For my arrival into Bangkok, I decided to try for a hotel toward the center of the city (Priceline’s Downtown or Sukhumvit Zones), with easy access to the downtown tourist attractions, shopping areas, and nightlife. The Novotel Lotus Bangkok fit this description perfectly, being just a few steps from the corner of busy Sukhumvit and Soi 33 and a mere 5-minute walk to the BTS Skytrain Phrom Phong station adjacent to the large Emporium shopping complex, with high-end international brand name shopping, a food court, and a multiplex cinema.
Walking through the dimly lit, marble decor of the lobby, I was checked in by a very friendly, English-speaking agent who briefed me on the hotel’s amenities, fitness center, restaurants, etc.
My only requests were to be on a high floor and in a non-smoking room. They gladly accommodated me with a 27th-floor, east-facing room with a balcony (not all rooms have balconies) and a nice view of Bangkok’s skyline. The room was reasonably spacious, with a desk and a small seating area – comfortable, but with more of a business rather than tourist hotel feel. The bathroom was a little cramped, but had the standard fixtures of a US hotel, a tub with a shower, a toilet, and no bidet. There was a well-stocked minibar, although I’ve trained myself to never "take advantage" of the highly inflated charges (a can of soda for 95 Baht, a small bag of mixed nuts for 100 Baht, etc.), especially with a 7-11 right around the corner. High-speed internet access is also available, with an Ethernet cable available in each room. However, you need to pick up a user-id and password card from the front desk, and pricing is quite high at 250 Baht for a 30-minute package or 500 Baht for a day. On top of that, their server installs an almost-virus-like access program that was pretty frustrating to remove from my browser. More reasonably priced internet access is just down the road on the opposite corner of the street at 1.5 Baht per minute, although you are restrained by their hours of operation.
Tempting buffet meals are offered at Coco’s Café, ranging from 450 Baht and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a Sunday brunch. Or there’s Xing Fu Chinese cuisine for lunch and dinner - but again much too expensive when compared to nearby restaurants. Operating on a tight budget, you can dine on authentic Thai food as enjoyed by the locals from just 30 Baht from a small local kitchen just across the street.
The hotel fitness center was okay, with a few bicycles, treadmills, and stair climbers. There is also a complete set of weight machines and a small separate room with a single bench for free weights and dumb bells. The outdoor pool is rather small, but sufficient for taking laps or just lounging around with a drink from Coco’s Café.
Pricing for this hotel varies with the seasons. As I was traveling during peak season, I feel my $40/night (about $55 with taxes and fees) Priceline rate was excellent.