Maitri

I have been searching and reading through the hotel reviews, but I can't find any mention of this hotel. It looks like it might be a decent place to stay. Has anyone stayed here?? I would really appreciate to know what your experience was like and if it is LB friendly, which being on Soi 4, one would assume.

No shit! I was just looking for hotels for a possible trip in April, and the Omni came up. I have been to the LOS 4 times and never once experienced anything like this. Last time I went, I was so comfortable with who I was with that I didn't let them surrender their ID.

Last time in Bangkok, I discovered the value of eating at a local market that served all kinds of Thai dishes at night, and sold mostly takeout items and souvenirs in the day time. I ate at the night market twice. It is located under the Skytrain along Sukhumvit before Soi 1. Miss that scene! The market has a diverse menu out front, and the locals are there cooking good traditional Thai food at very reasonable prices what seems to be nightly, and I saw a lot of locals eating there, so knew it must be very good. I can recommend it, especially for budget travelers. Great place to go eat before heading to NEP.

We all share a common number one reason for going to Thailand, but the delectable LB delicacies aside, I find Thai to be among the most delicious cuisine in the world. It is up there among my strongest excuses for going to Thailand and remaining in Bangkok. However, it is a legitimate reason, and I am wondering what the favorite Thai dishes are of the BMs, and where they like to eat, particularly around Sukhumvit and Nana. Daytime? Late night? Street food is often the cheapest and the the best. In my time around Sukhumvit, I have found the food arcade that sets up around Soi 1 offers a variety of decent food at good prices. I am sure there are better spots, let's hear about them! Not sure what these raamen-like soups were, but they were awesome. My favorite Thai dishes: 1. Pad See-Ew (phat si io) 2. Khao Pad Goong... or any Khao Pad 3. Curries 4. Tom Yum 5. Lad na 6. Who doesn't enjoy a good Pad Thai? 7. Should I try papaya salad? The nice thing about meeting gurls is that they are hungry esp after boom boom! and they usually know good places to go to replenish their energy! On my last trip, I hooked up with a LB from Isaan and we went to eat at a place she liked, with good Isaan food. Does anyone remember Ploy from the old GB? Aside from eating each other's goodies, we ate out a couple times at a spot she liked off the beaten path... I want to say it was up around the soi 20's or 30's but a ways off of Sukhumvit definitely on the even number side... Don't remember what the food was she liked, but it was spicy!

You might want to look into Royal Ivory as well. I enjoyed a stay there for 3 nights and liked the room I had. It has a little kitchenette. It also has a pool on the 3rd floor but it is small... ok for lounging a little.

Thanks very much for the reply Cap'n. I noticed that it is available for hotel-type stay, by the night on the net. I looked at Agoda prices and it was close to 40/night which I didn't think was bad... but taking into consideration what you said about the reception staff, I think I might pass. Thank you again for the info.

Mexican looks good.. is that on the even numbered side of Sukhumvit? I also love Indian food, so any recommendations there would be appreciated. There are so many around Sukhumvit Nana area, I think I've been to about 3 or 4. Where is Nut??

the Burger King that's across from Nana

My priorities are 1) proximity to NEP 2) cost 3) pool. Both of these hotels seem to meet these priorities, and I have looked at them on Agoda, but I am wondering if any BMs have any firsthand experience they could share? Thanks. I know Woraburi is a bit of a walk down soi 4 but I don't mind.

I tried to book a room here a little over a month ago, and I had no luck online i.e. through Agoda. You have to email the hotel directly, nanabkk@nanahotel.co.th and they were good about getting back to me... I actually ended up not staying at Nana Hotel, because I was quite fine up the street. I have heard mixed reviews, but would appreciate a credible account, esp in terms of cleanliness/condition of rooms.

Cheers guys, I think these types of places are awesome. During the day, you can also find delicious eats for cheap along the same stretch. Just as an example, one day I ate a nice lunch of some homemade tofu and veggie raw spring rolls as well as some traditional fried spring rolls for a total of like 80 baht???? I mean, how can you go wrong?? As a general rule of thumb, I think that in any foreign country if you see a lot of locals eating somewhere, it is good. You can find other great foods there too. Support the locals!

Thanks a lot for your reply Blue wizard. Very helpful. Good to hear something about the Swiss Park. It does seem a bit of a walk from Nana when taking a guest, no? Soi 11? And I have heard it is in declining condition but must not be too bad if you went back? I know posts are always appreciated, so if you have any other insights or tales about your trips, we'd like to hear. Anyway, thank you again.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. That musty smell was in both of the rooms you stayed in both times? Thanks Slam, can always count on you for a sexy pic or two! I know I've seen her somewhere before... I've heard mixed reviews about the Nana Hotel. I have considered staying there, but when I looked on Agoda, it said there were no rooms available for the dates I entered... I have heard that the rooms there are not that nice, as well. Have heard good things about the Maj Suites, but access to a pool is a must for me. Thanks.

Thanks on the heads up, not good at all. Fuck those parasite bastards. Hope something can be done to put an end to their site.

I was in BKK 2 weeks ago and I went and inquired, having seen your post, but they told me the minimum stay is 1 week. So, I don't know where you heard they were renting per night but it seems to not be true

Aww, the pool's not that bad. I swam in it every day, opened my eyes under water and even swallowed a little of the water here and there and I was fine Just the deep areas aren't spotless. Oh, and it closes at 8pm, so you could only frolic in the day, unless you sneak in at night There are what appear to be separate rooms in the building inside the pool area (see photo above) which appear to be rentable, and so you could have access to the pool at night. It might be worth asking about.

Some of the BMs have requested I do a review for the hotel at which I stayed, so here goes. I stayed at The Golden Palace, which is located on Soi 1, about a 3 or 4 minute walk from Sukhumvit. It is closer to Phloen Chit sky-train station than Nana. The Price: When I stayed, I paid 1350b / night which includes free breakfast (until 10am) at a cafe they have adjacent to the hotel, called Elfin. The food is probably average at best... They give you a choice of Western breakfast or Thai, which alternates daily. I have always eaten Thai, so I couldn't tell you how the eggs are. I ordered food to my room once, but it was nothing to get excited about. Of course, it's GF, but they told me only 1. They would probably charge you for another. The layout: It is actually 2 floor motel style, in a "U" shape, with a pool in the middle. When you enter the premises from Soi 1 reception is str8 ahead, rooms to your left and pool on your right. The pool: is nice to have to cool off. Has diving board, showers, toilets, chairs and tables, gets decent sun. Is old, so not super clean. The last day I stayed there, they had it cleaned, but not the deep areas. The rooms: I have stayed in a few different rooms. They are very basic. The bathroom is ok, but the shower doesn't have much water pressure. There is a bum hose though! There are in-room safes, and I think they have wi-fi, but I have never tried using it. The floors are not carpeted (not a bad thing), and the furniture is all pretty retro. The hotel is fairly old, come to think about it, with one room I stayed in having tiny bugs crawling out of a crack in woodwork behind the TV. Speaking of TV, you just get 8 or 10 basic channels: HBO, DISC, BBC, Sports, etc, and I found that in most of the rooms I have stayed in the picture is kinda fuzzy. Last time in one room the remote didn't work, but they brought me a whole different TV set the next day! There is AC in all of them, but the models differ, I found, so some rooms can be cooler than others. Beds are fine, I have slept in only double, but they might have other rooms with bigger ones. Proximity: Depending on your walking speed, it is about a good 10-12 minute walk to NEP. If you're bringing a friend back, enough to break a sweat. Recommendation: It depends on your standards, and how nice of a hotel you care to have. For the budget traveler who doesn't mind settling for the very basics, but who is looking for a pool, and wants to be a decent distance away from the action, this place is for you. If you can afford something nicer and nearer, or don't need a pool, then another place would be better. I thought 1350 was a little high considering the rooms, but factoring in the pool, free breakfast and location, I thought it was worth it. Here are some pics: You can find info about the hotel on the web if you google it, and here's a more 'professional' review. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA_HLdRy0Uo I find that most of what he says is true, but I'm not a chain-smoking European, and the pictures of the rooms with the beds at 00:32 look way nicer than what I have seen there and the staff at the desk are, I suppose, friendly, but nothing to rave about.

Sorry, just noticed how old this thread is... anyone else stayed at GP?

A place I have stayed at is the Golden palace hotel. Lb friendly with pool and free breakfast, close to NEP. Not so swank, but nice.