Urbana Langsuan Hotel

LangSuan itself is quiet, though traffic can get heavy during rush hour. The hotel is in a premium area among the embassies, with luxury shops nearby, so expect to spend accordingly. The hotel feels underrated: the studios are large, clean, and comfortable, the amenities are excellent, and the staff are friendly. The restaurant is reasonably priced compared with other places. It’s a mid-range hotel, neither ultra-luxury nor cheap, and I think it’s a good fit for a one- or two-week stay.

After a 20-hour journey, arriving to this place was heartbreaking. The two-bedroom suite with lounge and kitchen was spacious, but filthy and dated. Sinks were cracked, the rooms felt stuffy, the air conditioners were loud, and the view was of dirty, unpainted buildings. The bathrooms were cramped and gross, and the shower door hit the toilet when opened. Even after I changed rooms, I wasn’t happy. I paid peak rates for a week, asked after the second night for a refund so I could leave early, and was refused. They said they were at capacity when I asked for a better room, so I don’t understand why they couldn’t refund me to go elsewhere if the hotel was so in demand and fully booked. This should never be rated as a four-star hotel. It felt like a one- or two-star place at best, maybe a lodge or motel. Google lists it as four star and booking.com as five, which is very misleading. Bangkok itself is beautiful, with its malls, parks, and culture, but this hotel was a disaster. There’s no view except from the pool, which isn’t heated, closes too early, and doesn’t allow drinks. We tried breakfast once and wouldn’t go back. There are so many better hotels in Bangkok for the same price, though I only found that out after booking and arriving. If you just need a low-class budget place to sleep, maybe it’ll suit you. I’ll return to Bangkok, but not here.

The location is great, and the security guard was amazing. The rest of the stay was rough: the room was downgraded because of a smoke smell, the pool area didn’t have adequate space, and breakfast meant long lines for very little. There were water-damaged, broken floors, loud elevators woke me in the middle of the night, and I had to brush my teeth alongside cockroaches. I’d spend 30 usd more for something truly five-star.

The breakfast was a letdown, with queues and trouble finding a seat. The floor there was dirty and stained, which matched the poor housekeeping in the room: stained bed linen, dust, and a general sense that it hadn’t been properly cleaned. We also found the room’s view terrible, and the building and room felt old, worn, and low quality. Even little things felt cut back, like the very thin toilet paper and tissues. We stayed just two nights, and the tea bags weren’t replenished for the second one. The strongest problem was the smell. At check-in, it seemed as if someone had just sprayed heavy air freshener. Once that faded, an unpleasant odor came from the carpet, possibly urine or just dampness and stale air. It made the room uncomfortable. We didn’t even look at the pool or gym. We’d stayed in two neighboring hotels in the same area before, and they were amazing by comparison. I’d recommend paying a little more for one of the many better hotels or suites in Bangkok.