Aspery Hotel

The Aspery is a budget property and it looks the part. Its lobby is little more than a front desk and a separate tour desk with barely any seating. It’s a white-tiled space built for function, not for lingering. This area bleeds into the hotel’s dim restaurant with dark-colored decor, some booth seating, and red paper lanterns as adornment. Attached to the lobby via its own entrance is Your Place Massage, a budget spot offering cheapie massages to tourists (Aspery guests and non-guests alike).Guest rooms at the Aspery are split between two buildings. Classic Rooms are in a second building just down the block that more accurately resembles an apartment building, with independently owned businesses on the ground floor. The main building holds the remaining rooms, reception, and all the on-site features (the restaurant, pool, and massage venue). Both the annex and the main building have been operating as a hotel for around 10 years, but despite ongoing renovations, much of the hotel is in need of TLC. Elevators are creaky and worn, hallways are underlit, and poolside loungers are rusty with some torn padding. Still, for travelers that don’t look too closely, the Aspery represents a good value, with an outstanding location close to all of Patong’s major attractions.

Location is the Aspery’s biggest selling point. Set at the north end of Patong, it’s surrounded by shops, restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and everything that makes the area so lively and alluring. The property's entrance is on a little side street, which shields it a bit from the area's noise. Patong Beach, a public stretch of sand, is a short three-minute walk away as well. Here travelers can stroll down a beachside promenade loaded with more businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants, and mini markets. Bangla Road, the major nightlife artery of the area and a big reason for Patong's popularity, is a 13-minute walk away. The Jungceylon shopping center, with a grocery store and several brand-name clothing shops, is an 18-minute walk away. Other major attractions require a car to reach, such as the Big Buddha sculpture and Wat Chalong, 43 minutes and 29 minutes by car, respectively. Phuket International Airport is a 45-minute drive away.

Guest rooms at the Aspery are divided into two buildings. Classic Rooms are in an annex building down the block, so guests here have to trek to the main building to access the hotel's features such as the restaurant or the front desk. But apart from location, rooms are relatively the same across the board, with simple light wood furniture, white platform beds, and benches set with cushions. All rooms have balconies furnished with table-and-chair sets. Rooms categories primarily range in size with Junior Suites offering more room, larger balconies, and bathrooms with walk-in showers and separate bathtubs. Standard Rooms are about half the size of these, but they're still adequately sized. However throughout, rooms are showing a bit of wear with nicked furniture, damaged tiles, and some worn countertops.Amenities in all rooms include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, electric kettles with tea/coffee, mini-fridges, free bottled water, safes, air-conditioning, fans, and free Wi-Fi -- though the connection can be quite spotty depending on your room's location. Minimal toiletries and hairdryers are provided as well. 

For being a small budget hotel, the Aspery does check off a fair amount of hotel features. It’s on-site restaurant serves all meals including a breakfast buffet, though it's not always included in room rates and some guests find it a bit too basic. A bar at one end serves up coffee drinks, smoothies, and alcoholic drinks. Rooms service is also available.The rooftop pool should be the hotel’s centerpiece, with its infinity edge, waterfall features, and bi-level sundecks, but some wear here makes it unappealing, with loungers and tables showing signs of rust, and some of the padding on loungers looking torn and discolored.The lobby is connected to Your Place Massage, a venue offering the typical massage menu of the area with oil, Thai, and aloe vera massages. The front desk also has a tour desk and a taxi stand is at the back of the property. Laundry service is available for a small fee and airport transfers can be arranged. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, though the signal can vary in strength and drop out all together at times.