What area of Bangkok should I stay in for three nights?

August 20, 2023 7:28 AM

Solo trip advice: I'm going diving in Indonesia this December, and before I head back home I have three nights in Bangkok. I've been there once before, but when I was a young, poor and inexperienced traveller.

I'd like to stay somewhere with a pool and just focus on relaxing, eating good food and a bit of exploring and shopping. Ideal if it's relatively easy to get to and from the airport.

Bonus if you know a unique (boutique?) hotel). What's the best base for three days?

posted by Pademelon to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

“Boutique” can be a code word for very small rooms and I’ve never stayed in a place with swimming pools but as an area of focus, the area north of Siam Square to Central World is very central for shopping, food courts, and the Skytrain and Airport Rail Link. There’s an outdoor market behind the Indra Hotel that has a lot of food starting in late afternoon. Baiyoke is that very, very tall hotel tower, good for orienting yourself.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:36 AM on August 20, 2023

We had friends stay at Hotel Indigo Wireless Rd last summer and I thought it was pretty nice. Rooftop pool, skyline views, location close to the sky train and central to a bunch of things to explore. Sarnie’s Roastery around the corner makes an incredible breakfast sandwich with Thai sausage which is worth seeking out. And down the street from Polo Fried Chicken which is also excellent.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:26 AM on August 20, 2023

I really liked our stay at the Grand Centre Point Ratchadamri and they have a few other locations as well you might like better.

The hotel has a fab pool, it's not a Western chain hotel (but not the boutiques, which were kind of eh in that area), it's highly central to the mall shopping, you're right off public transit, and it's never hard to find good food in BKK. Because it's on transit, you could probably get from the airport relatively easily.
posted by librarylis at 12:32 PM on August 20, 2023

If you are looking for something interesting and unique with a pool, Try the Atlanta Hotel on Sukumvit Soi 1. There is a good lunch and breakfast cafe on site.

It's a little funky but it does have the first Hotel Swimming Pool in Thailand, still in active use. I've stayed there a few times over the years and have always found it a great base for exploring Bangkok
posted by Xurando at 3:49 PM on August 20, 2023

We stayed at Hotel Indigo Wireless Road. The staff there are absolutely fantastic. It's conveniently located to all the malls - Central World, Gaysorn, the Siam complex, and our favorite, Central Embassy. (See a movie at the Diplomat! Go to Open House, the amazing top-floor bookstore!) Eatthai in the basement was a great food court, too. And it was a very easy trip to the airport. It's right by Phloen Chit station on the Sukhumvit line, and you change at Phaya Thai for the Airport line.
posted by rednikki at 8:31 AM on August 21, 2023

I went back through TEN YEARS of hotel bookings and finally found the name of the place I have the fondest memories of through several trips to Bangkok.

The Luxx XL is on the edge of Lumphini Park, between Chit Lom station 15 mins walk to the north and Sala Deng / Si Lom to the South. It's not a high rise at all (it's tucked away in a little soi) but it has a super lovely pool and extremely chill vibes. I had a studio room with a wrap-around balcony.

To get from the airport you'd get the Skytrain and then change at Phaya Thai for the Sukhumvit line. Very easy in the daylight. If it's dark and/or raining, maybe spring for a taxi (I arrived at night in the rain and got horribly lost between Chit Lom and the hotel, which is a straight shot, so that may say more about me than the conditions).
posted by citands at 5:01 AM on August 22, 2023