I’ve already mentioned in a couple previous posts about my 2 weeks of abnormal luxury earlier last month, it’s unusual for me to indulge so much in anything other than surfing, but sometimes it’s too tempting to pass up!

My first stop on this holiday from a holiday was courtesy of the lovely guys at Roomorama who asked me to test out their booking engine.

Roomorama.com

As a lover of all things tech and also being a massive Apple geek I like things to work quickly, simply and look pretty too. I was pleasantly surprised that the Roomorama homepage provided all of those things. I could quickly get to work searching using the basic but effective search bar at the top and was even provided with a sample of accommodation from around the globe before I’d even started – which was handy as at the time I literally had no clue where to head!

Nice, Clean and Simple to Use!

Cleverly this gets you thinking about luxury from the start as these featured properties look freaking beautiful and my thought process quickly switched from a week in a budget or mid range place to a one night splurge!

Once my initial search was done I was presented with a whole heap of options to sift through – and naturally the first few were uber expensive! However help was at hand for the budget conscious with a good range of perimeters to locate the perfect place.

Needless to say budget and wifi were the top of my list of priorities!

The booking process is pretty simple, although maybe a little bit long winded for those looking to secure something  quickly or instantly. After choosing a place to stay (and browsing through the range of pics on each property) you simply ping off a request via the site. Then it’s down to the owner to respond.

Mine was dead quick off the bat, but I could see how this may concern anyone looking to get something sorted there and then.

Once confirmed (and you can ask any questions you want at this point) you can pay there and then via credit, debit or even Paypal.

…and if you’re super cheeky like me you can hunt around the interweb and find some discount codes to waiver the booking fee – now thats some backpacker bargain hunting!

Now comes the bit I wasn’t so keen on, the emails. Once booked you receive 2 emails – one saying “hey everything is sorted here are the details” and another saying “oh you need to sign this too” (I’ve paraphrased this by the way!).

The signing thing was pretty much my only gripe with the Roomorama experience. Not only did I need to sign something with all the t&c’s (couldn’t this simply be done with a tick box on the site?!) I also needed to send off a copy of my ID. Luckily I travel with my iPad so I simply took a shot of my passport and mailed that. But if you were travelling a little bit lighter on the tech side or using internet cafes it could prove a little bit more arduous.

Paperwork done…I looked forward to my stay…

First Taste of Luxury

In the end I decided to stay at Sea Pearl Beach Resort in Patong Beach. It’s right on the beach front and I’d seen it in passing earlier this year on my way to Phi Phi – most notedly due to the lush looking pool and the poolside bar!

The Perfect Crash Pad!

Checking in with my Roomorama codes was a breeze, and I was stoked when all my gear (and it’s mounting up these days) was taken to my room by a porter, something I’m VERY unused too…in fact I’m pretty sure that this was the first time I had received such service! I don’t know what I was more smiley about, that or the fact the lobby to the hotel was amazing – complete with waterfeatures, restaurant, you name it it was there – it was like stepping inside the tardis!

As the door swung open on the room I was stoked and realised I’d made a pretty dam good decision – this place was spacious, clean and kitted out!

The room came equipped with a huge king size bed, widescreen TV (I hadn’t watched TV for agggggges!), mini bar (again dangerous but not too expensive actually!) beautiful bathroom and even a mini kitchenette!

I think it goes without saying that after dumping our stuff me and Katja heading straight for the pool for an ice cold mojito!

The resort itself is well kitted out and to a large extent you could get away without leaving it to sample to chaotic delights of Patong. With a large restaurant, huge spa and a tempting pool it covers all bases. Although despite it’s price tag alot of this comes at extra cost – and anyone who’s travelled Asia will realise that 2,000baht a massage is rather steep!

Much like the Phi Phi Island Cabana my major issue is with the fact the place charged heaps extra for in room wifi. However Sea Pearl met my needs halfway on this one and and provided free PC use in the lobby, still if you’re looking at working on your trip I’d prefer in room to be on tap.

Overall though the place was great. The staff were really friendly and chatty, the included buffet breakfast was amazing (I completely over ate and stuffed my starving backpacker face with pancakes and fresh fruit!) and location was spot on, a mere stones throw from the beach and ocean, and a couple minutes walk to the main shopping spots and of course the mayhem of Patongs Banlga Road – which is a must! The only major downside was the fact that this place is well out of the backpacker trail and budget, with my Deluxe Double coming in at just shy of $100 per night!

Still if you want to treat yourself it’s a great option, and the Roomorama site caters for a huge range of budgets and styles.

Atmosphere – 3/5

Cleanliness – 5/5

Facilities – 4/5

Value – 3/5

**I received a complimentary stay at Sea Pearl Resort courtesy of Roomorama.com – but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own**