Has anyone stayed here?? Do you think it will be a good place with 2 small kids? Thanks.

I haven't been in the place for ages. It is a very old hotel, but the location is okay, if a bit sleazy. The greatest concern if you're with kids is that there's construction going on right in front of the hotel, so you'll need to keep an eye on them.

one of our regulars has stayed there...he may chime in on it...

but generally i would take a pass on it...its very old and i find the lobby totally depressing...

Thanks. It seems the hotels with the cheap internet deals are the old run down ones. I'll keep looking. How soon in advance do you think I need to get this taken care of?

We stayed there last fall - my 30-year-old daughter and me. We loved the location because it was right in the thick of things with non-stop activity from the minute we walked out the front door. Tuk-tuks, sidewalk vendors, pushcarts, etc. We loved it! But for that very reason, I would not recommend it for a family with two small children. You would need to hold their hands tightly every second.

As far as the hotel itself is concerned, it has seen better days. The decor in the public areas is dark and outdated, but it was clean and neat. No problem that way - I would not call it rundown. Our room had just been remodeled, top to bottom, and it was fine. Nothing special and rather basic, but it met our needs. The breakfast buffet was quite good with a wide choice of Western and Asian foods.

The price is good, I like the location very much, and I would stay there again in order to save a bit of money. But for small children, I'd say no. And it has nothing to do with the adult entertainment which is a couple blocks away.

take a look at the majestic grande hotel in the same area.....also the rembrandt....but i still think you best bet is the serviced apartments....when are you planning to go??

We will be there from Dec 2 - 8th and then we go to Karachi to visit family.

I agree with some of the other posts, good location, some construction on one side of the hotel and perhaps not so good when you have kids with you. Other hotels near the Ambassador are the Grand Business Inn on Sukhumvit Soi 11 and the Swiss Park at the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 1 and Soi 11/1. Some bars in this area if that is a problem! Real close to the Nana Skytrain stop which is a plus!

Check out these two other hotels. They are in a mostly "bar free area" and with lots of street vendors, restaurants, shops and other interests around you.

Asia Hotel, right on a Skytrain stop. On Phetchaburi Road, about 5 minutes away are several malls, even a computer mall (Panthip Plaza) and mini garment center near the Baiyoke Tower Hotel.

Not far from the Asia Hotel, where the nearest Skytrain stop is located, is the First Hotel. Like the Asia Hotel, this is in a mostly "bar free" area. The First Hotel is located on 2 Phetchaburi Road. I think this hotel would be okay for kids.

You might want to put a hotel card in the pockets of your children's clothes. This card will help the police locate you if you become separated from them some how.

Good luck.

Somerset Suwan Park View apartment hotel is really quite child friendly. I stayed there 9 days in July and saw a lot of families there. The location is a very short walk from Chitlom skytrain station.

The Bangkok Holiday Inn is a comfortable hotel in a super location, as far as shopping the dining. It is right at Chitlom station.

waheed: i stayed at ambassador this past may 2007 for 2 weeks. i have stayed there maybe 4 times over 28 years of traveling to bkk. this time i wished i hadnt! they were planning a total renovation covering may 2007, but i got word they had delayed it until july to last until january 2008. even in may they were jackhammering up the granite plaza around the hotel, and you also have a giant building going up (although perhaps all the pile driving is completed) but that makes the view terrible.

the hotel is definately shopworn.the regular room building is cheapest but worse than the tower. the carpets, beds, furniture are ready to be tossed. the bathroom fixtures are worn, rusted, and hard to shut the water off when done. the corridor is dingy and ill-lit. the lobby is dark and uninviting, and the pool is just a cement hole with no ambiance or asthetics. while the location is great, i think you will be disappointed staying there with kids. would you need 2 rooms? noty worth the price although they do have adjoining rooms with inside doors. you didnt mention the ages. you also didnt your budget. last year i took my 7yo daughter and my wife and we stayed at the marriott resort and spa on the river. it is very kid friendly and she loved it, especially the pool. lots of kids there but you never get the feeling of being crowded. the cost is up this year and the dollar weaker to the baht, but it is safe and well appointed with a terrific breakfast buffet. they also have a kids program that is free and well supervised. they have activities and games and you dont need to worry.

if you need to stay along sukumvit road area, pick the majestic grande. swiss pask is close to the ambassador but equally run down and no facilities there and it backs up to the construction. its also in a low end commercial side street. the grand busn inn is also on soi 11 close to the swiss park but doesnt have a pool and perhaps is mostly business trade. its newer but not for kids. i wouldnt worry about the nana entertainment plaza. it is in a cul-de-sac adn while the girls and men may spill out to soi 4, it isnt something that is going to bother you. i had my daughter by there several times and it is ok. nothing overt or offensive if you are not looking for it. i think you would have to walk past it if you stay at majestic going to sukumvit road. just a guess, but if you require halal prepared food, across sukumvit is a muslim area with lots of restaurants. i worked in saudi arabia for 6 years adn still go to the restaurants. its a little run down, but safe. take rhkkmk advice as he is an expert on bkk! if you post futher info on your budget and kids ages, maybe we can give you better tips. good luck.

Thanks this is great advise!
We are stopping in BKK enroute to Karachi. Staying from Dec2-8th. Our girls are 6 and 3. Want to keep the hotel around $100 per night. Need a pool, halal food, and mosque. I am open to staying near the river but I think Nana station is better to make the shopping easier. We plan to shop alot!

i am uncertain where a mosque is but certainly the arabic restaurant area on sukumvit must have one near soi 3.

use the booking sites to look at the hotel options in the sukumvit/soi area maybe up to soi 9 (odd numbered side streets are all on the same side) grace hotel may be good if you require 2 rooms. majestic grande, zenith sukumvit hotel on soi 3 is undergoing construction floor by floor so it may not be good now, omni tower serviced residences is soi 4, bel air princess on soi 5.maybe royal benji hotel soi 5.

Haroth, thank you for the update on the Ambassador Hotel. It sounds like it has gone downhill quite a bit since my stay there less than a year ago. It's funny because our room had been totally renovated -- it sounds like it was the only room in the entire hotel that had been updated! I will scratch if from my list for now.

Don't give up on the Ambassador. Right nown is not a good time though since there is still major construction around the hotel and the hotel itself is being renovated. The Tower Wing rooms are being worked on from now until early 2008 and the Main Wing rooms in 2008.

Nextdoor is the Ambassador Royal Suite apartment hotel that looks interesting and seems to have good prices. A two bedroom is around $120 net.
thailandservicedapartments.com/ambassadorroyalsuite/index.htm