Sri U-Thong Grand Hotel

Locals say this is the premier hotel in town. If that's so, this ultra-boring town is really pathetic. It's a pity because staff are quite friendly and the lobby looks grand. The horror starts once you enter the room, or even before this, as the public corridors are not air-conditioned and very hot. The room basically does not function as a comfortable place to rest for the night. It really smells. No matter how much perfume and fragrance you spray in it, the stench comes back all the time, and it hits you the moment you enter. Bedsheets are stained. I became so itchy that I could not sleep the whole night. There is only one socket in the whole room. The carpet is dusty and dirt-stained. There is no hair dryer nor toiletries. The WC does not have a hoss spray -- something so basic in the poorest households in this country. The bathroom is disgusting (see attached pictures) and moldy. Perhaps the best thing is the strong water pressure. But this is a place to stay far far away from.

In many ways it was like staying in a hotel 30 years ago. It was clean and the furniture was well maintained, but I suspect very little had changed since it opened. I stayed in a Deluxe room which was large, with a large window. The bed was very comfortable and the bedding of good quality. There were mosquitoes in the room when I arrived, but that was dealt with promptly. However some things needed mending/upgrading. Most of the lights over the beds did not work. There was only one plug socket, not near the bed. Today people need to charge their mobile phones easily. The one plug socket seemed not to work at all until the desk light was switched on from the control panel by the bed. The water pressure and temperature in the shower were excellent, but there was only a fixed nozzle on the wall, which was far too low. The toilet bowl was far too low for an older guest, and the seat was a strange shape. As others have mentioned, there was no hose spray for washing after using the lavatory. The only toiletries supplied were soap and shampoo, no body wash or conditioner. My room did, however, have a hairdryer. The air conditioner was good, and was easily controlled from the bedside panel, but the external compressor was very noisy. It could have done with some maintenance. There were no tea and coffee making facilities in the room, almost unknown in a hotel aiming to be of a decent standard. There was also no security box in the room. The restaurant had only reopened 5 days before I visited, but nevertheless it was unfortunate that most of the items on the menu offered were not available. The buffet breakfast was very poor, with lukewarm food and little variety. When ordering an omelette the cook seemed to only know how to make scrambled eggs, which were, however, quite nice. The coffee was disgusting, the "orange juice" some made up powder. I see reviews in 2015/16 say that the breakfast buffet was excellent, sadly this is certainly not true in 2020. But the most disappointing thing about the hotel was the staff. They were so miserable. They were incapable of greeting guests or smiling. The reception staff were rude when I tried to check in, until I challenged them, then they did apologise, but the harm was done. Only the head housekeeper was cheerful when she sprayed the room against mosquitoes. It is interesting that some reviews in Thai found the staff rude, so it was not just because I was a foreigner (although I speak Thai). I would stay at this hotel again, it certainly had charm, I just hope the staff cheer up and improve their politeness.

This is the first time staying at this hotel although we visit Suphan Buri almost annually. I can honestly say that this is the best hotel in the area by a long way. The staff are warm, friendly and nothing is too much trouble. The food in the restaurant is excellent with a wide choice to suit all tastes. The breakfast is more geared to thai type food so do not expect a full English breakfast but this is Thailand, when in Thailand eat thai. There was no tea and coffee facilities in our room but they gave us a water heater which is very useful as we always use our own tea bags etc anyway. Highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting the area. Shops and town centre close by