Sugar Marina Hotel - NAUTICAL - Kata Beach — Hotel in Karon

Honestly this is one of the worst hotels we have stayed in. Also first thing I want to say is don’t believe the reviews about “hearing the ocean” or “waffles being the best I have had “ those reviews have obviously been paid for as they are in no way true about what this “resort” delivers.

First off the buffet breakfast, which was the only thing my wife had eaten up until she got chronic food poisoning which ruined our whole trip, was disgusting. We ended up getting a refund from it and the delightful waffles had corn in them and were so stale they were basically inedible. As a warning do no touch the Thai soup they have pre prepared we are 99.9% sure that’s what made my wife sick.

The service. If the kind of service you like is hotel staff pressing the door closed button on the lift so you just miss out on getting in, this is the place for you.

The rooms, aside from AC that worked well and had a bed that was somewhat comfortable, the rest was a disaster. The shower had the pressure of a leaking tap and speaking of which the basin tap leaked the entire time we were there. The roof leaked into the room every time there was a heavy downpour, the first time this happened all our stuff got wet!! When we reported it to the front desk they were so preoccupied they barely cared, and offered us a new room that smelt like mould. Gross.

Sugar Marina is a place I never want to see again, they turned what was meant to be a idillic holiday to a living nightmare.

The picture with the lights in the pool in these posts is a lie too, about 10 of those...

Really lovely hotel, good value for money. Located conveniently in short 5 minutes walk from Kata beach and 10 minutes from less crowded Kata Noi. A bit uphill, but the climb is short and not difficult at all. A few nice Thai food cafes and European-like Two Chefs with the best burgers nearby, also a Family Mart and good massage (Tum Rub) just a couple of steps from the hotel.Things we loved about the hotel: awesome design, real king-size bed (but it's hard and not everyone loves that), cozy sofa. No unpleasant smells from the sewer, decent wi-fi (enough for video conference calls and remote work) and air conditioner that does its job extremely well.Also: most welcoming personnel ever! Coffee on call service is the best :)Things we found less pleasant: the hotel isn't brand new and it starts showing in small details like lime-covered tap in the bathroom or dented basement of the sofa. The bathrooms aren't completely separated from the rooms, you'll hear every sound and smell every bad smell. The hotel building is located next to a busy road, so it could bother you if you're a light sleeper. The cleanliness isn't perfect and they changed our linen maybe once a week. The shower, though hot, was weak (no hope to wash out sand from your hair). I also can't quite recommend the restaurant in the hotel, the food is expensive and you wait for it for ages. Although the breakfast seemed to have lots of varieties and looked decent enough.All in all, there are some downsides, but overall it's a good...

I was greeted by Chin when we first arrived - who was very kind! Everyone working here is so nice!

The pool is really nice and is a decent size. It stays the same depth through the pool... Which is like 4.5 feet maybe? Also the pool is not meant to be swam in after 8pm. There is a small gym next to it.

The rooms are cool, and the wifi is just okay... Perhaps a little slow. Our booking came with wifi, but apparently some rooms don't have it?

Now for the important part!!

The price is great for a what you get and this place is literally 2minutes away from the South of Kata beach. When you try to use Google maps it says longer, but that's because it doesn't know about an entrance through a beach bar//restaurant. Which, there is an awesome surf shop right off the beach where you can rent boards or get lessons.

South kata is for surfers and the mid to North section of the beach is for swimmers (depending on choppy the water is). Plus the more north you go, the more rentable chairs and beach bars there...