Nova Platinum Hotel Pattaya

On a busy Pattaya street crammed with Indian restaurants, laundromats, and the occasional French-inspired bakery stands the unassuming Nova Platinum Hotel -- colored a sad gray, perfectly matching the gritty cityscape that surrounds it. It’s not exactly an inspiring welcome to the hotel, but the large lobby is a bit more cheerful, with colorful artwork, shiny red accents, and plenty of natural light thanks to a few floor-to-ceiling glass panels and reflective black tiled flooring. It's a look that's favored throughout mid-range hotels in Thailand that was once contemporary, but is starting to show its age a bit. Exteriors are a bit more pleasant, and he pretty garden holds a large freeform pool, where a handful of guests -- most of them older adults -- congregate under some tiki huts and at the swim-up bar. Many of the guests who stay here come from nearby countries (especially India), although there are a fair amount of American and European travelers as well. Most are single adults, business travelers, or couples on vacation, and the hotel's somewhat rowdy vibe and location near seedy Walking Street mean that it's not ideal for families.   

This hotel is located at the southern end of Pattaya. The immediate area is packed with Indian restaurants and other dining spots, but the majority of the action is within a five- to 10-minute walk of the hotel. Walking Street, Pattaya's notoriously wild nightlife area, is an eight-minute walk from the hotel. It's lined with endless bars, go-go clubs, and massage parlors, and helps add to Pattaya's sometimes seedy reputation. Other attractions are nearby as well, like Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, which is about 15 minutes away on foot. Tiffany’s Show -- a famous cabaret -- is about 10 minutes away by car, as is Art in Paradise. For shopping, there’s the Royal Garden Plaza, about 15 minutes away on foot, while Premium Outlet Pattaya Avenue is just a five-minute drive away. Pattaya Pier is also 15 minutes from the hotel for trips to Koh Lan, which takes about 45 minutes to reach by ferry. The nearest airport is U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport, just under an hour away by car. Bangkok and its two airports -- Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang -- will take around two hours to reach depending on traffic.

The 270 spacious rooms here are simple, but not entirely unappealing. Lower-category rooms are a little more garish than higher-category ones, and include details like blue or swirly glass panels above the beds, wood-laminate floors, and a combination of light wood and white built-in furniture. Higher categories feature narrow balconies or terraces, plus a more muted and updated color palette that includes darker furniture and a little less blatant shimmer. Standard amenities include minibars, safes, coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and DVD players. 

The bright bathrooms here are painted a simple, clean white or black and are on the smaller side, with showers and sufficient counter space. Noise between rooms and from the hallways can be an issue. Room maintenance and cleanliness can be problematic as well, and some guests report issues like broken bathroom doors, malfunctioning toilets, and housekeeping that’s not quite up to par. Hopefully this is something that changes soon: On our visit in 2016, the hotel was undergoing soft renovations on the Superior Rooms. 

Nova Platinum offers a fairly predictable list of amenities for its category, and some are nicer than other three-pearl hotels in Pattaya. The free-form pool is perhaps the hotel’s prettiest feature. There’s a waterslide and mini-waterfall built into it, as well as a swim-up bar. Shaded tiki huts are available and a smaller rectangular pool is nearby, with neat lines of daybeds surrounding it on all sides. The full-service Sukavedee Spa offers traditional Thai massages, as well as a spa tub and small sauna. The gym has a nice selection of modern cardio and weight equipment and faces the hotel's garden -- it's a pleasant place for a simple workout. The hotel's restaurant offers a number of Indian dishes for lunch and dinner, reflecting the hotel's major clientele, and the breakfast buffet is free. it includes a decent selection of mostly Western options. Business-friendly perks include free Wi-Fi in the rooms as well as most public areas, a bright 24-hour business center, and a conference space.