When looking around at Asian hotel rooms on TripAdvisor or Booking.com it can be difficult to believe that rooms so cheap could match the hotel’s photos or be of very high quality. If you are considering booking the Ibis Sathorn a high quality room in a well kept property is not a gamble, it’s a guarantee.
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Location: Sathorn Area
The Sathorn area is generally central in the city, bordering the popular Silom district. Find the hotel at the Southeast corner of Lumphini Park below the Goethe Institute. This is an international business district and this slice of the map will give you some idea of Sathorn’s character. A few embassies, internationals schools, office towers, and some trade associations. It has a downtown city feel during the day and is a bit abandoned at night. There are some restaurants close by that are nice but not too fancy.
The Lumphini station of the MRT blue line is about an 8 minute walk from Ibis Sathorn and riding the train is fast and easy. It’s also reachable by the hotel’s courtesy shuttle or a motorbike ride.
While this area is okay, and there is nothing wrong with this location I greatly preferred being near the BTS train vs the Blue Line.
Ibis Sathorn Overview
I chose this hotel because when I was staying at the Nanatai Suites it was noticeable that the Ibis in Soi 4 was a little more modern and inviting than the many other hotels in that street. The Ibis brand is part of the Accor family of hotels. Although it’s not well known in the US Accor is a global company based in Europe that competes directly with Hilton and Marriott. So you can count on an Ibis being held to similar standards of say, a Hilton Garden Inn or a Courtyard by Marriott.
Being budget friendly, there is no pool or fitness center here. There is an onsite restaurant with a breakfast buffet. The buffet was all right. Weirdly, they were serving spaghetti and salad for breakfast which you can take right next to your eggs. If you are catching this buffet right around 10 am before heading out for the day it could work out well for you? But I would advise not buying the buffet with the room rate. It is just a few dollars if you want it but many guests will enjoy one of the small local restaurants right across the street or one of the sit-down places in the area. There is also a 7-Eleven directly next to the property And many options including a Starbucks in the office tower next to Lumphini Station, as well as multiple food vendors on Rama IV Road.
The lobby is bright and airy and a fine place to hang out. There is a small business center there, as well as a travel agent desk if you wish to arrange excursions from Bangkok. There is a lobby bar separate from the restaurant with a happy our and a convenient outdoor seating area.
Ibis Sathorn Guest Rooms
I booked a superior queen room for two nights at a total price of $91. The room matched the property photos exactly. It definitely gave the impression that the room was designed on a drawing board somewhere, almost as if IKEA went into the hotel business. As an IKEA fan I don’t mean that to be disparaging. The layout is very thoughtful with built in seating and under-bed luggage storage. The bathroom is not large but never felt tight or cramped either. The bed was fine, if not the height of luxury.
I had the impression that this room was designed for a solo traveler and a couple could find it a little compact, especially for a multi-night stay. The room is not large at all but the space is very well used and it does not feel small when you’re inside alone.
Overall Impression
It was my first time staying in an Ibis or any Accor property and it made a very good impression. Solid buy for the money and I would not hesitate to stay in any Ibis location in Asia. The location of the Ibis Sathorn is not the best for tourists but if you are sure you want to be in this vicinity you will be quite happy here. Book a refundable rate online with confidence.
