Casper

Yeah Emil, I am really surprised, esp in Pattaya that one has not spent more time capitalizing on the Adult trade. I mean how freaking expensive could it be to install mirrors on the ceiling and put a little dough in ambient lighting. Seems the 'small touches' would really help a lot. Other things like dependable hot water, an A/C that was clean (I've have three times the sore throats and respiratory infections from dirty A/C than I get at my job!), and a comfortable bed would go a long way at getting people to stay there. Some people are totally fixated on cost, but I would sure be willing to pay a little more for simple amenities like this.

Penthouse was a mixed bag. Good: I really liked the room, reminded me of a Disneyland on Acid type set up for adults. The room I had was amazingly quiet even though it overlooked the soi (I think the only really noisy ones are those that are over the go go). I LOVE mirrors on the ceiling and find it incredibly erotic to watch myself and the tg go at it. I also like the lighting as it lends a cool ambience to the room. The TG really seemed to like the room as well. For me the environment IS important and I had one of the most intense two girl bone sessions I've ever had in that room. More on the quiet room. I never had a problem hearing other people. I am a light sleeper and really hate hearing someone else's TV, stereo or sexathon. Never a prob in this place. I also hate a lot of light in the morning. I felt this place really had nice black out curtains which made my morning all that more restful. I really liked the balcony. I am a people watcher, and it was cool to just chill, drink a cold one and watch the evening begin. Nice! Also the staff was cool to me. I checked in off the street and we haggled for a bit. The owner finally came in and cut me a deal. I only got a few hundy off the room so probably wasn't worth the effort, but now bargaining is a habit for me in Thailand. Also there was this opened bottle of lotion in the room that I found out I was getting charged for. I and the TG explained in Thai that we didn't use it and lo and behold they actually didn't charge us for it!! For someone that's travelled to Thailand often, this was truly 'Amazing Thailand'. I like the location. I'm not a go-go person but it's not too bad for walking to walking street or if you are cruising for chicks on the boardwalk. THE BAD The toilet was in a weird location and NO fucking privacy. Sorry, but I like to take a shit without having someone be able to watch me. It's hard to tell what is free in the room and what isn't. Some amenities (like shampoo) you will get charged for. Shit, I wasn't even sure the coffee was free until I went to check out. There's too much crap hanging around which makes it easy for mistakes to be made. Overall I got the feeling that I was being nickel and dimed in a place that already is expensive by Pattaya standards. I don't like the go go girls from Kitten as I think they really go for all the shit (maybe a kickback or instruction from the boss?). I never had that much of a problem with other girls I took to the room. I don't like the go go. Just didn't have a good experience in there. I got this one 'latch on' girl that I bought a drink for and then she freaked out when I told her I was interested in another girl. The champagne service is a newbie rip-off. Shit, you pay 10k for a 1000bt ride, they give you two bottles of cheap fizzy and THEN the girls want 2000 baht each!! WTF?? I'm glad I've never partaken in it as I've never heard anything good about it. BTW, never could get the jaquizzi to work and calls to room service were unsuccessful in solving the problem. Overall its a mixed bag. If it wasn't for those damn mirrors and ambience I'd probably stick to places that are a little cheaper. Someone should take a hotel and turn it into a more 'adult' style venue. I think there's room for more 'niche' hotels like this one.

Harvey, the one thing that can't be emphasized enough is the service at the Marriot. Man, it's one of the few places in Thailand that really work for your business. I have always had a great pleasant stay and just feel good being there (their gym is pretty nice as well). I have a friend who works for a company that has a sweet corporate account with them and he's gotten me a room for about 75$ a night. Now when I stay there I can just call for my own reservation and get the same rate. Before, walk-in or on internet it was over 100$. It is a little walk from the skytrain on pretty crowded streets. So the location is not perfect, but I adjusted. The other thing was I had a 'non-pro' wealthy Thai girlfriend for awhile who HATED to visit me on Sukhumvit (unless I was on Soi 24 which is now a trendy Thai area). I can see her point b/c her getting asked for ID at check in would be insulting. She really liked the Marriot though. Lastly, for those that don't like the 'walk of shame' it's pretty easy to slip in right to the elevators. At night the lobby really clears out. I always thought a little discretion was worthwhile so I never took a silver hotpants clad honey there during the afternoon. Marriot is one of the few five star hotels that don't gouge you for taking in a bg (some don't permit it at all!). So I gotta give them big points for that. Cheers, Casper

FT, It wasn't just the rooms that were a prob but the staff in general. I was not the only one that felt this way, but YMMV (I know some may have a great time in one hotel and like it, some others). In the meanwhile I rent a private condo when I'm there and get a great room with a living room, balcony and best of all a mirror above the bed. The cost is about 200 bt less a night than the Lek. The only problem is that it's difficult to book it from the dude. I do like Penthouse although they are really tough to get a deal from (as has been stated on these boards). So goodbye Lek!

I haven't been to the Lek in years. Last I remember, one creaky elevator, the doorman/staff always angling for tips, spotty honoring of reservations, and a general 'I don't care attitude'. I do like the top floor 'suites' (although that's stretching the term) but after too many fuck-ups and shitty experience, they were permanently crossed off my list. Has something changed? I know I did (hotels that is). There's much better to be had in Pattaya IMHO. BTW, is that perpetually drunk skinhead still attached like lichen to a Lek poolside chair?

That is a killer price on Cipro. Someone fucked up.. because even a cheap antibiotic like Amox costs more than that in BKK. Usual price of Cipro stateside is about 5 bucks a pill!! Be careful about availability of medicines, particularly pain meds. Check carefully the meds they sell, some are outdated. Depending on where you shop you might pay more for meds than you do stateside. I do not find Thailand the same as Mexico or Canada for finding cheap pharmaceuticals. There is a difference between the 'mom and pop' stores that have a variety of different meds but certainly not all and the hospitals which are very well stocked. Believe it or not, I couldn't find bismuth, or Pepto Bismol except as a script through a hospital! Lastly, beware the pharmacist. I've seen more shitty info being given by these guys, but most don't know it because they aren't medically trained. Last trip I met a guy who's girlfriend became the defacto local pharmacist at her BKK store. Why? Because she was the best trained? Naah... she had never cracked a medical book in her life! She spoke the best English! They handed her a PDR and some 'common diagnosis' book and turned her loose! One more note. If you are looking for your med and can't find it, it may not be because they don't have it. Almost alll meds have two names, the 'trade' name (which would be like Trimoxacillin for Amoxicillin) and then the chemical name (Amoxicillin). Most times you will know your medicine by the trade name which VARIES from country to country! A valuable resource is MIMS, which is like a dictionary (you look for the med by the name you know it, and up comes the name of how it is sold in Thailand). Almost all pharmacies have this, but ya gotta ask for it. Hope this helps. yr. friendly Ghost....

I'm cursed with being a very light sleeper. For those that have stayed here...... where should I request the room? I would like to stay in the new wing (Garden) if possible as I've heard that's nicer. I usually try to avoid poolside as there's always someone partying late at night. Any suggestions? Thanks!

A hypothetical question: If i was going to call a girl having arrived in Thailand a few (well, ok a week) before I said I was going to, will my hotel show up on her cell phone? And if it might, how could I avoid it (here we can enter a code that lets the call remain anonymous). Any help appreciated. This is out of my area.