Lanta Sorry House
Det är med kluvna känslor jag läser omdömena på Tripadvisor om mitt kära gamla Nature House som jag drev för två år sedan. Genomgående usla betyg vad gäller servicen. Under rubriken “Rename this Hotel Lanta Sorry House” hittar man en lång beskrivning av sakernas tillstånd på hotellet som jag lämnade tillbaka nycklarna på för ganska exakt två år sedan. Att hotellet endast är rankad som nummer 64 av 70 talar sitt tydliga språk.
Det var då 2012...
Saxat från Tripadvisor:
"Lantai Nature House should be renamed Lantai SORRY House
Because that's the response I got for every lapse in service and accommodation promise, despite paying 9,500 Baht in cash, up front, as required by the hotel.
Day 1: It started upon arrival as despite my confirmed bookings.com email for 6 days, my room would not be ready until the next day, "SORRY!" said Nee (sic) the owner-manager. She did find me a bed for the night in another hotel owned by her family, but not as nice as the one I booked at the high season rate.
Day 2: They misbooked a simple boat trip for a full day of snorkeling and the afternoon was a total waste of being stuck on a faux shopping market island offering factory merchandise. I stayed onon the boat and read. "SORRY!" Née said after admitting the booking error, and agreed that I should get a partial refund (50% or US$30.00). But she hemmed and hawed for a few days and so I gave up.
This is despite a clear sign at reception, "if you buy ticket here, We Will responsible for you.. (their spelling & caps)."
Day 3: Wifi - The booking.com confirmation email states "Wifi is available in all areas and is free of charge." I could not pick it up in my room. "SORRY!" said Nee. I must sit near reception for wifi, along with the rumbling traffic, mosquitos, and night mice. This hotel is touted as "We Are The New One on Klong Nin Beach" on it's roadside sign board and yet no wifi in the room? The place is small.
Day 4: Upon returning from my diving class, I mentioned that the room had not been cleaned in 3 days. "SORRY." said Nee. Also, that there was no comp bottled water in the room, which every Thai hotel and backpacker hostel had provided me over the last 3 weeks of travel (including her affiliate Hotel that first night!). "SORRY." She promised to take care of it the next morning.
Day 5: The afternoon before, in part to soothe her delay tactics for my partial refund, Nee promised me her newest, best electric scooter for a day trip to Old Lantai Town. However, when I set my sights on a clean, yellow one and the similar red one, she immediately assigned me a beat-up dirty one. "SORRY!" The nice ones were booked.
OK then - but upon setting out less than 1/4 kilometers, I discovered the gas tank was on empty and the tank cover cap Was missing! So, I put in 3 liters and return for a gas cap. "SORRY!" No gas cap and No, it's not dangerous to drive without one. That's the only scooter left anyway - despite at least 5 parked including the yellow and red ones.
When I returned in about 3 hours, I finally put my foot down and after discounting partial use on the day rate of 250 Baht plus the 120 Baht in gas I put in (1-1/2 liters still in the tank), I didn't have to pay. Later that afternoon, one of her workers placed a bright orange gas cap on my scooter. He was also cleaning the entire bike - "Dirty," he said, like when I was assigned it. Then a fellow guest got on the nice yellow scooter. "You had booked it before?" I asked. NO - he had just walked to reception to rent and Neen assigned it to him!
The Good:
1. The hotel is affiliated with the very sweet Island Resort across the highway on the beach side so you can charge food, drink and other services to your room. I spent every evening here watching gorgeous sunsets and dining. The food tastes better here, too.
2. Lantai Nature House is a new building and the room was quite nice and the balcony a nice hangout. The maid did a good job of cleaning (heavy chemical products though).
3. Klong Nin Beach has nearby roadside convenience stores, hair salon, and an ATM.
I would return to Klong Nin but would stay at the Island Resort across the road, on the beach side of the highway. More amenities, professional customer service attitude, beachside rooms, and same price range. And the wifi extends even over the beach area!
No wonder Nee insists on cash upfront. Impossible to dispute much less deduct or discount.
Oh. - I never got my comp bottled water! --- "SORRY!"
Because that's the response I got for every lapse in service and accommodation promise, despite paying 9,500 Baht in cash, up front, as required by the hotel.
Day 1: It started upon arrival as despite my confirmed bookings.com email for 6 days, my room would not be ready until the next day, "SORRY!" said Nee (sic) the owner-manager. She did find me a bed for the night in another hotel owned by her family, but not as nice as the one I booked at the high season rate.
Day 2: They misbooked a simple boat trip for a full day of snorkeling and the afternoon was a total waste of being stuck on a faux shopping market island offering factory merchandise. I stayed onon the boat and read. "SORRY!" Née said after admitting the booking error, and agreed that I should get a partial refund (50% or US$30.00). But she hemmed and hawed for a few days and so I gave up.
This is despite a clear sign at reception, "if you buy ticket here, We Will responsible for you.. (their spelling & caps)."
Day 3: Wifi - The booking.com confirmation email states "Wifi is available in all areas and is free of charge." I could not pick it up in my room. "SORRY!" said Nee. I must sit near reception for wifi, along with the rumbling traffic, mosquitos, and night mice. This hotel is touted as "We Are The New One on Klong Nin Beach" on it's roadside sign board and yet no wifi in the room? The place is small.
Day 4: Upon returning from my diving class, I mentioned that the room had not been cleaned in 3 days. "SORRY." said Nee. Also, that there was no comp bottled water in the room, which every Thai hotel and backpacker hostel had provided me over the last 3 weeks of travel (including her affiliate Hotel that first night!). "SORRY." She promised to take care of it the next morning.
Day 5: The afternoon before, in part to soothe her delay tactics for my partial refund, Nee promised me her newest, best electric scooter for a day trip to Old Lantai Town. However, when I set my sights on a clean, yellow one and the similar red one, she immediately assigned me a beat-up dirty one. "SORRY!" The nice ones were booked.
OK then - but upon setting out less than 1/4 kilometers, I discovered the gas tank was on empty and the tank cover cap Was missing! So, I put in 3 liters and return for a gas cap. "SORRY!" No gas cap and No, it's not dangerous to drive without one. That's the only scooter left anyway - despite at least 5 parked including the yellow and red ones.
When I returned in about 3 hours, I finally put my foot down and after discounting partial use on the day rate of 250 Baht plus the 120 Baht in gas I put in (1-1/2 liters still in the tank), I didn't have to pay. Later that afternoon, one of her workers placed a bright orange gas cap on my scooter. He was also cleaning the entire bike - "Dirty," he said, like when I was assigned it. Then a fellow guest got on the nice yellow scooter. "You had booked it before?" I asked. NO - he had just walked to reception to rent and Neen assigned it to him!
The Good:
1. The hotel is affiliated with the very sweet Island Resort across the highway on the beach side so you can charge food, drink and other services to your room. I spent every evening here watching gorgeous sunsets and dining. The food tastes better here, too.
2. Lantai Nature House is a new building and the room was quite nice and the balcony a nice hangout. The maid did a good job of cleaning (heavy chemical products though).
3. Klong Nin Beach has nearby roadside convenience stores, hair salon, and an ATM.
I would return to Klong Nin but would stay at the Island Resort across the road, on the beach side of the highway. More amenities, professional customer service attitude, beachside rooms, and same price range. And the wifi extends even over the beach area!
No wonder Nee insists on cash upfront. Impossible to dispute much less deduct or discount.
Oh. - I never got my comp bottled water! --- "SORRY!"
Nature House idag ligger inklämt mellan ett nybygge, samt ett par nya rum uppe på takterrassen där den tidigare uppskattade VIP-loungen stod...
Ja vad ska man säga? Tyvärr så stämmer detta in på vad många vänner, bekanta och gamla gäster också har sagt till mig om Nature House efter att de (ägarfamiljen) driver det i egen regi igen. Trots att de nu är dubbelt så många i personalstyrkan så lyckas de ändå inte få till de simplaste önskemål från gästerna, såsom städning, nya handdukar och kanske ett leende. Nu är detta inte något unikt för just det här hotellet utan ett problem som många resorter sliter med. Ointresserad och underbetald personal bla bla...
Det här kanske låter som ett bittert inlägg, men det handlar inte om det. Jag förstår och accepterar att det är girigheten som styr, och att de i det här fallet ville ha tillbaka ett hotell som vi (läs: Nancy - all heder till henne) gjort populärt, och att de försökte få henne att jobba kvar, vilket hon vägrat (all respekt till henne).
Nej, det som stör mig är att de sitter på en guldgruva men inte förstår hur man ska tälja guldet. Allt finns där. Havet, stranden, solen. Bra läge, rum och bekväma sängar, men med ägare/personal som inte är ett dugg intresserade av att göra något bra av det. Turisterna är ett nödvändigt ont. Man gillar pengar, men kanske inte faranger. Så länge utlänningarna väller in på ön och det ändå blir fullbelagt så behöver man inte anstränga sig att ödsla energi på petitesser som service och annat trams. För när säsongen är slut kan man ju ändå köpa sig en ny fullutrustad Isuzu-pickup att imponera med. Kom ihåg att svenska avundsjukan är ingenting jämfört med den thailändska.
Paradise lost...
Va tråkigt att läsa Frallan, får ont i både hjärta och mage. Har tänkt att jag vill tillbaka när jag har tid och pengar efter studierna, men det känns inte så lockande när man läser det här. Synd, som du skriver, att de har vad de behöver minus viljan att göra något bra av det :(