There have been mixed reviews of late, so I thought it was time for me to have my say! Merlin Beach was a lovely hotel... not alot of 'character' but your usual worldwide 4 star 'resort'.
Things we loved:
* The pools - great to hang out at and have a day of relaxation
* The pool access rooms - lovely to sit on your balcony and dive in when hot!
* Room service (only because we hadnt had any in 3 weeks of hotels!)
*DVD players for hire for a chilled night in
*The little extras that comes with a 4-5 star hotel - hairdryer, towel drying rack, toiletries, porters etc
Things we didnt like: (hate is too strong a word!)
* Overpriced - both accommodation and all facilities
* I object to paying 150 baht per hour for internet when the most expensive I have seen in the rest of Phuket and Thailand was 30-60 baht per hour.
*Laundry prices - 70 baht for one piece of clothing v's 60 baht for a whole kg everywhere else
*The inconvieniant times the 'free' shuttle bus runs
*The excessive prices the tuktuk/taxis charge out the front... they have way too much of a monopoly over the market.
* The restaurant prices. I paid almost 300 baht for a chicken/rice dish that anywhere else would of cost me less than 100 baht and its quality was nothing special
* Everything gets...There have been mixed reviews of late, so I thought it was time for me to have my say! Merlin Beach was a lovely hotel... not alot of 'character' but your usual worldwide 4 star 'resort'.
Things we loved:
* The pools - great to hang out at and have a day of relaxation
* The pool access rooms - lovely to sit on your balcony and dive in when hot!
* Room service (only because we hadnt had any in 3 weeks of hotels!)
*DVD players for hire for a chilled night in
*The little extras that comes with a 4-5 star hotel - hairdryer, towel drying rack, toiletries, porters etc
Things we didnt like: (hate is too strong a word!)
* Overpriced - both accommodation and all facilities
* I object to paying 150 baht per hour for internet when the most expensive I have seen in the rest of Phuket and Thailand was 30-60 baht per hour.
*Laundry prices - 70 baht for one piece of clothing v's 60 baht for a whole kg everywhere else
*The inconvieniant times the 'free' shuttle bus runs
*The excessive prices the tuktuk/taxis charge out the front... they have way too much of a monopoly over the market.
* The restaurant prices. I paid almost 300 baht for a chicken/rice dish that anywhere else would of cost me less than 100 baht and its quality was nothing special
* Everything gets 17% tax added on top of the quoted prices, which adds up over the course of your stay...
* The terrible service around the bar/restaurants - we often had to practically jump up and down to get peoples attention that were right behind the bar (while we are sitting at the bar)
* The breakfast was highly over-rated. Having worked in 4-5 star resorts with buffet breakfasts, I was extremely disappointed as alot of reviewers often rave about the breakfast.
*Paying around $250 per night for our room and having to hire the DVD player... In a room like Pool Access you would think this would be already in there or a complimentary extra.
We had a few other issues while there, which Anchor38 may have already mentioned in her review. For example, my son was served a 'mocktail' made of 'off' milk. When we complained they took it away, never said a word and charged us for it!
All in all it was a lovely hotel however I have to admit I was disappointed after the reviews I had read prior to going. Maybe I set my expectations too high as we had been staying in budget accommodation prior, but to be honest I stayed in better places for under $50 per night!
You are welcome to contact me for more information or photos.
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