Last Updated on August 14, 2022 by Tina
Before the pandemic, I always stay in hostels whenever I travel solo. Hostels are much cheaper, they are a good place to meet other people, they organize group activities designed to help you mingle with other travelers, and most of the hostels I’ve stayed at in the past are actually nice. There are a lot of fancy hostels now, especially in Bangkok and Taiwan. However, I stayed in Must Sea Hotel Kata when I traveled solo to Phuket in June because of safety (not that hostels are not safe, I just didn’t want to risk it even if I was fully vaccinated) and the price of the room was very cheap.
During my trip, I stayed in 2 areas in Phuket. I stayed for 2 nights in At Panta Phuket in Thalang and 4 nights in Must Sea Hotel in Kata. My original plan was to spend my last night in a hotel near the airport, but I canceled my booking there last minute because I spontaneously booked a tour to Racha Island.
In this post, I’ll share with you my experience staying in Must Sea Hotel Kata, and maybe in my next post, I will write about At Panta.
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Must Sea Hotel Location
When deciding where to stay in Phuket, some of the factors that we take into consideration are how close is it to the tourist attractions, is it a quiet place, the price, and many more. One of the reasons I booked Must Sea Hotel is because of its location. It is located at the heart of Kata. Kata and Karon Beach are just a walking distance. It is also very close to the Kata Walking Street Night Market (just a 2-minute walk). The location is a few steps away from the Phuket Smart Bus stop. And whatever it is that you need are just a few steps away- convenience store, massage shop, money changer, dive shop, travel agency, bars, and restaurants. It is a 15 to 20 minutes drive to Patong Beach. Lastly, it is a good choice if you want a quiet place.
The Price
Another thing I love about Must Sea Hotel is the price. I didn’t mind staying in a private room even if I was alone because the price is almost the same as some of the more expensive hostels. And because I am at Genius Level 2 of Booking.com, I got a free room upgrade for free. From Superior Double Room, I was upgraded to Superior Double Room with Terrace.
If you were wondering how to unlock free lifetime access to exclusive rewards, you just need to sign up with Booking.com. At Level 1, you get a 10% discount at participating properties applied before taxes and charges. If you complete 5 bookings in 2 years, you get to Level 2. At Level 2, you get a 10%-15% discount at participating properties applied before taxes and charges. You also get free breakfast and a free room upgrade on select options. If you complete 15 stays in 2 years, you get to Level 3. At Level 3, you get a 10%-20% discount at participating properties applied before taxes and charges. You also get free breakfast and a free room upgrade on select options. And lastly, you get priority support on all bookings.
So how much did I pay for the room? It was only THB 440 per night (less than USD 13 / around Php 700). The price doesn’t include free breakfast but it was okay because I don’t eat breakfast anyway. If you’re doing the island hopping tours, you might not have time to eat breakfast. But… they provide free tea, coffee, and biscuits at the tours so problem solved.
The Room
So now let’s talk about the room. The room has a surfing theme in its decoration, as you can see in the picture below. It is clean and spacious. The bed is comfortable. The room has a mini ref, electric kettle, flat-screen TV, and a drying rack for clothing. The closet is very big, and inside there is a safety deposit box, although the one in my room wasn’t working. Instant coffee, tea, and two bottles of water were provided every day. There are plenty of sockets in the room, and they are similar to the ones in the Philippines so I didn’t need an adaptor when charging my phones. The aircon was functioning well.
There is a table and chairs on the terrace. I never got to use it though because I was always out and the view wasn’t interesting at all, just buildings.
Shampoo and liquid soap are available in the bathroom, but they are in a dispenser. There were three types of towels provided- beach towels (the brown ones), bath towels, and face towels.
Below is a video and some pictures to give you an idea of what the room looks like.
The hotel has a rooftop pool, but it’s too small. It was probably a busy place before the pandemic. When I went to the rooftop to check out what was in there, there was no one around and it seems that no one was going there. Here are some photos from the rooftop. Also, the hotel doesn’t have an elevator, so prepare for a short exercise if you want to go to the rooftop.
The Staff
I had very little interaction with the staff but they were nice. One even helped me figure out the bus schedule to the airport. Maybe it is worth mentioning also that they don’t clean the room every day. Put the sign on your door before you leave in the morning if you want to have your room cleaned.
Must Sea Hotel Kata Policies and Conditions
- They only accept cash payments. (That’s how it was when I was there in June)
- You need to give THB 500 for the room key deposit. They will return the money to you when you return the key during your check-out.
- Check-in time is 14:00 pm onwards and check-out time is until 12 noon.
- All children are welcome.
- Pets are not allowed
- Cancellation and prepayment policies vary depending on where you booked. Check the conditions before booking a room.
- You can smoke in designated areas.
Summary
Overall, I had a good experience staying at Must Sea Hotel Kata. I will definitely stay there again when I go back to Phuket. It was worth every penny. I highly recommend it to anyone going to Phuket, especially if you are traveling on a budget but want a private room.
