bangkok hotels
 

Does anyone have any opinions about the following:

Ariston
Bel Aire Princess
Grand Mercure Bangkok Park
or Nana
If not does anyone have a recommendation for a hotel in the 40-50 US range?

Lloyd

nana is where my jeweler is located....it is a dump really....the lobby is full of western men, ages 35-90, and their thai girl friends....

i suspect the rooms are old and a bit seedy also....you would be very disappointed, but the location is fabulous...

jamesA may have some good suggestions for you as he is very familiar with some of the less expensive hotels...if he answers go with what he suggests...

omni on same street with nana is much better

Try Reflections - it was recently reviewed by NY Times. http://www.eatsleepgo.com/Bangkok.html

What did the review say - could be good or bad :) ?

The Bel Air and the Grand Mercure are about the same in quality (31/2*) and both in fair locations on Sukhumvit Road.

Bel-Aire Princess on Soi 5 has gone through a recent renovation with nice new reception and stylish cafe and the rooms on the upper floors have been redone. The rooms are average size with either two queen-size beds or one king and include a safe. Try to get a room at the back of the hotel overlooking Soi 7 for the most light and a nice view. Staff are friendly and it is about a 10 minute walk to the nearest skytrain at Nana. Lots of action around the lower soi's.

Grand Mercure Park Avenue Soi 22, is a
well run hotel and now managed by Acord. All the deluxe rooms have been redone and they and the superior ones are of a nice size but the bathroom is small. Those rooms that have not been redone are kind of worn looking so spring for a deluxe for a few extra $. Pool is small but in a bright and sunny area. Around an 8 minute walk to skytrain and up-market Emporium mall. Lots of good restaurants nearby.

Don't know anything about the Ariston

Nana is a gentlemens hotel of a 2 star nature and is always busy. Some rave about it while others call it a dump. Stay here one night and see the other side of Bangkok. And yes you will see lots of young, middle age and old with their young Thai girlfriends but you see this also in lots of hotels at breakfast time even the 5 star ones.

If you want to stay up near where most of the shopping malls are, in the siam square area, then the Asia hotel, the Arnoma or the Holiday Mansion fall within your budget or close to it.

good point scooters.. "You will see 'ladies' in any hotel including upscale places but I guess my man RHK thinks they are all secretaries and professionals. LOL.

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IF your a guy who wants to have "fun" in bkk then Nana hotel is the most famous hotel in town. I would not bring my wifey or children there. during the mid day it may look nice enough to go to the jeweler but once the club opens its a whole different place and when the club closes the parking lot turns into one of the worlds most seedy meat markets
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reflections is a bit out of the way yet close enough to ari BTS stationn. this is small artsy boutique place that may be better off for those that have already been to BKK many times and want to try something different

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the hotels/service apartments on sukunvit 11 are very well located and seem to offer a good value.
-grand president $55
-ambassador hotel $42

www.asiatravel.com

psst... orgy... lloydboy is planning his honeymoon.

I agree with orgy that Grand President is a good value. The location is near the skytrain station at Nana, but not in the "seedy" part like the Nana Hotel. A friend is staying at Grand President as we speak, and is very pleased. I've also stayed there once, a few years ago. The apts are nicely furnished.
Carol

lloyd---if in fact this is your honeymoon, then you have to stretch your budget for your bkk hotel and stay at the marriott resort and spa on the river....perfect for honeymoon!!

I know... that's what I tell HER. but she sees cheap accomodations and drools. She's Brasilian and thinks that spending money when you're just going to sleep there is a waste.
For myself I'm saying " For crying out loud, you only have a honeymoon once !!! If there is EVER going to be a time to splurge it's now. "
It has been all I can do to get her to not go for a $5 a night guesthouse on Khao San.
She makes WAY more money than I do, and it's not like we're hurting or anything...but we are trying to watch it a little ( to pay off a couple of debts ).
My real convincing point to get her to centre point Silom ( or something else in the $ 80 dollar range is that if you're gonna spend 5 - 6 grand on va-ca what difference is 2 or 3 hundred more on a room in BKK?
She's a massage therapist by the way, and after the honeymoon she's going to stay on for 2 weeks in Chiang Mai ( Baan Orapin ) and have a friend join her for a Thai Massage class.

Lloyd

I'm looking at Omni tower too...

Lloyd

if you can't stretch it to the marriott, and i certainly understand that, then centre point silom would be a good alternative....far better than omni for the small difference in price...

the difference from the low cost places to the medium prices places is huge....the low cost places can be really bad!!

if she has her boyfriend joining her in chiang mai for two weeks, then i think you could have a couple of days at the nana hotel with your choice of "friends"....haha

Oh,
haha
very funny...
it is to laugh...

Actually she's taking the course with her best friend...
a female friend...
we've joked about her latent lesbianism before but I KNOW that she prefers burrito to bearded clam.
What's really funny is that I get creeped out by the whole skin trade ( turning people into commodities is something that I find kind of gross ). Not that I have any objections to what consenting adults do, it's just kind of nauseates me. But SHE is the one that wants to take me to the " naughty places " !!!

Is this TT or Fodors? Happy Travels!

Bob brings out the worst in everyone. It's clearly his fault.

Two weeks ago, we met a friend who was staying at the Tarntawan Hotel - it's near the Sala Daeng stop on the Skytrain, but I'm not sure of the exact address. He paid about $55 per night, and I saw the room - it was lovely - large and a granite tile bathroom. It was also situated right off Silom Rd, so it was a short walk to the subway, as well.

lol my thai GF is the same. I get a good ear full if I spend more then $10 on a hotel. I traveled with her to singapore during the holidays, we stayed the night at the gallery hotel which costs $80 a night but I have yet to tell her how much it cost. I HOPE she doesn't read this post.

orgy---i'm not sure about that relationship...it is usually the woman who keeps a secret about costs or just lies about them....

the emerald hotel is surrounded by bathhouses that treat the bath as a prelude to other adventures. i don't think the location is good as your options are limited. granted its close to the mrt. suk would be my choice.

last time i ck, landmark was at $57 all in.