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Hotel Choice - Lebua State Tower (Silom) vs. S31 Sukhumvit

Hotel Choice - Lebua State Tower (Silom) vs. S31 Sukhumvit

Old Jun 21st, 2010, 01:17 PM
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Hotel Choice - Lebua State Tower (Silom) vs. S31 Sukhumvit

My boyfriend and I are going to Bangkok in mid-July and we already booked 3 nights at the S31 Sukhumvit. However, we just found a great deal for the Riverview Suite at the Lebua State Tower in Silom. The final price comes to around the same (~$30 total difference), both include breakfast, both have large rooms with kitchenettes (Lebua has a stove as well) and both have pretty good reviews, although Lebua has more reviews than S31. So here's my dilemma:

1. Which area is better? We are only in BKK for 2 days and we will be jetlagged so location is key.
2. Any personal experiences with either hotel would be great. Obviously, I've read the reviews on Fodors, Agoda, Tripadvisor etc - but any other thoughts from fodorites would be helpful.
3. Is there a reason that Lebua is so cheap? It's coming to about $85 a night and seems to be worth a lot more than that. Some of the reviews seemed to indicate that they need to lower prices to attract customers - has anyone stayed there who has personal experience?
4. S31 is fully refundable where as Lebua is not - is that something to consider, considering the recent riots, in case we want to skip BKK entirely in our trip?

Any help would be great!
Thanks
goingtoitaly is offline  
Old Jun 21st, 2010, 01:42 PM
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As for Labua, I had a walkthrough of the place some years ago when it had a different name. I was shown quite a few of the apartments. It was OK, but I remember that it wasn't possible to open the balcony doors to use the balcony due to the building being so tall and some law prohibiting it. That's what I was told by the person showing me around. It didn't make since to me as my serviced apartment is nearly 40 floors up in my building and I have total access to my balcony. If I'm going to pay extra for a balcony then I want to be able to access it. So, that's something to checkout.


As for location, Labua is in Silom and S31 is in Sukhumvit. I personally much prefer Sukhumvit over Silom and when in Bangkok stay in Sukhumvit. It's lively in Sukhumvit. Plus S31, according to the hotel website, is only a 5-minute walk from Asoke skytrain station which is on the Sukhumvit east west line which is convenient. Happy Travels!
Guenmai is offline  
Old Jun 21st, 2010, 01:42 PM
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I haven't stayed at either one, so my info comes from my general knowledge of Bangkok and from a friend who did look at the Lebua.

For you, close access to the Skytrain will be important. It looks like S31's access will be good, from the map. They say 5 minute walk, it may be a bit more, but it's close by. It's notable to me that the Lebua website doesn't say how close it is to a skytrain stop. The skytrain runs by Lebua, but I'm not sure how far the walk would be to a station. Given that Lebua bills itself as a "riverside" hotel, I'd take anything they say with a large serving of salt. (Lebua is by no means a riverside hotel.)

A friend of mine took a good look at Lebua. It was formerly a serviced apartment building (which is why they have kitchenettes). She reported that the rooms were quite dark, sort of claustrophobic. She also reported that there is "no way" Lebua is 5 stars.
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 03:45 PM
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I'd stick with S31 if I were you. It will be in a much handier location.
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 06:20 PM
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i always wonder about lebua....we never read about anyone staying there but read often about people staying in the same area....there must be a problem, but of course the building houses many wellknown attractions like the sky bar...
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 06:57 PM
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I do not understand these comments at all. The Lebua IS a 5-star hotel, and it faces the river, with great views. It is only a 5 minute walk to BTS station Saphan Taksin, from where you can also get on the ferries. The sky restaurants at the lebua are very nice, although very expensive. The area is not too bad, although a little south. S31 is a new hotel on Sukhumvit. Sukhumvit is very lively indeed, but that area is the red light district and at night you will see plenty of streetwalkers parading around, with tons of overweight abd aged foreigners holding hands with the young prostitutes. Other than than kind of excitement, there is nothing in this part of town that will be interesting to you.
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 07:00 PM
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And just to add to it, the Lebua is in State Tower. The lower floors are offices, the middle floors are apartments and the upper ones are now the hotel. If you want to see more of the real bangkok stay there. Sukhumvit, as I said is not the real Bangkok, it is just the red light district: a place where everyone is a foreigner (including the girls, the beggars and the patrons)
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 07:48 PM
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>

How absolutely wrong can you be? Have you been to Bangkok??

Sukhumvit's only interest is the red-light district? How about shops, restaurants, street food, spas, culture, etc, etc, etc?

<shakes head>

goingtoitaly, take the others' advice to heed. Stay in Sukhumvit--it's definitely central and you will not see prostitutes galavanting around the street corners (unless you venture down Soi Cowboy...something you'd do by choice.)

Lebua is basically an office tower with serviced apartments and, other than a few nice (and obnoxiously-priced) restaurants and bars, you really aren't getting all that much and the location isn't ideal.

For a first-time visit, Sukhumvit is perfect and central. I'd always recommend staying on the water, but you're not there long enough to really make the extra trek worth it.
filmwill is offline  
Old Jun 22nd, 2010, 12:04 AM
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I agree Kathie. What I saw of Lebua, I wouldn't rate it a 5-star. And others have commented the same. Plus, since the building is so tall, it can take a while on the elevator if one has been assigned way up. My ears were popping on the way up in the elevator.

I'd definitely pick Sukhumvit over the Lebua area. And as for Sukhumvit being an all red light, district, huh? I've stayed in Sukhumvit for 5 years...Prom Phong BTS...and it's not a red light district. Parts of Nana are, but that's one area, of big Sukhumvit, and not all of Nana is even a red light district. Happy Travels!
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Old Jun 22nd, 2010, 09:14 AM
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Thank you so much! This is great information. We kept vacillating on which hotel was better so this helped us decide on S31. I appreciate the information!
goingtoitaly is offline  
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