Bangkok Hotel Dilemma
 

I know there's a rich library of former posts on Bangkok hotels. But I'm staying 3 night at the beginnning of my trip (before heading to Luang Prabang and Cambodia) and then 2 nights at the end. We're staying at the Old Bangkok Inn those first 3 nights - I wanted to stay at a smaller spot, near the old city - don't care so much about shopping (other than getting some tailoring done). The question is what makes sense on those last two nights. I've been thinking about staying at The Eugenia - seems very nice and while out a bit just off Sukhumvit Rd. on Soi 31 also near some solid restaurants that I wouldn't mind checking out at the tail end when I may finally be sick of street food and the like - Ruen Mallika, Le Dalat and Le Banyan. I know lots of people here swear by either the Oriental or the Peninsula. I'm generally wary of staying in the big hotels in a foreign city since I figure you get more local flavor at a smaller place and are generally in a more residential neighborhood, or at least not in the concrete jungle of huge hotels. That said, I'm thinking if perhaps at the end of my trip, after two weeks of Luang Prabang, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh whether two nights in modern luxury at the Oriental or the Peninsula will be just what hte doctor ordered. Any thoughts on those two versus the Eugenia or even Chakrabongse Villas - i'm inclined not to stay at Old Bangkok Inn on the return since I feel like its nice to stayin a slightly different place in the city - although given Bangkok I wonder if that familiarity is valuable and worthwhile....

You might want to check out the Marriott Resort and Spa on the river- nice pool, all around a nice place and not as expensive as the Penn or Oriental. I give it 4 stars.

There have been a number of reviews of the Chakrabongse Villas here (do a search). The Eugenia is a place I expect you'll either love or hate. Have you looked at the website? For me everything looks great until you see that the place is full of dead animals. I'm no PETA radical, I'm not even vegetarian any more, but I would be bothered by all the animal heads and skins.

You mention that you'd like to be close to the old city. Soi 31 is not that, but it does have nice restaurants around. Smaller places near the old city include the Arun Residence, the Chakrabongse Villas, and the Ibrik by the river.

all of bkk is a concrete jungle quite honestly....but many of us prefer the river locations as a bit of a tradeoff....i personally think the air is fresher and a bit cooler...

i vot for the marriott resort or the penn....penn is unique...

what's the deal with the sawadee hotel booking website - the prices there (I checked for both the eugenia and the pen) seem cheaper than any of the quotes on the hotel's websites.....is sawadee definitely the way to go? any idea what explains this?

I regularly use sawadee for hotels in Thailand. It's a hotel discount website, so it does have good rates. Occasionally, I find better rates from the hotels itself, but for most places sawadee is the best.

Can anybody generally give me a flavor of the difference between the Sukhumvit area (is that Silom?) and the area around Chinatown/Banglamphu (I'm thinking specifically of the Old Bangkok Inn and Baan Chatra)? I've never been to Bangkok but in my head I imagine that latter as the older part of the city, irregular lanes, lots of small storefronts and shops, lots of street food, bustling, etc. And Sukhumvit as a major thoroughfare, with the neighborhoods shooting off as "authentically Bangkok" but more modern, perhaps a bit staid and with greater distances in between - wondering if I were to stay at the Eugenia on Soi 31 would I be a bit marooned with nothing nearby to walk around to....or is it actually a very charming and walkable neighborhood in and of itself? Thanks!

the sukhumvit area is a very diverse area....it houses, buninesses, hotels, residences, tons of restaurants, an adult entertainment area or two,it can be sleezy in one area and very nice in other areas...it is a very long road...soi are the roads which run off of it...soi 4 is the main adult area....even sois are on the right and odd on the left, but numbers and locations do not follow opposite each other...23 can be across from 36 for instance...

chinatown is generally a huge business district...generally the hotels there are not very nice...old bkk inn is not really in chinatown, but more in the area near government buildings....it is not the most convenient area, imo...

If you stay at the Eugenia on Soi 31, you'll be far from isolated. A walk out to Sukhumvit and you'll be in the middle of it all. Across for Soi 31 is Soi 22 and Soi 20. I think the Eugenia is probably a 10 minute walk to Sukhumvit.

Is the area around the Old Bangkok Inn...charming? In what way is it inconvenient? I may just be having fantasies of "The King and I" or something from the late 60s and American GIs going on leave to Bangkok.....but what is the most atmospheric area/hotel in that area for a bustling but "real" neighborhood - if that exists anymore?