For our 4D3N at Bangkok, I found a reasonably-priced hotel at the central area -
Hotel Vista Express.
Hotel Vista Express.
#1 Convenience
Alight at BTS Ratchaprarop and cut through the streets to get to the hotel. It might be slightly hard to find from the BTS, and especially when you've to pull luggage along the rocky roads, but it's easy to navigate your way from the malls.
It's about 2-minute walk to Shibuya Mall, 5- minute (or 10, if you climb the stairs slowly) walk to Platinum Mall; basically a hotel that's near to shopping malls! From the prev post, you'd see how we managed to walk to MBK and Siam, so it's really very convenient!
Tip: Make use of any malls and hotels as your landmark! You'll know if you're getting near your destination. Google Map is always your international bestfriend.
#2 True to photos
We made the hotel booking through Expedia, and it's definitely true to photos. I'm not too sure about other rooms, but I find both of our rooms very clean and tidy! Some reviews mentioned dirty carpets, stinky toilets, dusty bed sheets, torn pillow cases etc. But ours was the exact opposite: everything CLEAN. Only one of the bed sheets had a small hole, but that was just the first layer of the bed, which obviously didn't matter since it's covered up. It wasn't a ridiculous wear and tear anyway!
Apart from that, I'm sure you'll notice how spacious both rooms were. 5 of us have had more than enough space to move around in the first king-size bed room. One night, we even have dinner together in the room!
#3 Budget
It costed us only S$640 for 2 rooms, 5 pax, for 4D3N. You do the math! I find it very cheap considering that the rooms were comfortable and pretty with minimal interior design, and that it's located at Platinum area.
Since it's budget, have no expectations of the breakfast buffet they offer. It was quite limited, but I'm glad they change the menu daily. I think they can do better in serving more bread and have less oily dishes. It felt almost like tze char style for breakfast and I find it too heavy.
Note: No microwave oven in the room, but convenience stores like 7-11 can heat up food for you. Once we exit out of hotel, there's already one 7-11 so you can bring the food up to your room and still have it warm.
Note 2: No hotel slippers, so don't expect to walk around with fluffy white slippers.
Other than those things, most of the basic amenities are provided, and the toilet was really comfortable to use.
#4 Friendly, helpful staff
Throughout the entire stay, all the staff were very friendly and helpful. One particular staff that were very friendly was Somkid, an uncle-looking staff! We also managed to get a taxi booking with the help of the receptionist, and most of them could communicate well in English so don't worry about communication breakdown.
The hotel is located at one of the alleys which can be kinda dark and quiet, with all the street stalls closing at 4PM. However, there will be staff smoking outside and some will be at the hotel lobby to keep a look out. You'll be safe even if you return back at 8-10PM!
Generally we all enjoyed our stay here, but if you're looking for super convenient hotel, slightly luxurious, with a view, then this is not for you. You can try other alternatives such as Grand Diamond Suite which is highly recommended by most Singaporeans who often travel to BKK! They offer wider range of breakfast, and their rooms have living room! Otherwise, cheaper hotels are usually located along the alleys, requiring some walking to the malls.
Hope this guide is helpful for anyone who're planning a short and cheaper trip to Bangkok! Feel free to leave me comments on recommendations on hotels in Bangkok, I'd love to come back to Bangkok again!
x.