The Sathon Vimanda Hotel

There are quite a lot of food stalls around if you want to eat like a local. I liked that the hotel wasn't as touristy as the Pratunam area, although it's a little way from downtown and a bit far from the BTS. The distance makes for a good walk around. We stayed three nights, and the hotel was adequately furnished for what we paid. Breakfast was the same every day, but good enough.

We booked this place for our last night before flying, hoping to get some energy back, but the noise made that impossible. There were several A/C units right behind the window, and even with ours switched off, we could hear the others. There was also construction nearby, apparently not the hotel's fault, with drilling and jackhammering from early morning. The room itself was clean, but not cozy. Staff weren't very friendly, either. When we arrived, the front desk said our booked room had been sold to someone else and asked us to pay for an upgrade. We got a room only after saying we'd rather find another hotel. The next day they called us to leave before checkout time, despite our two extra hours for late checkout.

The hotel was still in its soft launch when I wrote this, so some things weren't finished: there was wiring left undone and building equipment in the lobby. Otherwise, it looked like the photos on the website. The rooms and decor are nicely put together, and the staff are really lovely. The beds were very hard and uncomfortable, and the shower seemed to alternate between hot and cold. The area has a decent selection of night stalls but isn't close to any stations. At the promotional rate of THB 1400, it was okay, but at the usual rate of about THB 2200, I think there are better value hotels in Bangkok.

For this price, this was the most disappointing of the dozens of Bangkok hotels I've stayed in for work. It wasn't anything special and seemed quite expensive compared with similar places nearby. The staff weren't particularly friendly, and they don't accept credit cards. The room also didn't match the description: for example, bathtubs were advertised, but there wasn't one.