HOTELS ~ Do you wanna pay?

[Guest]

(daveduke007 @ Feb. 21 2008,08:49) I'm on holiday next trip so my choice's are

Majestic Grande @ 3 x £50

Areca Lodge Executive Room 2 or 3 nights @ 2080baht

That's also my choise.

[thaibound]

(jonny @ Feb. 21 2008,13:52)

(daveduke007 @ Feb. 21 2008,08:49) I'm on holiday next trip so my choice's are

Majestic Grande @ 3 x £50

Areca Lodge Executive Room 2 or 3  nights @ 2080baht

That's also my choise.

while i do like the areca -- and think their "deluxe" room currently at about 1250/nite is a good deal -- i think paying 2k for one of their 'executive' rooms is not good VFM. that chaise lounge is virtually impossible to sit on without sliding to the floor and the only thing the room has for the extra 800thb/nite is more space and a dvd player. if i'm gonna go to that level, i'd rather move up to the LKMetropole, LKRenaissance, Whitehouse Condotel, or get the almost-always-booked deluxe seaview top floor room at the Sunshine Residence.
imho.
besides you can eat just as much bacon staying in a standard room as you can paying twice as much in an executive!

and speaking of food -- staying at the majestic grande, with the best damn 'free' buffet on the planet, i'm assured of putting on 5 pounds despite my best efforts. and at the mgrande i *always* take their cheapest room. and it's a damn fine little room at that!

[daveduke007]

(thaibound @ Feb. 21 2008,21:32)

(jonny @ Feb. 21 2008,13:52)

(daveduke007 @ Feb. 21 2008,08:49) I'm on holiday next trip so my choice's are

Majestic Grande @ 3 x £50

Areca Lodge Executive Room 2 or 3  nights @ 2080baht

That's also my choise.

while i do like the areca -- and think their "deluxe" room currently at about 1250/nite is a good deal -- i think paying 2k for one of their 'executive' rooms is not good VFM.  that chaise lounge is virtually impossible to sit on without sliding to the floor and the only thing the room has for the extra 800thb/nite is more space and a dvd player.

besides you can eat just as much bacon staying in a standard room as you can paying twice as much in an executive!  

 To be honest I would "agree" with you there thaibound.
I dont know why I booked the executive room as a deluxe room would be more than ample for my needs.
Maybe me and my "teerak" will have to watch some DVD's    

Looking forward to the bacon too    

[rxpharm]

When in Bkk, I stay at the Grand Business Inn - have been staying with them since 2004 and the room rate is 1600 Baht for the standard room. Rooms are nice, good sized, have DVD players, Sony flat screen TVs, bath tub/showers, high speed internet.

They treat me very well - no guest fees for more than 1 guest (1 time I had 3 visit me at same time), extra towels and soap when needed and free parking if my companion of choice has her own car.

In Phuket I have visited "The Place to Stay" two times and liked it for location and good size rooms, reasonable price.

In Pattaya I have used Pattaya Bay Resort twice, during the opening promotion and found it to be good value, good location. Their new rates make it a lesser value now. May look around for another hotel at my next visit.

So my budget is around 1500 Baht. My days of the 500-600 Baht hotels are pretty much over (used to do this during my early visits to LOS).

[Looker]

Prices have gone up somehow steeply during the last 2 years. So, what I could get for 1300 now costs me 1800
because I travel for business, and foot the bill by myself, I cannot go just anywhere but need to stay somewhere at least half-decent. With a coffee-shop where can I meet my clients with the minimum of image.
Nowadays will stay in the 1500 to 2000 range, probably closer to 2000 than 1500.

[bohemia]

Most of you seem to be on vacations and I cannot address that issue. I come for 3 months at a time and have fallen into a pattern of renting apartments. These apartments have the same type of room you can get for around 1200 baht in BKK and 500-700 in smaller towns. I usually spend 5000 baht. This works out to 180 baht a day. Sometimes I have to rent a motorcycle to enjoy life--another 150-200 baht a day when I do it. I have recently done this in Chiang Mai, Sri Racha, Korat, and Hua Hin.

[69billy]

If you use this site...

http://www.pattayacity.com/pattaya/hotels.html

You'll get much better price and free breakfast in most of the hotels ..If you book direct with hotel you pay more...
Like my last trip if I had to book with Sunshine hotel it was 200bt more and have to pay for breakfast..
PS..
For me 1300bt is the tops..and don't like to stay away from Soi7-8...

[divertwo]

I'm sitting in a 640baht/night place in Uttaradit.....pool, spa, buffet breakfast(included), bar,....normal rate is 840 but got the "local" discount via a local LB.....prices do vary depending on city/town/village. Spent 850 in ChiangMai for not as nice a place as this one.....and my "local" LB did some haggling too.....while we paid 500/night in Pai for a pretty cool individual cabin with AC, etc.

1000-1550 seems to be a reasonable amount when I'm in BKK

My travel goals usually are to spend as little time in the room as possible so I really don't need the "extras" aside from clean bed, shower and working AC. Even with an evening date...I'll play pool, move, dinner until sack time and then I'm not one to lay in bed all day once the sun rises........

[Guest]

I like Novatel on Soi 33, but lately tried Livingstone almost next door and prefer it's botique hotel feel. I think it was 2100 including breakfast in Jan. They have a website, and will book online. GGs in the sports bar are top shelf, but pricey, and I think the BF was 1400. I have taken LBs there and nobody batted an eye.

In Pattaya, I have always stayed at Sabai Lodge at around 1900 for the Deluxe Pool View in the North wing, but in Jan, it just seemed a little quiet and off the beaten path, so will stay Diana Inn for two nights in March, and look for a good 4 week deal for the rest of my stay.

[PigDogg]

i used to stay at Welkom Inn across from Sabai Lodge and like the location.

Easy enough to get home from anywhere via baht bus.
Strange but it often seems tougher to get back to the hotel if staying in a more centralized location.

[stogie bear]

My travel goals usually are to spend as little time in the room...

That's a very good point. I'm the opposite and like to only ever leave the room to eat or find someone to screw!

[TopDog]

I've always found the Bangkok 5* hotels to be a good deal for the money and liked staying at the Westin or JW Marriott while in Bangkok. I figured I bust my ass all year working I earned a couple weeks of living good. As I get older I no longer drink and party all day and night so having a nice place to hang out is definitely a plus. I may have to reconsider my options though, the $US has been dropping so much the 5* hotels are starting to get out of reach for me.

[daveduke007]

Well here is my Itinerary and Total Cost for my next trip to    arriving the 7th of May for 18 nights  
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Return Flights from Manchester to Bangkok with Etihad Airways "including" Travel Insurance

www.airline-network.co.uk
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3 Nights staying in an Executive Room at The Areca Lodge in Pattaya

www.arecalodge.com
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6 Nights in Koh Samui staying in a Deluxe Seaview Room at The Samui Jasmine Resort on Lamai Beach

Taxi transfers "included" from and back to the Airport

www.samuijasmineresort.com
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7 Nights in Phuket staying in a Deluxe Room at the Thara Patong Beach Resort.

Taxi transfers "included" from and back to the Airport

www.tharapatong.com
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2 Night / 3 Day Package ( includes taxi transfer and late check-out ) staying in a Premier Suite at The President Solitaire Hotel in Bangkok (Soi 11)

www.presidentsolitaire.com
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3 Dosmetic Flights ( for 2 Persons    )  

Pattaya-Samui-Phuket-Bangkok
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TOTAL COST FOR TRIP- £1500 ( It is a Holiday after all )
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Let the Good Times Roll

Plus all the rooms are only a "maximum" of 3 floors high except from the President Solitaire but that has "No" Balcony
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Areca Lodge

[daveduke007]

Samui Jasmine Resort loom

[daveduke007]

Thara Patong Beach Resort