Golden Palace

[Maitri 12]

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.

Edited March 26, 2012 by ChinkoManko

[Siam Man 2,298]

Thanks for that report CM. I thought I had seen the Golden Palace on Agoda for less than 1,000 baht a night, however I couldn't find it listed on any of the Agoda sites recommended here: http://www.bangkokladyboys.net/forum/index.php?/topic/2353-which-online-travel-agency-do-you-use-for-hotels-in-thailand/

 

I guess for those looking for a cheaper hotel with a pool near Nana it may be alright. I wondered about this place when I saw it online a while back. It's great to finally have a report from someone who stayed there.

 

Your candid assessment of the pool keep me away. I had thought it might be a nice option for frolicking with a ladyboy and taking some photos.

[Maitri 12]

Your candid assessment of the pool keep me away. I had thought it might be a nice option for frolicking with a ladyboy and taking some photos.

 

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.

Edited March 26, 2012 by ChinkoManko