Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid — Hotel in Khon Kaen Province

Spent a week at the Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid, and let’s just say—it was a stay of contrasts. Some moments of comfort, some moments of hmm, interesting choices, and a few oh dear, what’s that smell?||The Good Stuff:||✅ Spacious Rooms with a View – Our room was large, airy, and had a lovely view of the city stretching north. Plenty of space to do a little dance or just dramatically sigh while looking out the window.||✅ Breakfast for the Western Palate – If you, like me, enjoy starting the day with bacon, eggs, and a decent selection of fruits and pastries, you won’t be disappointed. They had fresh omelets and even yoghurt and cereal for those who want to pretend they’re eating healthy on vacation.||✅ Friendly Staff – Thai hospitality at its best. The staff were polite, helpful, and always smiling, even when they had to stamp my parking ticket for the 38th time.||✅ Decent Coffee Spot in the Lobby – A pleasant surprise! The little café in the lobby serves a proper cup of coffee, which is always appreciated when you need to shake off jet lag or just life in general.||✅ Walking Distance to Central Plaza – If you want to stretch your legs and do some shopping, the biggest mall in town is just a short walk away. Fair warning, though: the area itself feels like it’s past its prime (more on that below).||The Not-So-Great:||❌ A Mysterious, Persistent Smell – The hallway outside our room had a rather unique aroma that lingered all week. I’d describe it as “old hotel meets forgotten gym bag.” Not overwhelming, but definitely present. The room had a faint version of the same scent, though less intense. Air freshener became my best friend.||❌ Beds: Not Rock-Hard, But Not Cloud-Soft Either – If you’re used to hotel beds in Thailand that double as medieval torture devices, you’ll be happy to know these were slightly better. That said, if you’re expecting fluffy hotel luxury, you might need to lower those expectations.||❌ Minibar? More Like Mini-Disappointment – Two sodas and one can of beer. That’s it. It’s as if the minibar wanted to be helpful but gave up halfway through.||❌ A Parking System from the Past – Enter the garage, take a paper ticket. Get it stamped at reception. Get it stamped again. Then hand it to the attendant when you leave. Repeat every single time. I felt like I was in an elaborate social experiment to see how much bureaucracy one person can tolerate.||❌ Wear and Tear (Without the Charm) – The hotel is, to put it kindly, aging. And not in that cute, vintage way—more in the “we should probably renovate but we haven’t” way. It still has grandeur, but it’s starting to show its years.||❌ The Neighborhood: Fading Fast – The hotel might have been in a prime spot once, but the surrounding area feels like it’s on the decline. The nearby mall is slowly dying, and the nightlife in the immediate vicinity seems to cater to a, let’s say, specific demographic. It’s the only place in Khon Kaen where I had bar girls calling out to me, which was unexpected.||❌ WiFi? What WiFi? – Running my Drac True mobile router worked far better than the hotel’s WiFi. If you need a reliable connection, bring your own.||❌ Uninspiring Pool Area – Didn’t look inviting, so I didn’t bother. If you’re picturing a tropical paradise, adjust those mental images accordingly.||Final Verdict:||If you value big rooms, a solid breakfast, and friendly staff, the Pullman still delivers. But if you’re sensitive to odd smells, need reliable WiFi, or expect a vibrant neighborhood, you might be in for a few surprises.||Would I stay here again? Maybe—but I’d bring my own air freshener and a mobile data plan, just in case.||⭐ Rating: 3.5/5 (Rounded up to 4 because the staff really...

In general a good experience, and the staff worked out a communication problem at the check in.... But: For a hotel in this price class: I would expect the breakfast to be included (more to the breakfast later) I would expect the shower and bath tube heads were free of calc, and don't splash all over the place. I would expect the water pressure to be stable (In general the pressure was great, and the water came out quite hot, which is nice and worked very well in the hot tube - amazing. BUT: In the morning the water pressure fluctuated a lot - and with it the water temperature of course - having to adjust all the time the temperature which was not a relaxing shower experience. ) I would expect the rooms having adjustable air-con settings (I guess they have a hotel wide system - but for temperature there is no "one setting fits them all" - for me it was much to warm for a night sleep - while it was fine for working on the nice desk in the morning, though. I would expect if not a balcony, but at least an openable window. There was a large window - with a nice view - but no way to open it and enjoy the fresh evening temperature outside (we went in winter) I would expect the windows at the breakfast place to be cleaned more regularly. (Over all: a VERY nice interiour and comfortable place to eat - but some disturbing views like over floor electric lines and over wall electric plugs... - which I would not even mention in a 3-star hotel, but in THIS price class?) I would expect in Covid-Times, that the hygiene is taken more care of - all their staff wore mask, and they had plastic gloves for the guests available - yes - but unlike Sizzler for example they did not enforce the guests to wearing masks or gloves when using the buffet.

The breakfast was acceptable for the 50% discounted price - for the full price it would not have been. As sweetener fo tea and cereals they had no honey - quite standard - even in lower star hotels. Cheese and cold cuts got filled up eventually after being empty (And only 1 type of each available) - but it took over 15 minutes until they did. (Again - in a lower star hotel I would not even mention it) The glasses and cups were very small - forcing you to go and refill very often (But that I noticed it seems to be standard in higher priced hotels, while in cheaper ones they are larger)

On the good side: Nice variety of breads, and they are preparing scrambled eggs and omelets by your wishes and fresh, not pre-prepared - VERY nice and tasty. Spacy bathroom and "hot bath" is really worth the name - you can see steam rising of the hot water and you sweat a lot taking a bath - seldom experience...

Update 16/10/2023 The swimming pool has been renovated with modern grey tiles, new sun-loungers and towelling. The pool is safe and clean and pleasent to swim in. They have found a sustainable solution to keeping sandwiches moist and fresh when packed, these are now much better than before. The room I stayed in was well maintained and clean, still some room for improvement with dusting.

All hotels in Thailand are required by law to notify immigration no later than 24 hours after a guest checks in. On 3 occasions while staying in this hotel including today (16/10/2023) immigration officers informed me that I was not registered. I took this up with the hotel manager, who assured me that the hotel had in fact notified immigration on the day I checked in. After lengthy discussions I am still unsure who was in the right here. My advice if you plan to extend a visa while staying here speak to the front desk first before taking the trip to the immigration office.

I'll start by saying this hotel has had some problems in recent year, quite a few I have personally experienced, but it looks like under the leadership of the current GM Mr Stanley it's fighting back. All of the staff I encountered during my most recent stay were exceptionally friendly but balanced professionalism with famililarty, yes a real warm welcome back. Cleanliness has vastly improved in the rooms and public areas, the restaurant on lower ground level has reopened albeit with a smaller menu and overall all it feels like the hotel is waking up after the last few years of COVID19 restrictions. There are some areas that do need serious attention mainly the pool which is quite literally falling apart, I hurt my foot stepping on chippings that have fallen off the pool wall and been left on the pool floor. The pool needs a significant renovation, but I noticed contractors appear to be on the case, so hopefully this will be resolved soon. Pullman Khon Kaen and the management team do need a pat on the back for keeping the hotel and majority of the staff that depend on it going through the recent hard times. Baker's-Basket : the lobby coffee shop and bakery deserves a mention a nice selection of pastrys, breads and sandwiches (simple, classic fillings but sometimes that is what you fancy, chicken or Tuna recommended!). I am sure if they can continue with maintenance this property will remain one of the best in not only Khon Kaen but the...