My favorite IHG mid-range hotel in Bangkok – Holiday Inn Express Siam

Bangkok, the City of Angels, is one of the most competitive cities for hotels in the world, with more than 3,000 accommodations, there is something at every budget. The midrange market is the sweet spot for great value and the Holiday Inn Express Siam is my favorite IHG mid-range hotel in Bangkok – it offers stylish, new rooms and a full breakfast at reasonable prices in a good location. Read on to see if it has everything you need!

Location: The Holiday Inn Express Siam is less than 5 minutes walk from the National Stadium BTS station, giving you easy access to all the places for visitor by train. You can reach the airport by train or taxi in under 1h. You can also walk to MBK mall in 5 minutes and connect via walkway to the Discovery, Siam Center, Siam Paragon and even Central World, putting you into the perfect spot for shopping!

Service/Rewards: The check-in was quick and friendly. Staff recognized my IHG Rewards Club Platinum status, but didn’t offer a room upgrade. Because this Holiday Inn Express is one of the few with different room categories and I hadn’t received an upgrade on a previous stay, I asked about upgrade availability and the agent “found the last one”. Funny enough, a friend checking in shortly after me also asked for an upgrade and got it! So, if you have IHG Rewards Elite Status, don’t be shy to ask about an upgrade – hotel policy seems to be not to upgrade unless requested! I was able to check in a little early and out a little late.
Housekeeping had done a thorough job in preparing my room – it was clean, in good condition and supplies were fully stocked. The restaurant staff was working hard to keep tables clean and the breakfast buffet stocked.

BKK HIX Siam ViewRoom: All the rooms at the HIX Siam are new and stylish, held in grey and blue tones – friendly, modern and inoffensive. The upgraded corner rooms are a little larger, have multiple windows for more light and space for a comfortable swivel chair and side table. The queen size bed is comfortable with a choice of soft/hard pillows. There is a large desk and task chair to do work, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV as well as a bench for luggage, plenty of closet space, a laptop-size safe, mini fridge and coffee/tea facilities. My room looked out over the National Stadium and the BTS train line, but there was no street or train noise. 
BKK HIX Siam bed2
The bathroom is a clever layout, with the frosted glass door to the bathroom doubling as the shower door. The bathroom is fairly small, but there is enough space on the countertop around the sink for you toiletries. You’ll also have a wall-mounted hairdryer and soap/shampoo from a eco-friendly dispenser. The shower has a frosted glass wall to the bedroom for more light, a simple and good design! All of it is clean and functional!
BKK HIX Siam bath
The internet in the room was very consistent, reliable and fast at 4.0Mbps – good for video streaming or work! The air conditioning worked well and has a digital wall panel for controls.
IHG – similar to Accor – has really perfected mid-range hotel rooms: very functional, modern and nice in a (reasonably) small package!

BKK HIX Siam RoofGardenRestaurant/Amenities: The hotel has a small gym with cardio and weight equipment on the rooftop, enough for a basic workout. There is a rooftop garden to hang out, but surprisingly no pool! I’d take a small pool over a “garden” anytime. BKK HIX Siam gym cYou do have access to a laundry room, so if you are stopping over in Bangkok on a longer trip, you can travel light and do laundry here!
BKK HIX Siam Laundry
As all Holiday Inn Express, the HIX Siam serves a free, hot breakfast. The selection and quality is comparable to the other HIX hotels in Bangkok and slightly better than elsewhere: You have a choice of pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt, as well as eggs and meat and some hot Asian dishes. Coffee, tea and juices are also available. The breakfast restaurant is a very nice space, with a communal high table and bar stools in the entrance area, bistro seating throughout and some more lounge-y seating along the window. The breakfast is very popular and the whole place was packed during each of my stays. You might have to wait a little for a table, but the staff managed the crowds well. Despite the nice design, the crowds give it a bit of a cafeteria feel, so you might want to come early for a more peaceful setting.
BKK HIX Siam Breakfast
The independent restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel was recently replaced by a McDonald’s – not necessarily my first (or fifth) choice of restaurant in Bangkok, but there you have it. There are lots of restaurants within 10 minutes walk, so you have plenty of alternatives.

Bottomline: The Holiday Inn Express is my favorite IHG hotel in Bangkok. It is in a better location than the HIX Sukhumvit, HIX Sathorn, Holiday Inn Silom or HI Sukhumvit Soi22 and usually cheaper than the Holiday Inn Sukhumvit. I paid $80/night last minute – which is more than I paid previously. I booked it during the Accelerate Promotion and this one-night stay earned me 31,000 points (a $180 value), making it this stay better than free! I consider the HIX Siam good value at $65/night or less. At higher prices, I’d consider the Mercure Siam down the road, the Park Plaza Sukhumvit (both of which offer pools) or the ibis Siam.


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