The Holiday Inn Express Sathorn, Bangkok, was day 2 of my Power of Promotions trip (read more here), but despite choosing it mostly for the promotion, I really enjoyed my stay, making it 3-out-of-3 winners for Holiday Inn Express in Asia! Find out why you might want to consider staying here:
Location: The HI Express Sathorn is in the Sathorn/Silom area, so it is not exactly at the heart of the shopping on Sukhumvit (see HI Sukhumvit Soi 22) or on the river for the tourist sights, but it is close to BTS, making it a short train right from everywhere in Bangkok. BTS Chong Nonsi is 100m away and from there it is 2 stops to the river, 1 stop to Silom nightlife and 3 stops to Siam for shopping. It’s in good company with the W Hotel just across the street!
Service: This location just recently opened, so both employees at the front desk wore the “trainee” badge when checking me in – and they did a great job, friendly and thorough while following their script. The staff in the great room for breakfast was equally friendly and helpful, quickly refilling food and drinks on the buffet and clearing tables, leaving nothing to take issue with. While I only staid one night, housekeeping prepared my room nicely. Check-out took only minutes, without the in Thailand customer check of the room.
Room: The hallways of the hotel are in dark grey tones, which seems to be the current, trendy theme, and it works well. The room is very contemporary with grey and blue tones, similar to other Holiday Inn Express in Asia, making it a reliable experience. The round desk/table was designed for flexible use, but probably a little small if you are planning on a lot of work in the room. The clothes closet is an open rack, which is helpful to not leave anything behind, but feels a little motel’ish. A good-size TV, laptop-ready safety box, kettle and mini fridge were all present and ready for business. The bed is very comfortable and has the Holiday Inn signature soft/firm pillows. I liked the – new for me – touch of the words imprinted on the pillow cases, rather than on signs attached to every pillow. The bathroom partially tiled bathroom is pretty small and so is the glass-enclosed shower. Everything was functional and I appreciate the soap/shampoo dispenser for their environmental friendliness.
Food: As at every Holiday Inn Express, the breakfast is included and consists off some hot items, fruit, cereal, bread & pastries, juices, coffee, tea. I get rather grumpy, if I don’t get breakfast soon after waking up, so having a nice breakfast included in your rate is always a winner in my book! If you have been to one HI Express, you know exactly what to expect – they are very consistent. There is no restaurant at the hotel, but that’s not a problem – there are hundreds (literally!) of food choices in walking distance and eating at a hotel restaurant in Bangkok is very low on my list!
Amenities: The hotel has a small fitness center, oddly facing the driveway, but no pool. There is a small selection of items for sale at the front desk, but with a 7/11 on every block in Bangkok, open around the clock, you will probably never need that. The Wifi was as always at HIE free, but not the most reliable one. I’m not sure if my gadgets were to blame. When it worked, it worked well.
Value: This hotel had just recently opened and was still offering “opening rates” – they were a little less than the Holiday Inn Express Siam and very competitive overall at $55/night, including breakfast! I consider this a good value for Bangkok, very good value for an international chain hotel. It was an awesome value for me, because it helped me meet my goals for the IHG “Into the Nights” promotion (read more here).
Overall, this Holiday Inn Express was very much in line with other hotels of the chain in Asia – brandnew, modern, even stylish rooms, nice free breakfast and wifi, and friendly service from start to finish. Next to Marriott hotels, I find Holiday Inn Express the most consistent chain of hotels – for some, that makes them reliable and stress free, for some, that makes them boring. I will add the Holiday Inn Sathorn to my list of “will stay again and recommend” hotels in Bangkok.