In Hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza I lived from 8 to 20 November 2010, so experience the latest.
Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 *, located in the heart of the friendly Phuket-Toun, part of the Thai Network of several hotels of different star under the name Thavorn.
In my well versed quite complete (in Thailand is not the first time from South-East Asia have repeatedly been in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia) City Hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza fully meets the needs of experienced hikers and firmly declared corresponds category.
CHEAP and tasteful
For little money (the number is 20 dollars, or about 600 rubles, or 600 baht per day), you not only get everything you need, but also a lot of pleasure: the room is very large (I lived in a single DeLuxe), the bed is wide and comfortable with elastic quality mattress. A refrigerator (at two bottles of mineral water daily put there for free), TV with 50 international channels (Russian language - one), comfortable bathroom, decorated to look like marble, has a large bathroom, and not just a shower.
Individual air-conditioning with temperature control. Of course, it could work and be quiet, but it's someone as lucky number. Furniture, too old, but made of wood. Floor is laid out pretty tiles - in my view, to walk barefoot on her cool better in sneakers, which, incidentally, as well as robes, are included in the DeLuxe-only rooms.
The rooms are cleaned - a daily, high-quality, linen is changed depending on the degree of pollution. All the small money I left on your TV and pedestal on the table - I think that will take - but to them so no one touched all time of my stay at the hotel. Fridge can download a local beer / rum / whiskey if desired, purchased for pennies (by Moscow standards) in a supermarket opposite the hotel.
FREE INTERNET and two pools
In the Thavorn Grand Plaza unexpectedly found a good infrastructure. The hotel was built and decorated in a business style, and since it's not located at sea and in the heart of Phuket-Toun, it is equipped with two swimming pools (10 and 3 floors).
What a pleasant surprise, it's the Internet connection: at level 3 * it is absolutely free and already presented in two forms: a Wi-Fi (caught, though not from all the rooms: from the mine, located on the 9 th floor, the reception was, but unstable, but from the hall, restaurant and even poolside alarm is good, so easily take the laptop).
Wired, free, and, incidentally, very nimble Internet presented at the 4 th floor in the so-called "Social Zone": there is four computers equipped with brand-new flat-screen. You can sit all you want, no words can say, a bar, a huge train to panel TV on the wall, soft sofas. No password to connect to the internet is not required: simply click on the 'Net, an icon, and go!
Excellent location
The greatest advantage of the hotel, in my opinion, lies in its location, although it is a matter of taste: after all, someone is required round the clock attention to his person. However, if by nature you are a traveler, are not only in Turkey and Egypt, and do not intend to overpay in Thailand only for the fact that the hotel will be located across the street from the beach, and cost from $ 100 per day, the Thavorn Grand Plaza, it seems to me you like it.
I repeat: this is not a beach hotel! It is located in the heart of this Phuketa his kopeeshnymi Thai prices, the freshest seafood in the many wonderful restaurants, supermarkets and shops, designed to suit all tastes and budgets.
In general, all the necessary services are right around the hotel - from several massage parlors that offer classic Tai massage (200 baht per hour, two hours for 300), to the notorious All Body massage: Thailand's so-called massage naked body secretly followed by penetration into it)). Go tell that he did not try it - prefer the sweet familiarity of mutual sympathy, but the taste and color, as they say, there is no companion: the cost of an evening service in the three-storey house dating (he was red-white with balconies and is situated directly opposite the hotel opposite the the main entrance side) is 2500 baht per hour.
Since the window of my room came out just this way, I could see that this place is very popular, including, for Thais themselves, which probably indirectly may indicate good quality of services provided there.
Returning late one night on a motorcycle from a routine voyage across the island, I looked out the window of the school: there, as in an aquarium, a glass in a brightly lit room to sit and armchairs are young and very attractive secret. Me on the street came milf-pimp, and described the above conditions, and the girls from the tank at this time provocatively gestures and postures sweet invited to go have some fun. Suggestions I received, but because someone, this information may be useful, though, guys?))
ASKING FOR FLOOR TOWARDS IMPROVED
When I chose a tour to Moscow, I thought: if Thavorn Grand Plaza is at the heart of the city, I have to contend with the inevitable noise from numerous motorbike. It turned out nothing like this! Just ask at check floor higher. This hotel - one of the highest in the Phuket-Toun, and a small rumble from below does not strain, and the bustling nightlife of the windows there.
Free daily shuttle-bass on the sea and back
Free minibus to the beach of Karon Thavorn Grand Plaza walks daily. In my opinion, check out time - 10.00 - choose the perfect: have time to sleep in a leisurely breakfast and drive to the beach. I personally put the alarm clock to 8.00, got up at 8.30, slowly took a bath, and then descended into the first floor, breakfast, and when getting up from his desk, air-conditioned minibus Toyota has stood at the entrance. Was true, the case when a new driver was late for half an hour, and at sea had left at 10.30. The road really takes 30-35 minutes, even taking into account possible traffic jams. Return flights from the sea, the hotel even two: at 15.30 and 19.30.
BENEFITS chain hotel
As I understand it, City Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * is a chain of hotels located on the island in different places. Minibus will take you to the Thavorn Palm Beach 4 * Located on a truly beautiful beach of Karon: wide and a long, studded with magnificent sand.
So it turns out: pay 20 dollars a day, live in the center, walking on high-quality Thai massage at the prices for local, you have free internet access, and sea level are using the benefits of hotel 4 *, where the room costs from $ 100 per day, and one cocktail - 300 baht. In this case, Russian cuisine - borscht, cabbage rolls are lazy, goulash with potatoes, which are sometimes so nostalgically missing in a foreign land for hotels Thavorn three, four and five stars are ready, as it turned out, the same man - Russian chef Paul, with whom we later learned.
Humanly
As an experienced traveler, I'm harder than a surprise: most often the opposite happened)). But miracles, it turns out, has come: the arrival at Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * I asked at the reception room as high as possible, and received the answer that I owed the permit number of the categories Standart available only on the second floor. I have already set up for long unpleasant negotiations with the staff, as suddenly I was approached by an intelligent young man, and politely asked in Russian, which I will have suggestions about the numbers. "Floor taller to make it less possible noise from the motorbike," - I replied.
And then everything was simple, clear and beautiful. "Standart actually remained on the second floor. But we welcome guests from Russia, we have the DeLuxe-free number and we lodge you in there without any extra charge," - immediately decided to question the young man.
Accompanied me to my magically drawn suites, Adele (the name of my new friend) told me that two years he moved to Phuket from Kazan. And although he works in the Thavorn Palm Beach Resort 4 * on the coast, it specifically requested to come to the Thavorn Grand Plaza 3 * to meet and comfortably accommodate Russian tourists. And except for me, Russian, the hotel was only four men, and they also got to DeLuxe.
Sometimes the same is: usually our compatriots abroad are trying to hurry "dilute" the money "vpariv" them something dogogoe and not very necessary, yet familiar. But Adele has demonstrated a professional, precise, and most importantly, almost forgotten even in Russia itself, the human approach.
Number did not stop. After checking Adele answered all my nagging questions on Phuket `y and happy, and obviously from the heart gave a tour of the neighborhood, where the hotel, so after an hour I already knew where everything is. In addition, free map, obtained at the reception, Adele, at my request, said all the attractions that are worth visiting on the island, drawing arrows to the most convenient ways of their approach.
Looking ahead, we can say that Adele has helped with rent motorbike Honda 125CC with semi-automatic gearbox, which I own 10 days later traveled to Phuket. Of course, take a bike anywhere in the world can own, but then the price is important and the issue of trust between the local distributors and rider.
Motobike Rentals
If you're rolling on the home town on a scooter, or a full-fledged motorcycle with a manual transmission, do not be afraid to rent a vehicle in the Phuket-toun. I assure you: the movement in Thailand is much more friendly, predictable, good-naturedly and safer than most large cities of Russia. At first, always monitor themselves, riding in the morning on the roadway: not on the counter if the band you're going? Always wear a helmet on his head and a half: in addition to creating the illusion of security, this will save you from a major penalty)).
In Thailand (as well as throughout Southeast Asia) justifiably very popular motorcycles with dvigetelyami small by European standards volume (from 50 to 125 cubic centimeters) and a semi-automatic gearbox. Modifications skuteretty Honda Cub (calf), produced with the mid-fifties (!) At one time led to the leaders of the world motoproma superkompaniyu Honda, and still bears the lion's share of profits in its budget.
In Thailand, this remarkably lightweight, powerful and agile bike sold under the trademark Honda Wave / Honda Innova / Honda Dream.
Rent this legendary toy in Phuket-Toun in the Thavorn Grand Plaza, I was told, should cost no more than 150 baht a day (on the coast from 200 baht per day). Mandatory requirement - the presence of a driver's license (better, of course, the category "A" and "B" as I have, but simply "B" lease). Passport to pledge never to anyone and never leave, and better pre-make photocopies of all major documents, which take place only at the request of police. I pledge to hire have the original driver's license (ha, did not know that this is a duplicate)).
Penalty for driving without a license, in agreement with the police paid on the spot, and is 500 baht. It is cheap or expensive - up to you. My only comment is that if you do not drive like a madman, not strictly break the rules and ride in a helmet, the chance that you will stop a policeman - is negligible. If it happened (was that to me in Pattaya, as I taxi to a cafe without a forgotten hat at low speed on a huge chopper Honda Shadow-750 in the near Walking Street) advice: smile. I personally have generally agreed on a trip to the police station: I was wondering how there with them)). It turned out - very decent. I cheerfully and graciously talked with the police, I was discharged abslolyutno actual receipt of an official fine for riding without a helmet (something around 300 baht), followed by welcoming mototaksist at my request, took me to the parking Honda Shadow, where I went on it in a cafe for a forgotten his helmet. Every cloud has a silver lining: the helmet gave me without talking, and would have remembered it only at)).
SUMMARY:
What will be the holiday in any country and any amount of money depends on you and your attitude: as a rule, the site is useless to blame the tour operator for its inherent flaws, as well as to spoil their nerves when dealing with shiftless local guide, a desire which, by and large account is "vparit" you on the first and sometimes only met him a tour of the unreasonably high price.
All you need in any country in the world - is a minimum knowledge of spoken English, the friendliness of the locals and understand that nobody did anything for you better than yourself, and that requires just a little thought and collect minimal information.
Not reasonable to buy a service without knowing how much it might cost for the nearest local angle and succumb to exhortations guide, it was not safe: everything will be as well if not better, but as a rule, better and cheaper. But, nevertheless, with guides be nice and friendly, and always have a room with their mobile phone to record the first meeting: in case of unforeseen circumstances, they will be obliged to give you minimal help.
Upon arrival, once firmly remember the name of your hotel. If you get lost, lost, drunk, at any time of day and night, do not panic: any taxi driver / motoriksha / tuk-Tooker knows how to get to where you left - only a clear call the hotel and bargain about the amount of travel. If you go to the Hotel Thavorn Grand Plaza - keep in mind that this is one of the most high-rise buildings in Phuket-Toun, and, as I have personally, he knows the location of every local resident.
Have a good trip!))