Where do you book your hotel for holiday in Bangkok?

[ChristianPFC]

So far, I used agoda.co.uk to book my hotel for holiday in Bangkok. Just to see if it makes any difference, I checked opodo.co.uk, and lo and behold, they offer "Stay 3, Pay 2"! The same on hotels.com. In the internet, I read that you can get cheaper prices when you book via a Thai middle man compared to booking directly. Does anyone have any experiences in doing so?

 

The hotel I'm going to stay in is the Ibis Sathorn (stayed there before, liked it), one room for two adults (I travel alone, but for obvious reasons I need a double bed - not two single beds!). I intend to stay 5 or 6 days. Here the numbers:

 

agoda 22.31 GBP room charge + 4.74 GBP tax/service = 27.05 GBP / night

agoda 1049 THB room charge + 223 THB tax/service = 1272 THB / night

 

opodo 19.94 GBP all incl / night if 3 nights are booked,

opodo 23.93 GBP all incl / night if 2 nights are booked

 

(this doesn't add up with 3 for 2, even if I take into account that I have to pay 2 room charges and 3 tax/service for 3 nights!)

 

hotels 16.94 GBP room charge + 3.00 GBP tax/service = 19.94 GBP / night for 6 nights

(why here 3.00 GBP tax/service?)

[Guest]

I e-mail the Om Yim directly to book with them, at the Om Yim Lodge.

The Om Yim guest house has a a more convenient location for my requirements and is roughly the same standard as an Ibis, although I have not sampled the Ibis in Bangkok.

If I remember correctly, breakfast was included at the Om Yim & it is not with Ibis.

 

Interesting to see it is more expensive to book with Ibis directly than the sites you have identified.

[Guest tuisplace]

So far, I used agoda.co.uk to book...

A little off-topic ChristianPFC but as you mention Agoda, I hope you don't object to my brief assessment of this company, which I'm sure book a lot of rooms in Bangkok. I'll start by saying that they have a really super-swanky website and all but I don't like to use them because; besides their extra booking fee, I feel as though I'm being hustled by them.

 

I'll give you an example of what I mean. A friend of mine recently had to go on a visa run to Laos, so we went to Agoda and saw that for the hotel and price range he was looking for, there were only 2 rooms remaining. I won't bore you with the financials, but it wasn't plain sailing and about 12-hours after the initial booking, I got confirmation.

 

So my friend goes to Laos and says - far from them having only two rooms remaining, he believed there were only 2 guests staying in the entire 70-room hotel - period! I really don't like being played and that's what I think Agoda does to its customers.

 

The irony is, the hotel my friend stayed at told him NOT to use Agoda but "use" Agoda. In future I'll be doing just that. I'll go to Agoda's website and see which hotel is best for price and location, then just Google the hotel's phone number and contact email address and so cut Agoda out of the loop.

 

Finally, had I known this before booking through Agoda, my friend would have saved US$5. Not much I agree but in these harsh economic times - I feel that $5 saved, is $5 earned. - Tui

[atri1666]

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[Guest lvdkeyes]

I have used Agoda to book hotels in Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and parts of Thailand (not BKK) and I find them competitive with price with a large variety of hotels to choose from.

[fedssocr]

I typically book direct with the property or chain's website. I may do some research in advance using other booking sites though.

[Guest joseph44]

you mention Agoda

 

Usually the booking-sites do have a limited number of rooms available. If there is on the Agoda website: "2 Rooms available", that means that Agoda has 2 rooms available. Asiarooms.com covers this problem by offering "On request" rooms.

Because of price-negotiations between booking-sites, booking through a booking-site if often cheaper than book directly at the accommodation.

I'm not a typical Agoda fan, but it is one of the few booking sites, where I can use my AmEx-card.

For this weekend I booked a room in a BKK hotel, but this time directly at the hotel.

[Guest fountainhall]

In the internet, I read that you can get cheaper prices when you book via a Thai middle man compared to booking directly. Does anyone have any experiences in doing so?

Like atri1666, I always look at several sites and check with an agent, then compare with what the hotel’s own site offers. Most times I end up with the best rate, but sometimes if I book too far in advance I lose out on last minute deals. For example, I once booked a hotel from its own site at a specific pre-paid non-refundable rate that was lower than any other site or agency could offer. Two weeks later, the hotel announced a 3 for 2 VISA promotion – so I could have saved much more by waiting!

 

hotels 16.94 GBP room charge + 3.00 GBP tax/service = 19.94 GBP / night for 6 nights

(why here 3.00 GBP tax/service?)

In my experience, many booking sites quote room rates LESS tax and service. In Thailand, this amounts to 10% service + 7% tax which is more or less the 3GBP you mention.

 

Usually the booking-sites do have a limited number of rooms available

This is correct. Hotels provide agents and each web engine with only a small number of rooms at the special low rate – sometimes just a handful. That’s why you often find rooms available on one site, but not on another, and explains why your friend's Laos hotel was virtually empty.

 

In general, I find agoda very competitive within the region. Additionally, because of currency variations, I have often found it worthwhile searching the same web engine in different countries. For example, hotels.com.au may offer a better rate than hotels.com!

[Guest tuisplace]

If there is on the Agoda website: "2 Rooms available", that means that Agoda has 2 rooms available.

I was hoping someone was going to write this as; even after the reservation had been processed, Agoda's website still showed there were "2-rooms" available. - Tui

[Guest]

I was hoping someone was going to write this as; even after the reservation had been processed, Agoda's website still showed there were "2-rooms" available. - Tui

 

Similar ploys can be found on airline seat bookings through third party agents. They have maybe 4 seats available, which disappear. After a day or 2, more seats appear on the same flight.

 

As for hotels, frequently I spend over an hour on the net & just find somewhere £5 cheaper. Set against my notional self charged labour rate, that's time not well spent.

[billyhouston]

For some years I've used Atsiam for my Thai bookings.

 

More recently I've found it interesting to use the comparison site Hotels Combined which covers most of the usual suspects.

 

Seldom do I book direct though, just at the moment, my favoured place in Bangkok has special offers available direct. The fact that it's on Langsuan may have something to do with it.

[ChristianPFC]

I just checked ibishotel.com, same rate (19.94GBP / night incl tax/service) as opodo and others. Onyl agoda is still more expensive, no 3-for-2!

 

Om Yim and Malaysia are alternatives, but price is not much different, staying somewhere where I was before gives some sense of security to me. Furthermore, life in front of the Malaysia (exactly opposite to the Ibis) is very intersting, can sit and watch or chat with boys and tourists and expats that hang out there.

 

I prefer breakfast not included, as I sometimes sleep too long to participate in breakfast or get food from street on my way to whereever I go or go dining with a friend after getting up.

[Gaybutton]

the Malaysia (exactly opposite to the Ibis)

Yes, they are directly across from each other:

 

Maylaysia: 800 baht per night - Ibis: 1050 baht per night

 

Maylasia: Aging hotel, rooms show signs of age - Ibis: Brand new, less than 1 year old

 

Maylasia: Smoking allowed in rooms - Ibis: No smoking in the rooms or anywhere on the property.

 

Malaysia: Very gay friendly. No problem about bringing a 'guest' to your room. 'Guests' required to leave ID cards at the front desk - Ibis: I have no idea whether they are gay friendly or not. I also have no idea about their policy about bringing a 'guest' to your room.

 

Both hotels have 24 hour restaurants

 

Malaysia: Lobby safes, but no room safes - Ibis: I don't know. I haven't been in any of their rooms.

 

Both hotels: Good English spoken at both hotels. 7-Eleven directly across the street. Internet cafe directly across the street. Several ATMs directly across the street. Plenty of taxi and motorcycle taxi availability. Several good restaurants within easy walking distance. Babylon Sauna within easy walking distance. MRT subway within easy walking distance. Major bank branches within easy walking distance (great for travel check exchange). 10 minute taxi ride to US and British embassies. 10 minute taxi ride to Silom-Surawong-Soi Twilight-Patpong bars.

 

http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-6537-ibis-bangkok-sathorn/index.shtml

 

http://www.malaysiahotelbkk.com

[Guest]

To add Om Yim to the comparison....

 

Chong Nonsi BTS station right in front of the hotel.

Gay owned & no problem with guests.

Free WIFI

Safe in room.

Clean & tidy rooms.

Relatively easy walk to Soi Duangthawee. Longer walk to Babylon.

No money boys hang out in front of the hotel.

Supposed to be some massage places around the corner, but I have not tried them.

Excellent facilities within 5 minutes walk (towards Sala Daeng direction).

[KhorTose]

The hotel I'm going to stay in is the Ibis Sathorn (stayed there before, liked it), one room for two adults (I travel alone, but for obvious reasons I need a double bed - not two single beds!). I intend to stay 5 or 6 days.

opodo 19.94 GBP all incl / night if 3 nights are booked,

opodo 23.93 GBP all incl / night if 2 nights are booked

 

 

I too recommend Om Yim hotel. Great place to stay. I went on the Ibis hotel site and the best rates are at the hotel and not with any booking agency. Why do you need an agency?

[ChristianPFC]

@gaybutton:

 

I had no problem so far with bringing guests to the Ibis, no joiner fee, no ID required, I just walked in. A friend lost his T-Shirt at DJ-station, so he was shirtless when we went to my room, the people at the reception didn't blink an eye.

 

Maylasia: Smoking allowed in rooms - good to know! I wouldn't like to stay in a room where someone smoked before!

 

quote: @z909 No money boys hang out in front of the hotel.

 

I consider the moneyboys in front of the Malaysia as a plus factor!

[Guest]

quote: @z909 No money boys hang out in front of the hotel.

I consider the moneyboys in front of the Malaysia as a plus factor!

 

So do I. My previous post was trying to present a balanced view, therefore such disadvantage were included. On the last trip, I took one of them back to the Om Yim too.

 

Incidentally, the western couple across the road were very amused as we were getting into the taxi.

[Jason1988]

http://www.directrooms.com includes tax, service and most of the time ABF.

[Gaybutton]

and most of the time ABF.

I wish you folks would stop using acronyms and abbreviations under the assumption that everyone knows and is familiar with them. I almost never am and I'm not this time either. Is it that much of a problem to simply spell out the words? What is ABF?

[Guest fountainhall]

What is ABF?

You're obviously not a regular traveller, GB. It stands for American Breakfast - usually of the buffet variety.

[Gaybutton]

You're obviously not a regular traveller, GB. It stands for American Breakfast - usually of the buffet variety.

I happen to be a very regular traveler, but this is the first time in my life I have ever seen ABF. Again, people make assumptions that just because they happen to know these things, so does everybody else. Is it asking too much to just write the words when posting?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I have seen ABF posted outside hotels even in Pattaya.

[Gaybutton]

I have seen ABF posted outside hotels even in Pattaya.

I've never noticed. Even if I had, that doesn't mean I would have known what it meant or even would have asked.

 

All I'm asking people to do is post the words instead abbreviations and acronyms, or at least along with them so that the incredibly, unbelievably ignorant, such as myself, will know what is being talked about. I don't think that's too much to ask and it's going to be a little hard to convince me that the only person who doesn't know each and every one of them is me.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

LOL, why not do a poll?

[Gaybutton]

LOL, why not do a poll?

You might notice as you scroll further down, the first thing on the "similar topics" was a post by me. I titled the post, "BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Opens in Bangkok ." There, now you see both the abbreviation and the words. You might notice I do all my posts that contain abbreviations that way, for the very reasons I've stated. I don't just assume that everyone knows what the abbreviation represents. I believe if I had left out the "translation," few people would have had any idea what I was talking about.

 

That's all I'm asking. If people still don't want to "translate" the abbreviation or acronym, then don't belittle those who have to ask.

 

"I've asked you a million times, don't leave little notes on my pillow. 'We're all out of corn flakes, FU.' It took me three hours to figure out that FU was Felix Unger."

- Oscar to Felix, 'The Odd Couple'