The ASHLEE Plaza Patong Hotel & Spa

The Citin Plaza Patong Hotel & Spa is a sprawling property with five modern white multi-story buildings, each with a rooftop pool. The lobby is a bright and cheerful space with a pleasant, earthy aesthetic. A wraparound beige couch with maroon, pale blue, and brown throw pillows sits beside potted tropical plants and a street-facing window with simple, white curtains. The Bistro Restaurant & Bar has a similarly natural feel, with light-wood chairs and tables, brown leather benches, mirrored columns, and slated-wood dividers. The pool areas have great views of the hillsides, but the plain stone decks with white lounge chairs lend little in the way of style. Guests are a mix of families with kids, couples, and friends traveling through the city, though the size and layout of the resort make it difficult to establish any cohesive scene amongst visitors. 

Citin Plaza Patong Hotel & Spa sits in a quiet area with hillside views, but it's easy to find if coming from central Patong. While it's something of a trek to the main tourist areas -- Patong Beach and the Bangla Road nightlife areas are a 20-minute walk away -- the neighborhood offers its own attractions. There's a night market with food stalls as well as several restaurants and bars, all within a five-minute walk of the property. The airport is a 40-minute drive away, though the trip can take over an hour with traffic. 

As with the common areas, an earthy simplicity defines the aesthetic in guest rooms. Woven headboards and wall paneling, simple light-wood furnishings, and curtains and blinds in browns and beiges are juxtaposed with white bedding and a few blue and yellow throw pillows. Robin's-egg-blue accent walls in Superior Rooms are a nice touch, but the spaces still feel gloomy, and some rooms don't get a lot of natural light, particularly those on lower levels. Each room has a flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge, safe, an electric kettle, and a desk with chair. Bathrooms are modern, with white-and-brown tiling, hairdryers, basic toiletries, and walk-in showers with glass doors. However, they lack robes, slippers, and facial tissues, and some have a worn appearance.  

Each of the five buildings has a rooftop pool with views of the hilltops and city, but past guests have complained that they lack lounge chairs. There's also an on-site spa offering scrubs, massages, and other treatments as well as a spacious fitness center with weight machines and cardio equipment. The hotel's meeting room can fit up to 80 people. The hotel's restaurant serves a free buffet breakfast with cooked-to-order eggs and pancakes, various cereals, juices, coffee, and international dishes such as noodles and salads. There's also a bar serving cocktails, wine, and beer. There's no charge for Wi-Fi and on-site parking is free.