Sawasdee Place Hotel

A quiet spot in a convenient area, and a good budget option. The pool was lovely, the staff were friendly, and our room was a decent size. Its bathroom had been partly renovated. The sheets were very clean, though old, and the bed was extra firm. There are four floors and an elevator.

Getting around was easy, with songtao, Grab and taxis nearby, and a 7/11 close by. But the hotel was dusty, messy, old and run down, despite the attractive photos. Our furniture looked dated, the bathroom door was broken with holes patched using masking tape, and the room chair was broken too. Outside was abandoned land full of mosquitoes. We had two baby strollers and still had to climb two extra flights of stairs after using the lift, because our room was on the other side of the building. The hotel description never mentioned this. I asked the receptionist, who I assume was the owner, for easier access. She kindly offered another room for 800 Baht extra, or suggested leaving the trolley at reception. I couldn't leave it there for obvious reasons. There was almost no Wi-Fi in room 319. When we raised it, the same woman cheerfully told us to use the lobby for a proper connection. I couldn't leave a sleeping baby alone in the room to do that. The air conditioner smelled strange and left all of us coughing and sneezing. Room service also never cleaned under the very dusty bed. We booked a triple room but got only two towels. The receptionist suggested I might have taken one out of the room, then said two were enough for a triple. After I complained, housekeeping happily brought another. I hope the hotel gets a complete refurbishment soon.

The rooms are roomy, and the staff are friendly and helpful. Food is tasty and reasonably priced, with delivery to your room if you like. Wi-Fi works well in most rooms. There's no tea setup in the room, but you can get hot water from a kettle in the restaurant area any time. A washing machine is also available around the clock, just 40 Bath for a one-hour wash. A lot of the place feels worn and tatty. Some doors and windows are much too stiff, while others are too loose. The wiring looks questionable in many rooms, especially the bedside lamps, and the bathroom walls could use more cleaning. The rate is pretty reasonable, so those things felt acceptable to me. The awful shower-drain smell in certain weather was harder to put up with. There's no water trap, so sewer gas gets into the bathroom, and the poor ventilation makes it worse.

There's a restaurant somewhere, but I never found it during my three days there. The place has a motel feel, with all the doors facing the street. The pool pump kicks in at 0700 and construction starts around 0800. Thin front doors have gaps around them, and the bathrooms are aging. They are doing renovations, though.