Chao Phraya River
The
Chao Phraya River is the lifeblood of Bangkok. It is a huge brown river
and winds its way among all the temples and buildings - canals run into
this main river. Sometimes the Chao Phraya provides at least a breeze to
help break up the sometimes heavy humidity. Longtail boats and river
taxis ferry passengers up and down and across this river. Major temples
are located near its banks including Wat Arun, Wat Po and the Grand
Palace.
The Oriental Hotel What can be said about The Oriental Hotel other
than it is among an elite class of hotels in the world and is certainly
considered one of the top hotels in Bangkok. Old World elegance is a
phrase that easily describes this hotel. Be sure you are dressed appropriately
before you enter this hotel - nice attire - shoes and long pants are a
must - otherwise you will be turned back by the doormen in the front. This
exquisite historical hotel just celebrated their 130th year anniversary in
2006 and is located right next the French Embassy and also the Chao Phraya
River (in fact they have their own pier on the river appropriately named,
The Oriental Pier).
For a hotel of this caliber the room prices are quite reasonable.
Transplant this hotel to another city such as New York, Los Angeles, Hong
Kong or any
of a number of other wealthy cities in the world and the prices per night
would be absolutely exorbitant. Here, rooms start at about $300 per night US $
although during the 'off season' prices may dip to around $250/night for
the deluxe rooms.
The service is absolutely impeccable - the employees are friendly
extremely attentive, and they anticipate your needs quite well.
The rooms are awesome not only in design, layout, and features, but also
with great views of the river and the surrounding areas. Each section of
the floor has a butler available on your call. An incredible surround
sound Bose driven speaker system is available and controls are next to
both sides of the bed, in the bathroom, and next to the toilet. Fresh OJ
and a morning paper are delivered every day. A small pullout "office" is
available with a high speed Internet connection, phone and fax machine.
Marble is used liberally especially in the bathrooms - nice
bathtubs, and precision temperature controlled showers are
available.
Bath salts and other fancy bathroom amenities are provided for your
use. |
 |
 |
Be sure to try out their famous Health Club and Sports Centre - located
across the river (free shuttle boat service is provided by one of the
Orientals Shuttle boats). Where else in Thailand or abroad can one lay
down immersed in Papaya fruit and other oils? Also try out some of their
many restaurants on site. Le Normandie is Bangkok's best French Restaurant
- suit and tie required for men in the evenings. If you have no interest
in seeing Bangkok there is really no reason to ever leave the Oriental.
The Author's lounge is awesome and is named after several prominent
authors who stayed and wrote at the Oriental Hotel, James Michener
included.
Sometimes reduced Internet rates are available for their rooms. For more information including rates and photographs visit their web site:
www.mandarin-oriental.com/bangkok
or Phone: (02)
659 9000 or email:
orbkk-reservations@mohg.com
The
Peninsula Hotel was recently voted the top hotel in the World by a
large survey conducted by readers of Travel
& Leisure. Modern elegance is a phrase that can best describe this
hotel. During extremely rare times (such as threat scares, ie SARS) I've seen prices per night starting at $140. For the top
hotel in the world. Wow. However, don't expect the price to be anywhere
near $140 a night during normal times - depending on the season rooms
typically will start at $200 to $250/night. For more information please visit their website
at:
http://bangkok.peninsula.com or
Phone: (02) 861 2888
or
pbk@peninsula.com
Woodlands Inn is a budget hotel - visit: www.woodlandsinn.org Dave
has stayed here before. It is a little dingy and they did not accept
credit cards (even though their website indicates they do - (2006)so
bring cash. This hotel recently underwent an upgrade so hopefully the
quality of rooms have improved since we stayed here. It is overall clean and provides a safe nights sleep.
Located about 500 meters from the Chao Praya River and approximately 2
kilometers from the nearest Metro stop Hualumphong.
Phone: (02) 235 6640 or email:
manager@woodlandsinn.org
Khao San Road/Banglampou
Khao San Road is the heart of Bangkok
for International backpackers. There are many small rather inexpensive guest houses or hotels on Khao San Road or nearby this road.
We have seen several in the 100 to 200 baht per
night range - room with bathroom and fan (no AC). The advantages or
disadvantages of staying on Khao San Road is that you are close to many
Internet cafes, massage parlors, backpackers, and restaurants that cater to tourists.
Also consider staying at nearby Rambutri Road area - mere minutes
walking from Khao San Road. Rambutri provides all the same services as
you will find on or near Khao San but its more quiet and relaxed.
Rambutri is located just west of the end of Khao San Road towards the
Chao Phraya River.
Say NO to guesthouses
that do NOT serve Thai people.
Some guesthouses in and around Khao San Road, including the Rambutri
district either advertise blatantly that they do not service Thai people
or if you are with a Thai person they will refuse that person entry to
their guesthouse. Always ask your guesthouse if they service Thai
people. Two guesthouses to stay away from are Bella Bella and the
Sawasdee Inn - both located on Rambutri Road.
| Baan Chantra is located at 120/1 Samsen
Road about a 10 minute walk from Khao San Road. This is a privately
owned upscale small guesthouse located in a newly renovated historical
home. Excellent furnishings and decorations grace the rooms. Prices
start around $55 US dollars per room per night. Quiet rooms - breakfast
included, Internet and a nice common reading/relaxing room. |
|
 |
For more information visit:
www.baanchantra.com or Phone:
(02)
628-6988-9 or email:
sales@baanchantra.com
|
D&D Inn,
is one of the nicer hotels located smack in the middle of Khao San Road
- rates are very reasonable for the type of lodging you receive. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Rates
run from like 400 to 750 baht per night depending of course on Single or
Double room or AC or fan room only. A very nice hotel - they have a pool
and sun bathing deck located on top, nice interior and courtyard - some
rooms are a bit noisy so ask for their quiet ones. There is a full
service spa and salon (Hello Spa) on the 7th floor. Their motto is
"quality on a budget"! Look for discount coupons to this spa/salon
located on the first floor. This is a good value and if you don't mind
staying in the middle of crowded Khao San road, and is one of the better
values on Khao San Road. The hotel itself is actually situated back from
the main road - you walk through a series of various small shops to get
to the reception. For more information visit:
www.khaosanby.com
or Phone: (02) 62905268 or
ddinn@khaosanby.com
Happy
Guesthouse is located on Soi Chana Songkram a small street off the
main Rambutri Street. Quiet clean rooms.
www.happyhouseguesthouse.com Phone: (02)
280 3301 or email:
booking@happyhouseguesthouse.com
Mom's Guest
House is a very affordable cheap backpacker style guesthouse,
located at 98 Khao San Road. It is very clean. Prices start at only 250 baht per night. For
more information visit here:
www.travelfish.org/accommodation_profile/thailand/bangkok... Phone:
(02) 282 7191
Phranakorn Nornlen - is located
about 1 kilometer from the
Chao Phraya river and about the same
distance from Khao San Road - rooms run from about 1500
baht per night. You can walk to either the river or Khao San area but
expect at least a 20-30 min walk to either place. This is a unique one
of a kind boutique hotel run by a famous Thai actress who is in her
early 30's. She is often at this hotel during the evenings. One of the
friendliest staff you will find. Rooms are all different in their own
way. Their peaceful courtyard truly provides a serene escape from the
hustle and bustle of most of Bangkok. Breakfast included with each stay
- Thai or American food. Wireless Internet is available for use with
hotel stay - and several computers are available. Nice paintings and
other artwork decorate this hotel. Some new rooms opened mid 2007.
Located on small very quiet street - mere minutes walking distance to
the larger streets, shops, and food.
Check their website for
the most current prices. Visit:
www.phranakorn-nornlen.com
Phone: (02) 628 8188-90 or email:
rooms@phranakorn-nornlen.com
If you stay at Phranakorn Nornlen, consider using Trufflers "true flavour
for travelers" run by Donald Woo Ming Lung - ask at the front desk. This
is the only boutique travel host to specialize in 'non touristy' & 'off
the beaten path' journey's in Thailand - they work with guests of the
Phranakorn Nornlen hotel to offer these one of a kind trips and tours.
More info is available here:
www.trufflers.com
Rabuttri Village Inn is
located on Chakkra Phong Rd, one street from Khaosan Rd in the Banglampu
district. Cheap and quiet guesthouse. Phone: (02) 282-9162, (66)
02-282-9163
|
Suksawad Hotel. This
hotel is about 1/2 kilometer from Khao San Road. It is located at 8/3
Samsen Road and is also accessible during the day from Soi 6. At night
access is off of the main Samsen road as the entrance on the small Soi
(Street) 6 closes. |
|
 |
(Samsen Road runs right by Khao
San Road).
This is a
cheap, clean, safe and generally nice safe place to stay. Note some of
the rooms are very well endowed with mirrors. There are also
several other nice guesthouses on this street (Soi 6).
Website:
www.geocities.com/suksawasdi_hotel Phone (02) 2817622,
suksawad_hotel@hotmail.com
|
The Thai Cozy House is another great deal. Located only a few minutes
from Bangkok's famed Khao San Road, prices for a single room (including
breakfast) start at 550 baht/night. Rooms are small, clean, comfortable
and if you choose a room with AC, it generally works quite well.
Breakfast is included
- but their included breakfast is quite small. |
|
 |
|
On the menu they list "breakfast sets" usually
just museli with mixed fruit or some other cereal. Vegetarian dishes abound. A cooking school also offered. For more information please visit
their website at:
www.thaicozyhouse.com
or
www.khaosanroad.com/thaicozyhouse
You can also email Kathy at:
kathy@thaicozyhouse.com
or PHONE (02) 629-5870-4 They are located at: 111/1-3 Tanee Road,
Taladyod, Pranakorn.
The Viengtai Hotel located at 42 Tanee Road, Banglampu in Bangkok is well
worth the price. It is one of a number of hotels located within
the old city of Bangkok. They have a 24-hour restaurant, comfortable
rooms and a large swimming pool. The buffet all you can eat breakfast is
included with the cost. This breakfast is actually very good as they
have a very large selection of entries, fruit, salads and drinks. This
hotel draws an eclectic mix of upscale back packers as well as families
and typical tourists. There is plenty of restaurants nearby.
Silom
Silom is the heart
of the financial district in Bangkok - and as a result see's less
backpackers, is generally cleaner and quieter than some areas of
Bangkok. The Skytrain serves much of this area.
Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza is centrally located at 981 Silom Road.
This is in a nice clean section of town. Visit their website:
www.bangkok-silom.holiday-inn.com or Phone: (02) 2384300 or email:
reservations@holidayinnsilom.com
Sofitel Silom is located in the midst of Bangkok's financial
district. Nice rooms, a swimming pool, a spa, and 4 excellent restaurants
make this an oasis of a hotel. Great with business travelers too. 454
rooms. For more information please visit their
website: www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/3616/fiche_hotel.shtml or
Phone: Phone: (02) 2381991
or email: H3616@accor.com
Trinity Silom Hotel is part of the Trinity Group and is located at
150 Soi Silom 5. This is a modern hotel catering to business travelers. It
is located in the midst of Bangkok's commercial district near major banks,
embassies and large shopping areas. For more information visit their
website: www.trinitycorp.com/html/trinity_silom_hotel.html or
Phone: (02) 231-5333 or email:
hotel@trinitycorp.com
The Unico Grande
Tower Inn is located at 533 Silom Road. This is an approximately 18 story
hotel. They have a nice rooftop swimming pool complete with a Poolside
Bar. In addition, they have a fitness center, a beer garden, and a 24 hour
restaurant. The beer garden is worth visiting - its on the roof top and is
a great place to enjoy a Bangkok sunset! 196 rooms and service apartments
for longer stays are available. A single room costs about $70 US and does
not include breakfast. A business center in the facility offers Internet
and Fax service. For more information visit their website: www.towerinnbangkok.com or
Phone: (02)
237-8300-4 or email:
towerinn@anet.net.th
Sukhumvit
Sukhumvit is the heart of hotels in Bangkok. Many travelers
stay here - many cheap and more luxurious hotels are merely walking
distance from one of the Sukhumvit Skytrain stops. Lots of nightlife,
massage parlors, restaurants, and street food.
The Buri Bed & Breakfast is located very close to the Thong Lo
stop on the Sukhumvit line of the SkyTrain.
It is a nice well-cared for very small Thai decorated guesthouse run by several ladies -
located above a market and flower shop on a small soi (street) just off of
the main Sukhumvit road. The rooms are not much larger than the actual
size of the bed - be sure to test the AC out - sometimes it takes a while
to actually cool down the room, as they do not always work immediately.
The bathrooms and showers are separate from all the rooms. These are quite
user friendly - as toilet paper is provided, shampoo and shower gel is
also available from permanent wall dispensers. Purified water - both hot
and cold is available from plastic water containers found within the main
bathroom area. The price ranges from 350 to 600 baht per room depending on
season and whether they have any promotions. A small breakfast is
included. A net cafe is also on location. Note, that the walls tend to be
quite thin and as a result even small noises can be heard out in the
hallway or in other rooms (however, no peepholes found in the walls). This hotel is located at 58/14-15 Sukhumvit 55,
Sukhumvit Road, North Klongtun. PHONE: (02) 7141508 or for more information
please visit their website at: www.buribandb.in.th
Chateau De Bangkok is located at 29 Soi Ruamrudee 1, Ploenchit
Rd., Lumpini, Patumwan and is managed by Sofitel. The building is built
someone in the shape of a cruise ship. This
is a very very nice hotel with a friendly staff, tastefully decorated
spacious rooms, and a wonderful gym, rooftop pool and Jacuzzi - with
great awesome views of Bangkok. The rates were in the high $30's US
dollars/night when the author stayed there which was an incredible deal.
Normal room prices start and are closer to $65/night. This hotel is
about a 5-8 minute walk to the nearest Skytrain stop which is Ploen
Chit. You can also rent a tuk-tuk, motorbike or taxi from the hotel as
they are easy to find in this area and or the reception will call one
for you. The guard salutes you whenever you walk in or out of the hotel.
Note the nice waterfall in the front of the hotel - having this flowing
water here, keeps things a little cooler. There are nice shops, albeit a
bit pricey across the street in the Hotel Conrad complex. For more
information please visit:
www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/sof/1774/fiche_hotel.shtml
or phone: (02) 6514400 or email:
chateau1@loxinfo.co.th
| City Lodge
is run by Amari Hotels and is located 2 minutes walking distance
from the Asoke Skytrain/Metro stop at Soi 19, Sukhumvit. Note
they also have a second City Lodge down Sukhumvit at Soi 9,
Sukhumvit but our description here focuses on the Soi 19
location. This is a higher end hotel, definitely priced more
|
|
 |
| than
the nearby budget accommodations you can find on this small
street. The rooms are good sized and high speed Internet is
available on site. There is also an Italian restaurant here
called La Gritta. The Robinson department store is just
down the street for any department store cravings you may have! For more information visit:
www.amari.com/citylodge |
The First House Hotel (NOT
to be confused with another hotel
located just down the street called The First House) is conveniently located just outside of the main center of town about 1/4 mile from the closest Sky Station stop which is the Ratchathewi Station on the Sukhumvit Line.
(14/20-29 Petchburi 19 Road, Soi
Juldis, Phyathai District, Rajthevee)
See
Skytrain for more information. This hotel as
sentimental value for Dave as it was where he stayed during his first trip
to Bangkok in 96'.
Walking from the Chitlom Station, also on the Sukhumvit Line - is a much longer walk then from the Ratchathewi Station. A landmark I used to find the general location of the First House Hotel was the
Baiyoke II building, the tallest building in the area with the initials DTAC painted on the upper outside of this building.
This area of Bangkok really feels like Thailand - contrasted with other
parts of Bangkok - there are many vendors selling food and other goods on
the sidewalks - and its always busy in this part of town.
This hotel is 10 stories tall with two elevators marked "A" and "B." Each elevator has a colorful poster on each of its three walls advertising something about Bangkok or Thailand in general.
In addition there are typed signs that say "Please do not bring
Durian upstairs". For those of you who don't know, the fruit Durian
is smelly and can be repulsive to the untrained nose. The air-conditioning systems
in each room work very well.
Breakfast is included with a stay here. The Saranyuth Coffee Shop, located
on the ground floor, serves meals that are quite tasty. Breakfast is
included with each nights stay. Expect a buffet style breakfast with
Thai food including some rice and vegetables, eggs, sausages (more like
small hot dogs) and fresh fruit when in season (I've had delicious fresh
watermelon, pineapple and guava at this restaurant).
Be sure to take one of their "Town Guide" cards before you leave the hotel and put it in your pocket or wallet. These are small business sized cards that have the words "PLEASE TAKE ME TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS" and a map prominently displayed on the front of the card. These are very helpful if you are not good with directions, especially in a foreign city! These cards also have a small map and contact information for The First House Hotel.
Newspapers in various languages are available in the lobby each morning. I have left my bags in their storage room for up to a day but never longer. If you need to leave some luggage in their storage room and you are leaving Bangkok for several days you will have to inquire about feasibility of this and whether or not they offer or charge for this service.
Several years ago The First House Hotel completed construction on an entirely new
wing of their hotel. This opened up additional rooms and helped relieve the
availability of rooms especially during holidays and the high season.
As an ongoing special when you reserve rooms at his hotel, they will offer
you discounts on Tailoring and a free 1/2 days tour of the Vimanmek Palace
and a Gems Factory. I have done this - its probably easier to see the
Vimanmek Palace on your own and skip the Gem Factory - but its entirely
personal preference.
Prices start at about $40 US per night.
For more information and to make reservations online visit their website at:
www.firsthousebkk.com or
Phone: (02) 254-030
or email:
booking@firsthousebkk.com
|
Honey Hotel is located at 31 Soi Sukhumvit 19. Their motto is "a
place small enough to call home". This is a very well established
affordable hotel located within several minutes walking of the Asoke
Skytrain stop. The Asoke Skytrain stop also connects to the Metro. This
part of Sukhumvit has many hotels, most that you find online start
around 1500 baht - this one starts around 700 baht. It is a
multi-storied hotel with a swimming pool and restaurant next
door. They have a limited number of under the building parking
spots with the most affordable rooms on the first floor right
next to the parking area. No Internet on site, but nearby cafes
are available. The Robinson Department store is just down the
street on your way to the Asoke
Skytrain stop. The rooms are clean and comfortable with good air
conditioning. The staff is friendly and helpful and there is always
|
|
 |
|
someone at the desk who speaks a bit of English. They also have
a nice small pool between the actual hotel and the small road. A
24 hour coffee shop is located across the parking lot from the
separate building where the reception is located. The
Robinson department store is just down the street for any
department store cravings you may have. For more information
call: (662) 2530646-9 email:
honeyhtl_company@yahoo.co.th or visit:
www.honeyhouse.co.th |
La
Residence Hotel
is located in the business section of Bangkok - within walking
distance to the Pat Pong night markets & risqué entertainment, Jim Thompson's House, and several
shopping malls (173/8-9 Suriwongse Road -corner of Soi Anumanrajdhon 1). The hotel is located off of a
busy street on a corner but the rooms are quite quiet. The cost for a
double room as of March 2002 runs about $32 US - this does include
breakfast. Some rooms do not include breakfast. Be sure to review the enticing photos of their hotel and rooms
on their website.
Leela Inn
is located at 74 Sukhumvit Soi 3 Road and is a 9-story full service
hotel with 95 rooms. Their check in counter and coffee shop are open 24/7.
Room prices start at about $30 US per night. For more information visit
their website: www.leelainn.com or
Phone: (02) 655-2790-6 or
email: leelahotel@yahoo.com
Na Na Chart Sukhumvit
is a very new hostel located
at 189/5 Soi Predee Panomyong 9
Prakanong. It is located about 10 minutes from Siam Square and just a
few minutes walking from both the Skytrain and Metro. They have private
accommodations and also dorm rooms. This hostel has been recommended to
us - but we have not yet stayed here. We will do so later in 2007 during
our time in Bangkok. Phone: (02) 59-6908-9
Email:
bkkcentre25@thailandhostel.com
Queen Lotus Guest House is located at: 392/44-46 Sukhumvit Soi 20/1,
Sukhumvit Rd. |
(Review coming soon) Visit:
www.queenlotusguesthouse.com
Royal
Asia Lodge is conveniently located at
91 Sukhumvit
Road, off of Soi 8
which is very close to the Nana Sky Train stop.
Rooms with a King Size bed are available for about $20 a night. For hotels
in this price range the Royal Asia Lodge is hard to beat and this is a Dave's recommendation. It is a family owned and
operated hotel on Soi 8 situated about 300 meters off of the ever busy
Sukhumvit road. Its location is on a street that sees very little traffic
- its in an upscale area. As you enter this street (Soi 8) from
Sukhumvit Road, a small red button is available on the right hand side of
the street - located on the back side of the first building (the side of
the building that is parallel to the main Sukhumvit Road. Pressing this
will bring free of charge, a Royal Asia Lodge Tuk-tuk driver who will
drive you to the entrance to the hotel. You don't really want to walk this
street to Royal Asia as its a considerable walk - the Tuk Tuk ride will
only take a few minutes. You do not have to tip the driver for the ride
unless you want to.
| Click on the thumbnails:
the "red button" described in
the above paragraph as well as the rooftop Jacuzzi. A nice, albeit
small, pool is available on the rooftop (9 stories up) - you can
swim, relax and watch the fish swimming in the |
 |
 |
long fish tank situated directly above
the pool. There is also a nice Jacuzzi right next
to the pool on the roof. Great views of the city are seen from up there.
Poolside service with the touch of a button is available for drinks or
snacks.
Single rooms are small, clean and comfortable. Refrigerators, TV's and
controls for lighting and AC are found in each room. Piped classical music
is played in the elevator - and the elevator controls on each floor
(outside the elevator) show you exactly what floor the elevator is on at
any given moment. Like other hotels, a sign indicating "no durian in
the rooms" is taped to the wall on the first floor.
| Click on the thumbnails
to see the rooftop pool and restaurant which is located on the 9th
floor.
High speed internet access is located downstairs - its a bit pricey at
50baht per every 15 minutes. A tailor downstairs offers reduced rates on
clothing for patrons of the Royal Asia Lodge. |
 |
 |
A very clean nice looking
restaurant is located
on the top floor just below the rooftop. The prices
are a bit high, but the food is decent. For more
information please call: (02) 251-5514 or visit their informative website
NUMBER 1
at: www.royalasialodge.com or
visit website NUMBER 2 at:
www.royalasiaparadise.com or email Chareon directly at: chareon@ksc15.th.com Rare
to see two totally different websites for the same hotel!
 Suk11
is a very affordable safe clean guest
house - providing basic accommodation. This is a
real winner and is highly recommended. A real spiritual feel to this
place - very interesting decor - at times feels like an international
hangout due to the many people from around the world. Its an awesome
place to discuss travel & meet people to hook up with for traveling. The rooms are nice, good sized - light
and airy and very clean - some have absolutely huge beds! Individuals
who love to travel who have small children tend to stay here as well.
Great breakfast included - lots of good fruit and small bagels and other
bread items!
Check out time is 12pm. Internet stations are available free for
guests upstairs. This is an excellent place to meet fellow
backpackers. It can be intimidating when you first walk in and you see
all these backpackers sitting around the table at the main entrance all
deep in discussion, and they all stop talking at once and then look up
at you as the "new guy."
 |
|
Be sure to write something of your choice on any one of the walls that
already have notes from fellow travelers. Hundreds of travelers have
left their comments on these walls.
Suk11 is located on Soi 9 off of
Sukhumvit near the Nana Skytrain stop. Its somewhat hard to find if you
don't know what you are looking for and the vendors on the sidewalks
located nearby are pretty much useless for providing directions. |
|
Its near a 7-11 - about 75-100 meters in
on the small soi (street) from the main Sukhumvit road. You walk down a
small alley - next to a restaurant and more of the hotel - this area is
surrounded by plants and you will soon come to the entrance. Note:
this place fills up very quickly and is immensely popular especially
during the high season of December through February. If you know the dates you will be in Bangkok,
its best to reserve at least a minimum of 14-21 days ahead
of time using their reservation form on their website (ignore the 3 days
advance booking note on their website -that is too short of a lead time.
Due to their popularity from word of mouth, excellent write-ups, and
online websites such as this one - the lead time for
making reservations has gone up significantly. This is a small hotel and
there are only so many rooms. We think they should open another similar
hotel along Sukhumvit to accommodate all the demand. For more
details & directions visit:
www.suk11.com
or Phone: (02)
253-5927 or email:
The Watergate Amari Hotel
& Spa
is considered a luxury hotel and is located at 847 Petchburi Road near the
First House Hotel (mentioned above) and is just down the street from The
First House. Their is also an Amari Hotel located near the Bangkok
Airport. Amari also runs the City Lodge, as listed under our description
under the Sukhumvit section. Phone (02) 653 9000 or email:
watergate@amari.com
More information can be found on their website listed below: www.amari.com/watergate
World Inn Bangkok located at 131/5-7
Sukhumvit Soi 9 (Ruenchit), affords comfortable average lodging. Dave has
stayed here. Air
conditioning is available in the rooms - it is a 4 story hotel. There is a
restaurant across from the lobby that serves breakfast, lunch &
dinner. Breakfast is not included with a nights lodging. The food is quite
good and believe it or not, is among only a handful of Thai restaurants
within this small section of Bangkok.
| This hotel is a step
below The First House Hotel listed above and just slightly lower in
price. Click on the thumbnail
to see the inside of the Restaurant located down stairs at The
World Inn. Phone.
(02) 2557274-5 |
 |
National Stadium
There
are prime shopping areas near the National Stadium and Siam Skytrain
stops. Shopping includes the upscale Siam Paragon (finished in 2006) and
the huge MBK Mall. This is a crowded area of town to stay in.
Baiyoke Tower II is the tallest building (hotel) in the Kingdom of Thailand and
certainly in Bangkok. It is clearly identified by its circular shape and the
large Blue DTAC sign on one side. Sometimes organizations will hang their sign
from the side of this building - I've seen a sign for the Thailand Film
Association before. It takes three different elevators to reach the top of this
building. If you reach the 78th floor and you eat at the International Buffet
restaurant you will find place mats that provide you with statistics such as:
the pilings under the building run into the ground to the height of 22 stories,
there are 1,740 windows in the building, it is 309 meters tall, there are 2,60
steps from the bottom to the top, which will take most people over an hour to
climb, and the observation deck rotates a full 360 degrees.
The International Buffet located on the 76th and 78th floors is worth
the price for the surrounding experience & atmosphere of being in
the highest restaurant and tallest building in all of Thailand. These
floors are literally surrounded by glass windows so you have excellent
views of Bangkok from high above. The buffets are all you can eat Sushi,
German, & Thai food and sometimes other cuisines. A variety of salads,
meats, deserts and fruits are also available. Note that this food is not
excellent but average. You are paying more for the views and atmosphere
and experience of eating at the top of Thailand's tallest building. As
of 2007 the price is 800 baht per person. However, also note that during holiday
season - especially in December this price may double (unless you are Thai -
then the price remains lower) The food is located in the center of the
floor and is 3/4 of the way around the floor!
|
The Bed & Breakfast hotel is located on Soi Kasemson 1
Rama Road (same as the Reno Hotel - see below). This 3-story
hotel provides basic affordable accommodation. The rooms are
very tiny with small adjoining bathrooms. Hot and cold water and
air conditioning provided. The breakfast is very light,
typically |
|
 |
|
a piece or two of fruit and toast. The attraction with this
hotel beside the reasonable pricing is its location. The street
is very tiny but is minutes walking from the main shopping areas
of MBK, the new cultural arts center (under construction early
2008), Siam Paragon Shopping and the Siam Discovery Center,
among others. The Skytrain is also minutes away by walking. The
street is quite small and secluded for the area and as a result
is sort of an oasis in the middle of this concrete jungle.
Massage services, and street food are all located nearby. No net
access on site but nearby hotels provide both wired and wireless
access. Within the Bed & Breakfast hotel you have wireless
access from a nearby hotel - but you need to pay for access
ahead of time at the nearby hotel. |
| |
The 84th floor is the Sky Walk Revolving Roof Deck. If you stand in one place
and wait about 15 minutes you will have revolved 360 degrees. This is an
awesome spot at night to watch the lights of Bangkok. It is also very
impressive to stand at the base of this building and look straight up. For
more information about this tall hotel visit:
www.baiyokehotel.com/index.php?site=baiyokesky
Phone: (02) 2656-3000
Email:
baiyokesky@baiyoke.co.th |
|
 |
Muangphol Mansion is
located opposite National Stadium on the same street that the Reno Hotel
is located on (see below). This is a budget multi-story hotel which
contains 80 rooms. If you are sensitive to smell, they seem to have a
problem with their water system - as some of the rooms smell quite
musty, especially the bathrooms as the smell seems to originate from the
water pipes. Email:
info@kritthaimansion.com
| If you are not sensitive to smell
you may not notice this. Internet stations available in main lobby
for a bit high price. Food also served but not real tasty. For more
info visit their website at:
www.kritthaimansion.com/muangphol or phone: (02) 219-4445 |
 |
The Reno Hotel is located not far from MBK shopping center at No 40
Soi Kasemson 1 Rama Road. This hotel is opposite National Stadium. This
is the nicest hotel on this small street. This
upscale budget hotel is located near the Skytrain and major shopping
centers. Nice clean
rooms and friendly staff. Restaurant is located adjacent to the hotel
and breakfast is included with each stay. They also have a nice swimming
pool! Despite being located minutes from major shopping centers their
location is somewhat isolated and you don't have the feeling of being
surrounded by the "urban jungle". It is also fairly quiet at night.
| For more
information call (02) 215-0026-7, email
renohotel@bblife.com
or visit their website:
www.renohotel.co.th . There are several other guesthouses on this
small street, but The Reno Hotel is the nicest one of them. |
 |
 |
Other
These are hotels that do not fall in any of the above Bangkok
district categories.
A-One Bangkok Hotel is located not far from the old Don Muang
International Airport. This is a modern hotel with spacious rooms catering
to business travelers. They are located at 9 Soonwijai 4, New Petchburi
Road. Phone: (02) 718-1030-44
|
Cozy Bangkok Place is located in a very small area of what feels
like "old Bangkok" - it is in a residential area with few shops. The
address is: 41/146-148 Soi. Sunthonpimol, Rama 4 Rd., Rongmuang,
Prathumwan. It is surrounded by tall buildings and large raised roads
including the huge Rama IV, but for some reason this tiny area has
escaped being totally developed. Because of its location surrounded by
small streets it can be somewhat confusing for taxi drivers to find.
They do have a map on their website that you can print out and take with
you. It is about a 5 minute walk to the closest bus station and a 10-12
minute walk to the Hua Lamphong Metro stop (which is the last stop at
this end of the Metro. The hotel is also located within about the same
distance walking of the big train station and Chinatown. This is 3-story
hotel that opened in mid 2007. It is a very clean hotel - you must put
your shoes in wooden lockers and put on one of their provided sandals
before you walk upstairs. Prices start at about 800 which is a little
high based on the fact that the bathrooms and showers are shared.
Internet access is downstairs (2 consoles available) and are coin
operated with 10 baht coins only. As of press time the price was a
reasonable 20 baht per hour. The water is low flow and all spigots will
fluctuate in pressure |
|
 |
|
every 10-15 seconds (part of the water saving). There is also a
small kitchen downstairs. The staff is friendly and very helpful and can have a taxi waiting for
you, even in the wee hours of the night or morning. For more information
email cozybangkok@hotmail.com,
call: (662) 6119178 or visit:
www.cozybangkok.com
|
|
