Ibis Styles Nana Sukhumvit Soi 4 / 6

[Thanks 3,091]

I've recently stayed at the Styles. Here's my personal, subjective review:

The Styles hotel is a relatively new  addition to the accommodation market in the lower Sukhumvit / Nana area. I think it opened in late 2017.

It's a nice three stars hotel. As it's located in the same building as the more upscale Novotel, you don't feel you've booked a cheap hotel. It rather feels you're staying in a standard room in a quality, upper middle class hotel.

Also, despite being located so close to the naughty nightlife scene, the majority of guests are "regular" people visiting the "normal" tourist attractions of Bangkok (Wat Po, Wat Arun... ). It doesn't give you the feeling of being in a "mongerer hotel" such as the Dynasty Grande or perhaps the Nana hotel also. Seems many guests came from places where smaller room sizes are more common than in the US for example, such as Japan and the European countries.

There's a free shuttle service from the hotel to BTS Nana that departs every 30 minutes from the front entrance. Though it's only a 7-8 minutes walk it can be useful when it rains (and it does so occasionally in Bangkok I've heard...) or during midday heat.

You can use the "inbalance" gym of the Novotel on the 7th floor. I didn't venture in so cannot comment any further. On the ground floor there's a lobby bar and the "food exchange", a good looking restaurant.

The standard room that I had booked looked spacious, at least bigger than the official 21 sq. m. it supposedly only had. It didn't feel small. When I'm in Bangkok I basically need a room only for sleeping and going to the bathroom, taking a shower etc. The rest of time I'm out and about. For this purpose the room was absolutely sufficient.

Everything you would need or want is there: bum gun, electronic safe, quiet a/c, queen size bed (upon request), mattress not too hard but also not too soft, hairdryer, liquid soap and shampoo. It also had a small fridge (empty). The big screen telly had a million channels or so (IP TV). You get daily two bottles of water for free. Everything worked except for two sockets (no power). But that was quickly fixed by hotel maintenance.

Once you get used to the characteristic, unusual style and decor of the room, it feels almost like home away from home.

Its main advantages are:

- Hard to beat location just 5 minutes on foot from NEP, the gravitational center of the ladyboy nightlife universe.

- Great value IMO: price range depending on season, demand and day of the week: standard rooms (21 sq. m.) with queen size bed go for I think about 2000 - 2500 Baht, superior rooms (26sq. m.) for about 700 Baht more.

- It is almost new: it shows almost no wear and tear (yet).

- It has a fantastic infinity pool and an exciting rooftop bar that you "must" visit with an awesome view of "downtown" Bangkok

- Wi-Fi worked without a problem in the room as well as in the rest of the hotel.

- I didn't see any tour groups...

- Breakfast was included in the room rate. Breakfast room in the "strEATS" restaurant on sixth floor is for Styles guests only (not for Novotel guests). It is open until 10:30 h. Food is good for a 3 star hotel. There's no egg station. But your stomach will get full, don't worry.

- Girl friendliest as can be (can also be a disadvantage...). If you despise the walk of fun and shame, you can enter the hotel through the entrance of the (often empty) "food exchange" restaurant or through the carpark which is located on floors 2-5. That way you'll avoid walking right through the front desk areas (which however is also no problem at all). I personally prefer ST rooms anyway and take back girls to my hotel room only occasionally and only if I know her well enough and only for LT. So this aspect of the Styles was not so important to me personally...

Disadvantages:

- I didn't notice them proactively checking girls' IDs. If for security reasons you want to register your LB, you have to walk up to the front desk (there's one for the Styles and one for the Novotel) and have her registered. One night I saw a middle aged Japanese man trying to sneak in a girl, telling her to stay close behind him so that no one could see her. That was hilarious as I think no one, I repeat: no one, neither staff nor guests, could have cared less... You get two room key cards so you can give the extra one to your LB girlfriend...

- The hotel appears to be in high demand, so might be sold out by the time you book...

- As I had an early flight out of Bangkok, I went to bed earlier and until 3 o'clock in the morning could hear noise from the street...

- The tears you will shed on the departure day when you have to leave this fine hotel...

You can book on the usual sites such as sexpedia, so sorry, Expedia, Agoda but also on the Accor site

I am a sucker for nice swimming pools. I don't want to visit the tourist sites and shopping malls so much anymore (ya know: been there, done that...). I'd rather now stay by a nice (!) pool and recover from the previous night's debaucheries and get some rest for the next wild night ahead. So that infinity pool was particularly important to me... 

On previous trips I'd stayed at the Dynasty Grande (DG, a **** hotel) and the Citrus Suites Soi 6 (CS6, also a **** rated hotel), both just a minute away from the Styles. Both are fine but the DG's pool is cold and most of the time in the shade. The CS6 is much more modern but also more expensive than the DG as it has recently become more expensive than it used to be (I think) - and I don't like their pool...

I personally clearly now prefer the *** Styles when I want to stay in this area of Nana with it's excellent PVR and would not go back to any one of the other ones mentioned - unless the Styles was full.

Even though it's just a 3 star place it didn't feel like a downgrade from the two 4 star hotels mentioned, except for the room size.

BTW: This was not an attempt at writing an objective review. It was just my personal impression of the hotel that I wanted to convey... It's not even meant to be a recommendation, just a review. Okay?

Thanks :-)

Standard room:

Location on Sukhumvit Soi 4 and 6:

View of "downtown" Bangkok at night from top of hotel:

Styles' breakfast room on 6th floor:

Infinity pool area with a wow view (inspired by Marina Bay Sand's Singapore?)

Red Square rooftop bar:

[taaseesanuk 2,983]

Love the bum gun expression...totally apt!

I am sure its only me who has any love for the Nana hotel on here, yes it is full of Monger's but it takes one to know one.

In truth, I''m not overly fixated on hotels providing it's clean, secure, and in a good location and well priced.

[Thanks 3,091]

@taaseesanuk

I'm also not fixated on one specific hotel in Bangkok. Actually I like moving around a bit: 3 days staying in the Nana south area, 3 days in the Soi 20/22/24 area (QPP & naughty massages near Phrom Phong), 3 days staying somewhere else...

Staying in different areas of Bangkok during one trip gives you a different perspective each time. If you're staying near Asok instead of Nana for example, you're more likely to take the MRT to Pong. Staying in Soi 11 or 13 gives you an excuse to venture around that area and perhaps visit the Arab quarter...

It's like 3 or 4 holidays in one. And the taxi rides from hotel to hotel within Bangkok are quick and inexpensive by day as they use the meter... And in case your hotel is below expectations, you can still look forward to your next one... only thing that is a small annoyance is that you have to pack your suitcase more than once... but I often live just out of my suitcase anyway...so no big deal...

[taaseesanuk 2,983]

8 hours ago, Thanks said:

@taaseesanuk

I'm also not fixated on one specific hotel in Bangkok. Actually I like moving around a bit: 3 days staying in the Nana south area, 3 days in the Soi 20/22/24 area (QPP & naughty massages near Phrom Phong), 3 days staying somewhere else...

Staying in different areas of Bangkok during one trip gives you a different perspective each time. If you're staying near Asok instead of Nana for example, you're more likely to take the MRT to Pong. Staying in Soi 11 or 13 gives you an excuse to venture around that area and perhaps visit the Arab quarter...

It's like 3 or 4 holidays in one. And the taxi rides from hotel to hotel within Bangkok are quick and inexpensive by day as they use the meter... And in case your hotel is below expectations, you can still look forward to your next one... only thing that is a small issue is that you have to pack your suitcase more than once... but I often live just out of my suitcase anyway...so no big deal...

Not thought of it like that, I can see what your saying, just once I am settled in I can't be arsed to up sticks again!

[bkkladyboy 447]

thanks for taking the time. looks awesome, especially the rooftop areas.

[Madchild 206]

Thanks for this 'Thanks'.  It's much appreciated.  I'm looking at this hotel for my upcoming trip.  I wanted to stay at a different hotel this time around as the last few years I've stayed at Hotel Icon, and it's starting to look a bit "tired" to me - unless they've done some recent updates, I'm not sure.

Was the street noise pretty bad?  

Cheers

MC

 

  

[Thanks 3,091]

4 hours ago, Madchild said:

Thanks for this 'Thanks'.  It's much appreciated.  I'm looking at this hotel for my upcoming trip.  I wanted to stay at a different hotel this time around as the last few years I've stayed at Hotel Icon, and it's starting to look a bit "tired" to me - unless they've done some recent updates, I'm not sure.

Was the street noise pretty bad?  

Cheers

MC

 

  

The Icon and the Styles are currently my two favorite hotels in the area because both represent good value IMO and both are perfect for our purposes...

I've stayed at the Icon last time as I wasn't sure if the construction site in front of the Styles was still there or not (it wasn't)....

I agree with your description of the Icon looking a bit tired as it's showing meanwhile some - light - signs of wear. I also like the pool and the pool area of the Styles much better. During rainy season a nice pool isn't that important to me but from November to March it's almost a must to have one...

If you want to book the Styles I recommend signing up for the Accor loyalty program as you often will get a bit better rate and/or a free breakfast included....

[Popeye66 281]

I stayed at ibis styles in July. Best location in Bangkok and an awesome hotel as well. Highly recommend.

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[am2009 24]

I booked Ibis for the first night I'm coming into BKK but Novotel in the same complex for my last three nights in BKK. Wish I'd saved the money and stuck with Ibis if it's so good - seemed too cheap to be true!

[Thanks 3,091]

I booked Ibis for the first night I'm coming into BKK but Novotel in the same complex for my last three nights in BKK. Wish I'd saved the money and stuck with Ibis if it's so good - seemed too cheap to be true!

The *** Ibis Styles and the **** Novotel Soi 4 are basically one and the same hotel.  At the Styles the rooms are smaller, more functional and less luxurious than at the Novotel. The Novotel rooms are mostly on the top floors while the rooms of the Styles are mostly on the lower levels. 

 

 

[Knobby 212]

Good review that, place looks great.

For me it depends on prices on a future trip as its a bit more than I like to spend on a room. 

[Madchild 206]

I'm booked into Ibis Styles.  Look forward to being at this hotel! 

[runker 78]

I`m in the Ibis Stylesl now and couldn`t agree about the review its a very nice hotel and the roof top pool is just amazing,this will be my go to place also in the future!!