Meroom: My home in Phuket, Thailand
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| MEROOM Lobby, taken from their Facebook Page |
I booked my reservations online, a few days before arriving in Phuket. I had to go to Phuket to support Agila Pilipinas, the Philippines' National Flag Football Team (PFFT), where one of my best friends (okay, boyfriend), Kiko, is a member of. They were competing for the 4th Asian Beach Games.
I always take time looking at hotels, studying their rates, the perks, and of course the discounts that I could get from mentioning that I am a travel blogger. *wink*
A good number of hotels offered me discounts ranging from 10% to almost 40%. Meroom offered me a deal I could not refuse -- almost 40% discount, with breakfast for two!
I love free hotel breakfasts for one main reason - I can start my day with a full stomach without even leaving the building, so a brekky inclusion in room accommodation is always, always a treat!
It was only me who stayed at Meroom because the Agila Team stayed at a more posh hotel, Bhukitta Hotel, where all the Flag Football teams from different countries were housed at. Staying there alone, but paid for the price of two, I still feel that I got my money's worth, and even more!
We arrived in Phuket at around 10:30 PM, and traveled almost an hour to Bhukitta Hotel, by a private van (specifically for the Beach Games). I messaged Meroom as soon as I got wifi and told them I have arrived. I wanted them to check if Bhukitta was near their hotel so I could check my options on how to go to their hotel, lo and behold, Sakila, one of the owners, arrived with her white car in front of Bhukitta's lobby to pick me up! I said I still had to eat out with the boys and she said I just needed to message them when I was done and they would pick me up, no matter what time I finish! She took my bag, said goodbye, and drove off.
Two hours passed and I got back to Bhukitta, asked the receptionist if I could make a call from their lobby to another hotel, and the receptionist was nice enough to call Meroom's number. I was fetched by Tum, Sakila's business partner and boyfriend, and drove me to Meroom, accompanied me to my room, taught me how to use the shower, and showed me how to safely lock my room.
Here are pictures of my lovely room, which I got for 700 THB (22 USD)!
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| The vanity area -- with hangers, lamps, safety box, and a mini-ref |
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| Lovely ottoman box for sitting or storage! |
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| THE BEST PART -- a comfy bed with FIVE PILLOWS!!! I love Meroom! |
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| The back of the vanity chair, with the toilet and sink on the background! |
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| That's Bunny M., my little bunny companion, cozying up. |
See full details of the breakfast meals they served me in four days.
While I was having breakfast, Sakila handed me a map of Phuket Town, and showed me where Saphan Hin Sports Center was (where the Beach Games were held) and where Bhukitta was, so I could walk back to the Agila's hotel.
Then she was more than helpful telling me where to buy souvenirs, where the night markets were, where the famous Old Town was, and pretty much everything I wanted to check out while I was there!
She was always online, so all I had to do was message her if I thought I was lost walking around, or if I wanted to go some place else, even helped me get a private car to take me to Saphan Hin Sports Center on my third day (when I woke up late for the games!). And the only time she was going to go offline, she told me to message Tum, so Tum could call her if I needed anything!
Every now and then, she checked me up, asking if I found what I was looking for, if I went to the market she told me about, and even asking when Kiko would drop by.
So on the fourth day, Kiko dropped by and she offered her breakfast too!
I felt like I went to a different country and stayed with a relative. I must tell you, they really made me feel at home!
If I thought it could not get any better than that, it did! On my last paid night at Meroom, she said that I could not extend because they booked my room to another guest, but politely said that she was going to find me another hotel. I did not really want her to do that because I could easily contact the other hotels that offered me different discounts, so I did. But first checked out the hotel two doors away from theirs, 2W Cafe and Hostel. Guess what, the owner of the 2W Cafe and Hostel is her brother! She talked to her brother to give me a discount and was very apologetic that I could not extend my stay at their hotel. When I checked out, Tum even carried my bag to 2W Cafe and Hostel, helped me checked in, and even carried my bag all the way to the third floor, where my room at 2W would be! Such a lovely couple!
I stayed at 2W Cafe and Hostel for only one night, on the last day of the FFT Games, then transferred to another hotel, near Old Town, where the night life was. Kiko rented out a motorcycle for our last three days in Phuket, then came a problem -- we needed to make two trips from 2W Cafe and Hostel to our new hotel, Chino Town Hotel, to carry all our bags, I only have one backpack -- as I usually do, but Kiko has a luggage and a duffle bag. Sakila and Tum saw us checking out from 2W and asked where we would be moving. Kiko asked for a tuk-tuk to help us transfer our bags.
Remember when I said I thought it could not get any better than that -- with all the help they already lent me? Well, it still did! Sakila and Tum talked, then talked to their hotel's tenant (the guy selling tour packages in front of the hotel) to help us move our stuff. Here's a picture of him, with Tum carrying Kiko's luggage.
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| backriding Tum carrying Kiko's luggage! |
They did not ask for anything, and even made sure we were able to check in safely, even talking to the receptionist of Chino Town Hotel in Thai, so they could take care of us. When we're all settled at our last hotel, Tum and company left.
I haven't even mentioned that Meroom is walking distance to everything -- it is in front of Ocean shopping mall, just beside a massage spa shop, walking distance to Robinsons Mall, two minutes away from souvenir shops, five minutes away from the wet market, on the same street as a pizza parlor if you want something Italian, five minutes away from a McDonald's and a KFC, on the same block as Swensen's Ice Cream, three minutes to the corner is a Thai restaurant and bar, five minutes away from a currency exchange shop, right in front of branded depot shops, every two minutes walking away there is a shopping center, and across True Move Mobile (the carrier of the free local sim card given out at the airport)!
It is at the center of everything! I swear! We even had to go back to Meroom's street to buy some souvenirs!
I made a comparison chart of all the three hotels that I stayed with in Phuket. You can compare these three hotels here.
Here are five-star hotel details of my room at Meroom:
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| The portal to my room "Sister" -- Explains why my room looked very lady-like |
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| Toiletries in the shower -- not by small packets but by big dispensers! |
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| Blower, shower caps, toothbrushes, cotton earbuds, glasses Inside the refrigerator were three bottles of water -- free! |
Even after we have moved to Old Town, Sakila and Tum were still very hospitable to my queries about the night market, souvenir shops, and all other things. So before leaving Phuket, we made sure to pass by at Meroom and gave them some little something -- a Philippine pin and some candies I brought from the Philippines (from Cebu!).
Of course, here's a group picture of us at Meroom!
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| Kiko + Me <3 Sakila + Tum |
And their picture of Kiko and me at their lobby (grabbed from their Facebook page):
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| Kiko Matos (Agila Pilipinas FFT #1) and Me, mandatory photo at Meroom's lobby! We're wearing our PILIPINAS shirts proud (issued by the Philippine Sports Commission)! |
Now here's the recommendation part. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you stay in MEROOM HOTEL when you go to Phuket Town. Why? Didn't I already tell you why?
MEROOM HOTEL
77 Tirok-U-tid 1 Rd. Tambol Taladyai, Phuket Town,
Amphoe Muang Phuket, Phuket, Thailand 83000
For more information please contact : 076-688198 , 083-663-6633
Email : meroomreservation@gmail.com
Website: http://www.merooms.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MEROOM77
