Staying at the Embassy Row of Sathon, Bangkok: Urbana Sathorn

4 and 5 star hotels in Bangkok are quite affordable than say in Singapore, Hongkong and Tokyo. The prices are quite similar to Kuala Lumpur. There is a massive availability and the rooms are huge (easily starting at 30 square meters). When you have so much on offer, choosing becomes a luxurious problem.

I eventually chose Urbana Sathorn because it has apartment hotel accommodation. Unlike with most hotels, I would have to take 2 rooms or ask for an extra bed for my parents and I. At Urbana I was able to book a 105 square metre (really this big!) executive apartment with 2 bedrooms and equipped with a kitchen. We didnâ€™t touch the kitchen except for the fridge where we store our drinks and fruits. Each bedroom has its own toilet and bath and a flat TV screen. Plus another TV screen in the living room.

The senior citizen parents are what I call news guzzlers. They gobble all kinds of newsâ€”local and international, all the time, at home and when they are travelling. In the hotel room, their TV in the bedroom, as well as the TV in the living room were both blasting CNN, if not BBC, nonstop. And when they are in the lobby of the hotel, they are reading the international newspapers.

We were in Bangkok during the week that Turkey shot down a Russian jet plane. Oh dear, that was a big discussion in the hotel room! You can ask my parents whatâ€™s going on in the world and they will quickly give you a rundown, without advertisement =)

Our executive apartment is located on the 8th floor and we have the view of the infinity pool from our balcony and my bedroom, something that has become a trend these days. I have initially asked for a higher level floor but they only had rooms available that are smoking.

The breakfast was a lavish Asian-standard cold and hot buffet, complemented with an egg and pancake station. We do not have any complaints at all.

The furniture in the executive apartment were quite simple and looked a bit tired though. They have clearly seen better days. But the beds were very nice and comfortable to sleep on. I like a firm bed and soft big pillows.

The hotel is located on Sathon Tai Road, a main and very busy road on the financial district of Bangkok. We were on the embassy row, surrounded by the embassies of Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. I am not sure if this makes the area pretty safe or otherwise.

There is a small mall nearby as well on the corner of Lumphini Park. The (Lumphini) MRT is quite near which we never made use anyway since taxis worked better for my not-so-mobile mom. Taxis are cheap in Bangkok and everything is just a taxi cab ride away.

The parents liked the hotel and the area so that is what is important.

It was Loi Krathong Festival on our last day. Too bad we were not able to join in the festivities. In Bangkok, many would float a basket filled with flowers and a lighted candle. In the north, they would fly lighted lanterns. The festivities begin at dusk and our plane leaves just before 8PM back to Singapore. Too bad for us.

At the lobby of the hotel.

The parents are guzzling news (everytime) at the lobby of the hotel. When they are up in the room, they are in front of CNN or BBC.

Our little balcony is facing the swimming pool of the hotel.

Nice views but it is too hot to be swimming in the pool =)

This is my bedroom. I love it that the walls of the 2 bedrooms were floor to ceiling glass windows but you really need those thick curtains from the searing heat of the sun.

My parent’s bedroom, because they prefer sleeping in different beds but in 1 room.

The quite fully equipped kitchen that we never used. It even has a laundry machine.

My father glued to CNN. My mom as well, but in the bedroom.

The view down to the road from my parent’s room.

Breakfast at Amontre, the hotel’s restaurant. I tried to eat light every mornong but it is difficult when you are faced with lots of food.

Nobody is having breakfast at 06:15 except us. We were early on this particular morning as we will be picked up at 06:30 for the floating market + elephant show tour.

Breakfasts are served at Amontre untill 11am. After that the restaurant is open for lunch, drinks and dinner. It has a nice open-air lounge area. Here we are having a drink late in the afternoon after a long day outside.