Pattaya Marriott Resort and Spa
 This luxury resort reminded us of the Holiday Inn in Patong on Phuket Island. One moment you are on the waterfront amid the busy stalls and shops with crowded narrow sidewalks. Then you walk into the resort and all is quiet in wonderful lush gardens. Here is peace, a pleasant swimming pool and all the comforts you expect from a Thai Marriott.
All 286 rooms and seven suites are well furnished and have wooden floors and either a king-sized bed, queen bed or two twin beds and a private balcony or terrace.  Every room has tea and coffee making facilities, in-room safe, satellite TV, a fully equipped bar, IDD telephone, iron and ironing board, work desk and Internet access for a fee. The bathrooms have a hairdryer and the more expensive rooms come with a separate shower.
This 10-story resort has a 2,000 square meter spa and fitness center, numerous bars and restaurants, swimming pool and rooms to suit families on vacation or the businessman.
The Garden Café is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet is lavish with all the European and Asian delights imaginable. All the fruit juices are made in front of you and everything from coffee to croissants is top quality. The evening buffet is expensive but expansive and never crowded. There is a wonderful selection of seafood and top quality steaks, lamb chops and even a chocolate fountain in which to dip fresh fruit. The Rice Mill serves top quality Cantonese cuisine. There is a Benihana Japanese steakhouse on-site and room service is available around the clock.  
There is a gift shop, newsstand and the front desk can arrange currency exchange, baby sitters as well as laundry and dry cleaning needs. The location is great, adjoining a shopping mall.
Two minor glitches: The bathroom was a little smaller than similar properties and the property is not on the beach as we had imagined. There is a road to cross. These minor things were more than offset by the superb service we received. Particularly helpful was the waiter who went to great lengths to insure we got the best from the dinner buffet. The lady at the business center also did a fine job. We needed an airline ticket and the Thai Airwa ys office was closed. Somehow she got a ticket and made no charge for the service.
The story does not end there. We returned to the resort in March 2009. And this time we opted for a junior suite which solved the small bathroom problem.  The ground-floor accommodation had a comfortable outdoor sitting area, just steps from the swimming pool, and an enormous modern bathroom with rain forest shower, huge bathtub and twin hand basins. The additional amenities included a flat screen television, espresso coffee machine, DVD player and an additional telephone in the bathroom.
Another benefit was admittance to the resort’s club lounge which offers a continental breakfast, snacks and drinks throughout the day and cocktails and canapés in the evening.
Dining here is fine but expensive. For those here for a long stay there are many eating spots moments from the hotel’s entrances. The property is well maintained and managed, has a super team of employees and provides great value for money. Spending more for a suite and having admittance to the club lounge is well worthwhile. Contact details: 218/2 Moo 10, Beach Road, Pattaya 20260, Thailand. Tel: 03841 2120, fax 03842 9926. www.marriott.com  

               Asia Pattaya Hotel
If you like big resorts – this one has 305 rooms – with something going all the time this may be just the place. If you spend some time watching the hotel’s website, you may get lucky and get a room here for as little as 1,500 Baht a night. Be warned that most of the prices on the website do not include taxes or service charges.
The resort sits in 22 acres of exotic tropical gardens and is three kilometers south of the main action-packed Pattaya area. The hotel has its own beachfront, not the prettiest in Thailand, but it is away from the heavy traffic area.
Amenities here include a swimming pool, tennis courts, snooker room and a private nine-hole par three golf course. If you get one of those cheaper rooms mentioned earlier. Your view will be over the golf course and not the sea. The hotel has restaurants, snack bars, a pool bar and dancing at the Neptune Discotheque. The rooms and suites are all equipped with marble bathrooms, individually controlled air conditioner, satellite television, IDD telephone and a refrigerator. The rate includes a welcome drink and fruit basket on arrival. An extra bed is available at 500 baht per night, and baby cots are available free of charge.
Do not even think of getting low rates during popular holidays such as Christmas, New Year and the Chinese New Year. Then you may have a problem getting a room, no matter how much you are prepared to pay.
The hotel’s sister property is the Asia Hotel Bangkok. The hotels operate a three-time daily bus service between the two properties. The cost is 350 Baht per person, each way. Even if you are not staying at the sister hotel, this is a comfortable, convenient and inexpensive way to travel between the two cities. Contact details: Asia Pattaya Hotel, 352 Moo 12, Pratamnak Road, Pattaya City, Cholburi, 20151, Thailand. Tel:  +66 35 250401 , fax +66 2 215 9005. www.asiahotel.co.th/asiapattaya.htm