Sakol Hotel — Hotel in Songkhla Province

Sakol Hotel was disappointing but centrally located.

We stayed five nights at the supposedly three-star Sakol Hotel in Hat Yai in September 2024. Here are the pros and cons of our experience:

Pros

-Central Location: The hotel is conveniently located near Odean Supermarket, a Ladyboy show, Lee Garden Markets, several 7-Eleven stores, coffee shops, and excellent Chinese restaurants. Robinsons Department Store is also nearby.

-Cleanliness: The hotel was clean and tidy, although we requested that the staff remove dust from tables and surfaces.

-Friendly Staff: Most Staff were friendly and helpful. However, my partner did have an altercation with one of the reception staff over the keycard issue. It was also puzzling that only the reception staff wore masks while other Staff did not. We didn't think a mask was necessary or appropriate.

-Efficient Elevator: The elevator functioned well despite the high number of guests and multiple floors.

-Free WiFi: Free WiFi was provided in the room.

-Complimentary Morning Treats: Complimentary drinks and cake were available on the front patio outside the main entrance each morning.

Cons

-Aging Decor: The hotel shows signs of age with outdated decor.

-Key Card Policy: Despite having two occupants, only one key card was provided per room. I lost the key card and had to pay 300 Baht for a replacement. Due to 'hotel policy,' payment by Visa was not accepted, forcing us to exchange more money.

-Noise Disturbances: Renovation work or other noises made it difficult to rest during the day.

-Air Conditioning Issues: The air conditioner had only one setting—cold—and we couldn't adjust the temperature.

-Uncomfortable Bedding: The mattress and pillows were hard and seemed to be made of foam rubber. The hotel advertised the availability of 'soft pillows,' but they were just as firm as those provided in the room.

-Free Wi-Fi dropouts: We experienced frequent internet dropouts and slow connections with the free Wi-Fi and internet access.

-Limited Breakfast Offerings: We skipped the complimentary morning drinks and cakes as they were minimal, yet there was often a queue for them. The front patio was also not air-conditioned and exposed to passing traffic.

-Noisy Neighbours Our neighbours were noisy during the day, shouting to their relatives in the hallway. This isn't the hotel's fault, but it does show a lack of room soundproofing.

My partner was dissatisfied with our stay at Sakol Hotel, considering it the worst hotel she had...

Very bad choice and scam on payment by credit card.||Dear Western traveler, avoid this hotel! When paying with my credit card, I am offered as ALWAYS the possibility of paying in Euros or local currency.||Dear traveler, I have 30 years of travel and the best in terms of payment cards: you always have to pay in local currency. If you pay in Euros you will pay 2X exchange fees, from the euro to the local currency then from the local currency to the euro because your bank is foreign. If you pay in local currency, you only pay the exchange tax once....||So I demand the Sakol hotel to pay in local currency, they say it's not possible because I have a foreign card... I show them on the TPE the possibility of choice, they get angry and say it's not possible, and interrupt the payment. We start again, same problem. The lady in the lobby ends up saying that it's the management's policy... I don't have cash, I have to accept. It's a scam....||If I had paid in local currency, the Baht would have been 37.3 for 1 Euro. By paying in euros, the room (in baht) cost me 31.5 Bht for 1 euro)||It's a very small scam but it's a scam||Hat Yai is not at all used to non-existent Western tourists. The hotel is probably used to scamming Malaysian tourists, many of them.||Run away from this hotel.||In addition, I chose it because it says they have a parking lot. The parking lot is so small that it is always full and so it is a real problem to find an authorized place in the city center!||And in addition, not real window, no...

First time staying here. Pros.. Great location. Can walk to most places to eat n shop n massage n change money n take tuk tuk. Hotel water pressure very good. Clean floors and clean rooms.

Cons are alot...

If driving in.. Parking is super limited. Only 8 cp inside and damn narrow. At night they double stack cars so don't hope to drive out to go elsewhere once you drive in. And if you need to leave for an emergency at night or early morning.. Forget it. Big cons. We arrived at 12pm and cp was still full coz the ppl there haven't checked out yet. Had to go elsewhere first to kill time then return at 2pm to get parking. Decided to leave the car inside for the 2N we were there and take tuk tuk.

Room walls n door is very thin material. You will hear every single footstep and conversation from ppl passing in the hall. If you are a light sleeper or sensitive to sound.. Good luck.

The reception is always busy esp during the day.. They don't seem to be very efficient nor have a sense of urgency.

Their mattress is very hard. Pillow also very hard. If you prefer softer type bedding.. Pls go elsewhere.

Overall for the prices we paid.. Around rm 144 per nite via agoda..i think we can get better value and better quality sleep elsewhere. Location is great but the parking n the noise level in the too. Is a big turnoff. I won't come back here again.. Prefer try other hotels nearby that are quieter and have better...