Lee Gardens Hotel — an older tower that trades on a city-centre location above Lee Garden, Hat Yai
It's easy to mix up Lee Gardens Hotel with Lee Gardens Plaza, but they're two different buildings. This is the older sister property — a city-centre hotel set above the Lee Garden shopping centre on Sanehanusorn Road, with 192 rooms. Its draw is clear: a location right in the middle of the shopping and dining district, an easy walk to Kim Yong Market and the massage shops. There's an outdoor pool, sauna, restaurant, parking and free Wi-Fi. Rates start from approximately THB 900/night and it holds a score of around 7.1 — a hotel built on location and value, where you accept that the rooms aren't new.
First, the thing to get straight: Lee Gardens Hotel is not Lee Gardens Plaza. This is the older sister property, set above the Lee Garden shopping centre on Sanehanusorn Road, while the Plaza is a newer, taller tower across the district. What keeps Lee Gardens Hotel in the conversation is its location right in the heart of the Hat Yai shopping district at an affordable rate. Step out of the building and you're among restaurants, dessert shops, massage parlours and souvenir stalls, with an easy walk to Kim Yong Market and the shopping area — no taxi needed.
The hotel has 192 rooms, from Standard and Superior up to Suite. A point many guests like is that the rooms are fairly spacious and a good number have a separate sitting area off the bed — something you rarely get at this price. Every room has air conditioning, a TV, free bottled water and Wi-Fi, and higher floors look out over the Hat Yai skyline. But it's worth knowing this is an older hotel: the furniture and decor are dated, and some rooms show clear signs of wear, so it's not a fresh design-led property.
"Great location — right on top of a shopping centre in the middle of the shopping street, with food stalls and massage shops everywhere downstairs, and Kim Yong Market within walking distance. Rooms are big with a sitting area and good value, though the rooms themselves are a bit old."
The shared facilities are more than you'd expect from a budget hotel. There's an outdoor pool, a sauna, a restaurant, laundry service and parking. The pool and sauna are a genuine plus in this area, because most hotels at this rate in central Hat Yai don't have a pool at all. The restaurant serves a cooked-to-order breakfast, and the parking helps a lot if you're driving — parking in the central Hat Yai shopping district is scarce and pricey. The front desk is good at pointing you to places to eat and helping with getting around.
The honest caveat is that the building and rooms are showing their age and due a refresh. Some reviews note dated furniture and bathrooms, with inconsistent water pressure and air-conditioning in certain rooms, and because the hotel sits above a shopping centre in the heart of the commercial district, some rooms catch noise from below or from the street. That's what pulls the score down, and it's why the rate is lower than newer hotels in the same area. If you expect a flawless, just-opened room, this isn't it — but if you treat it as an affordable, well-located base, expectations match the reality.
Rates start around THB 900/night for a Standard room in normal periods, rising to roughly THB 1,100–1,600 for larger rooms or busy dates. Over long weekends and festivals, when Malaysian and Singaporean visitors pour into Hat Yai, prices climb and rooms fill fast. A score of around 7.1 reflects this fairly — the location and value rate well, while the room condition and the lack of a recent refresh are what hold it back. On TripAdvisor it sits mid-table among Hat Yai hotels, in line with an older, well-located budget property rather than a premium pick.
In short, Lee Gardens Hotel suits budget travellers, people here to shop and eat in central Hat Yai, and drivers who want parking in the middle of the shopping district. If what you want is a bed within walking distance of everything, with a pool to cool off in at an affordable rate so you can save your budget for food and shopping, it works well. But if you're after a fresh, polished room, quiet, or a modern feel, it's worth stepping up to a recently renovated 3–4 star hotel in the same area.
A tip drawn from the reviews: ask for a higher-floor, recently refreshed room to avoid noise from the shopping district and the older rooms. Check the air-conditioning, water pressure and bathroom before you accept the key — if it's not right, ask to switch; the staff are helpful. Book a Free Cancellation rate where you can and compare a few platforms, as the price gap matters at this level, and over long weekends book several weeks ahead because rooms sell out quickly.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central shopping-district location above Lee Garden, walk to Kim Yong Market and restaurants
- ✓ Spacious rooms, many with a separate sitting area
- ✓ Has an outdoor pool and sauna, hard to find at this price downtown
- ✓ Affordable rate, good value for a central location
- ! Building and rooms are dated and due a refresh
- ! Older bathrooms and air-conditioning in some rooms; inconsistent water pressure
- ! Above a shopping centre in the commercial district; some rooms catch noise
- ✓ Excellent location, easy to shop and find food on foot
- ✓ Good value for a central shopping-district location
- ✓ Outdoor pool, sauna and parking
- ✓ Friendly, helpful staff
- ! Facilities and decor look dated and need renovating
- ! Some rooms have cleanliness and odour issues
- ! Street and shopping-district noise reaches lower-floor rooms
- 💡If you expect fresh, polished rooms and decor — this is an older hotel and the furniture and some bathrooms look dated → if you want new, step up to a recently renovated 3–4 star hotel in the same area.
- 💡If you're a light sleeper sensitive to noise — the hotel sits above a shopping centre in the commercial district and some rooms catch noise from below or the street → ask for a higher floor away from the shopping district and pack earplugs.
- 💡If you want a quiet, restful atmosphere — this is about a central location and value, not peace and quiet → it suits shoppers and foodies in the city centre rather than a resort-style getaway.