We had booked 3 months in advance for a 3 week stay, which we received written confirmation for. I paid extra for upgrade for 3 x adults. Upon arrival, they told us they didn't have a room for us, but would put us in a studio room ( designed for 2 ) and put up a fold up bed for the third adult for the first night and put us in another bigger room the next night. Not a good start.
The studio room was very small for the 3 of us, couldn't swing a cat with our luggage, but would have been fine for just 2. The bed was very comfortable but pillows hard and big.
The bathroom and toilet was divided by the room with a glass sliging door, so you could see right in the bathroom when anyone wanted to go to the toilet or shower - not a good design idea!! We had to close the curtains every time.
Of course we did not unpack as we knew we were to move the next day. They then put us in a penthouse suite which was much larger with a nice full kitchen. Still only one bedroom so they made the lounge into a bed for the 3rd adult. ( it was not a sofa bed) Again, the bathroom had glass doors to the lounge/kitchen and bedroom, so everyone could see in. We put newspaer on the sliding glass doors which fixed the problem. Again, we did not unpacked, knowing we would be moved again.
The third day, they told us we had to move back to a studio room again and then after that they would keep us in the penthouse suite for the rest of the 2 1/2 weeks. Although I complained, it didn't do any good as they just told us they didn't have the room. We were offered no compensation for the mix up, even though I had paid extra for the upgrade.
I received a email from Absolute saying they were moving us to another hotel for the last week to coconut Island ( which was not even in patong but on an isolated Island about 1 1/2 hours away) due to unforseen circumstances. When I received this email, I immediately went to reception to confirm our stay at Bangala and they told me they did not have a booking for us for the last week. I was shocked as we booked in for the whole 3 weeks when we first got there. Luckily, I kept a copy of the confirmation I had ( original one I gave to them upon check in, so they misteriously lost it) Even with a copy of the confirmation, they told me they had no rooms so could not accomodate us. I was really angry by this time after the bad time we got when we first go there.
I tried to ring Absolute who sent me the email, but as it was there New Year, they were closed for 4 days. On the last day of our 2nd week ( supposingly to them I was to be out of there the next day) I got hold of Absolute who tried to convince me to move to Coconut Island and that they were no rooms available at bangala suites ( even though I booked 3 months prior with written confirmation!!!) In the end, we had to move to Sea Pearl Suites for the last week. They did give us 2 rooms which were ocean view, but even this did not compensate for the huge ongoing mix up they caused. No one really apologised to us and no one from Absolute even cared. When we told them about what had happened, they laughed and made a joke of it, saying we would be experts in packing and unpacking. We did not find this funny.
Bangala suites are nice, comfortable, clean and good location. We had a penthouse facing the front of Bangala Road and it was very noisy with load music. When we stayed in the studio room which was at the back of the hotel, it was quite, no street noise but you could hear the room next door easily. However, it is risky booking with them because you may not get what you pay for if at all!. I believe they have a system where they are 2 x booking offices and they do not corresspond with each other very well and hence all the mix ups.
Don't touch anything to do with Absolute, they take your money and don't give a dam about you.