Holiday Inn Express, Sukhumvit Soi 11
Bangkok, Thailand
This was the cheapest per night of the three hotels I stayed in during my recent trip to Bangkok. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad choice. In fact, the hotel has a lot to recommend itself, not the least being its location at the end of buzzing Soi 11, home to some well-known restaurants and bars, including the famous Cheap Charlie’s.
I could notice where the savings were made: in the smaller foyer and fewer reception staff, and in the bathroom of my room, where there were dispensers of mystery liquids rather than blocks of soap and bottles of shampoo.
I guess people with hair to care about take their own shampoo, so they wouldn’t be too worried by a product that claims to be both shampoo and body wash.
Also, I got a twin room rather than the queen bed I was hoping for. On check in, the friendly staff told me I could come back the next day to see if a another room was available, but once I was settled in for my three-day stay, I didn’t want the hassle of doing that.
Unlike a lot of hotel rooms, this one had plenty of power points, although the two on the desk were too close together to accommodate even two of the standard British-style plugs they were designed for let alone the large adapters many travellers need to use.
The Holiday Inn Express slogan is “Stay Smart”, and that motif is used everywhere to promote its green and cost-cutting initiatives.
The breakfast offering was not terribly extensive, with the hot range limited to congee, rice, either scrambled egg or plain omelettes and chicken sausage.
However, there was a decent bakery selection and the butter, jams and spreads did come in their own packets. The “to-go” option is a good idea for people in a hurry to be somewhere else. Which is probably everybody who’s visiting Thailand.
