I was upgraded to the sister hotel Serenity Villas. Delayed because of bad weather I arrived at almost 1pm, yet the staff brushed off my apologies for being so late and waking them with smiles and a warm welcome.
The room itself was a good size, genuinely like a boutique hotel, with fully tiled bathroom and rain shower. Bed was firm, but the pillows were amazing, all in crisp white bed linen. The air conditioning worked well and quietly. I honestly couldn't fault the hotel, particularly given the great price I'd paid. But more was to come. Continental breakfast turned out to include bacon, sausages, pancakes, croissants, fresh fruits, salad (a bit odd, but others seemed to go for it, fruit juices and a range of Chinese breakfast options, tea and coffee.
The staff spoke English, were very helpful in suggesting places to go. Nobody tried to sell me any tours, though there was clearly the option of buying through the hotel judging by the posters on display.
There was an in room safe large enough to fit a laptop. A well-stocked minibar was also in the room.
My early flight meant I had to leave before breakfast started, but the staff prepared me a breakfast-to-go which wasn't as nice as the buffet, but in truth that didn't have to go to the trouble, and it was a really nice touch.
I'm consciously upbeat about this hotel as it outshone any others on my trip, and did so by quite some distance.