lev123

All of the points are valid...and I think the prices of hotels make AirBnB less necessary/attractive in BKK. The times I have used Airbnb instead of hotels was when I was traveling with buddy and we wanted a living room to hang out/share stories, etc. If I am traveling solo, a hotel is better. If I am traveling with friend a two or three bedroom option is great.

Chaweng nightlife is better/more crowded, more options etc. It is also younger, more Aussies in tank tops and has a lot of faring women partying as well. you tend to see older ex pats in lamai....generalization, but accurate. I have stayed in both. If you are young and can tolerate noise, stay at the Ark Bar. If not, Al's Resort in Chaweng is right on the beach, but a bit above your budget...plenty of cheapish options in chewing if you ar willing to walk to the beach, instead of be on the beach. the map function on Agoda or booking.com can help you

I also like the Holiday Park in Lamai..very quiet, but close to everything..and they rent scooters.

I have almost always stayed on Soi 11 and I used to stay at the President Palace. The President Palace is now closed (and I believe will become a Novotel). I stayed in the Grand President, which was a dump and am trying to figure out where to stay when I get to BKK in a few weeks. I have stayed at Aloft (ok) and Citadines (next to Oskars--OK and cheaper) and am considering the Grand Swiss, which is close to the Suk in the alley. Any thoughts/recommendations or other suggestions on Soi 11? Thank you very much.

there are usually some food stalls/carts on Soi 11 and a few of them specialize in seafood. decent value and good food as well.

there is a cross fit place on the roof on the even sided street side (west/east??) by the nana BTS stop. you can see it as you are going from nana to asoke. Might be worth a look. I always stay at a hotel with a gym... most suck, but better than nothing

I will be in the Grand President for new year's...the President Palace is being renovated and they got me a good rate at their sister hotel... decent pool and gym as well and location is perfect

I have done AirbnB a few times in Europe and South America...but only when hotel prices were very expensive, or when I traveled with friends and wanted a two bedroom place, living room, etc. Hotel prices in BKK are pretty cheap, and the locations (by Nana, or Cowboy) good I don't even look at airbnb for bkk. Just my two cents.

I have not stayed in the Promenade, but I know exactly where it is. It looks a bit old, which is likely why it is so cheap. Another option, (though i bit more money) is the Citadines on Soi 8. It is 30-40 meter further down the road, no joiner fee and has a 24 hour tuk tuk that will drive you to the Suk if you do not feel like walking. I even called the driver ager 2:00 AM with a FL from Climax and he drove us back. A good option if you want to be on Soi 8. The Sawsdee hotel directly across from citadines also looks decent, and has OK food.

Thank you...I love the noodle soup on the street (great one is Soi 11 close to the Suk), but a great Ramen is awesome. thanks for the recommendation and directions.

i don't know how much a cook makes, but I think the better question is will you have fun with her for a week? if so, then give her what she needs and have a great time. 1 week of her expenses listed is not much money at all and less than you would spend on a few good nights on in BKK anyway. enjoy!

that looks awesome! Thanks for the info about the wait time. Where exactly is that food court?

The Game sports bar...south of Soi 11, right under Nana BTS entrance. good stuff

thanks for the review. I went there once a few years back and thought it was overpriced. I treated a BKK based friend and we each got the Ribeye, which was not very good. Wine was ok, but not great value. Where is the best steak in BKK? I live in NYC, so I eat plenty of steak here, but would like to know of a place in BKK as well. I think the best steak I had in BKK so far was actually at Check Inn 99. Decent Filet, cheap wine, good sides. Very reasonable, but certainly not "classy", more BKK old school.

decent gym/pool and good wifi proximity to clubs, not just go-go bars (I prefer Soi 11) once you narrow it down, you can always e-mail the hotel directly to ask about price and joiner fee.

I also think it depends on what you are looking for. Not to be naive (because I understand what late check out means), but if you want to store your luggage, use shower before your flight, etc...vs. bringing a gal back for one last session around 3:00 PM. I almost always stay at the President Palace - 3 star on Soi 11, and they will extend for free until 2:00 and around 5:00PM for 1/2 a day's rate.

well..is the Sukothai Guest friendly? I stayed there years ago with a girlfriend and thought it was terrific.

What are you looking for? A place to chill out and read? A place to party? A place for both? Busy, isolated, P4P scene? Lots of options.....be a bit more specific and I (and many others) will have plenty of recommendations for you

you can e-mail president palace directly and likely get a rate of 2100 (no breakfast)...should include free internet. You may want to be specific on where you want to be. Citadines on soi 11 and Citadines on Soi 8 will both be around less than 2000

just got downstairs - follow signs for taxi..queue up and take the ticket from the machine (in the pic above) and tell them the hotel. You might want to print out he hotel name/address in Thai before you get there just in case. Also- - there are tolls on the way to BKK. . .so tell the taxi driver "use the meter and I will pay tolls" Often times they do not want to use the metro because newbies argue about the tolls (75 baht) have fun!

you may want to also look at hotels around $200/$300 as you can get fantastic hotels for far less than $400. Look at the Sofitel, Sukothai, Banyan Tree, Oriental,

anything on Soi 11 would be decent as well. President Palace, Grand President, Aloft, Citadines, etc if you have any questions about "guest friendly", just e-mail the hotel directly and they will respond. no need to overpay, but I do think it is worth the money to have a decent pool and gym I prefer the President Palace on Soi 11. If you e-mail them directly, you can usually get a better rate than Agoda, booking.com, etc have a great trip

Try the President Palace on Soi 11....if you e-mail them directly, they will likely give you a better rate than Agoda, Booking.com , etc I stayed there earlier this week and it is excellent. Middle of the Soi, 50 meters from the Ambassador/Climax

in BKK, any of the fancy hotels by the River...Oriental, Peninsula, etc. Other options by Lumpini include: Sukothai, Banyan Tree and Metropolitan - all nice Pattaya - -why on earth would you go there with your family? If you want beaches, go to Samui, Phuket or even Ko Chang.

I have never stayed there, but I recommend you e-mail the hotel directly for the answer. If the answer is "no joiner fee", then print out the e-mail to avoid any confusion when you stay there Since Climax is in the basement of the Ambassador, I would find it to be incredibly ironic if they charged a joiner fee!