Page Contents

• Hat Yai Accommodation Listings Page 9
  • Thai Hotel [more]
  • The House [more]
  • Thungsao Mansion [more]
  • Tong Nam Hotel [more]
  • Tune Hotel - Hat Yai [more]
  • VC Apartment [more]
  • Visa Hotel [more]
  • V.L. Hotel [more]
  • Wanthana Mansion [more]
  • The Weenee [more]
  • Wiangpin Hotel [more]
  • Winstar Hotel [more]
  • Wungnoy Hotel [more]
  • Yee Fah Grand City Hotel [more]
  • Yongdee Hotel [more]

Accommodation - Page 9

Comments: This hotel is located in the Raj Uthit area. Nearby hotels include Silom Palace and Marina Hotel. Also nearby is Oliver massage, which is very popular with Malaysian tourists.

The hotel is tucked away in a small Soi and so well hidden that it eluded me for eight years. It was only after receiving an enquiry about the hotel that I did some research and found it.

An advantage to its location is that it will probably be fairly quiet at night.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: I looked at the apartments in this building several years ago when it was known as Jutti Apartment. The rooms were grotty and packed full of young kids. This area has a lot of tutoring places and it becomes overrun with high school students during the school holidays.

Since then, however, the building has been completely refurbished and it has gone significantly upmarket. The lifts, passageways, and rooms have all been fitted out to a very high standard.

The rooms on floors two to six are available for long term rental, while the floors above are intended for short, hotel-like stays.

Despite being pleasantly decorated, the rooms are small. The monthly rate is also fairly high for Hat Yai. Consequently, The House doesn't offer great value but it will suit those who value cleanliness over space.

I was told there are lots of rooms vacant, which is an indication of the value for money. In places that offer good value, the rooms get snapped up very quickly.

As a place to live long-term the rooms may not offer enough space, but for short stays it is a decent alternative to the other hotels in town. The House is located fairly close to JB Hotel.

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Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: A long-term stay option, Thungsao Mansion is very similar to nearby Chudchada Place. The facilities are basically the same (TV with UBC, fridge, wireless Internet, hot water), as is the monthly rate. This one is on the main road whereas Chudchada is in a Soi so the latter is probably quieter.

Water is charged for at Bt200 a month and electricity at Bt7 per unit. The bus station is close by. Thungsao Road is also home to many 'Karaoke' bars where not a lot of singing takes place but where other urges can be satisfied.

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Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: Going into one of these old Chinese hotels in Thailand is like going back in time. Most hotels in Thailand these days are basically Western standard, but when I first visited Thailand in 1987 there were a lot like this one. They are still there but the numbers are decreasing.

There is nothing on the ground floor at street level apart from a small doorway. As you enter the doorway you climb a set of stairs and come to the old-fashioned hotel reception.

The rooms are fairly clean but extremely basic. There is a TV, but no fridge, no minibar, and no hot water in the shower. Single rooms (one double bed) are Bt350 with a fan or Bt400 with A/C. A twin room (two twin beds) with A/C is Bt500.

The location is bang in the middle of the tourist area. It is less than a minute's walk to Lee Gardens Plaza, and Suntisook market is just across the road. The hotel has its own massage shop just next door to the front desk.

Some travellers like these kind of places not just because they are cheap, but because of the experience of staying in an old style Chinese-Thai hotel. Modern hotels are very comfortable but they can also be a bit bland.

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Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: At the time of writing (December 2011) this is the newest hotel in Hat Yai. The rather dilapidated New World Hotel was closed, and this one replaced it.

The hotel represents a new concept in budget accommodation and there is nothing else like it in Hat Yai.

I like innovation and since the advent of budget airlines we have seen the emergence of a lot of new innovative business models. It comes as no surprise that Tune Hotels are run by Tony Fernandes who also runs Air Asia and other companies.

There are two room styles and no set room prices. You can get a room with one queensize bed or two single beds. Room prices depend on availability and when you booked. The staff told me it was best to book on-line as early as possible for the best rates.

At quiet times you may only pay Bt500; conversely, if you arrive at Chinese New Year or another busy time the rate may be as high as Bt1,500. On the day I was checking this out the room rate was Bt823.

The next surprise is that not everything is included in the rate. The basic rate includes a Five-Star bed, fan, safe box, power shower and clothes hangers. Everything else is charged for.

• Towels - Bt120
• A/C - Bt140 for 12 hours or Bt230 for 24 hours
• WiFi - Bt50 for 12 hours or Bt80 for 24 hours
• Cable TV - Bt120

I found the exclusion of towels a little strange as these are a necessity but I can understand the other things. I rarely watch TV in hotel rooms and unless the weather is really hot I try to avoid sleeping with A/C.

The philosophy of Tune Hotels is the same as budget airlines. You only pay for the basics and anything else is charged for. If Ryan Air were running hotels you'd probably have to pay for toilet paper, but I think Tune provide this for you.

Check-in time is 2pm and check-out time is 11am. You can have an early check-in any time after 11am, and a late check-out any time up to 2pm but you need to pay Bt120 for each.

The hotel is located fairly centrally and because Hat Yai is such a small town it is easy to get to everywhere. You will be able to walk to most places. The airport is about a 20 minute drive away.

A Malaysian guest I spoke to told me that the rooms were large and clean. He was very enthusiastic about the hotel. As ever, I would be delighted to receive any feedback if you stay there.

There is no in-house massage shop, as such, but Thai Odyssey massage (which is independently run) is located on the hotel premises. This is a very relaxing and comfortable massage shop, if slightly more expensive than most other places.

If you're on a budget, there are lots of cheaper massage shops nearby, including the in-house massage shop belonging to the Pacific Hotel, which is located directly opposite the Tune Hotel on the other side of the road.

Guest Comments:

• room very clean, staff very helpful, counter service well, helpful and friendly. i like tune hotel. next trip when i come hatyai i will stay tune. just walk around 5 to 10 minute to lee garden plaza. room 5*, services 5*, location 3.5*, clean 5*. (January 2012)

To add your comments, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: A conveniently located apartment building for long term stays or daily rental. The facilities include cable TV, air-conditioning and 24 hour security. There is a WiFi access point in the reception area. There was a time when very few of the rooms could get a signal but I think it's better now.

The location is almost next door to the New Season hotel and therefore very convenient for Lee Gardens and all the other shops and restaurants in central Hat Yai. Pronounced 'Wee See' in Thai.

Let me talk briefly about customer service in Thailand. Occasionally customer service is satisfactory, but most of the time it ranges between non-existent and diabolical.

A visitor to this site who wanted to book a room wrote to tell me that he couldn't contact VC by phone. I tried myself. One number is answered by a machine in Thai and a message tells you to press 0 to speak to the operator. When you do this, no one answers. The other number rings but no one answers. Great.

I called into VC at 10am the next day to confirm that the telephone numbers I had were correct and to ask if they had an e-mail address. The receptionist hadn't yet arrived for work and no one else was able to give me any information. A business card I was given had the same telephone numbers as those above.

Unfortunately, this type of thing isn't untypical for Thailand. You can only contact places by phone and they don't answer the phones. Even if somewhere publishes an e-mail address you will often find that they don't check, or don't reply to, e-mails.

I'm afraid that there is no easy solution. In this case all I could suggest was to keep calling until someone answered the phone. Of course, even if you manage to get your call answered you are then faced with the usual language barriers that exist in Thailand. Even if you can speak some Thai, as soon as a Thai realises it is a foreigner speaking they close their ears and refuse to understand.

I'm sure that if you turn up at VC in person wanting a room, everything will be fine. However, if you are trying to book a room in advance from home, expect some problems.

Guest Comments:

• Last Friday, I arrived in Hat yai. As I stayed at V.C, January, 2012. So, I went there, again. Reception was nice as usual. But price is changed. 500 baht, last time. But this time, it was 600. I asked to her, she said, it is increased. Ok.

  Inside is still same. Cool inside, still no fridge. Just a bit ants, but that is fine. Shampoo and soap were provided. Toothpaste, you have to bring. Very nice location. Still good for budget. (January 2013)

• 550 baht a night now. Nice large, spartan room with good a/c and wifi. The balcony is perfect for drying cloths, and the location is also perfect. (July 2012)
• VC apartment was overall a good place to stay. The location was great, the staff and her friends were nice enough to guide me on how to get to different places e.g advice on border run, the room was spacious and the toilet was good enough. But they didn't want to us to use the VC wireless line and told us to tap onto someone else's unprotected by password connection. Good place still.
• I knew where this place was but had never tried it as my impression of an apartment was just that it is an apartment not a proper hotel but how surprised I was!

  This conveniently located place is between Mayflower Grande Hotel and The New Season Hotel. It offers a clean, quiet, wi-fi enabled room with a working hot/cold shower although the pressure is a bit mild. There is clear tv reception with many channels and I especially like that the Espn channel is not a voice over by a Thai commentator. The bed is soft and 2 towels, 2 bars of soap, a small bottle of shampoo and a blanket is provided including 2 bottles of mineral drinking water. There is no fridge but a 7-Eleven is just a few metres away. During this year's Chinese New Year in Hat Yai, almost all the hotels if not all increased their rates to almost 50%... and when I was informed that Indra Hotel was asking for 1100 baht. that just made me decide to check out VC Apartment.

  Thank goodness that now I have another choice. WiFi is also available and you can get the password from the counter. There is a quaint coffee shop adjoining this place and for 500 bht per night, I will be back again. A hidden oasis of calm in central Hat Yai. (February 2011)

To add your comments, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: This small hotel with just 30 rooms is located in the heart of one of Hat Yai's red light districts. The small road it is located on is home to several 'Karaoke' bars where never a song is sung. Karaoke is used as a euphemism in Thailand for brothel and outside each establishment every evening you will see 'booking' girls sitting around waiting for customers.

The majority of the punters are Chinese Malaysian and most of the girls are from the north and northeast of Thailand. It is rare in Hat Yai to find local girls working in the prostitution industry.

The Visa came as a bit of a surprise. Because of its location in such a seedy neighbourhood I had never previously considered it for inclusion here, but I happened to walk past one New Year's Day when the streets were empty and very quiet.

It's a clean little place and the lady on reception was very friendly and helpful. This made a pleasant change after having just checked out a few larger hotels and having spoken to some quite surly reception staff.

The hotel motto is, "Clean room, low price, good service," and from what I saw I wouldn't disagree.

For the price it would be a reasonable backpacker alternative to the Cathay guest house and the other guest houses located near the train station.

Guest Comments:

• This page really helped me locate the Visa Hotel, your comments were precise and the address accurate. The stay in visa was extremely comfortable for the price paid however i would only complain about the bathroom, but for the price paid never mind. Thanks a lot for provide this information. (December 2010)

To add your comments, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: A good size hotel (104 rooms) located 10 minutes walk away from Lee Gardens Plaza and the centre of town. The large rooms come with either one double bed or two twin beds. The rooms seem to be quite well insulated against noise from the traffic outside and the corner rooms have a good view overlooking Gim Yong market.

There is a restaurant but no massage shop. At one time they offered a great Internet deal for guests. Internet sessions were just Bt20 for an unlimited time and it was possible to connect your own laptop. I'm not sure if this still applies.

Guest Comments:

• superb good room...shower is strong, air cond is cold...great location, abit far from lee garden, abit quiet at nite but very busy during day time... definately will come back to this hotel (September 2012)
• We liked the hotel. We were given a walk-in rate of THB 900 need for a twin room with breakfast included--for 2 adults and 2 young children aged 6 and 8. We had to negotiate a bit for the breakfast to be included for the children.

  we were provided with a room on the 11th floor with great views looking towards the airport and the train station to the left which appeared within walking distance. We could see some folks (expats?) playing tennis late at night with flood lights on courts nearby the train station. The rooms were of adequate size, not too big, not too small. While we did not have to pay extra for our children as they were sleeping on existing beds, the hotel does charge extra for additional blankets and pillows (THB100-200). We did not request any extras.

  The room and the bathroom were both generally clean, but certainly not spotless. No complaints about sheets, towels, mattresses etc. We were quite comfortable and really cannot expect more for THB 900. The staff at the reception were generally friendly and would return smiles. We paid upfront at check in for two nights---- THB 1800 plus 200 THB key deposit. The key deposit was returned to us at check out without hassle after a check of the room. The included breakfast was okay, some Thai dishes and western items such as sausages, 'manufactured' breakfast salami, fried eggs, toast, a sweet donut type pastry and coffee.

  For THB 900 one really cannot expect more. Thanks again to your web site, a great attraction was the fact that the hotel is adjacent to Kim Yong market. A blue Songthaew to the airport could be found just across the street to the right from the main entrance of the hotel which was important to us as we had a flight catch. We paid THB 30 each for two adults to the airport. Children free. All in all a good experience and would recommend the VL hotel. Incidentally, the off season rate appears better for a walk in as breakfast is included whereas as online booking (eg via Agoda) will likely not include breakfast for the same rate. (May 2012)

• This was my very first hotel on my maiden arrival in Hat Yai so much so that I did not realize that the coach buses to Kuala Lumpur also departs at seven pm in the evening! I booked a room online for 2 nights and I was given a room with twin beds facing the main street. I also had to wait for half an hour as the room was being made up so it was not a good first impression. The breakfast that came with the hotel's rate was not buffet style but the type where you choose Set A, B or C. I had to omit the bacon from my order as it is non-halal. The room was just ordinary and the plus factor was that it is also soundproofed. I did not inquire about the wifi connection but at 690 bht, it is worth a return visit, one day. (December 2005)

To add your comments, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: This was my first home in Hat Yai, several years ago. It is a modern building with nice tiled floors and carved wooden doors. The rooms (just 24 of them) are clean and comfortable but not very large. The bathrooms have Western style toilets with hot showers and the staff (just three girls on reception who provide 24-7 coverage, and a maid) are friendly.

Wanthana is located on a busy road which is convenient for restaurants and just a few minutes walk away from the centre of Hat Yai. The location is noisy though, especially when the local motorbike racers come out to illegally street race in the early hours of the morning. Suphasarnrangsan Road suffers from loud traffic noise 24 hours a day.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: As far as I am aware, this is the most expensive apartment building in Hat Yai. It is clear that the developers have targeted the farang, Malaysian, Singapore market as most locals would have a heart attack over the prices. To give you an idea, most Thais in Hat Yai consider Bt4,000 a month for a room to be expensive and only expect to pay around Bt2,000 - Bt2,500.

The strategy of targeting wealthy expat clients is standard practice in tourist resorts such as Phuket but a little riskier in places such as Hat Yai because there isn't the same farang demand for rented apartments. The apartment building looks just like something you would expect to find in Phuket, except the nearest beach is in Songkhla.

The building is pleasantly decorated and painted in Meditteranean pastels. There is a small pool, a gym, and a restaurant. Pool, jacuzzi and gym use, as well as Internet and UBC TV are included in the room rates which is just as well. Each room has a TV, a fridge and a small safe - the in-room safe being a nice touch.

Also included in the room rate is a cleaning service twice a week, towel and bedding changes once a week, and laundry up to 70 pieces a month. All these things help to offset the high rates and would normally they would be additional costs.

With the Executive and Grand studios you get an increased laundry allowance, a microwave oven, free drinking water and breakfast 16 times a month. Building security looks to be very good, which is an added bonus.

Weenee Place would suit someone who didn't plan to stay in town for very long, and who didn't want to buy bedsheets and towels, etc. Some rooms are available for just one night so it can also be used as an alternative to a hotel.

I was disappointed at how small the rooms were; not only the studios but the 'Grand Studios' as well. The location isn't exactly scenic or convenient. The only scenic areas in Hat Yai are out by the hills. From Weenee, it's about a five minute walk to Phetkasem Road where there are lots of different transport options and Carrefour isn't too far away.

Electricity is charged at Bt7 per unit. Water is Bt100 a month for a maximum of five units and each unit above that is charged at Bt17. It seems incredibly stingy to charge additionally for water at these room rates. Room deposits are 1.5x the monthly rent and rent is payable in advance.

Rates:

May 2012 Update: I obtained the information above about seven years ago. As I was passing the Weenee one day recently I decided to call in to see if anything had changed. There have been quite a lot of changes.

There has been a name change and instead of being primarily an apartment building the emphasis now seems to be on the short stay hotel business. Weenee Place is now officially known as 'The Weenee Boutique Resort Hatyai'.

My conjecture is that there weren't enough people in Hat Yai willing to pay very high prices for rented rooms. Thais used to gasp when I told them I paid Bt6,500 for my rented room. They expect to pay about Bt2,500 and consider anything above Bt4,000 as being very expensive.

Neither does Hat Yai attract the wealthy farangs who can be found in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, etc. I doubt that English teachers earning Bt30,000 a month will be making many enquiries at The Weenee.

There are still rooms to rent by the month but there is now only one price: Bt23,000. I understand that all monthly rental rooms are on the third floor. To stay for one night will cost you Bt1,500.

The Weenee continues to be a very strange place. It is an attractive building and situated in a very quiet and peaceful location. If it was near the beach in Phuket it would be perfect for farangs but it's in the middle of a fairly unattractive town miles from the beach or anywhere scenic.

For people willing to spend Bt1,500 for a night in a hotel there are some other very comfortable places that are located right in the centre of the tourist area close to all the shops and restaurants. The Weenee is quiet and peaceful but its location isn't convenient for the tourist facilities.

When I first visited Weenee Place many years ago they gave me a web site address that didn't work. Their web site is now working but the pricing information on-line isn't the same as I was told at reception. This kind of thing is quite normal for provincial Thailand, as is the practice of having a web site and e-mail address but not responding to e-mails.

To get the latest information for any establishment in these pages, I would humbly suggest using the telephone or calling in personally if convenient.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: According to tuk-tuk drivers and the sign in the front of the hotel, this used to be the Mair Naam hotel. According to a member of staff it used to be the Sakara hotel. I'm not sure who is right.

Anyway, whatever it used to be was closed down, the hotel renovated, and it is now the Wiangpin. The rooms aren't bad. It's cheap and it is located in an area of Hat Yai that is popular with single Chinese and Indian Malaysian male tourists - just behind the dilapidated Emperor hotel.

It's quite clear which sector of the tourism market this hotel has gone after ... and it's not eco-tourism, agri-tourism, or health-tourism.

On the second floor (it used to be behind the reception area) is a second branch of the Nice Lady bath and massage business with a goldfish bowl and viewing area where clients can have a beer while deciding on which girl to select. The girls have colour-coded numbers and depending whether they are red or blue you will need to fork out Bt1,700 or Bt1,400 for their services.

There is a constant stream of Chinese and Indian Malaysian men going into the hotel who walk straight past reception to the goldfish bowl and then disappear upstairs with one of the girls to one of the hotel rooms reserved for this purpose.

The Hawaii Sexy Show has relocated from its old location near Diana to the Wiangpin. I've never been but have been told by taxi drivers that it's a full on Patpong-style sex show. There are performances every evening from 8pm to 9pm and 9:30pm to 10:30pm. The old Hawaii now appears to be a gay club.

The economy in Hat Yai has been bad for a long time. First, it was southern insurgency problems, then political instability in Thailand, then a global recession.

Thais need money to survive and despite whatever problems there may be with the economy there are certain sectors of the economy that are never affected. We will always need to eat, and men will always need to have sex.

In this particular area of Hat Yai there are at least five cheap aap op nuat - bath and massage - places (a Thai euphemism for brothel) and they keep very busy. This newly opened one looks a lot cleaner than the other cheap places nearby, and it is cheaper than the upmarket Chaophya 4, which is a little way out of town.

I wouldn't be surprised to see more such places opening soon.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: A fairly new hotel very close to Diana Department store with very pleasant staff. Most hotels in Thailand have pleasant staff, but not all.

There are three types of room - standard, deluxe and family. The latter two categories have good sized rooms and bathtubs in the bathrooms. The sign at reception mentions 'dubble' rooms which presumably are the ones with two beds. All rooms have solid, rosewood furniture from China and some of the bathrooms have attractive glass sink units.

Wi-fi Internet is available in all rooms; a nice feature that is becoming common all over Thailand now. There is a restaurant, a bar that is described in their literature as either a 'Beer Place' or the 'Fountain Beer Park', and a massage shop.

Diana department store is just next door; handy for shopping and eating. Getting to the downtown area is about a 20 minute walk away or a short tuk-tuk ride.

Guest Comments:

• As I said before, we stayed there, because we could not have rooms central Hatyai near Lee Garden. That hotel was very calm, but there is fountain next hotel. Youth came there during night. They brought bike. but if you will close window, that is fine. but hotel, itself, too old. There are many burnt marks on the carpet (I think cigarette caused it) toilet is old too.

  Sanitation, hm, let me see. I saw a cockroach and bedbug. Overally, I do not recomend this hotel to my friends. But Diana is next hotel and Pasar Malam (night market) is not far distance. It is a walking distance and bus terminal, too. If someone likes to go to night market or go to bus terminal early. This hotel will be ok. (July 2011)

To add your comments, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: In my opinion this used to be one of the better budget hotels in Hat Yai. The location is fine, just a few minutes stroll to the centre of town and near to busy Suphasarnrangsan Road where there are lots of places to eat.

You used to be able to choose between rooms with A/C or fans, and the prices were really cheap. At the end of 2010 the hotel was subjected to a major refurbishment. This wasn't simply new carpets and curtains, but the hotel was completely gutted and refitted.

Everything was brand new, including the reception area. The rooms were given new furnishings, new bathrooms, new air-conditioners and new flat screen TVs. It looked good.

As you might have suspected, however, the prices went up - and they continue going up. After the refurbishment the room rate was Bt600, which still seemed quite reasonable.

One reader wrote to tell me he had been charged Bt1,500 over the Songkran festival, and then he told me that the normal rate was Bt1,000 and more expensive during festivals.

I will need to change the room rate information above as I obtained it just after the refurbishment was completed and apparently it is now out of date.

The owner has obviously spent a lot of money on refurbishing the hotel but now seems intent on getting a return on his investment as soon as possible by keep increasing the room rates.

The two readers who contacted me both said the same thing. They say the hotel looks very good now but the rates are simply too expensive and they will stay at other hotels where they get better value.

If you don't mind the high room rates it is a decent place. If you are looking to get value for your money, there are lots of other cheaper hotels in Hat Yai.

There also appears to have been a small name change. The business cards now say 'Wungnoy' instead of 'Wangnoi'. Phonetically, the new version is more accurate.

A reader informed me that the hotel has a web site. However, the 'website' is just one page and although it looks like a real website it consists of just one jpg image and of course none of the links work. It is, therefore, completely useless.

In Thailand image always wins over substance. As long as it looks like a good web site on first appearances, that's all that counts. That fact that it is completely useless and none of the links work isn't important.

Guest Comments:

• I didn't stay there, the rate is now 1000 baht for one person, one night, and more when there is a festival. This was a weekday. (July 2012)
• My stay here coincided with the first day of Songkhram celebrations, which pushed the rate up to 1500 baht. The main part of the hotel was sold out so I was put in the back section where work is still going on. The room was the exact same as the rooms in the front section of the hotel, and everything was is good working order. I was happy with it.

  To add to my happiness, I got a call from the front desk and was told that due to work going on where my room was that they were refunding me 600 baht for the night. That may be a first in all of Thailand. Further, when I left on my bicycle Songkran was going on very wetly right in front of the hotel. As I was on a bike and heading to the train station the staff was kind enough to have the people not splash me with water as I left, and they didn't.

  I left happy with both the facilities and the staff which too, may be a first in Thailand. (April 2012)

• I was completely impressed with the Wung Noi Hotel and the front desk young lady, the friendly bell boy, and also the duty manager were typical cheerful locals, able to answer my questions.

  There is nothing whatsoever that I can complain about this old but now fully renovated old hotel .. almost nil except maybe an addition of a proper chair or a simple sofa set should complete the picture. The cable tv also included Malaysia's own TV 3 (not that I am interested to watch this crap channel) and Al-Jazeera, BBC, The ScF, Universal, Astro Supersports.. I counted about 60 channels.The bathroom was big, simple but practical minus a bathtub. The bed/s were soft, the lighting can go from bright to a soft shade as it depends,when I switched on all the switches, the deluxe room turned into a living room but it was very illuminated. I think this is a deluxe room as it contains a single big bed and a smaller single bed.

  I brought my own coffee maker so along with the balcony and curtains, I spent one of my most peaceful nights since 2005 in central Hat Yai as the area here is quiet. (March 2011)

• I really liked this hotel. The staff is pleasant and the rooms are brand new, the television is good and there is wifi. The location is also excellent. However, renovations are still going on a floor above where I stayed and it was loud during the day, so loud that I had to move out after two days. I stayed here twice and once the wifi signal was strong in the room and the second time it was rather weak (second floor, end of the hall). The biggest problem with the room however was that they used cheap glass for the sliding door to the balcony and every bit of noise from the street comes right through. But for 600 baht a night once the renovations are finished I'll be back. (March 2011)

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Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: A mid-class hotel which is a little way out of town with the resultant advantages and disadvantages. It's quieter than downtown hotels and the rooms are cheaper than equivalent rooms near the Lee Gardens Plaza area. However, you will probably need to rely on your own or public transport more than if you were staying at Lee Gardens.

Facilities include the Napoleon Restaurant (which no doubt serves very good snails, frogs' legs and horse meat) and "auto online telephones" (your guess is as good as mine).

The hotel has 84 rooms and lots of car parking which may be of interest if you drive your own car to Hat Yai. Parking can be awkward downtown.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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Comments: Quite a big hotel (over 100 rooms) very centrally located next to the Siam Commercial Bank and bustling Suntisuk market with all its cheap electronics and pirated music, computer games and software.

There is an authorised money changer in the lobby, although changing money in Hat Yai is never a problem.

Guest Comments: No guest comments yet. Be the first to comment. Send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

Important - Please read the following carefully before sending me your comments: Do not use this form for availability or rate enquiries. I am not a travel agent, and neither am I affiliated with any hotels or guest houses in Hat Yai. Contact the establishment directly using the information given above. Use this form only if you have stayed at this particular establishment and wish to give some feedback.

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