A couple photos stitched together into one of the outside of Tui's Place
Thap Phraya Road makes a sharp left-hand turn when it reaches the beach in Jomtien, but there's also a small soi that goes to right at the 7-Eleven. If you take that down along Dongtan beach about 100 yards you'll find Tui's Place, a small (11 room) guest house and restaurant directly across from the gay section. The soi itself is primarily a paved walkway that runs parallel to the shore for about three quarters of a mile, past the Rabbit Resort and the Pattaya Park, home of the tower we saw a couple of weeks ago.
Just to be clear, I haven't stayed at Tui's Place. I've had a couple of nice meals there, though - such as the pad see ew and tangmo (watermelon) fruit shake to the left - and they were nice enough to show me a room so I could take a couple pictures and take a peek off of the balcony at the beach. There are a variety of room styles available, as you can see on their site (link at the bottom).
Just to be clear, I haven't stayed at Tui's Place. I've had a couple of nice meals there, though - such as the pad see ew and tangmo (watermelon) fruit shake to the left - and they were nice enough to show me a room so I could take a couple pictures and take a peek off of the balcony at the beach. There are a variety of room styles available, as you can see on their site (link at the bottom).It struck me as a nicely kept, casual, home-like atmosphere - and that always appeals to me more often than the strictly regimented corporate feel of a larger hotel. Rooms all have 60+ channel cable and free wifi, which are both nice after a busy day.
Since I'd taken the photos I thought I'd group them together and share them here for reference, in case someone was considering staying there.
Tui's Place sign as visible from the pedestrian walkway
In the two photos stitched together below you can see the beach from an ocean view room on the first floor (second floor to those of us in the US), showing the public rest room at the left and some folks getting massages on blankets.
Dongtan Beach, as seen from an ocean view room on the "first" floor
The restaurant, reception area and room I was allowed to look at all seemed quite clean and tidy, and the rates (Bt 1,900 per day for the room pictured here) didn't seem out of line, considering the location.
I may well try Tui's one of these trips, based on what I saw that day there. I appreciated being shown around a little after my lunch one day and wish them luck, although they seemed to be doing a brisk business already.
I spent a week at Room Club, which is next door and closer to 3k baht/nt. Room Club includes breakfast for their guests from Tui's so I've indirectly eaten there a number of times. Good food! I've been told that Tui's is often booked quite a ways in advance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, Michael - it speaks well for their food!
ReplyDeleteStayed there a couple years ago and its very worth the money for what you get. I do need to warn that its NOT 100yards down the walkway, more like 1000 yards. This doesn't sound like much but after dark and into the morning it can be a long and often scary walk. Must always have your guard up, especially after a few cocktails.....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Don. I took a closer look on Google Maps, and while it DOES show it as being about 1,000 feet from the 7-11 store that's only 300 yards. Still, I was a bit off, and I appreciate the correction. If it's dark and spooky I'd imagine it could seem like three times that. I've been down by there at night taking pictures (Dec 11 2010 post) but not late LATE at night.
ReplyDeleteI've made that walk many times and it doesn't seem all that far to me. If someone had mobility issues then I'd agree that it'd be a poor place to stay in. You will be approached by colorful people at 2-3am out there, ladyboys and whatnot. It's a fairly busy area in general so I wouldn't consider it particularly unsafe.
ReplyDeleteI have eaten at Tui's but not stayed there. I have written to them yesterday to compliment them on their web site. The rooms look well appointed and at non unreasonable prices, considering location near Dongtan beach.
ReplyDeleteCheers Bao-Bao,
Keith