a nighmare at the jasmine mansion

[bigorange1 0]

please be warned-do not stay at the jasmine mansion! it calls itself a 5 star hotel with 3 star prices-in reality it is one star hotel with three star prices.

 

i had read a previous review thatone of the boardies had problems at the jasmine mansion but i did i take the advice? noooo, i had to find out the hardway-by actually staying there for a few days. to me the website looked pretty good so i booked a room for 12 days and did receive a prompt reply from kevin meacher with my room number and all the necessary details. i arrived on thursday, may 1st and even though i had an email from kevin they could not find me. eventually i was given room #202 facing soi buakow-that was ok with me.

 

however, i noticed right away there was very little water pressure in the sink but off i went to check out the lk metro area. when i returned to my room to take a shower and get ready for the evening activities i found out there was no water! something had broken, the staff said come back in a half hour and it would be fixed. well several hours later it was not fixed and i was getting a bit upset. kevn's wife did offer to bring a bucket of water to my room but i declined the offer. eventually, the water was fixed and off i went. i returned not too late and hit the bed, several hours later i felt water dripping on my head! the ac was leaking! so i had to pull the bed out from the wall so i would not get wet. of course, i reported this in the morning and was told it would be fixed that day.

 

that night-same thing happened! the water was leaking on my head again. in the morning i told the staff and kevin's wife about the leak and again i was promised it would be fixed. you guessed it-it was not fixed and when i got up to take a shower-the floor overflowed because the drain would not work. so again, i complain and am promised the problem would be corrected but of course it was not. on several of these days when i complained kevin was in his office, right next to the desk and made no comment at all.

 

when i returned that day i said i wanted a new room because of all the problems i was having and then i talked to kevin. instead of handling the problem he said he would have to talk to his wife first. i thought this was strange-doesn't he own the place? couldn't he fix the problem?

 

i came back in a few hours and still no resolution plus now the room smells! now i am really upset so i go down to the desk to complain to kevin's wife and she wants to draw me a diagram of what the problem is! i know what the problem is; there is little water pressure, the ac leaks and the drain is plugged and my room stinks! then kevin comes out and says this is the first he has heard about it although it has been going on for three days. i blow up and say give me a new room or i am moving out now. kevin says ok and he refunds my money that i paid up front.

 

please, anyone please consider my experience before you decide to stay at the jasmine mansion-for me it was horrible experience and although i have enjoyed some of kevin's writings i was not at all impressed with how he handled my many problems. but i still love pattaya

[probe 11]

please be warned-do not stay at the jasmine mansion! it calls itself a 5 star hotel with 3 star prices-in reality it is one star hotel with three star prices.

 

then kevin comes out and says this is the first he has heard about it although it has been going on for three days.

 

please, anyone please consider my experience before you decide to stay at the jasmine mansion-for me it was horrible experience and although i have enjoyed some of kevin's writings i was not at all impressed with how he handled my many problems. but i still love pattaya

 

That seems to be his method for dealing with problems. Tell his wife. He says tell him, but then says telling his wife is the same thing. After you leave he then looks at the problem.

 

You didn't even mention how small the rooms and bathrooms are.

[philler 1]

Mmmm! Very odd. Stayed there twice and never had a problem...

[talen 5]

I've stayed there 3 times and haven't had the same experience. The aircon wen't out in my room last may and Kevin had someone up to fix it asap. Aircons break and drains clog ...shit happens in pattaya and water pressure is a problem that happens and its not always the hotels fault.

 

I don't think it's strange that Kevin would consult his wife because #1 as you stated you hadn't discussed any of the problems up to that point with Kevin and I'm sure he wanted to find out what had been done to fix the problems and #2 he and his wife are the owners of the hotel.

 

Sucks that you didn't have a good experience but you were in Pattaya so I doubt it was so horrible that you decided not to have fun.

[sick buffalo 15]

Stayed there for 4 nights just to experience the LK Metro area...

 

Very friendly staff. Good service...

 

Only problem was the AC. I even walked out and slept at the Green View (??) Soi 15 since my girl couldn't handle the heat at JM

 

I took it up with Nok (the girl at the reception) and I was promptly given an alternate room. The next two nights are amongst the best I have had in Pattaya, thanks to kung from Soi 6...

 

I would go and stay there again with a clear understanding with Kevin that I need a well ACed room... From the many posts that I have read and from my interaction with him, he seems to be a man of his word...

Edited May 23, 2008 by sick buffalo

[honey395451 0]

please be warned-do not stay at the jasmine mansion! it calls itself a 5 star hotel with 3 star prices-in reality it is one star hotel with three star prices.

 

i had read a previous review thatone of the boardies had problems at the jasmine mansion but i did i take the advice? noooo, i had to find out the hardway-by actually staying there for a few days. to me the website looked pretty good so i booked a room for 12 days and did receive a prompt reply from kevin meacher with my room number and all the necessary details. i arrived on thursday, may 1st and even though i had an email from kevin they could not find me. eventually i was given room #202 facing soi buakow-that was ok with me.

 

however, i noticed right away there was very little water pressure in the sink but off i went to check out the lk metro area. when i returned to my room to take a shower and get ready for the evening activities i found out there was no water! something had broken, the staff said come back in a half hour and it would be fixed. well several hours later it was not fixed and i was getting a bit upset. kevn's wife did offer to bring a bucket of water to my room but i declined the offer. eventually, the water was fixed and off i went. i returned not too late and hit the bed, several hours later i felt water dripping on my head! the ac was leaking! so i had to pull the bed out from the wall so i would not get wet. of course, i reported this in the morning and was told it would be fixed that day.

 

that night-same thing happened! the water was leaking on my head again. in the morning i told the staff and kevin's wife about the leak and again i was promised it would be fixed. you guessed it-it was not fixed and when i got up to take a shower-the floor overflowed because the drain would not work. so again, i complain and am promised the problem would be corrected but of course it was not. on several of these days when i complained kevin was in his office, right next to the desk and made no comment at all.

 

when i returned that day i said i wanted a new room because of all the problems i was having and then i talked to kevin. instead of handling the problem he said he would have to talk to his wife first. i thought this was strange-doesn't he own the place? couldn't he fix the problem?

 

i came back in a few hours and still no resolution plus now the room smells! now i am really upset so i go down to the desk to complain to kevin's wife and she wants to draw me a diagram of what the problem is! i know what the problem is; there is little water pressure, the ac leaks and the drain is plugged and my room stinks! then kevin comes out and says this is the first he has heard about it although it has been going on for three days. i blow up and say give me a new room or i am moving out now. kevin says ok and he refunds my money that i paid up front.

 

please, anyone please consider my experience before you decide to stay at the jasmine mansion-for me it was horrible experience and although i have enjoyed some of kevin's writings i was not at all impressed with how he handled my many problems. but i still love pattaya

.

Hello Bigorange1,

 

I could not agree MORE with your assessment of Jamine Mansion hotel located on Buakhow near LK Metro (not the one located near walking street). The hotel address for this post is 33/148-149 Soi Baukaow, Central Pattaya, Nongprue, Banglamung, ChonBuri 20260 Thailand. Phone 038 488534. THIS PLACE NOT RECOMMENDED!!

 

My stay was on Friday, 4-Mar-11.

 

Jasmine mansion was less than mediocre, the hotel room (room 103) floor was dirty, along with the stairs leading to the room with hair all over the floor. The room smelled like a sewer, and the aircon did not work, but it sure drips as you mentioned in your review.

 

Unfortunately I did not read your post prior to staying here as my friend living in Pattaya booked to room for me. I had a bad experience with a guesthouse in Soi LK Metro, so wanted to try another place. BIG MISTAKE!

 

When I told the hotel manager about the room smell, and the unclean room. She sent her maid up to sweep up the floor. I should have taken a picture because it looked like the room had not been cleaned for a few days at least. The hotel manager indicated she could do nothing about the smell and had the nerve to tell me it did not smell. She said there were no rooms available, and would be okay with her, if I did not want to stay.

 

The wireless internet also did not work (TCP/IP not enabled) and they had no LAN cable connectivity available which seems to be the norm for Pattaya hotels.

 

I asked for a set of clean towels as the shower leaked on the bath room floor and used a couple of towels to clean it up. The hotel manager told me housekeeping had gone home for the night and towels were not available and would need to wait until the morning when housekeeping cleans my room. I asked if she had any in the back, as I only needed one, and should not be a big deal. She told me “Yes, it is a big deal, what do you expect for a 550 baht a night hotel”? “ I never had a customer complain as much”.

 

I figured if I complained again, I would be asked to leave. Since it was late, and I was tired, and my friend indicated finding a place was difficult, I sucked it up and stayed the night and found another hotel the next morning.

 

When I checked out, they refunded my deposit (500 Baht), but not the rent for the two nights I didn’t stay there (1100 baht). I checked out at 10am the next morning, plenty of time for them to rent room 103 if the occupancy rate is as high as my friend indicated.

 

I could not believe they would not refund the next two nights rent and told them so. The guy at the counter told me they have not had a customer complaint for 20 years in business and his manager would not allow the refund, only refund the deposit. I told him he had to be kidding (after checking the web, find there were a LOT of complaints about this hotel).

 

The hotel clerk called the manager and she told me she had people that wanted my room and had to turn them away, so she would lose the rent since I was leaving two days early. With the hotel occupancy in the area so high, I am sure, re-renting the room would not be a problem.

 

BEWARE of the HOTELS that require ALL RENT in advance. You are screwed if they cannot fix the issues reported and you want to leave before your stay is finished.

[lovedog100 1,372]

Guys, that is one of the functions of this forum, to help other travelers. "i had read a previous review thatone of the boardies had problems at the jasmine mansion but i did i take the advice?" Why didn't you take the advise given?

 

Two of you have given bad reviews. One of you called it a one star hotel. I'm with management here, what do you expect for 550 baht a night during high season? I am amazed that you could find anything in that price range.

 

Thai pluming is notoriously bad. Anyone that can glue pipe together can claim to be a plumber, and there are no plumbing inspectors. Low or no water pressure is an ongoing problem in Thailand, as is smell coming from the drains. At home all drains have what's called a pee-trap that prevents swear smells from coming back into a building. Thai's almost never use them. The few times they are used, it's in a high end building with a farang overseeing the construction.

 

Air-con leaks are also common. An air-con dehumidifies as it cools, that moisture needs to go somewhere, it ends up in the coil of the air-con. The Thai with an 8th grade education that came from a farm, yet now installs air-conditioners, didn't install a drain pipe for the condensation. Typical, believe me. You can slow the dripping by raising the temp of your air-con. I know that it feels great at 18 degrees, but set it at 25 degrees and it's still five degrees or more cooler than out side, and will make considerable less condensation. The Thai ladies will enjoy it better as well. Something I found raising the temp, I become acclimatised much easier and faster.

 

It's nice that you gave us a heads up on the place. However, if we were like you, we will ignore the bad review and book a room anyway. Interesting outlook huh?

 

Here is what I tell people that aren't using multinational hotel chains like Merriott, Hilton where they know what to expect. Book just for a couple of days. During those two-three days, decide if you want to stay longer, and look for a new place if needed. Read reviews, be sure to look at dates on reviews, often owners change, and standards raise, or lower. Talk to people you meet in town, and get recommendations. Never book 12 days in a place that you found bad reviews on. That is a no brainer.

[Obsession 571]

I thought the complaints sounded valid and would expect a clean room for the money and clean towels when I asked and that the wifi worked if advertised. Unfortunately the place dived after Kevin left.

I am amazed when guys stick up for crap service. Seems we should all take any shit and be grateful.

[sick buffalo 15]

Kevin has moved on, his ex wife is/was looking for a new partner to fleece... Jasmine Mansion is dead...

[lovedog100 1,372]

I thought the complaints sounded valid and would expect a clean room for the money and clean towels when I asked and that the wifi worked if advertised. Unfortunately the place dived after Kevin left.

I am amazed when guys stick up for crap service. Seems we should all take any shit and be grateful.

You are correct. The complaints seem valid, and probably are. Personally, I wouldn't expect any better for 550 baht a night during high season in Pattaya. Then again, I wouldn't stay in a place that cheap, knowing what it would be like. There are plenty of well recommended hotels and guest houses on this forum. Some of the owners are respected board members. Wouldn't it be prudent to spend a couple of baht more and go for one of those places?

[Obsession 571]

Wouldn't it be prudent to spend a couple of baht more and go for one of those places?

 

You would have to ask the complainant. I have no idea if he knows any "respected board members" GHs or whether he was just walking by and saw the wifi sign.

He stayed in March. So it was a low season 550. I don't know what the Jasmine charges in high season for their rude customer service , stinking room , leaky showers and refusal to replace towels. But lets not argue about it

[Greg_B 306]

Kevin has moved on, his ex wife is/was looking for a new partner to fleece... Jasmine Mansion is dead...

 

Didn't Kevin have a blog at one time, detailing his demise in the marriage...?

[Fondles 94]

Didn't Kevin have a blog at one time, detailing his demise in the marriage...?

 

riffraffles.com

[MIGHTYONE 309]

You are correct. The complaints seem valid, and probably are. Personally, I wouldn't expect any better for 550 baht a night during high season in Pattaya. Then again, I wouldn't stay in a place that cheap, knowing what it would be like.

 

I stayed at Chow Soy last trip and that was 600 baht a night. Top quality room, decent restauarant and great service.

 

I also stayed at Jasmine and had a nightmare but it was a few years back and I was relatively new to Pats then.

[maahuanao 20]

I'm with management here, what do you expect for 550 baht a night during high season?

Better than the Jasmine Mansion by the sound of it. I stayed at Le Katai in high season for less than 550 and the staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful.

[GlynRhedyn 32]

I'm staying at Chow Soy from Friday, why? Because I did my research on here (and other boards) and it came highly recommended. It doesn't take long to do a search for guesthouse/hotel names and the results can save a lot of misery. There is value to be had in the budget price range but you do need to be careful and do your research first.

Glyn.

[Obsession 571]

I stayed at Le Katai in high season for less than 550 and the staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful.

 

I paid 400 in an October low season. Great wifi and staff and had restaurant.

 

 

Forgot to mention that Jasmine Mansion had rooms at around 1600 a night!!!! And even a penthouse. Not sure what they charge now.

[MM 6,562]

I'm staying at Chow Soy from Friday, why? Because I did my research on here (and other boards) and it came highly recommended. It doesn't take long to do a search for guesthouse/hotel names and the results can save a lot of misery. There is value to be had in the budget price range but you do need to be careful and do your research first.

Glyn.

 

Try their fish and chips and let me know what you think. I'm addicted.

[lespaul5000 15]

Try their fish and chips and let me know what you think. I'm addicted.

 

i stayed there on my last trip, and had the fish and chips almost every day, and yes they were very addicting.

[bigone 0]

riffraffles.com

 

be carefull, there is a virus on this website

[lovedog100 1,372]

Damn it all to hell. Am I the only one that didn't notice the original date of this thread? May 11 2008, 01:36 PM What is it doing coming up in view new posts??

[sick buffalo 15]

Didn't Kevin have a blog at one time, detailing his demise in the marriage...?

 

Yes he gave it up though. He also had somebody writing his chronicles for some time. This writer is an active BM here(his name escapes me at the moment)...

[sick buffalo 15]

Kevin has moved on, his ex wife is/was looking for a new partner to fleece... Jasmine Mansion is dead...

 

 

Damn it all to hell. Am I the only one that didn't notice the original date of this thread? May 11 2008, 01:36 PM What is it doing coming up in view new posts??

 

I warned you

[sick buffalo 15]

Yes he gave it up though. He also had somebody writing his chronicles for some time. This writer is an active BM here(his name escapes me at the moment)...

 

MC Ldop was the BM. See link below...

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...evin's+wife

[teelack 9,297]

I'm staying at Chow Soy from Friday, why? Because I did my research on here (and other boards) and it came highly recommended. It doesn't take long to do a search for guesthouse/hotel names and the results can save a lot of misery. There is value to be had in the budget price range but you do need to be careful and do your research first.

Glyn.

 

I would be really interested to see a bit of a TR on your experience at the CS Glyn.