Best Western Bella Villa Cabana
Last updated 2008-01-10
This Best Western property is at the Northern extreme of Pattaya and is a long way from town. In fact, you could say it's in the middle of nowhere and a couple of hundred yards from a very busy multi lane highway running along the coast. This does not spoil the relatively quiet location however and the poolside area, which is right on the beach, is a good place to relax. Furthermore, this particular stretch of beach is quiet with very few people, which many will appreciate. The view is spoiled somewhat though by an unfinished pier nearby and some dock facilities in the distance to the north.
The hotel itself looks very promising from the promotional pictures and indeed the rooms are a good size, clean, quite well equipped and all have a balcony facing the pool. The biggest let down is the lack of a proper restaurant (the restaurant consists of a few tables and chairs in the reception area) and there is no bar! The only place to get a drink is at the poolside bar next to the beach.
During our review visit, the hotel seemed almost filled to capacity with Russian package tourists, which in itself is not a problem, if it wasn't for the fact that they can be very noisy when in party mode and we had to complain to the hotel management late one evening as we could not sleep because of the party going on in the next room. This provides a disincentive for families with children to come again.
By far the biggest issue with this hotel is the staff. I have stayed in many hotels over the years and I can honestly say that I have never seen such incompetent hotel staff anywhere I have stayed before. For example, the cocktail waiter could not make cocktails and had to call for assistance and when we tried to pay for the drinks, we were unable to as the barman could not operate the cash register and again needed to call for assistance. Reception was a joke and we witnessed many people complaining about poorly arranged transport and excessive transfer fees. The restaurant service was very slow and the buffet breakfast was a sorry affair, with much of the hot food cold. Overall, the staff at this hotel were utterly incompetent. The Best Western chain should be thoroughly ashamed of their staff at this hotel. They have completely missed the point... customer service.
Good points: Quiet stretch of beach.
Bad points: No bar or restaurant. Dreadful customer service.
Summary: There are much better options in this price range.
Need advice? Got a question? Go to our Thailand Forum