Guesthouse : Do you need to pay in advance ?

[Lukas7]

Hello!

 

I always use hotels when I travel in Asia, and I book via Agoda. As you may know, it works really well but you have to pay everything when you book.

 

This time I want to try GH and I was wondering how it worked. When do you have to pay the GH if you book now for June ?

 

With two trips this summer, it would help me if I could just pay when I arrive or when I leave.

 

I selected a few GH including : China Garden, Ruby and Billabong among other.

 

 

Thanks for the help!

[Ludhamlad]

I have just made a reservation at Sutus Court and they have not asked for any payment. This is a hotel with a pool and I have heard good reports. It is in a good location and the room rates compare very well with any guest house.

 

http://www.sutuscourt.com/

[bagger]

i would presume you have to pay a deposit,as for sutas court its a fine choice my mate stayed there in february as we always use the bar in the afternoon ,cheap beer ,good place to meet expats for a chat

[Zesam]

It seems that they update the prices for different rooms before the low season, but in other direction.

 

http://www.sutuscourt.com/rates.html

 

Form 900 bth (ZONE1) pek and high season to 930 for soon low season

 

Thai management and Thai logic ??

 

I have just made a reservation at Sutus Court and they have not asked for any payment. This is a hotel with a pool and I have heard good reports. It is in a good location and the room rates compare very well with any guest house.

 

http://www.sutuscourt.com/

[Johnny Wilde]

Hello!

 

I always use hotels when I travel in Asia, and I book via Agoda. As you may know, it works really well but you have to pay everything when you book.

 

This time I want to try GH and I was wondering how it worked. When do you have to pay the GH if you book now for June ?

 

With two trips this summer, it would help me if I could just pay when I arrive or when I leave.

 

I selected a few GH including : China Garden, Ruby and Billabong among other.

 

 

Thanks for the help!

Neither one of the GHs mentioned requires any deposit to my knowledge and if any other GH would ask you for a deposit just look elsewhere or do a walk-in cuz they will definitely not be full in june.

[portfolio]

try booking.com if you want to secure a room without pre-payment iirc .

[wadman]

Hello!

 

I always use hotels when I travel in Asia, and I book via Agoda. As you may know, it works really well but you have to pay everything when you book.

 

This time I want to try GH and I was wondering how it worked. When do you have to pay the GH if you book now for June ?

 

With two trips this summer, it would help me if I could just pay when I arrive or when I leave.

 

I selected a few GH including : China Garden, Ruby and Billabong among other.

 

 

Thanks for the help!

 

I just stayed in Billabong, about a week ago. Billabong requires you to pay a 20% deposit of your total cost. Via credit card. Non-refundable. Fair enough, I say. Upon my arrival at Billabong, one of their employees tried to get me and my friend to pay the entire stay there and then. We said no. We paid them the balance of the first day (minus the deposit), and paid daily thereafter. It's a case of them getting you to pay as much up front as they can talk you into, I guess.

 

I also stayed at Kilkenny's guesthouse. They required a 1000 baht deposit (paid in person). Thereafter, they gently hinted that we should pay every once in a while (by including the room bill with the breakfast bill, say) but never insisted on it. For the most part, we paid when we checked out. I would imagine that if you were to stay a long time, it is fair and reasonable that you pay once every few days.

 

 

There was one incident at Kilkenny's. They showed us their available rooms, and I wanted the superior room. This was clearly communicated to the Thai manageresse. I was asked to put down a 1000 b deposit towards the room, which I did. The room booking started the day after that. When I came back a day later, I was told that they had made a mistake. My superior room was no longer available! The had made a booking mistake, they claim. The room has already been booked by a regular who was going to stay there for a month.

 

So there you have it, putting down a deposit towards a room doesn't mean that you will really get that room. I don't believe for 1 minute that there really was an honest mistake. Their regular, long-time customer showed up and I got bumped. The manageresse did offer me a 100 b discount on different room. All in all that incident did leave a sour taste in my mouth.

[gitteyman]

I have just made a reservation at Sutus Court and they have not asked for any payment. This is a hotel with a pool and I have heard good reports. It is in a good location and the room rates compare very well with any guest house.

 

http://www.sutuscourt.com/

Been looking for a hotel. For my trip in june.

sutus court looks ideal for me. just sent an email with my date's

EDIT-Just recieved an email back 2.30 am in patts will hold a room for me.(very fast i'm impressed)

never asked for a deposit.

Edited March 2, 2012 by gitteyman

[jojomecanic]

When I came back a day later, I was told that they had made a mistake. My superior room was no longer available!

 

Yes, they are quite good at this.

When i visit a room, if I want it, I drop my luggage in it, take the key and put it in my pocket, then go to reception to pay the first one or two days. Never more.

 

An other practice is to show you a room, and when you go to reception to book, they give you an other room. "Same room mister, same...". Of course there is something wrong (or lower service) on the room they try to give you.

 

This time I want to try GH and I was wondering how it worked. When do you have to pay the GH if you book now for June ?

 

Try to book without deposit. If they want a deposit, just know there are hundreds of guesthouses with rooms available ALL YEAR ROUND, including high season. There is absolutly no reason to pay 1 baht deposit.

Have a list of a few guesthouses in your pocket as you arrive, and just walk in and ask for a room.That's all. Pre-booking is for newbies imo.

 

Last christmass, I arrived at 1am, just walked in Soi 13/1 and found a room within 5 minutes. Walked in one guesthouse, 400b, room not nice, so went to the next one (10 meters away, just nextdoor), visit the room, 500b, dropped my luggage in it, went downstairs to pay one night, and that's all. 5 minutes to get a room!

 

I do the same with hotels. No booking, no prepay.

[arcouk]

Try http://www.thecaptainsbar.com/ Never had any problems pay when you leave. Got stuck there april 2010 for 3 weeks due to volcano and as i was a trusted regular told me if i ran short of cash send money once i sorted myself out in england on my return. As it is so reasonable there just slapped it on the credit card when i left but the offer was really nice though. The Captain also did not raise a single price and thats more than can be said for a lot of the places round there.

[jojomecanic]

Try http://www.thecaptainsbar.com/

 

That looks just great, arcouk!

I believethey always have one or two bedroom available. Good to keep this place in mind in case a room is needed for a few days.

[pubstud]

I've booked and reserved many places many times and never paid a deposit and never would. I just contact directly (phone or email) to the hotel/GH and deal with them. Never had a problem yet.

[Daveo]

On the defence of Guest Houses, when I started here in Pattaya guys would book a room and on a regular basis maybe 25% over a period of time would not turn up so any business cannot run like this, since we are full all the time and turning away bookings especially through the high season, when someone is prepared to pay a deposit you know they intend to turn up,

We tell Guests that if for any reason you have to cancel we hold and honour the deposit for a full year, there are many guest houses available but trudging round with heavy luggage after a long flight never appealed to me especially if you have a late flight arrival.

We have the benefit of many repeat customers so its made easier that way and this area is often all places even the Thai guest houses are full.

[Lukas7]

Thanks for the answers guys!

 

I'll contact directly the GH to hold a room then. I'l pay when I arrive, so I won't have to worry about that after, I'll be there just for a few days anyway.