ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

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aussie
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ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by aussie »

Located next to the Poseidon Hotel in Jomtien is a just opened cafe with five newly refurbished rooms available for rent. The owner Nat Semaming has worked as a masseur (I saw certificates with 500 hours of training completed in Bangkok Thai Massage school) and also as a clothes designer in Bangkok for seven years.

I only knew Nat from saying hello to him when he worked as a masseur in Pattaya. He has worked hard and with some help from his family who are rice farmers near Ubon he has been able to open his new business. I have looked at the rooms and they really would be a good place to stay if someone is looking at Jomtien with rates starting at 800 baht and discounts for long stays with a one bedroom apartment available with cooking facilities.

The menu is fairly basic at present as shown on the photo of the board outside. Nat cooks everything and the menu will grow as he settles in to running the business. I have tried the ham and cheese jaffles twice on my way back from the beach and they were a very tasty snack. I also had the green curry with chicken and steamed rice which I really enjoyed. Nat has Australian red and white wine available which of course I had to try. The hot coffee was also very good quality.

Nat speaks good English and is very pleasant to chat with and may even give you a nice neck massage while you are waiting for your meal. Nat really deserves some support and is open to ideas to improve his business, I told him he needed a sign outside to catch the eye of passing traffic and it was there the next day. He will also have free wi-fi for customers of the Cafe available in the next two weeks.
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Bob
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Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by Bob »

Out of pure curiosity, the name "Iluka" have any significance? Sounds almost Russian or east European.
TOQ

Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by TOQ »

I too have known Nat for a couple of years. You could not hope to meet a nicer guy. I wish him all the best of luck

john
aussie
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Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by aussie »

Quote from Bob "Out of pure curiosity, the name "Iluka" have any significance? Sounds almost Russian or east European."

I dropped in to see Nat at ILUKA for a coffee today and he said ILUKA means "close to the sea" (forgot to ask if that is Thai) and also includes some letters from his families name. Nat said he will have a website running soon with photos of the rooms etc
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Trongpai
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Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by Trongpai »

I just spent two nights at the Iluka Residence. I had booked my usual room at Two Faces but the water pump was broken when I arrived and was going to check in at the Poseidon but Iluka, next door was recommended and I was offered a look. Agreed, Nat Semaming is a very nice guy.

It's not a hotel but rather a functional apartment. There's a full kitchen, stove top, toaster, hot water pot, pots, pans, dishes, utensils and a good size refrigerator. The lay-out is from front to back, with the bedroom in the back, quiet.

Who ever decorated this place liked the color white. White tile floors, white walls, white furniture. Just a touch of highlight color here and there.

I was not blown away for 1,300B per night, the bed was OK, but just ok, could have been bigger and softer. The TV was on the small size and there's space without function here and there. Could be he's going to do some more decorating. It was spotless, fresh and clean as a whistle.

If your looking for a clean spotless (for now) place in Jomtien where you want to do some cooking then ILUKA Residence is the place for you.
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Gaybutton
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Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by Gaybutton »

Trongpai wrote:If your looking for a clean spotless (for now) place in Jomtien where you want to do some cooking then ILUKA Residence is the place for you.
With the number of good restaurants in the immediate vicinity, including some of the best breakfast restaurants, and the distance from the better grocery stores, I can't help but wonder how many people staying there are going to want to cook.
ajarn2

Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by ajarn2 »

Seems a bit pricey for 1300 baht a night.?
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Re: ILUKA Serviced Residence and Cafe

Post by aussie »

ajarn2 wrote:Seems a bit pricey for 1300 baht a night.?
There is a very nice room for 750 baht (October) without kitchen. I saw all 5 rooms and the 1300 baht room with kitchen was very large with separate bedroom and Nat does discount for longer stays. I liked the fact that the rooms are newly refurbished, spotlessly clean and there were some nice touches like extra fans and reading lights. There was a nice breeze from the balcony and the rooms would be fairly quiet.

http://iluka-residence.com
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