WTF - Sandy Spring prices?

[jimmac 66]

A couple of days ago I sent an e-mail for a reservation at the Sandy Spring for 5 nights in early May, low season. I have stayed there probably 8-10 times over the years, the last time in 2010. I always like their 8th floor Seaview Suites.....lots of space, great location, great balcony with a great view of Pattaya Bay.

 

I read their website before e-mailing and it clearly prices my suite at 3,100 Baht. That's 11% higher than the 2,800 Baht I paid the last time, not welcome but tolerable. Imagine my surprise when I received a reply quoting a rate of 3,500 Baht, a 25% price increase over my last stay. I sent back an e-mail politely querying the new rate and this is the reply:

 

 

Thank you for your e-mail.

We would like to tell you about room price from hotel .

**Suite/seaview 3,500.-room/night **

**Member rate 3,200.-room/nigh** our your webside not finish yet.Because

have new room new stye on the 6th floor put in webside

Our hotel change rate november 2011 sir.

We are looking for your reply.

 

 

At 3,500 Baht the answer is NFW. They will lose a longtime good customer.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on whether any further e-mails on my part is likely to change their approach, if they might adopt the novel approach of actually charging what they advertise on their website.

 

Second, can BMs suggest alternatives to the Sandy Spring with similar attributes? I've looked at the sister hotel Summer Spring but Soi 1 is a bit far away. The SeaMe on Soi 10 looks like a good alternative. I would welcome advice from board members on suitable alternatives.

[kikc69 45]

if you book through Agoda you can get some good rates at Sea Me Spring 1 and 2 on soi 10. (I think they may be owned by same group as Sandy Spring) Also look on Agoda as they have many rooms that you can cancel and will not be charged. Be careful with some reservations though because once you pay you cannot cancel and get your money back.

[teelack 8,690]

Bit noisy in Soi 1 at the moment.

[groover 248]

Reply that you're a longtime good customer of the hotel and that you always pay 2800 baht.

[jimmac 66]

Reply that you're a longtime good customer of the hotel and that you always pay 2800 baht.

 

I did. I even sent the initial inquiry as a reply with quote from my reservation in August, 2010, so they could see my rate was 2800 Baht. That's what earned me the wonderful reply above.

Edited March 16, 2012 by jimmac

[woodman2 5]

http://www.scandibar.com/hotel/sandy/ also has them at 3,100. Edited March 16, 2012 by woodman2

[js007 795]

It's not like there's only one hotel in Pattaya. Just vote with your feet. Stay elsewhere and make sure you let Sandy Spring know why.

 

Still, with all the inflation these days, it's easy to understand the rate increase.

[danboy 151]

Disappointed to hear this as Sandy Spring has always been a favourite of mine. I heard they had been refurbishing the rooms so I guess the price hikes are to pay for the improvements but IMO the price they advertise is the price you should pay, it`s not your fault they can`t keep their website up to date.

[jacko 8,608]

Disappointed to hear this as Sandy Spring has always been a favourite of mine. I heard they had been refurbishing the rooms so I guess the price hikes are to pay for the improvements but IMO the price they advertise is the price you should pay, it`s not your fault they can`t keep their website up to date.

Yeah good luck with that!

They don't 'think that way'.....

[Ishtar2 3]

I stayed at SS for 3 weeks in February in their Seaview Room on 7th floor. The day I arrived they gave me a room that smelled like cigarette smoke so I requested a different room. The reply was they were "sold out" but had a newly renovated room on the 6th floor but instead of the 1600 price (with member card) it would be 1900 a night. After a bit of conversation with the front desk clerks they gave me the 6th floor room for 3 nights at 1600 baht a night. On the 4th night they gave me a Seaview room on the 7th for the agreed upon 1600 baht rate for the remainder of my stay.

 

Now the 6th floor corner room was newly decorated, had a safe and tile floor vs 5 year old carpeting and no safe. The bed was nicer and it was a small upgrade as the furniture was newer and the lights were brighter vs the 15 watt bulbs on the 7th floor though I see no reason to pay 300 baht more for a basic upgrade that the whole Hotel is in need of.

 

I have stayed at Sandy for the past 6 trips and love the location and the staff. The rooms have gone way downhill and I too would love to find an alternative but have yet to do so though I might try a rental at View Talay 6, something to consider.

[short 215]

I don't understand why it is so difficult to find good rooms in good locations in Pattaya. In Bangkok I have no problem finding nice new hotels with free breakfast for two and eggs to order for less than $70/night and I'm not talking about old hotels that have been reconditioned.

[Patna 3,802]

I don't understand why it is so difficult to find good rooms in good locations in Pattaya. In Bangkok I have no problem finding nice new hotels with free breakfast for two and eggs to order for less than $70/night and I'm not talking about old hotels that have been reconditioned.

It's not that difficult. I stopped going to SS for 2 reasons - no breakfast and paid wifi plus the connection is crap. Have no problem finding hotels with good location, pool, breakfast and free wifi for 50 US. Sandy just not worth it anymore.

[jimmac 66]

It's not that difficult. I stopped going to SS for 2 reasons - no breakfast and paid wifi plus the connection is crap. Have no problem finding hotels with good location, pool, breakfast and free wifi for 50 US. Sandy just not worth it anymore.

 

So can you share with us what you consider those good alternatives to the SS to be? Which ones meet the criteria you cite?

[Patna 3,802]

So can you share with us what you consider those good alternatives to the SS to be? Which ones meet the criteria you cite?

I like the Easities but only the Eastiny Place on Soi 8 or the Eastiny 7 on Soi 7. If you stay a week or more, you can bargain down the price even more. Secrets is great value for the money too but there's no pool. I need the pool. Pattaya Bay Resort is another good choice.

[Grahamxxx 202]

I've been going to SS for years now but with the price hike it just isn't worth it..they don't even have a safe in the rooms.I now stay at Ses Me soi 10 brand new,and same price or cheaper

[hillbilly 81]

thais not worried about loyality at all, only live for the day. many good hotels with pools for half the price

[BigDUSA 71]

Check out www.latestays.com for discounted rooms.

[tomcat76 327]

thais not worried about loyality at all, only live for the day. many good hotels with pools for half the price

 

'Have to agree with this. Winning customer loyalty is a concept completely foreign to most Thais, when it comes to the tourist trade anyway... All kinds of cultural metaphysics etc etc etc often cited to explain it, but I think it actually probably has more to do simply with "employee mobility". But whatever the true reason, it's only the businesses with farang ownership or management that seem to understand & value it.

 

RE Latestays.com - No real complaints about it, but I've been checking it before every trip the last few years and have never really found any deals there that weren't available at most of the other online places or straight from the hotels' own websites.

Edited March 17, 2012 by tomcat76

[ZARIS 20]

Boys, boys, boys,what gives of course vote with your feet!!!!

 

I have zero tolerance for hotels hiking prices over whats advertised or promised.

 

I rarely book my entire stay over the net and will NEVER pay for it in full.

 

What if you get there and they are ripping out the rooms on the floor above you/ building next door/ put you in a room next to noisy mothefukkers?

 

NFW.

 

Also I find that apart from high season- which I never go anyway, all hotel rooms are negotiable in price when approached properly.

 

You dont just waltz in and ask " how much for a room"

 

You go in during the day and ask to see a room please because you are thinking of changing hotels- ' how long you stay sir " 3/4 days.

 

They show you a room.You ask- do you have a better room please? They show you another. Grimace a little and say- mmm its a ok room but not really that good. " ok ok I show you best room" if that room is good then ask the price right there in the room, not back at the desk. They say 2000, you say if you can give it to me for 1600 I will stay a week, I have 2 weeks left on my holiday. They think you may stay for 2 weeks any way. Most of the time they will say ok.

 

So you get a nicer room for a lower price.

 

Fk taking the max price over the net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"

[Desmond Jones 196]

I stayed at SS for 3 weeks in February in their Seaview Room on 7th floor. The day I arrived they gave me a room that smelled like cigarette smoke so I requested a different room. The reply was they were "sold out" but had a newly renovated room on the 6th floor but instead of the 1600 price (with member card) it would be 1900 a night. After a bit of conversation with the front desk clerks they gave me the 6th floor room for 3 nights at 1600 baht a night. On the 4th night they gave me a Seaview room on the 7th for the agreed upon 1600 baht rate for the remainder of my stay.

 

Now the 6th floor corner room was newly decorated, had a safe and tile floor vs 5 year old carpeting and no safe. The bed was nicer and it was a small upgrade as the furniture was newer and the lights were brighter vs the 15 watt bulbs on the 7th floor though I see no reason to pay 300 baht more for a basic upgrade that the whole Hotel is in need of.

 

I have stayed at Sandy for the past 6 trips and love the location and the staff. The rooms have gone way downhill and I too would love to find an alternative but have yet to do so though I might try a rental at View Talay 6, something to consider.

 

 

I wonder if we crossed paths before dude. I've been a semi-loyal customer for over ten years now, and have seen the price nearly double since my first stay.That said, I understand enough about the economics. I've ceaselessly promoted the hotel to newbies on the board, and aside from one disaster stay with construction and a nasty respiratory infection from air con water I've had fabulous experiences.

 

Last year I got the member card, for the discount, literally buying into the scheme. I stay in top floor sea view deluxe, and love the view and sunsets from the balcony. Have not found a comparable hotel which "ticks all the boxes".

 

Making the reservation for my upcoming trip, I'm offered 1600 per night for the deluxe sea view with the VIP membership.

 

 

So, please, in all earnestness, all of you who say there are better places for less, please let me know. These are my minimal requirements.

 

1) Pool

2) Balcony with seaview

3) One block from beach rd

4) Cable

5) Room service

6) Guest friendly

7) Lobby or room safe.

8) Wi Fi

 

I keep hearing BM's say there are better deals for the money, so please respond and tell us where, and how much, and what amenities.

 

 

 

OBLA DEE BROS

[danboy 151]

It's not that difficult. I stopped going to SS for 2 reasons - no breakfast and paid wifi plus the connection is crap. Have no problem finding hotels with good location, pool, breakfast and free wifi for 50 US. Sandy just not worth it anymore.

 

I`ve never had to pay for wi-fi at Sandy Spring and no problems with connection either.

 

The lack of breakfast doesn`t bother me either, I always pop next door to The Sportsman for brekkie.

[Gabor 296]

 

I have zero tolerance for hotels hiking prices over whats advertised or promised.

 

 

 

I'm sorry to quote your post, my reply is not for you.... but overall... the tough guys according to the hotel prices seems to be soft pussies when the question arises about the fraudulent barfines and the silly demands of the girls... Interesting.. ha ?

[Patna 3,802]

I`ve never had to pay for wi-fi at Sandy Spring and no problems with connection either.

 

The lack of breakfast doesn`t bother me either, I always pop next door to The Sportsman for brekkie.

 

I haven't been there the last 2 years for reasons mentioned above but when I was there I had to pay for the Internet and it was not cheap. I'm not a CC but like to have the breakfast included the room price. Also forgot to mention the lack of in room safe.

[soi unwise 6]

Boys, boys, boys,what gives of course vote with your feet!!!!

 

I have zero tolerance for hotels hiking prices over whats advertised or promised.

 

I rarely book my entire stay over the net and will NEVER pay for it in full.

 

What if you get there and they are ripping out the rooms on the floor above you/ building next door/ put you in a room next to noisy mothefukkers?

 

NFW.

 

Also I find that apart from high season- which I never go anyway, all hotel rooms are negotiable in price when approached properly.

 

You dont just waltz in and ask " how much for a room"

 

You go in during the day and ask to see a room please because you are thinking of changing hotels- ' how long you stay sir " 3/4 days.

 

They show you a room.You ask- do you have a better room please? They show you another. Grimace a little and say- mmm its a ok room but not really that good. " ok ok I show you best room" if that room is good then ask the price right there in the room, not back at the desk. They say 2000, you say if you can give it to me for 1600 I will stay a week, I have 2 weeks left on my holiday. They think you may stay for 2 weeks any way. Most of the time they will say ok.

 

So you get a nicer room for a lower price.

 

Fk taking the max price over the net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"

thanks for that !

[ZARIS 20]

I'm sorry to quote your post, my reply is not for you.... but overall... the tough guys according to the hotel prices seems to be soft pussies when the question arises about the fraudulent barfines and the silly demands of the girls... Interesting.. ha ?

 

Interesting and also probably true.But its difficult to get an erection over a hotel room.Or a GFE!!!

 

Also ALL hotel rooms are LT.