Swiss Lodge Bangkok Boutique Hotel

With hundreds of hotels in Bangkok choosing the right one can be a daunting task. If you are planning on staying in the Silom Road area I can personally recommend at least one – Swiss Lodge on Convent Road.

Silom Road is one of the tourist and business centers of Bangkok so it is a great place to base yourself while in Bangkok. And the Swiss Lodge is a wonderful hotel. It is a small boutique hotel located on Convent Road so you get very personalized service and you avoid the noise and crowds of Silom Road. I have stayed there numerous times when visiting the Big Mango and I have never been disappointed.

In addition to putting yourself right in the heart of Bangkok’s business district you are also just a short 5 minute walk from the Sala Daeng BTS station, Central Silom shopping mall and the famous Patpong night market. Add to that the close proximity to several very good restaurants and street vendors and a short walk to BNH Hospital and there isn’t much you’ll be missing with this location.

Speaking of BNH hospital, if you are in Bangkok for medical treatment BNH can get you a discounted rate for the Swiss Lodge. Golf worked there as a nurse and she was able to get me rates that were about 40% off the standard rack rate. Even without the discount though, the Swiss Lodge is a great value for your money with rooms starting at just 3800 baht. You’re not likely to find a better deal around Silom when you consider the personal touch you get from a boutique hotel.

I’ve found when staying at the Swiss Lodge that the staff is very polite and helpful, the rooms are clean and neat and the buffet breakfast (included) in their dining room has always been wonderful. I also like the pool on the fourth floor of the Swiss Lodge which is smallish, but very private and inviting. Actually everything about the Swiss Lodge strikes me that way, private and inviting.

If you are planning on bringing guests back to the room I don’t think that is a problem either. I was never questioned about Golf sharing a room with me and there was no extra surcharge added like some other Bangkok hotels. Please keep in mind however that this is a quiet hotel and many of the guests are business people and families so please act accordingly. Like everything else Swiss they seem to be neutral, but using some discretion is likely the best course.

Also like everything Swiss you’ll find and attention to detail, personalized service and efficiency are the norm at the Swiss Lodge. It is truly one of the best experiences I have had at a hotel in this price range anywhere in the world.

If you’re planning on coming to Bangkok and looking for a hotel in the Silom area then check out the Swiss Lodge. I’d also love to hear you comments once you’ve stayed there or if you’ve been fortunate enough to have already found this gem of a boutique hotel in Bangkok.

Popularity: 5% [?]

SD Avenue Hotel Review

Now that it’s just 61 days until the next vacation in Thailand it’s time to start thinking about hotels. Really not much of a problem for us though. We are looking to keep a fairly tight budget this trip so we know we want to stay at a reasonable hotel, yet we still want some level of amenities and cleanliness. Luckily we found a place that satisfies on both levels last time we were in Bangkok.

SD Avenue is a bit out of the way, so if you want to be in the center of the business/tourist areas around Silom/Sukhumvit then keep looking. SD Avenue Hotel is in the Pinklao area of Bangkok which is across the Chao Phraya river from Khao San Road. This is actually kind of nice, because the hotel is not as expensive as comparable hotels from Khao San area and yet we are just 15-20 minutes from Khao San by taxi. And for those times we want to hit Silom or Sukhumvit we are 45-60 minutes away using the ferries and Skytrain.

The SD Avenue Hotel is not one of the more well known places to stay, but in a city with hundreds of hotels that’s no surprise. What SD Avenue is though is a really good place to stay for the money. Just 1800 baht a night and you get a fairly big room, it’s clean and the water pressure is good. There’s also a nice big pool on-site and they have a dining room although I wouldn’t really recommend it, you can get much better food nearby. Central Pinklao is just a few blocks away if you want a regular restaurant or Western food and there is a good outdoor restaurant 2 blocks away outside the 7-Eleven where I had some really good kao moo dang last time we stayed there.

I’ve stayed at other hotels in Bangkok, and some have better location, many have better food (not really a concern in Bangkok), most were more expensive and none had bigger rooms. If you aren’t too concerned about being a little out of the tourist/business areas then I think you’ll be very pleased with SD Avenue Hotel. Those who like to spend time at Khao San Road, but want to have a more quiet hotel to retreat to will also appreciate the SD Avenue hotel.

If anyone else has stayed here or at similar hotels in Bangkok (in the $50 a night range) let’s hear about it.

Popularity: 62% [?]