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Scooters, Secrets, Keys


tommy dee

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4 hours ago, Lanzalad said:

Secrets was a very good business model both the bar and guest house complemented each other.

The biggest let down of all was the location.. 

Maybe Secrets was a good bar (?)  ... but a business model ?  WTF - I would call a very good business model a business that has survived the times and was still in business ..... not just some "fling" in the night ...  which I consider the place Secrets .. typical in Patts ...

I still don't understand the "infatuation" with the place ... for me, jeez ... it was just a place to have a beer .. nothing more .. and on top of that ( IMO ) I never saw a girl in the place that I ever found attractive .... sorry if I have hurt some other feelings by saying that .... 

The music sucked ( except when Larry was around) .. a couple of bartenders would try get into your face .. that little short fat f**k ( for one ) .... they couldn't make a bloody mary in the morning .... I am 100 % serious .. just another fucking bar to me ... good going for the guys to make some bucks ( if they did ) and get the f**k out

 

 

 

Edited by code_slayer_bkk
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I went in Secrets a few times & ST'd a service girl once(Bee?) but I didn't know any other board members apart from Larry so never used to stay long.

The only bars I would say I miss from Thailand are BJ's in the 80's & 90's in Pattaya and also in Bangkok Jools in Soi Nana when Kim Fletcher ran it with Matthew Swire as his partner.

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2 hours ago, Stillearly said:

A few establishments on Soi 6 also have guest rooms available ( Solo and Ruby definitely used to ) 

Stayed at the Nelson once for a couple of weeks 

Rooms in Red Point were awesome after the refurb and were available to rent 

Edited by galenkia
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Regarding prices at Secrets Hotel:  This is what comes up on Expedia if you try to book a room for tonight.

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฿ 1,997 is the rate without taxes and fees.  The total price is ฿2,350 for one night in the cheapest room.  That must be the rack rate, but it is absurd to be charging it through Expedia.  I am currently paying a few baht less than 1,000/night at the Nova Park for a 45 sq m one-bedroom suite with kitchen (stove top, microwave, full-size fridge, cooking utensils and tableware) in a guest friendly full-service hotel with swimming pool, elevator, on-site parking and a free shuttle bus to Soi Buakhao, 2nd Road, Beach Road, etc.

 

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If you play around with dates, here's what can come up:

 

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With taxes and fees, that would be a total rate of 800/night, which is about right for Secrets.  However, if you actually try to reserve a room, the display reverts to:

 

Capturec.JPG

 

Through Expedia, you cannot book a room at Secrets for less than ฿1,997.

The booking calendar runs through June and always shows a lowest rate of ฿ 1,997 a night.   Either someone is crazily optimistic about how much can be charged per night for a guest-house room or someone screwed up when entering the Expedia discounts  on the rack rate.

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Down Soi 8 and I kid you not one of the hotels of the Eastiny Group have 76 Square meter suites via own website for 938 baht lol when booking 3 nights. Once again a hotel pisses all over agoda and all the rest on pricing. I've booked for later this year but the prices are no different in February. Their standard rooms are 539 again on 3 days booking basis. There are Indians there before its mentioned

Secrets as Evil says want 2200 up

Booking.com my arse lol.....yet again Ive never seen the bottom line cheaper on any booking site rather than going direct to hotel via email or in this case completely open on their website

I used to use Sabai Lodge frequently and occasionally still do. Whatever room style I had and they had many going via their own website was never less than 200 cheaper. You can add any hotel you like that I've stayed since these sites started as well.

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Never booked an accommodation online with a middle man ever anywhere in the world. I am usually a deal with them directly via phone or a walk in. Always cheaper for me. Always. Booking.com is a joke to me. Just this past summer they were offering "special deals" on bungalows at the Tonsak Resort out on Koh Samet. Got out there in person and they were 500 baht cheaper per night than booking.com. 

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13 hours ago, nampla69 said:

I quite liked the location back in the day. Anyone remember Paul who owned Catz Corner ??? ....lovely little super cheap hang out bar beside Secrets.

Babyydolls and the Lee's 90 seconds away and Miserable Old Paul when he was in Misty's two great ago-gogos. 

Never ever liked Walking Street much so the alleyway suited me fine. 

Butt ...always had loads of lovelies with signs on Walking Street telling punters where Secrets was ..... and the nice young man who used to book the hotel rooms. Perfect.

Is there anything even remotely comparable these days. used to have Livingstone's in Soi 33 Bangkok which was amazing but long gone.

Rooms upstairs bar and lovely :default_bellyemoticon:ladies downstairs??? Can't say I know of any ??? Anyone any ideas ....??? 

The mens club pattaya "M Club" My mate booked in and stayed 6 months he loved it...

Has a small bar and a swimming pool and some days it was full of girls depending on what's going on at the time.. 

Pool parties BBQ every week

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1 minute ago, Lanzalad said:

The mens club pattaya "M Club" My mate booked in and stayed 6 months he loved it...

Has a small bar and a swimming pool and some days it was full of girls depending on what's going on at the time.. 

Pool parties BBQ every week

Sounds like a plan :default_bellyemoticon: Where is it ???? 

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44 minutes ago, Steelers4Life said:

Never booked an accommodation online with a middle man ever anywhere in the world. I am usually a deal with them directly via phone or a walk in. Always cheaper for me. Always. Booking.com is a joke to me. Just this past summer they were offering "special deals" on bungalows at the Tonsak Resort out on Koh Samet. Got out there in person and they were 500 baht cheaper per night than booking.com. 

Exactly Steelers exactly but more to the point why would anyone expect them to be cheaper when for each booking they pay out a wedge of commission. Find it hard to comprehend.

We're off to Angeles next month. Needless to say we booked direct via email etc (never stayed there before) and got it equivalent of 240 Baht cheaper than any of these sites

Edited by RR007
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About Booking.com : I live in small ressort, that uses and is present on it. The number of times I have a look and see things like "only 1 bungalow like this left, this room type was consulted 25 times today, and shit like that. Well, sitting on the terrace, I can see very well that 90% of the time its B.S. Not even to speak about the prices....

I used them years ago, but IMO they have lost it now.

As said above, always double check directly with the hotel.

 

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51 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

About Booking.com : I live in small ressort, that uses and is present on it. The number of times I have a look and see things like "only 1 bungalow like this left, this room type was consulted 25 times today, and shit like that. Well, sitting on the terrace, I can see very well that 90% of the time its B.S. Not even to speak about the prices....

I used them years ago, but IMO they have lost it now.

As said above, always double check directly with the hotel.

 

Dont want to derail this thread too much but I personally love Booking.com. 

It you are looking for a place to stay in a city/area you are not familiar with, it is a great site to do your research and compare rates, rooms, amenities, and most importantly to me are the guest reviews and ratings. 

Of course you can do all that and still book directly with a hotel, but in my opinion you would be doing Booking and yourself a disservice just save a few pennies because the truth is if everyone starts doing this Booking would cease to exist. 

When I get service and in the case of Booking excellent service at that, I will pay for it by booking through their website. Just like I'd pay the barfine in a Gogo instead of waiting for a girl to finish her shift because in that case the bar provides me a service too. 

Sorry for the TF. 

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6 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

Regarding prices at Secrets Hotel:  This is what comes up on Expedia if you try to book a room for tonight.

Captureb.JPG

 

฿ 1,997 is the rate without taxes and fees.  The total price is ฿2,350 for one night in the cheapest room.  That must be the rack rate, but it is absurd to be charging it through Expedia.  I am currently paying a few baht less than 1,000/night at the Nova Park for a 45 sq m one-bedroom suite with kitchen (stove top, microwave, full-size fridge, cooking utensils and tableware) in a guest friendly full-service hotel with swimming pool, elevator, on-site parking and a free shuttle bus to Soi Buakhao, 2nd Road, Beach Road, etc.

 

Capture.JPGCapture2.JPGCapture3.JPG

 

If you play around with dates, here's what can come up:

 

Captured.jpg

 

With taxes and fees, that would be a total rate of 800/night, which is about right for Secrets.  However, if you actually try to reserve a room, the display reverts to:

 

Capturec.JPG

 

Through Expedia, you cannot book a room at Secrets for less than ฿1,997.

The booking calendar runs through June and always shows a lowest rate of ฿ 1,997 a night.   Either someone is crazily optimistic about how much can be charged per night for a guest-house room or someone screwed up when entering the Expedia discounts  on the rack rate.

Capture4.JPG

Capture5.JPG

Secrets Hotel appears to be still using the same Promotions set up prior to the change of ownership. 

It is NOT a good practice to run exactly the same Promotions with each booking agent.

Expedia was never intended to be used for last minute (same day) bookings or just one night reservations. Agoda are "encouraged" to pick up most of those using their particular promotional rates and the fact they pay the Hotel the next day.

If you had run your inquiry with Expedia for at least a 2 night stay commencing tomorrow you would have found that you would have received a 66% discount on the rack rate. Expedia are good for longer term bookings but take around 8 days to pay the Hotel.

 

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I can remember paying less in shitholes like Saweedee Court and Sawadee Mansion in the early 90's but it modern times these prices have to reflect the current lack of customers though the door. Sabai lodge in November had 21% occupancy when we were there as well

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I at one time or the other stayed in every room in the hotel yea the good old days. Someone mentioned the Superbowl games we hosted and that was always very busy and a fun morning, One year a customer brought a football with him and at halftime a group of guys went out to soi 14 and tossed it around good fun. If they can keep the rooms at 1150 or less a night IMO would be a fair price for that location. If the price is what has been posted  2K then they are having a laugh for sure. I will be interested in seeing what will happen to the Hotel and Bar as well. On a facebook thread someone that must be connected to the bar said it will be a great fun place come the end of this month. I then said no bar was any more fun that the original Secrets back in the day. There was no reply back.

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On 1/8/2020 at 9:27 PM, Peter.storm said:

You could always come and help out in the Phnom Penh one although the word on the street is that Secrets do not own the hotel just given the hotel license to use the brand and in fact rent the club from the hotel.

yes knew this as Ben has actively been telling guys they should book the Lux or Sun Moon strange if it was owned by Secrets to have them telling people to go elseware

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On 1/10/2020 at 10:01 PM, Thai Spice said:

Places go and come, it's life....

Had dozens of "favorite" places over the world in my life. They moved, closed, or I moved... No problem, plenty new ones to discover.

 

My thoughts entirely, just another hotel closes it's doors.  Would rather hear about where people are going to stay next rather than go on about somewhere that is no more for sentimental groupies......think Pattaya has a few other attractions that might be worth giving info on, now that would stimulate my interest. lol...

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On 1/10/2020 at 10:01 PM, Thai Spice said:

Places go and come, it's life....

Had dozens of "favorite" places over the world in my life. They moved, closed, or I moved... No problem, plenty new ones to discover.

 

 

1 hour ago, Horizondave said:

My thoughts entirely, just another hotel closes it's doors.  Would rather hear about where people are going to stay next rather than go on about somewhere that is no more for sentimental groupies......think Pattaya has a few other attractions that might be worth giving info on, now that would stimulate my interest. lol...

 

12 minutes ago, roobob said:

Isn't  time to put Secrets to bed....it is finished.

Great while it lasted and agree what a few have said..... remember the memories..... places come and go.

Time all moved on.

cheers

Yes, I Guess its time everyone moved on and the same here in the UK we have all lost our locals places of very good memories mainly to progress and its only the same with Pattaya. 

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5 hours ago, Jambo said:

Secrets Hotel appears to be still using the same Promotions set up prior to the change of ownership. 

It is NOT a good practice to run exactly the same Promotions with each booking agent.

Expedia was never intended to be used for last minute (same day) bookings or just one night reservations. Agoda are "encouraged" to pick up most of those using their particular promotional rates and the fact they pay the Hotel the next day.

If you had run your inquiry with Expedia for at least a 2 night stay commencing tomorrow you would have found that you would have received a 66% discount on the rack rate. Expedia are good for longer term bookings but take around 8 days to pay the Hotel.

 

What website do you think the nice young man from 'Finchley North London' would recommend  for booking hotels these days. ??? Particularly Room 107. :default_cheers:

I'm with Mike Esco and use Booking.com because hey seem efficient ??? 

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