The Grand Blue describes itself as a â4 starâ hotel. Having stayed in many 4 star hotels in Thailand elsewhere, the Grand Blue is nowhere near 4 star, rather a 2.5 star, Tourist Class hotel.
The hotel occupies a narrow strip on the outskirts of Mae Pim, perhaps 1.5 kms from the town. The hotel is overlooked at the rear by a condo block, built by the operators of the hotel and on either side by more condo blocks. The beach is across the main coast road from the hotel.
The rooms are functional and clean enough, with only average, tourist class hotel fixtures and fittings. The rooms themselves give an indication that the hotel is not run by leisure professionals. A notice tells guests that towels are only changed every 3 days âas you do at homeâ; every hotel Iâve stayed in invites guests to re-use towels and bedding, it does not order them. A towel is provided for use at the pool, with a charge made if a second towel is required. Outside, orders are given to âkeep off the grassâ. The hotel is thus far from welcoming.
Breakfast is taken in an open sided restaurant and is buffet style. The breakfast is very average â the ticket one must collect from reception each morning and then hand to the waiting staff extravagantly describes breakfast as âdeliciousâ. The restaurant itself is less than clean, and the ceiling fans caked in dirt and dust. The restaurant lavatory was far from clean, a fact adversely commented upon by several members of our party.
There is a swimming pool and fitness centre available to guests, though whether guests may use the on-site sauna is uncertain.
Dinner is available in either the on-site restaurant or the âwestern themedâ restaurant, also owned by the hotel, though we did not try this. Other restaurants are available in Mae Phim.
The clientele when we stayed appeared to be largely Swedish package holiday makers. Indeed, the supermarket close by stocked Swedish snacks and even had a Swedish internet domain.
The low point of our stay came on Christmas Eve. A rather subdued, Swedish-style buffet was offered to guests, who after the meal, appeared to migrate to the next door supermarket, where alcohol was considerably cheaper. By late evening, any âpartyâ had long since broken up and no guests were left. Around 11 p.m. the âmusicâ at the long since empty restaurant was turned up to a deafening pitch, causing guests in nearby condos to look for the source of the noise, and awakening and upsetting my grand-daughter who was looking forward to the arrival that night of Santa. Another of our party stated the noise was so loud they could feel their bed shaking.
A request to reception that the noise be turned down was ignored; if there had been guests enjoying themselves, no such request would have been made. I thus approached the restaurant âmanagerâ and requested in fairly strong terms that the music be turned down. This he refused to do and then, after accusing me of provoking him â the provocation of loud music and ignoring a request to turn the noise down did not occur to him â threatened me with physical violence. He then followed me into the hotel lobby shouting and swearing viciously at me. A complaint next morning to the hotel âmanagerâ resulted in not only threats of physical violence being repeated to me, and very disrespectful language being used to my highly educated Thai daughter in law, but the said hotel âmanagerâ saying it was nothing to do with him.
This hotel has very little to commend it and there is no reason to stay here. There is adequate accommodation elsewhere on this coast and I recommend others to give this place...
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