the outcome when he asked the owner/manager for a solution. If he had missed this from the post and it had later come to light then his post would very likely have been given even less credit and he would have been accused of missing out important details.

[Sexyfarangman]

I guess that leaves Irish Rovers or Billabong for LK accommodations.

[The Drunken Duck]

The Drunken Duck Guesthouse and Bar – Soi LK Metro

 

Price: 850 a night. Rooms on higher floors were a tad more expensive

 

The Good:

Great location – LK Metro is now my favourite area in Pattaya with its cheap hotels, great restaurants, decent gogo bars, multitude of beer bars, and general party atmosphere. I have been to Pattaya many times, but this was my first time staying on LK. I will stay here from now on and would recommend that all newbies use this as a launching pad into Pattaya.

The room at Drunken Duck had some benefits as well. I was in Room 1, which has a deck overlooking LK Metro (and specifically Devil’s Den). The bed was comfortable and the linens and pillows were nice for a guest house at this price point. The flat screen TV had good sound and picture quality, and the channel selection was good. The overall size of the room was acceptable.

 

The Bad:

Cleanliness. When I checked in the last punter had left his disgusting comb (with white shit stuck in it), a razor with shaving clippings, and a toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom. It was not a nice first site when I went in. There was also no toilet paper, which I did not realize until after it was too late. A little more attention to detail is needed by the cleaning staff at Drunken Duck.

 

Bathrooms: Black mould had taken over the bathroom. The shower was worse than some of the short time rooms on Soi 6, dribbling out drops of warm water. The drain was backed up, so the floor did not dry for a long time after showering. The bathrooms are in dire need of care at DD. It really is a laziness issue, as black mould can be easily taken care of with a cheap bottle of bleach.

 

Noise: If you stay on LK, be prepared for party noise. I am totally cool with that – being so close to the party was a big draw of staying in the LK area. My issue was the drilling noise that occurred from within the bar at 10 AM on January 28^th. In an attempt to upgrade the substandard bar area, some new TVs were being installed. Holes were being drilled in the ceiling – right under my floor. After partying until 5 AM I was not impressed. When I went down to ask why they could not do it in the afternoon (most guys staying in this guest house stay up late and sleep the day away), the snarky staff member said “Boss wants it done”. So the expat boss of a guest house in Thailand had commissioned morning repairs – thanks for considering the guests, Tony! This would not be the only ill-advised managerial decision.

 

The Unbelievably Bad:

The management at this hotel is ridiculously poor. I had met the manager, Tony, on previous occasions, one being a Bang Chang tour, another being through mutual friends from Canada. When I needed a room for a few days at the end of the trip, and had decided to stay on LK, it was a no-brainer to go with the guy I knew. It was a mistake.

I signed into Room 1 for 3 nights and paid in full on January 24^th, 2 nights before I needed to move in. I realized I had made a mistake an hour after I paid – my flight actually left on the 28^th, not the 29^th, so I would not be needing the 3^rd night after all. As soon as I knew I went to DD to inform the staff of the mistake. Tony was not in so I left a message with the woman sitting behind the bar. The next day I tried again, but still no Tony and still no change to the booking book. Finally the 26^th came, and I again informed the lady behind the bar that I had made a mistake and would not need the room on the 28^th. She called Tony, who was golfing, and he told her he would talk to me at 6PM that night. As she was talking to him, I noticed that room 1 was empty for 5 days after the 28^th, so I was happy that I would not be stranding the guest house with a single night of no occupancy by cancelling. I should have known that this would not matter due to TIT rules (This is Tony).

Just after 6 I talked to Tony. Looking down, he said “I am not lying, but we had to move people around so that you could have that room”, an obvious lie because I had already seen the book, and the vacancies both rooms 1 & 2 for the week after the 28^th. The fact that he prefaced a complete and utter lie with the words “I am not lying” told me everything I needed to know about his character.

 

Realizing that Tony was either a graduate of the Thai school of management (which states that cash in hand today is more important than repeat business), or so hard up for cash that he had to lie to keep my $25 (sad if true), I offered a solution. Give me a credit at the bar, and I will drink the room rate away, still giving the hotel the chance to fill it on the 28^th. No dice.

 

The saddest part: for the next 2 nights every time Tony saw me he looked down and walked away! The other funny thing is we spent thousands of baht eating and drinking at Kilkenny (another similar guesthouse across the road) during our stay - all of that money would have gone into the Drunken Duck if Tony had done the right thing instead of being greedy.

It became apparent that we were not the only ones disillusioned by Tony and his Thai-style tactics. At midnight one can walk up and down LK Metro and see lively beer bars at virtually every guest house, except, you guessed it, the Drunken Duck. It would seem that Tony’s negative attitude and money-grubbing ways have turned off many a punter and made his bar an undesirable place to hang out.

 

Suggestions for Improvement:

The successful businesses on LK Metro are successful because their owners or managers always try to make their guests feel welcome. Tony is the opposite, with his negativity and mood swings truly creating a culture of fear at both the bar and the guest house. Suggestion 1: Create a more positive atmosphere and more people will want to stay there and drink there.

 

Suggestion 2: Go to Friendship or Big C and buy a bottle of bleach. Pay someone to bleach the black mould from your bathrooms so that people other than dirty backpackers will be comfortable staying in your rooms. The sign says LK Metro, not Khao San Road! The other guest houses on the soi have stepped up their game – time for you to do the same.

 

Suggestion 3. Think ahead! This was my 9^th tour in Thailand and you have guaranteed that you will never see another of my baht again. Repeat business is key in low season in the mongering circuit. Do more to secure more of it or watch other guest houses thrive as you continue to struggle with high vacancy and empty bar seats.

 

I would not stay at the Drunken Duck again and would strongly advise others to look carefully before booking this guest house.

 

hey mate you forgot to leave the key for the door lock and the key for safe

both have been replaced now

we will deal with that issue next time i see on your favorite soi

 

 

following is a review from a repeat customer

 

The Drunken Duck is a great place to stay in one of the best locations in Pattaya - Soi LK Metro. This was my third visit and I stayed in Room#1 - which overlooked Soi LK Metro. The room was nicely furnished in a modern style, with balcony, a/c, large fridge, ensuite, wall mounted safe, wall mounted LCD TV and DVD player. The bed was firm (which I prefer) and I slept soundly each night I was there. Noise from the street was not noticeable after 2am - if you prefer a quieter room they have some on the backside of the building. The ensuite is your standard combined guesthouse style toilet/shower with sink.

 

The Drunken Duck is owned/managed by Tony - an outgoing and courteous gent from England - who's always willing to head out with you into the city for a drink and will show you the best places in town. Then there's Bobby, who organises pub crawls to other towns in the vicinity of Pattaya and loves to have a drink. The staff at the Drunken Duck (Ann - supervisor; Lee - night cashier; Nid - day cashier and the cleaning ladies) are friendly, cheerful and helpful. The cleaning ladies do a top job on the rooms everyday and can be trusted with your belongings in your room.

 

The Drunken Duck does not currently have an operational kitchen/restaurant - though I heard some plans are in the works to get one running in the future. However, there is a selection of menu's from local restaurants in the bar and you can place your food order with the cashier/bartender and it will be delivered to The Drunken Duck quickly. I highly recommend breakfast from the Golf Club (located across the Soi).

 

I like returning to stay at The Drunken Duck as I am welcomed back as family and treated as such during my stay. I cannot recommend this place enough!

[badboybilly]

Than ks DD....... do you have a 'back entrance' by any chance..........i prefer that sometimes.

[robio]

If you had not mentioned how upset you were about not getting your refund then your review may have been taken at face value but clearly it has grossly influenced your opinion of this guesthouse. You could have just simply said "this guesthouse has a no cancellation policy". That may not meet expectations but it is something that can be checked before booking.

 

You seem to be quite biased in your approach. I wonder if your handle has anything to do with that! I gave an objective review of the guest house. Obviously you disagree. Please feel free to continue using the guest house if you so wish, and I will also choose not to.

[robio]

hey mate you forgot to leave the key for the door lock and the key for safe

both have been replaced now

we will deal with that issue next time i see on your favorite soi

 

 

following is a review from a repeat customer

 

The Drunken Duck is a great place to stay in one of the best locations in Pattaya - Soi LK Metro. This was my third visit and I stayed in Room#1 - which overlooked Soi LK Metro. The room was nicely furnished in a modern style, with balcony, a/c, large fridge, ensuite, wall mounted safe, wall mounted LCD TV and DVD player. The bed was firm (which I prefer) and I slept soundly each night I was there. Noise from the street was not noticeable after 2am - if you prefer a quieter room they have some on the backside of the building. The ensuite is your standard combined guesthouse style toilet/shower with sink.

 

The Drunken Duck is owned/managed by Tony - an outgoing and courteous gent from England - who's always willing to head out with you into the city for a drink and will show you the best places in town. Then there's Bobby, who organises pub crawls to other towns in the vicinity of Pattaya and loves to have a drink. The staff at the Drunken Duck (Ann - supervisor; Lee - night cashier; Nid - day cashier and the cleaning ladies) are friendly, cheerful and helpful. The cleaning ladies do a top job on the rooms everyday and can be trusted with your belongings in your room.

 

The Drunken Duck does not currently have an operational kitchen/restaurant - though I heard some plans are in the works to get one running in the future. However, there is a selection of menu's from local restaurants in the bar and you can place your food order with the cashier/bartender and it will be delivered to The Drunken Duck quickly. I highly recommend breakfast from the Golf Club (located across the Soi).

 

I like returning to stay at The Drunken Duck as I am welcomed back as family and treated as such during my stay. I cannot recommend this place enough!

 

The key was left in the room to avoid a confrontation with the front desk staff, who did not take my criticism for the noise well. If you have a look you will find your key in Room 1.

 

I would hope that it is still acceptable to post reviews of guest houses and bars on Pattaya Addicts without being exposed to threats by the owners of the affected establishments. "We will deal with that issue next time i see on your favorite soi" seems to have a threatening tone, but maybe I am just sensitive.

[The Drunken Duck]

The key was left in the room to avoid a confrontation with the front desk staff, who did not take my criticism for the noise well. If you have a look you will find your key in Room 1.

 

I would hope that it is still acceptable to post reviews of guest houses and bars on Pattaya Addicts without being exposed to threats by the owners of the affected establishments. "We will deal with that issue next time i see on your favorite soi" seems to have a threatening tone, but maybe I am just sensitive.

 

no threat intended your way to sensitive

[badboybilly]

Well I guess you wont be going back..............

[Ohyesuare]

Thanks for the honest review robio, I will avoid The Drunken Duck in the future and I would have taken what the owner said as a veiled threat as well but not one I would have any fear of.

[badboybilly]

Does anyone know if .. poofs are allowed.....................to stay there

[devee8]

Good honest review Rabio with constructive suggestions for improvements which should be appreciated by the management

[HowieD]

Does anyone know if .. poofs are allowed.....................to stay there

 

Your a shit stirrer

[drunkduck]

I can't see any problem with the OP revealing his error with the booking and the outcome when he asked the owner/manager for a solution. If he had missed this from the post and it had later come to light then his post would very likely have been given even less credit and he would have been accused of missing out important details.

Imao the OPs rant about the outcome of the booking error (which was his error) would make you mildly suspicious of his motive. Edited January 30, 2012 by drunkduck

[drunkduck]

You seem to be quite biased in your approach. I wonder if your handle has anything to do with that! I gave an objective review of the guest house. Obviously you disagree. Please feel free to continue using the guest house if you so wish, and I will also choose not to.

No i have no connection with The Drunken Duck apart from staying there a couple of times and having a few beers with Tony. I am only airing my opinion just like you. I am not sticking up for Tony or his guesthouse i am merely pointing out that your motive kind of nullifies the review. Now that i know patts a bit better i use hotels with a swimming pool and restaurant. I use places like The Drunken Duck to drink at and take the odd girl from. Edited January 30, 2012 by drunkduck

[jojomecanic]

no threat intended your way to sensitive

 

We're not stupid. We all understood it was a threat.

I'm not thinking the OP is right and he should have not put a negative revenge thread for 850b lost... (all his fault)

but I'm glad you wrote this down on this board so we all could read it and know what is waiting for us if we have any disagrement with you.