This guesthouse is heavily promoted and advertised. By chance we were in the Paradise Complex and stopped by. The place was not like it was presented in the ads. We were in the lobby and general area as we stopped to have a beer nearby. The place is your typical gay guesthouse in the gay entertainment and hooker area. There are no facilities that would attract anyone under the age of 30 (e.g. exercise equipment)and I do not know where the previous contributor got that the place is a short walk away from the beach. No Way. You would have to walk out of Soi 5 and along Rat U Rd until you got to Bangla Rd. running the gauntlet of crazy drivers and drunken obnoxious people. It's a 20 minute brisk walk of stress across several busy roads where there are no stop signs or traffic lights. If you want the beach, this isn't the place. If you want a place to hang out where it is noisy, where everything is cement, no view, in close proximity to over priced bars (compared to elsewhere in Patong) and intend on hiring an escort, then this is the place for you. For guys under 30 that have a healthy lifestyle, best to avoid this area.

This is a perfect place to stay right in the heart of Paradise Complex. Located one short block from the beach. The hotel is right in the middle of the gay scene and the hospitality is wonderful for female travelers as well. The staff took great care of us during our stay there. and gave us girls the VIP treatment. We had a balcony room and could watch all of the late night action below. They have an open air bar/dining area that also faces the street and is perfect for people watching and meeting new people. The food is great and the stay includes daily breakfast. The owners are Swedish and are helpful with making recommendations. They have a Saturday cruise that is a must. Can't wait to go back. Love you guys!!!

I note that prior ratings seem to be mixed. For the most part, it appears that negative reviews seem to focus on the location and other guests as the drawbacks. The points are well taken, but they must be taken in context. I would suggest that one be seriously interested in the area nightlife before booking a room. Although Connect is not far from the beach, there are plenty of places to choose from. For a night or two, it would be certainly ok if you want to visit the area bars. But if you are making a vacation that isn't focused on the nightlife, there is probably a better option for you. Although I had no major complaints with Connect, I wished I had chosen a guesthouse not so close to the nightlife, as my reason for going to Phuket was to visit the beach.

I was reviewing the top rated hotels in Patong here on Trip Advisor and saw this at #3. I believe, that unless you are an aged homosexual that intends to "befriend" one of the rentboys in the Paradise ghetto bars, this is not for you. My friend was staying at the nearby Royal Paradise, which is a very nice hotel that has a different demographic. I would walk by Connect at least 1-2X a day. From the outside it's an ok guesthouse, but be warned of the following;
1. No view.
2. Extremely noisy
3. You are in the gay hooker zone. This means that if you say take me to the Paradise Complex you will get all sorts of bemused smirks from taxi drivers. One guy didn't know that we understood thai. We overheard him talking on the phone telling his friend that he was taking two dumb farangs to meet ladyboys. My friend told him that his wife who was waiting for us at the hotel, would be surprised by her husband's change in lifestyle. The poor driver nearly had a coronary.
4. As one guest has already stated, the clientele are aged. If you are a young person, you are going to be horribly depressed, particularly when you see the geriatric foreigners with their prostitutes. (I wouldn't care if this wasn't such a depressing sight as the boys are usually under 22 and are exploited as they are usually from rural areas, impoverished &poorly educated.)
5. The complex is located off a busy road with noisy vehicles and car fumes. You will have a 15 -25 minute walk through traffic to get to the crowded beach.
6. The exterior of the property is fairly clean.

This is not intended to be a negative review, just one that puts the guesthouse in perspective so some poor young honeymoon couple does not make an error and book here. The Connect has a loyal client base and my comments will not discourage those guests.