Booked your flights to Bangkok but you haven’t a clue where to hunker down once you’re there? Fear not, we’ve combed the cream of the city-based crop to find hotels to suit any type of traveller and budget. The CBD is the beating heart of the city. Wherever you stay, the Skytrain ensures you can navigate the city quickly, easily and, above all, cheaply. So you won’t go far wrong.
Whether it’s a hip hostel, boutique bolthole or skyscraper hotel, there’s accommodation in Bangkok to suit everyone. There are also not-so-nice places to stay, where cockroaches make for unwelcome bedfellows, which is why we’ve bedded down anywhere and everywhere so you can skip the bad and ugly and head straight for the good. When it comes to areas, there are three worth hunkering down in: Sukhumvit, an ex-pat area brimming with high-end stays; Silom, a nocturnal playground packed with party hotels; and Khao San Road, a haven for backpackers and budget travellers.
1. For budget backpackers
Lub D Hostel, www.lubd.com
Backpackers have never had it so good as they have at Lub D Hostel: there are two outposts to choose from – one in Silom, the other in the cultural hub of Siam Square – but both are equally as good. Weary travellers can expect a whole load of luxury for their penny-pinching, including air-conditioned rooms that range from doubles with queen-size beds and en-suite bathrooms to 12-bed dorms, a lobby with 24-hour WiFi with those all-important emails back home, and a communal theatre with wall-mounted flatscreen TV and plush beanbags to sink into. There’s also a chic café and bar, as well as a dedicated women-only area. Though let’s face it — in Bangkok, the distinction between the two is blurred.
2. For party animals
Le Fenix Sukhumvit, www.lefenix-sukhumvit.com
All clean lines and sleek surfaces, Le Fenix Sukhumvit is like something straight from the pages of a glossy design mag – and doesn’t charge the earth for it. Conveniently located in clubbing central – the clue’s in the name – the hotel bridges the gap between budget and boutique with 147 designer rooms – think low beds and floor-to-ceiling glass windows set against a stark backdrop of white on white — a restaurant, fitness centre, indoor pool and lobby bar. The crowning glory — quite literally, in this case – is Nest, a destination watering hole on the roof to get the party started before stepping foot outside. Who knew chains – in this case, Accor Hotels – could be quite so chic?
3. For business travellers
Banyan Tree, www.banyantree.com
It’s not just the rooftop bar and restaurant that gets guests through the doors at the Banyan Tree, though Moon Bar and Vertigo are unquestionably destinations unto themselves: 327 ludicrously luxurious rooms and suites, six other dining/drinking options, an on-site spa, outdoor swimming pool and awe-inspiring views through floor-to-ceiling windows from pretty much anywhere inside. It’s certainly not the cheapest stay in Bangkok, but you get a lot of bang for your Baht with enough facilities stuffed inside to keep you from leaving – though we suggest you do, eventually. With everything found in Sathorn, close to all the shops and entertainment of Silom, it would be plain rude not to.
4. For families
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa
As Bangkok’s only true resort hotel – complete with swaying palms, oasis-style pool and island-inspired architecture – the Marriott is found on the banks of Chao Phraya River and is a hit with those with kids in tow. The dedicated children’s pool is its USP – highly unusual in what is an otherwise adult-orientated city – as well as loaded activity programme for little ones and an on-site babysitting service. What’s more, the rooms – all 413 of them – are super-sized, meaning there’s plenty of room for the brood to run wild in. And when it comes to in-house amenities, the hotel doesn’t disappoint: there’s a slew of slick restaurants – from upscale Benihana to the family-friendly Market Restaurant – as well as a host of bars, a full-equipped gym and a destination spa. It’s just 20 minutes to the city centre, too, meaning the chaos of Bangkok is never too far away.
