There are just some things you shouldn’t do when looking for an Airbnb. We took a risk when we booked our stay at Studio 59 Patong. But did our gamble to stay at Studio 59 Patong pay off?
You know when you come across an amazing deal on accommodation and it looks too good to be true? This is usually when you walk away and find something else because if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. However in this case we ignored this thought and went ahead with the booking anyway.
We were looking for accommodation for our amazing month long trip with our babies. Well actually, it was 37 nights. When you are looking for that many nights accommodation at numerous locations the costs start to add up quickly. When it came time to look to for a place in Phuket, which fell on the New Year’s Eve, we were expecting prices to be more expensive than usual and that was the case with most hotels.
We decided to check out Airbnb and that’s when we came across Studio 59 Patong. I still remember the night we booked it. I was heavily pregnant with Joaquin and had a hundred what ifs running through my head. As you do when you are booking an overseas trip for your unborn child.
Studio 59 Patong, a small boutique hotel, showed up on our search at about $40 per night! Not only did it boast two king beds, but also a spacious living space, kitchen and an amazing ocean view. The location looked great! Position on a rocky outcrop right in between Patong and Kalim Beaches. What more could you want, right!?
Our concern? No reviews to fall back on! This is usually a big no no for us. If there is one thing you do not do is book something with no reviews. Especially when it’s so cheap compared to other properties in the area.
I remember saying to David if we got there and it was no good at least we weren’t losing too much money. We would have just had to go find something else and pay whatever we needed to. So we went ahead and booked it. Who says you can’t be adventurous when you have two young kids in tow? We did take the time to email the property to see if it seemed legit and to at least make sure the room wouldn’t be too noisy or a smoking room. We received a prompt reply and were now satisfied with our decision.
After our trip to Koh Phi Phi, we headed back to Phuket and got dropped off at Studio 59 Patong.
A gentleman welcomed us, checked us in and led us to our room. The place looked great! You could tell it was an old building but it had been recently renovated and generally it looked fine. We were very happy to have the two beds although they weren’t bedrooms as such, only separated by curtains. This didn’t bother us though.
What we liked about it: the comfortable beds, how spacious it was, full fridge and the ability to make our own breakfast, and most of all the view! The room takes full advantage of the ocean view by having floor to ceiling windows as well as a decent sized balcony that has glimpses of Patong Beach though the trees.
What we didn’t like so much: the a/c in the second ‘room’ was hard to operate, the hot water system worked on and off, the railing on the balcony was rusted and broken so we only sat there when the kids were asleep. Also there were so many different lights and switches you never knew which light would come on.
Lastly, the hotel seemed to advertise a lot of services in English, like transfers and tours among others, however we found it very hard to communicate and actually access these services. Most times we went to the front office there seemed to be no one manning the desk and when there was someone they didn’t speak much English. I will say the man who worked during the day was very friendly and did attempt to help and went as far as using google translate so we could communicate.
The verdict? We would probably stay again at that low rate thanks to the amazing view alone. We later noticed the prices had gone up to $100 per night. Had we paid that much we would have been a lot less understanding of the shortcomings of our stay. But at $40 per night we would say this is one gamble that paid off.
If you would like to look into it yourself for your next stay in the Patong Beach area in Phuket, check out Studio 59 Patong here. My understanding is that there are better rooms than the one we stayed in but of course they cost more, so keep that in mind.
Also check out a walk through of our room in this video.
Have you ever booked an accommodation you weren’t 100% confident in? How did it work out for you? Tell us in the comments section below.
Elisa
2 Responses
What do you think of the view from this apartment?
Very nice share, always have lots of stories people share about their air bnb experiences.