Phuket Thailand - Diamond Cottage in Kata-Karon joined Nevermore group

gregor200 · #1 04-11-2007, 17:18

Since many years I booked some nights in diamond cottage together with my mia noi, located in the middle of kata-karon, so in easy reach to everything. In my eyes it had a very good price for value.

But this year, something went wrong. The ladies at the reception did not like my face. I had booked ten nights with latestays and asked happily for a quiet room. First thing they told me bluntly : We are fully booked out. So you can just get a room half window below the pool bar, so you can easily count the foots sitting there.

Since this was unbelievable for me, I told them that I had a booking for two of my friends too, who were to arrive the following day for 9 nights. "So when you are fully booked, where can they stay?" She looked a little bit shocked and told me, to come tomorrow next day for another room.

Next day after breakfast, I asked again and she showed me another room, just opposite the construction site, so from 7 in the morning the busy workers could straight look into my room. And where are the rooms of my friends ? they were just beside, but better, since they had no direct view to the construction site. "So you give me the better room now and my friends will see, if they want to stay," I told her. "Sorry, but the rooms are already assigned to the names, and you have to discuss this with your friends" she told me back. I called latestays and cancelled my booking (which cost me 500 baht storno and one more night to pay, together 3500 Baht for one bad night).

When my friends arrived about one hour later, she had easily switched the names on the list, and the worst room opposite the construction site went now to my friend, who did not know about this change at this moment. So she had really lied on me.

She told my friends bluntly, that she was fully booked, many buses from Hongkong and Korea would arrive immediately and she was unable to give a quiet room.

"You booked latestays, so I have to give you the worst room of the hotel" she told them, because you booked last minute.

Anybody here to go to this hotel anymore ?????????

dawsey · #2 04-11-2007, 17:46

Bad luck Gregor. Did you not get the chance to speak with the manager of the hotel about this? It appears that particular receptionist will spoil the previously good reputation of the hotel in no time.

gregor200 · #3 04-11-2007, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsey

Bad luck Gregor. Did you not get the chance to speak with the manager of the hotel about this? It appears that particular receptionist will spoil the previously good reputation of the hotel in no time.

I was thinking, that this is the new hotel policy. Maybe they are fixed on customers from Hongkong or Korea now and ignore european customers.

Do you mean the hotel manager on site or in Bangkok ?

steve@thaib · #4 04-11-2007, 18:06

I wonder if this is as much to do with internet booking as the receptionist?

I've been wondering myself for some time how the hotels view the internet bookings that they get. It must fill the hotel for them, but usually at seriously reduced rates and they will make far less out of these bookings.

Maybe some are starting to resent their reduced income?

Caerphilly · #5 05-11-2007, 04:23

from memory i recall the room brouchure stated it was Korean owned so maybe they don't want last minute european guests at any price

Triple B · #6 05-11-2007, 05:28

Quote:

I've been wondering myself for some time how the hotels view the internet bookings that they get. It must fill the hotel for them, but usually at seriously reduced rates and they will make far less out of these bookings.

During low season I only book a few nights at a hotel to make sure that I like it. If I like the hotel and decide to stay, I check with the front desk and I have always been told that I can keep the same room but that I should book online because I can get a cheaper rate than what the hotel can give me. So as far as my experiences have gone, the hotels don't mind the interenet bookings at all, could be different during high season, and I wouldn't want to risk the hotel filling up with people during high season and being out of a room.

Nicke · #7 05-11-2007, 07:25

Maybe they had problems with latestays (online reservation) and thus punish all their customers? Also latestays is used to get rid of the last few rooms they may have available, but why would a hotel treat them badly? A rented out room is still better than an empty room.

In most cases, bookings online get the same room and service as everyone else, maybe this hotel just used latestays to get rid of the "bad" rooms no one want.

gregor200 · #8 06-11-2007, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicke

Maybe they had problems with latestays (online reservation) and thus punish all their customers? Also latestays is used to get rid of the last few rooms they may have available, but why would a hotel treat them badly? A rented out room is still better than an empty room.

In most cases, bookings online get the same room and service as everyone else, maybe this hotel just used latestays to get rid of the "bad" rooms no one want.

in any case i asked on checkout, if 120 room for one night are better than one lost guest of many years, who booked 3*10 nights. I think it is no good strategy to provoke bad reviews at the beginning of the season.