First

Good location

The room was okay. Not the best. If you stay high enough, you will get a good view of Bangkok city. Breakfast buffet was good, but it's the same every morning. Location is great. It's in between Phayatai and Ratchatewi Skytrain stations.

Unique Quality: Location location location. Skytrain is within waling distance. A short cab ride, you will reach Siam Square, Siam Paragon, etc.

HOTEL

Non-smokers Stay Away

My wife and I stayed there with other friends for 7 days early March 2007 in Bangkok through a friend who booked this through a travel agency. Our 1st day was pretty much disappointing with our room assignment. We requested for a single bed (queen size) room in the new wing. I am not sure if this was due to communication problem due to staff not that fluent in English or just plain bad service. When we arrived, it was 2 single beds put together side by side and away from the wall because there was a nightstand that cannot be moved. The room smell like cigarette smoke and the carpet was full of cigarette burns. Others in our group also complained of cigarette odor of the rooms. One couple had to move 3 times since she was ashmatic. They have cable tv alright, the local Thai channels are clear but not HBO.The Palm Garden Thai restaurant in the 7th floor was another place to stay away from. The staff were not accomodating to help you rearrange 2 tables together so you can eat with your friends as a group. Pretty much a self-service restaurant. This meal was part of the travel package so that maybe explain of the poor service.
Don't use the room telephone if you don't want to pay for local or long distance calls. Don't call the phone numbers listed on the Massage Service since 2 phone numbers there are long distance calls. You will end paying for them when you check out. You have been warned

Unique Quality: Walking distance to shopping malls and skyway station

Business Hotel in Bangkok

Stayed at this hotel for a night.

Good facilities and excellent location, close to Pratunam Shopping Center and World Trade Center. Room came with breakfast.

Walking distance to Skytrain Station.

• Opinion of Price: about average

First

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One very good place to stay in Bangkok!

My family and I stayed there for 6D/5N.. We booked our hotel from Manila (a travel agent somewhere in Cubao)... For four adults housed in two twin rooms 6D/5N, we only paid Php 17,000... That's roughly US $350! That includes daily buffet breakfast and airport transfers.

The hotel had two wings. We stayed in the new wing. The room was very spacious, well lighted, had cable TV, phone, bath tub, hair dryer, small ref, electric kettle. It's very clean actually, from the room all the way to the lounge and restaurant.

Right outside the hotel is a 7-11 store. Across the street, there's a restaurant that sells really good food starting at 40 Baht or roughly $1! Right beside that restaurant is an internet cafe. Walk to the corner of the street and you hit the MRT that goes to Chatuchak, the weekend bazaar. If you can walk the length of one MRT station to the next, you'll get to Mabungkrong.

Walking the other direction you'll reach Pratunam, the main shopping district. (To Filipinos, that'd be like our Divisoria). There's this mall halfway through Pratunam that sells electronic stuffs (PC, laptops, mp3 players, etc) and has KFC in it.

Also, it's on the main road, unlike Baiyoke and First House. So no problem getting a cab or taking a bus from here.

Unique Quality: (i) it has a pool.

(ii) walking distance to the main shopping tiangge or bazaar (Pratunam)

(iii) unlike Baiyoke or First House, the outside of First Hotel is the main road and not the bazaar. It's very easy to get a cab or walk to the MRT.

(iv) walking distance to shopping areas.

(v) 7-11 and internet cafe right outside.

(vi) doesn't allow durian inside the hotel premises!

(viii) tough on security. My sister has a friend from Bangkok. She visited us in our hotel. We were surprised to find out that a security personel accompanied her from the front desk all the way to our room.

(ix) excellent breakfast buffet!

First Hotel is OK for a shoe string budget

My best friend and I decided to spend 4D/3N in Bangkok as a farewell trip. She was leaving for Singapore to study and I was moving to a new job. Because we didn't have time to do everything ourselves, we hired the services of a travel agent to booked everything for us (air transportation and accomodations). We chose the cheapest package available and opted to stay at First Hotel (different from First House Hotel).

First Hotel is ok for a budget hotel. It's about a 10-minute walk to the Skytrain, a 10-minute walk to Pratunam (the wholesale market) and a 15-minute walk to the World Trade Center and nearby malls.

The rooms are musty and have seen better times. The bathroom was clean enough. We didn't really expect much, we just wanted a cheap place to sleep and stay. We didn't have any major complaints, except that I wish they'd assign us a room nearer the elevator and far away from the fire exit--seeing that we were women.

The staff can do better and learn to speak for fluent English. I find that they were difficult to talk to because of the language barrier.

Breakfast was OK. For its price, it does have a wide variety of offerings. But I normally opt for youghurt, fruits, rolls, butter and jam and juice. Maybe a sausage and mini pancakes every now and then.

I'd probably come back the next time we visit.

Unique Quality: Great location. Near many 7-eleven stores for toiletries, late-night snacks or phone cards.

Worst Hotel I have ever stayed at

Always remember First Hotel = probably the 1st hotel left untouched since it was built.

We could not get a room at the hotel of our choice (5 of them actually), due to peak season. And because we took a night flight and would arrive around midnite, we really desperately wanted to book a room in advance. So, when we were told that ONLY First Hotel had a room available, we jumped at the offer. Of course, budget and location was also why our choice of accomodation was more or less limited.

My oh my. what a mistake! Hmm. where should I start..

1. Carpets were stained and i think maybe even decomposing! (and i mean all over the building)
2. Room had tiny cockroaches (?!!)
3. Smelled old
4. Plants were dying
5. Ceiling had stains (also allover)
6. Aircon probably dirty because I kept sneezing throughout (dusty??)
7. Staff were ok though
8. Didn't even have a tv until I requested for one
9. Shower curtain dropped off!!!
10. Furniture looks older than I am.
11. Not a place you look forward to returning to after shopping the whole day.. we dreaded going back, even when we were about to collapse from fatigue..haha..kinda funny now that I recollect.

Ok, enough said.. you get the picture!

Unique Quality: Yes, one really unique quality = cockroaches in a hotel room???? I have never ever ever encountered that!