Richmann Resort Hotel Hat Yai — Hotel in Songkhla Province

(POLICE WAS INVOLVED - HOTEL MANAGEMENT TREATED US LIKE CRIMINALS FOR AN ALREADY BROKEN SOFA BED)

We checked in on the 30th Dec 2023. We had a good first impression, everything was nice, the staff were pleasant, room is clean.

We booked for 5 rooms between us family of 10, 1 room is the duplex with the promised sofa bed. However when checking in, they gave us extra bed (which we thought was a nice gesture but remember this detail for later scam reveal) and we asked if we can use the sofa bed. The front staff just kept quiet so I assumed it's all OK. No one had informed us not to open the sofa bed.

The next day, we opened the sofa bed (as we are entitled to per our booking - it says it comes with a sofa bed so of course we want to use it) then when we want to close it back, it can't be closed. We then called for the staff to come and help us close it. They can't close it too and we left them there to figure it out while we go out to get some lunch.

After the lunch we came back and the staff came to us accusing us of breaking their sofa bed demanding for 100k THB = 2.8k USD???? = MYR 13,000??? Ridiculous amount pluck out of thin air. How so?

The only broken thing was the mechanical part (which we did not break in the first place) and can be repaired but they were asking us to pay for the whole sofa bed. The sofa bed is still in great condition (see photo) We didn't want to pay for things we did not break and right now we are suspicious that the sofa bed is already broken (remember - earlier they gave us the extra bed without even asking and kept quiet when I asked about using the sofa bed).

Rather than just having a civil discussion and continue to find resolutions, the manager called the police - who later came in to interrogate us like we are some sort of criminals. We are just a family of 10 trying to have a good stay at their hotel and were treated like this?

We were very shocked by how the manager was handling this. We were forced to go to the police station and waited for 2 hours only to be told that police officer didn't want to take the manager's case as they thought it was too petty of a case to be filed (as any sane people would do, I mean, c'mon? the sofa bed can't be closed and you want to lodge a police report?) The police then passed the case to the tourist police as they didn't want to deal with such a petty case.

The tourist police then came to our room to check the sofa bed. Honestly at this point we felt like we were in a bad dream as everything felt unreal. We are on holiday, why are there are tourist police in our room.

After checking the sofa bed, the tourist police said that the amount the manager wanted us to pay was too high just for a broken part and the police was right. No hotel in their right mind would charge that amount just for a broken mechanical part. The sofa bed is still in pristine condition. After tourist police made the argument against the amount, the manager still insisted us to pay but now they wanted us topay 20,000 THB = 570 USD

Our new year's was already ruined as we had to go back and forth from hotel to police station from 5pm-11pm which is so unnecessary. It's is a new year night as well. We only have 2 nights in Hatyai and were treated as badly as this. We felt very unwelcomed to be treated like a huge criminal for things that we did not even do. We were finally forced to pay 15,000THB to settle the case. As it is already very late we just paid the amount but felt we are being pushed into the corner and being scammed.

Please avoid this hotel at all cost, their mission is to make your stay as miserable as they can for things that could easily be resolved and de-escalated.

My family and I have been fortunate to travel many places and countries over the years and stayed at many places. But never, ever have we been treated this way by such terrible management. To be held accountable for something that was not our fault to begin with. Then to be made to feel like criminals. This was by far the worst experience ever.

If I could give 0...

This hotel is easily a 5 out of a 5 for me and my family, however there were a few unpleasant experiences which deducted some points.||Good thing about the hotel is that it's nestled among the residential area in Kho Hong, which resembled a village in the suburbs. So Richmann's presence is like a clearing within the village. This also meant that the morning air is always very fresh, unlike in the cities.||The rooms are very clean and well-kept. Service from their ground staff is prompt and pleasant too. The English standard of their staff are basic yet understandable, good enough for basic communication.||The above are very good standards for a 4 star hotel, however, the following comments I have will be the bulk of why the hotel doesn't deserve a 5 star review. ||The hotel phone in my room is not working, to which I've communicated with the staff to change it, but was not done, then I realised it's faulty even after batteries have been replaced. I don't really need to use it so I gave up communicating it to them to have it replaced.||Secondly, we requested for our room to be made everyday, and on the second day, we came back to the room clean, and everything was replaced with a new set, but the used towels were piled on the bathroom floor, and were not removed. My parents' room had the used bathrobes removed but no new ones were replaced. It's not something they really require, so we didn't bother to ask the staff to replace them for us.||On the last day during our check out, the staff did a check on our rooms to ensure that nothing was missing, and to which they came back to tell me that the bathrobes in my parents' room were missing, and I had to explain that it was not even replaced by their staff. They just let it go without a fight, and I'm not sure if it's a trick to see if we will let it go and just pay for the missing items.||Lastly, the hotel doesn't provide airport transfer and it's not easy to book a GrabVan in that area, especially for larger groups with luggage, so it's recommended that you preplan your airport transfer...

Not coming back again!

This hotel location is not cater for group, tour bus is not allow to drive in through the small alley, basically this hotel is located inside a secluded resident area. We gotta have tuk tuk to bring us in and out from hotel to get our tour bus. No convenience store nearby, you have to call Grab if you need something urgently.

When check-in, only one room key is given, I booked family suite with 4 adults, only 1 room key is provided, seriously?? I went to request from the receptionist, she told us the key is not enough, she even asked me to just insert 1 card of my own to generate the air-cond and electricity in the room, my question is we have 4 adults, we can't have flexibility to go in and out from the room qhen the key card holder is not with us! Until I told her I will put up bad review then after 15mins, she give me the 1 key that I request. Such a beautiful hotel charging expensive room rates compare with other many hotels in Hatyai but could not afford to purchase keys?

Construction behind the hotel, I think it's the hotel extension, was very noisy. It affect my sleeping quality in the afternoon.

All towel in the room are also worn out. Again, hotel couldn't spend to purchase new towels??

Upon check out, the reception charged us 200baht for a missing towel, we have explained we did not take any towel from the room but they still insist to charge, my husband told them if they want to charge then just go ahead, we will not back to this stupid hotel again. I told them I will leave review. Why not check with housekeeping staff do they put in the towel when they made up the room?

Breakfast almost same food everyday, choices of food is limited.

The hotel staffs won't do their best to provide hotel guests the best, they are not efficient, not helpful at all.

Those who want to choose to stay here, think twice. There are many other hotels out there which is better than...