Often asked here is the question where to stay in Bangkok. We have been there 4 times befor and like to try a new hotel each time. Previously we have stayed in Royal Orchid Sheraton, Peninsula, Bangkok Marriott and Swissotel Nai Lert.
This time we are considering Pullman King Power, Pathumwan Princess, Lebua State, Imperial Queens Park and Banyan tree. Need some Pros and Cons.

The Bangkok Inn has gotten many good reviews on this forum. Do a search and you'll see.

banyon tree is an all suite hotel, quite expensive, located on sathorn rd. in a mostly embassey/business district....it is a high rise.....it has great restaurants...some of us feel that the area is not one where you just walk out from so in that respect it is less convenient, but honestly it is not bad if you plan to use taxis...skytrain is a ways but not all that far...

lebua is in the state bldg. at the base of silom rd....decent location, near to skytrain and restaurants and shopping.....gets decent reviews...

pathumwan is a budget hotel i believe near siam

do not know pullman

have not stayed in any of them but have visited a couple for restaurants...

A split-level suite at the Metropolitan. I know it's not on your list, but just had to throw that one in. Smiles. Happy Travels!

I just noticed that you listed Imperial Queen's Park...is that the one right off of Sukhumvit between soi 22 and Emporium? I think that's the one that I have a clear view of from my terrace and that doesn't look too inviting, to say the least. If that's the one, then someone recently commented on how worn it looks. Do a search. Happy Travels!

I've stayed at Banyan Tree many times and Lebua three times.

Lebua for a cheap internet rate. Check out the packages there. Go eat at Sirocco as part of that. Huge rooms. Totally anonymous - but sometimes that's all you need. Very good breakfast that goes till 11.00 a.m..

If its personalized service you want then the Club rooms at Banyan Tree are great. You'll get a lot of love from the Lounge - well, everyone really. I like it a lot - but, like you, am trying different hotels each time now.

Now that I'm familiar with Bangkok, I'm checking out all the 'boutique' hotels. It's a lot cheaper than staying at the Banyan Tree...

Dream Hotel, Siam @ Siam, Eugenia, Shanghai-Inn - there's a lot more to go.

Check the Landmark on Sukhumvit. The Landmark is real close to the Nana Skytrain stop, restaurants, malls, etc.

The Patumwan Princess is not really a budget hotel, especially since it's makeover. It's location is a real plus, on top of MBK. Plus, it has a big salt-water pool and one of the biggest health clubs in Bangkok.

The Pullman is new. Was going to be a Novotel but Accor decided to put the Pullman brand on it instead. It's on top of the big duty free mall near the Victory monument. The location is 'unusual' but not that bad. About a 5 minute walk from the Skytrain and there are some good restaurants nearby, including, I think, one of Brad's favorites.

The Eugenia sounded great to me until I saw all the animal heads on the walls! Some people will love it, others will be turned off by it. Look at the photos on their website and you should get a sense of whether it's for you.

Dogster, any comments on any of the newer boutique hotels?

I didn't care for Lebua. Room was dark and elevators took forever. Best part is having the rooftop bars/restaurants, but they are pricey. My favorite is the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. Excellent BTS access and it's a good central location (I'm not a river person and my wife enjoys the Sukhumvit area much more).

I have stayed in the Landmark and the Pathuwam Princess. Both good hotels. I am returning in July and staying again at the Pathuwam. You can't beat it for location. MBK located a step from the lobby. You don't have to walk far to drop those bags and start again. It is also a walk through the shops to the skytrain.
Landmark was great but we didn't think the location was as good.

Kathie: have you observed a single moment when dogster DIDN'T have an opinion?

I think we should start a separate thread for boutique hotels. Nobody much in here seems to like them as much as me tho...

Got great rates at Lebua this past summer so we gave it a shot. Agree that the rooms were dark but that didn't bother us. They were clean & spacious with a big marble bathroom- shower & tub seperate Brekkie buffet was great with everything you can think of. Pool was nothing exceptional except that we could keep an eye on our kids through the glass windows as we used the Fitness Center We enjoyed our stay with the exception of spotty service here & there. Location was great with the BTS in the back door & the market & grocery store also close by.

Rates have doubled for our March trip so we'll be giving either the Intercon or HI in Ploenchit a try using our PC points. Looking forward to having a lot of shopping destinations either at our doorstep or a quick BTS ride away.

Although I think first time visitors would most enjoy staying on the river, it isn't necessary for repeat visitors. We just spent 3 nights at the Metropolitan Hotel, next to the Banyan Tree. A spacious and gracious room, lovely bath, great breakfast, and friendly staff. The owner is a yoga devotee and there are yoga mats in every room; the fitness center and pool are quite nice. The price was very reasonable. You do have to walk 10 minutes or so to the Skytrain, but we didn't mind it at all.

as a multi-repeat visitor i still prefer the river locations, but i also stay occasionally in town...i do not see it as an advantage....i think the river stays offer many more advantages, not the least of which is perceived cleaner and cooler air.....

Dogster, there have been quite a number of boutique hotel threads in the past couple of years. There are a good number of travelers interested in them. All of the hotels you mention have been mentioned before, but I don't think we've had any first hand accounts of stays at any of them. We have had accounts of visits to several, like Siam@Siam. SO please do start a thread about boutique hotels in Bangkok. I'm sure others will join in.

Thank you all for your inputs. However this year as last year we will stay at Swissotel Nai Lert Park again. This will be against our principles that is to try a new hotel each time. This will be our 5th visit to Bangkok and we got a superdeal on an Alcove Suite through hotels.com. I have noticed that Swissotel is not the most popular hotel on this board, but it is a very good hotel, the rooms what you would expect from a 5 star hotel, breakfast equals the other hotels we have stayed in in Bangkok (was actually a bit disapointet with the Peninsula breakfast), service level the same. The big plus of this hotel is the garden and pool area, really beautiful ( I think even better than Marriott!!!). Location not to bad, short walk to central chitlom wich have a super food court. From there not too far to public transportation (2 minutes).

Look into Sukhothai, an absolutely gorgeous hotel. It's in the downtown area, near the night markets. Depending on your length of stay, you can get a guaranteed upgrade at booking + free breakfast + negotiated rates through Virtuoso.

Dogster-- I LOVE boutique hotels and generally stay at them because I like hotels with some personality. The one exception is in Bangkok where I stay at the Oriental because even though it's large it feels intimate. However, if I were to switch it would only be to a boutique hotel. One thing that I find however is that everyone has a different opinion of what a boutique hotel is. For me it has to have less than 50 (and preferably less than 30) rooms. Others consider a boutique hotel one that has 150 rooms.