Extreme Hotels in Bangkok

The Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok- one of the most luxurious five-star hotels in town - successfully manages to match the challenge implied by its name.

The hotel is a bit too far from the main shopping centers in town, but the Tha Sathon pier offers access to the Chao Praya River ferries and the nearby Saphan Taksin Skytrain station offers a superb access to downtown Bangkok. The Skytrain is the fastest way to move in central Bangkok during the day and Silom - the main business district in town - is just minutes away. Despite the neighbor metropolis, the hotel manages to impart a sense of deep tranquility due to the lush tropical gardens around it and the nearby Chao Praya River.

The most economic deal here begins at $175 per night at the main wing (not including 17.70% tax), which is a bargain considering the quality and quantity of the facilities and luxury provided. It is very hard to surprise with the list of the rooms features: a mini-bar and refrigerator, coffee and tea making facilities, air-conditioning, color television with satellite, cables and in-house movies, high-speed broadband internet access, IDD telephone, an electronic safe deposit box, music channels and an overwhelming bathroom with luxurious bathrobes. But it is not that what makes the place worthwhile since most of the three-stars and up hotels in town provide the same facilities; the point is the top-quality of each one of these items. While checking-in it is recommended to ask if the internet services are included in the room's price since not all the offers include it.

It is possible to improve the basic deal just by adding twenty dollars, and get a clear view of the Chao Praya riverside and the two swimming pools next to it. A further upscale, choosing a $220 deal results in a room at the Krungthep Wing, with a gorgeous balcony, a Thai Massage by the pool and a buffet breakfast.

Other services which are not related to the room taken are: same-day laundry and valet service, a shopping arcade, a shuttle service to the central business district, a limousine service, a travel agency and a 24-hour clinic. The hotel spa is superb and has a Chinese style orientation (using ancient healing traditions of China and the Himalayas according to the staff): a refreshing change from the usual Thai Massage in Bangkok.

Nine bars and restaurants complete the picture. They include Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Italian cuisine. It is impossible to sample them all in a short visit; the Riverside Lounge proved to be an excellent choice for me, with an excellent service and a complex menu which included cocktails, coffee, pastries and light meals to be consumed while enjoying the extraordinary views of the Chao Praya River.

The Oriental is considered to be one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, yet the prices of the rooms begin at just $289 for the regular rooms. However, the luxury package begins at $1299 per night - not including the many extras available. Even for the not-wealthy traveler this is a golden opportunity to enjoy Thai luxury at least for one night; few world-class hotels are priced so modestly.

The hotel is next to the Chao Phrya River and not very far from the main shopping centers in Bangkok, especially from the Silom business district. A few blocks to the south, just after crossing the Shangri-La Hotel, are the Tha Sathon pier of the Chao Praya River ferries and the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station in its vicinity offers a superb access to downtown Bangkok. The Oriental is well over one hundred years old and hides behind an unpresumptuous structure; entering, the guest is transferred into a world of comfort, opulence and pure joy.

The rooms are sumptuous - the Thai silk flows in them as water in the nearby Chao Praya - and include a private butler service, a luxurious desk with built-in Internet plugs, a fax machine and printer on request, three IDD telephones with two lines, air-conditioning and humidity control, a color TV with in-house movies, cables and satellite services, a solid safe, a bathrobe and slippers, and an incredible Bose music system including a CD library. A well-stocked mini bar is complemented by fresh fruits and flowers. Some rooms have a separate bathtub and walk-in shower while others combine them; it is worthwhile to inquire at the reception before signing in. Not all the rooms in the Garden Wing have river views, but at the reception this point can be clarified in advance.

The restaurants and bars are unique in Bangkok and are worth a visit even if not staying at the hotel. There are ten options to choose from: Thai, French and Chinese are the main cuisines present; Italian ice-cream, a live jazz bar and the Author's Lounge, which capitalizes on the impressive list of authors who visited the hotel, complete the picture and create an irresistible mix. In a visit too short for trying them all, I opted for Ciao, an Italian restaurant by the riverside and under the stars, in which only the gondolas were missing to make the illusion complete.

However, there is more; the hotel is famous for its Oriental Spa which offers an experience which is most probably unique in a worldwide scale and it is widely recognized as one of the best and most beautiful in the world. In a bold move, the hotel has placed the spa across the Chao Praya River in a traditional, teak-wood Thai house and transfers its guest immediately to another, better, world. A haven of tranquility, the place offers many relaxation treatments performed by professionals in luxurious suites; it is open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Slightly less expensive than its exclusive neighbors (the Oriental and the Shangri-La) the Holiday Inn Silom offers an attractive compromise between lush luxury, a superb location amidst a major commercial and shopping area of Bangkok and reasonable prices. The Surasak Skytrain station provides easy access to other attractions in downtown Bangkok. The Chao Praya River is a few minutes away and from there it is possible to take long-boat trips to the Grand Palace and other attractions in Bangkok.

The best way of describing the room I got would be: "It had everything." I was on one of the lower floors, so there wasn't much of a view, but the room facilities more than compensated for that; I didn't want to leave the room during my short stay there. There were good communication services, though I didn't manage to connect to the internet from the room with my wireless; the television included cables and in-house movies. A nice touch was the copy of the Bangkok Post placed in the room. The mini-bar was well-equipped but rather expensive. Other services included a swimming pool on the sixth floor and a health club next to it.

As it happened to me in other Thai hotels, my staying alone seemed to be an incomprehensible event to the staff. I didn't expect hearing insinuations and offers at such a luxurious hotel, but it happened. At least my sharp, negative answer was respected; nonetheless, the event created an unpleasant, negative aspect to an otherwise positive experience.

Thailand featuring one of the world's leading cuisines, I find it hard to understand the proliferation of foreign restaurants in Bangkok. Yet, that's the reality and even at the Holiday Inn Silom, only one of the restaurants - the Thai Pavilion (next to the lobby) served local dishes. Other options for whole meals were the buffet meals at the Window on Silom and Indian meals at the Tandoor. A coffee shop attractively named Orchid Lounge and the Cheers Pub completed the list. I chose to dine at the Thai Pavilion. The sumptuous elegance of the place and the traditional Thai dances performed during the evenings were expected, so I tried ignoring them while deciding on a dish able to test their kitchen. Tom Yam Kung, a leading dish in the Thai cuisine, was my choice. Deviations from the original and the chef's creativity could be easily assessed with such a dish. The spicy soup arrived in a classical Thai heater and was obviously prepared from the freshest and finest ingredients. My choice turned out to be a correct one; it was one of the finest dishes I ever sampled in Thailand. I was so pleased that I forgot all my thoughts about a traditional Thai dinner and ended the meal with a steaming cup of excellent espresso. Luckily, my viciously decadent sidestep was overlooked by the staff.

This journal is a quest for extremes, the most expensive and the cheapest hotels in Bangkok meeting together in one journal. Researching for the bottom side, I got cold feet and didn't dare renting a room offered for B100 - they were located far from Khaosan Road and next to a filthy water canal - nor the dormitory beds which were available for eighty baht (slightly over two dollars).

Name Intricacies

Finally, I chose a place just behind the Chana Songkram Temple with the intriguing name of Merry V. The location was superb, two minutes by foot from the noisy Khaosan Road, the main stop in Bangkok for backpackers, and yet in a very quiet and green area surrounded by restaurants. At night, the monsoon rain washed through the huge trees bordering the street, the guesthouse narrow balcony became then a valuable asset.

The number in its name identifies the establishment as being a low level one. Copyright practices in South East Asia are different from Western ones. Establishment names are not protected; a successful establishment's name would usually be copied by lower quality ones willing to share the glory; a number is then usually added to the end and everybody is happy.

The Experience

An uncomfortable single night there is easily justified by the historic value of such an experience; the guesthouse faithfully reproduces the ambience of the original Khaosan Road establishments catering for backpackers they were immortalized in "The Beach" and are nowadays quickly disappearing; Khaosan Road establishments are constantly raising their standards and aim nowadays at wealthier travellers and locals yuppies.

Moreover, the architectonic manipulations aimed at maximizing the guests capacity displayed at Merry V is probably unmatched in the area and to some extent reminds of shambles I have seen in Mumbai. Probably in no other location can such an establishment be experienced safely while being confident that moving to a nearby posh place is possible at will. Who can refuse such an opportunity?

The Restaurant

As all similar establishments, most of the entrance level is occupied by a restaurant, which faces the street. It offers a variety of simple and reasonably priced Westernized versions of the Thai cuisine and simple Western dishes. Even if not staying here, it is a good place to stop by in the morning for a cup of coffee with toasts.

The Reception

The reception is placed in one of the inner corners of the entrance level. The polite receptionist explained me that a room costs B140 per night (around five dollars) and handed me the keys only after the cumbersome ritual of writing down all the visa and passport details. Despite all these security measures, I was asked to pay in advance.

Next to the reception desk, were several used books in English for sale; they included good guides to the city and the country at prices lower than those at the plethora of second hand bookstores in the area.

The Building

I climbed three staircases and found myself in a modern contraption resembling a classical Thai structure. Within an external case of cement - the ceilings and floors - were basic rooms constructed of what seemed to be thick cardboard. They were scattered around two corridors, one of their ends faced the street and the other was next to the restrooms and the staircase.

The Room

Unsure of what to expect inside, I inserted the key, opened the door and discovered a single bed occupying much of it, a ceiling fan operated with the room key and nothing else.

The bed was covered with a very old sheet; it was so thin due to age and use that the holes in it looked as a fancy part of its original design. Since my room was at a corner, it had windows on two walls, one facing the bed and the other above the door; but other rooms had just one. The metallic mosquito net successfully blocked any chance the refreshing night breeze had to do its work.

The Bathrooms

The bathrooms were located at the inner corner of the corridor; they offered just low pressure cold water showers and extremely basic toilets. Both were placed within tiny cubicles; some of them shared a toilet and a shower; the traveller is apparently expected to stand on the toilet while using the shower.

The Surroundings

Merry V is at walking distance from the Grand Palace, the City Pillar, Wat Pho, Wat Ratchanaddaram, the Democracy Monument, the Wat Saket, and other attractions.

Location

The Chana Songkram Temple is at the western side of Khaosan Road; surrounding it is Soi Rambuttri, where many of the cheapest guesthouses are. Without explaining the idiosyncrasies of the Thai addressing system, I will just mention that many of the addresses on this road appear as being on Soi Rongmai, Thanon Chaofa and Soi Chana Songkram; despite that, walking around the temple is a safe way to find Baan Sabai.

Baan Sabai is at walking distance from the Grand Palace, the City Pillar, Wat Pho, Wat Ratchanaddaram, the Democracy Monument, the Wat Saket, and other main attractions.

Name

Baan Sabai is a name which could be translated as "Pleasantville;" the guesthouse answering to it has an impressive entrance with a huge restaurant built to resemble a Thai teak wood structure. Everything looked promising with a vague, attractive air of traditional Thai culture. The restaurant was very pleasant and provided a wide sitting area, shaded and open to the light, refreshing breeze. It specializes in tasty Westernized versions of the Thai cuisine and the service was professional despite its humble pricing. A cable-TV set in one corner was quietly set to show Western news channels.

At the nearby reception desk, I was told that basic single room cost B170 per night (around five dollars). I signed for room C418 and - resigned to my destiny - climbed three staircases while trying not to bang my head on the strangely low ceilings of the staircases corners.

The Reception

The reception is open at all times and beyond the key keeping services, it offers a lobby with a courtesy copy of the Bangkok Post and a television set showing Thai soap-operas.

The Restaurant

Next to the lobby and occupying all the space to the street corner is a relatively large restaurant featuring an attractive design in dark wood; large windows allow the breeze in. The menu is rather basic and includes traditional Thai dishes and basic Western ones.

The Back Side

Further away from the lobby and facing the narrow alley connecting Soi Rongmai Thanon Chaofa with the main avenue is a Thai Massage service belonging to Ban Sabai, see my Wat Pho entry for more details on the topic.

The Room

The room was small; its single bed occupied more than half of it. A fan attached to the ceiling and aimed at the bed began to work once I inserted the key into a specially designed switch. The only additional piece of furniture was a wood box next to the bed. There were no windows except for a narrow opening along one wall, which was placed next to the ceiling, barely allowing seeing the corridors neon lights and nothing more.

I have never been in a space so much resembling a coffin. The room was so isolated that the strong night rain could not be heard in it and only my jetlag - that sent me for a walk at 3:00AM - let me find its very existence. That isolation created the feeling of being in a ghost hotel; the other guests could not be heard and were briefly spotted only while walking the long, narrow corridors.

The Bathrooms

The showers and restrooms are shared and placed on each floor next to the staircases. They have only cold water and basic installations, but are quite spacious and are kept spotlessly clean at all times.

The Experience

Baan Sabai provides an intriguing look into a rapidly disappearing accommodation niche. It belongs to the second stage guesthouses in
Khaosan Road, which replaced the carton box rooms within a cement framework - like Merry V. It still keeps the crowded designs and low ceiling but everything is built of study cement; Vintage Communist mass building style.

It is ideal for budget backpackers just passing though Bangkok and seeking for a shower and a powerful nap.

Some travelers' are reluctant of trying simple guesthouses. Yet top hotels tend to adopt international standards and styles, little of the local culture permeates into them; cheap ones relay heavily on local services and thus offer a valuable insight into the local culture a single night on a simple bed would cause no permanent damage while it would for sure enrich the experience; moreover due to their spirit, they make contacting fellow travelers easier.