When I visited Bangkok in October 2006, it was sort of on a whim. Thus, while I had intended to stay at the ever popular Pathumwan Princess, I could not get a room at all since I gave only a very short notice of less than a week.
As it turns out, it was actually a blessing of sorts, as during my search for a replacement hotel, I came across "The Davis Bangkok", which looked truly spectacular from the photos and was price very competitively (I booked a twin sharing superior room for only about US$105 per room per night) considering its facilities and class. Do note that there are 2 wings at The David Bangkok, the Main Wing, and the newer Corner Wing. I recommend booking a room at the Main Wing, because all the facilities such as pool and restaurants are within the Main Wing.
Often, the photos Thai hotels employ on their websites and that of their agents are often glammed up ones that are quite different from the actual (usually much sadder) situation at the hotel. I am very happy to report that The Davis Bangkok actually looked better in real life! The courtyard at Baan Davis was also truly an oasis within the heart of Bangkok.
My room within the main wing was very tastefully decorated, cosy and spacious. Besides frills such as a lounger, there was even a large working desk and a microwave! I was kind of amused that they actually made customized leather cases to house the remote controls for the TV and sound system - certainly a very elegant touch.
The rooftop pool was quite nice as well, but can get a little crowded at times since it is kind of small. Same goes for the unheated jacuzzi besides the pool.
The included welcome drink was a sugar laden affair that was better left forgotten. Breakfast was another story and offered a very good spread of American breakfast fares like hashbrown, muffins, and ham, as well as local fares such as fried noodles, curries and desserts. The range was good and there were even variations in items on different days. I loved that fried bacon strips were served daily.
Unique Qualities: Many hotels in Bangkok claim to be "Boutique Hotels", but are often actually badly-kept budget hotels. This is definitely not the case with The Davis Bangkok and the establishment definitely lives up to their claim of being "the first boutique hotel in Bangkok". Everything about the hotel from the facade, room decor, staff uniform and even the clinical looking toiletry bottles screamed designer chic.
Apparently, different rooms (even within the same class) within the hotel also feature different themes. So, even if you are a regular at the hotel, you can be assured of something new during each stay.
If there is anything to fault, it will be that the location of the hotel is actually a little "off" along Sukhumvit Road, which is a really long road. To walk from the nearest
BTS station, Prompong, will take about 20 minutes and it can be quite an unpleasant walk due to Bangkok's swattering heat, and the amount of construction work that were going on along the road in. Going out, they do provide a courtesy Tuk Tuk though.
But all these are actually moot points since taxis in Bangkok are really cheap. Considering the prices of the rooms, the cost of taxis are quite negligible by comparison.
Service wise, it was fantastic as well with all the staff being ever ready with a smile. After staying for 2 days before in
Bossotel Inn Bangkok, where their staff were not particularly great in their command of the English language, it was a real joy for me to find most of the service staff at The Davis Bangkok speaking very good English. One minor fault was that the reception staff gave me one piece of wrong information. When I stayed at the hotel in October 2006, the departure tax at the airport was actually 500 baht, but I was told that it would be 700 baht. As it turned out, the information they got was incomplete, and the tax would only be raised to 700 baht from February 2007. But this is just nitpicking.
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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120
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Phone: +66 2 2608000
Address: 88 Sukhumvit 24 Klongton Klong
Website: http://www.davisbangkok.net
Other Contact: Email: info@davisbangkok.net