Hotels in Bangkok
Bangkok is big enough that where you sleep changes the trip more than the hotel does. The districts are genuinely different from one another, and the distance between them is measured in train stops rather than in streets. Pick the district first, check the walk to the nearest station second, and the hotel itself third — in that order, and the rest looks after itself.
Sukhumvit
The default choice, and a reasonable one. A long road running east with the BTS above it, lined with hotels at every price, restaurants of every nationality, rooftop bars and shopping. It is busy and it is never quiet, but almost everything is a short train ride away and you will not run out of places to eat.
Siam
The middle of the city and the middle of the shopping — MBK, Siam Paragon and CentralWorld are all within a few minutes on foot, and the BTS interchange sits on top of them. Hotels run from mid-range to luxury. The best-connected place to stay in Bangkok, and the least atmospheric.
Riverside
Quieter, greener, and the only part of central Bangkok with a view worth paying for. River boats connect you to the old city and its temples directly, which is faster and far more pleasant than the road. The trade-off is the walk to the nearest station, which in this part of town is not always short.
Silom and Sathorn
The business district, which means good restaurants, serious hotels and a nightlife that runs from stylish to hidden. Lumphini Park is on the doorstep, which matters more than it sounds in a city with this little green space. Weekday mornings are busy; weekends are calm.
When to come
November to February is the cool dry season and the busy one: the weather is at its best, prices are at their highest, and the good rooms go early. Booking ahead matters most in those months and around the major holidays. Outside them you will pay noticeably less.
What to check before booking
- How far the hotel is from a BTS or MRT station, on foot — this matters more in Bangkok than anywhere else in Thailand
- Whether breakfast and airport transfers are included, since both are often cheaper bundled than bought
- Which floor the room is on, in the nightlife districts
- Free Wi-Fi and a pool, if either is part of how you plan to use the hotel
Hotels by budget
Luxury
The Siam, the Mandarin Oriental and Banyan Tree Bangkok — rooftop pools, spas and the level of service that the city is quietly famous for. Bangkok is one of the places where the top end costs less than its equivalent elsewhere, which is why people who never book luxury sometimes book it here.
Mid-range
Novotel, Eastin Grand and Amara Bangkok — comfortable rooms in locations that do the work for you, usually within a few minutes of a station. This is where most of the value sits.
Budget
Lub d Bangkok, Ibis Styles and the guesthouses around them: clean, well run and central. Bangkok's budget end is unusually good, and staying cheaply here costs you very little in comfort or in location.