Mystic Place Hotel

Mystic Place Hotel is a small boutique hotel located in the Saphan Khwai district of Bangkok 5 minutes from Chatuchak ( JJ or jatujack  ) market and just blocks from the Saphan Khwai BTS station. This isn’t your normal boutique hotel, their slogan says it all “Where kitsch art meets Thai hospitality”. Each of the 36 Mystic Place Hotel rooms was designed and decorated by a different designer/artist with the idea of bringing  artistic expression and comfortable living together.

Each room at the Mystic Hotel is it’s own unique experience from rural Thailand traditional to funky chic you can literally try out as many rooms as you like. This unique hotel concept really sets Mystic Place apart from anything comparable in Bangkok.

If you are looking for a quieter stay in Bangkok that is outside the serious traffic of the city center then Mystic Place is the perfect option. I knew I would be doing some early morning exploring of Bangkok and staying outside of Bangkok’s bad traffic was necessary to get around easily at that time. With the BTS skytrain just a few blocks away most of Bangkok is easily accessible.

Mystic Place Hotel Rooms

When you book your hotel room at Mystic place online you have an option to see pictures of each of the 36 rooms available and choose what you like or you could be like me and let them choose for you and be surprised. What if you don’t like the room? No problem, you can change rooms daily if you like for a small 200 baht surcharge for each room change but if you are staying for 3 nights or more then then the room change is free.

I was given the “Fitting Room” which is a funky stylish room dedicated to fashion. As you can see in the pictures below it is a very spacious and comfortable room. You can see pictures of all the different rooms at Mystic Place Hotel Gallery.

Another cool feature of the hotel is that the balconies are actually across from your room entrance and the hallways have a certain artistic flair as well.

Hotel Amenities

Mystic Place Hotel is a full service hotel complete with a top notch Spa, Restaurant and Boutique Bar including free WIFI throughout. The Spa itself is apparently one of the best in the Saphan Khwai are and much sought after by residents and tourists alike.There is also a small coffee shop connected to the lobby that puts Starbucks to shame. Mystic Place Hotel also offers free breakfast and free Tuk Tuk shuttles to the BTS, MRT and Chatuchak market.

The hotel staff is without a doubt one  of the top amenities of the Hotel. They do a great job making sure are comfortable and more importantly that you feel welcomed to Bangkok.

Mystic Place Hotel Rates and Information

Superior Room 35 sqm  1,619 Baht per night

Deluxe Rooms 45 sqm  1,809 Baht per night

Mystic Suite 50 sqm  1,999 Baht per night

These are discounted high season rates so you will want to check with the hotel for current low season rates and deals.

You can find out much more information on what Mystic Place Hotel has to offer by clicking the logo below.

Mystic Place Hotel Location

If you are looking for a uniquely comfortable hotel experience while in Bangkok then Mystic Place Hotel is definitely a great choice.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Funny Thai Signs and Sad Realities
• Military Intelligence in Bangkok, Not
• David Carradine Murdered?
• Nana Hotel Bangkok
• More Snow Forecast for Bangkok

Although Mukdahan is a small city it has quite a few decent hotels and the Kieng Piman is definitely one of the better ones suited to westerners traveling through town.

The hotel is a more modern hotel but it has a few years on it. The rooms were nice but more towards the spartan style with not much going on. Each room has a small balcony either overlooking the parking lot in the front of the hotel or the wholesale night market at the rear of the hotel.

I stayed in the standard room which runs 500 baht a night. The room was very clean and the bathroom was well stocked with soaps and shampoo’s. While there are several nicer hotels in town,  such as the Mukdahan Grand,  they are also a lot more expensive starting at 1000 baht a night. For the price the Kieng Piman just couldn’t be beat unless you were to stay in a normal Thai hotel which would be very sparse and have squat toilets.

There is a restaurant on the premises and it looked very nice but I never had a chance to eat there. The hotel also provides room service until 11pm. The restaurant area also provides free wifi by cyberpoint but if you need wifi in your room you’ll have to buy minutes that start at 50 baht for one hour.

The Kieng Piman Hotel in Mukdahan is conveniently located in downtown Mukdahan. It is about 5 minutes walk from the Mekong River and Indochina Market (Danang Market) which has local foods, clothes and fruits.

All in all the Kieng Piman was a very nice hotel to stay in and everyone from the front desk personel to the maids made sure that the time I spent there was enjoyable.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Mukdahan Grand Hotel
• A Trip to Issan
• Snow in Thailand
• My Thai Photographer
• Hotel California

Normally when I stay in Pattaya I like to book a nice room in a small boutique hotel because they are much cheaper and they have less rooms which means more attention is payed to the guests they have. Personally I love to stay in the Soi Bukow/Soi Dianna area because it’s central to everything.

This past trip in April I decided to stay at the LK Renaissance Hotel located on Soi Dianna. I had seen it being built in early 2008 and it looked like it was going to be very nice. Considering it was being built by the LK group who also own the LK Metropole there really was no doubt just how nice it would be.

When I began booking flights I looked into the LK renaissance and found that their smallest room, the suite, would run me about $70 a night. I decided to check the prices of several online hotel booking sites and found that the same room through Agoda would cost me $52 a night including all tariffs so I booked the room through Agoda.

From the second we arrived at the LK renaissance I was very impressed with the way they operate. We were met at our taxi by the doorman who removed our bags and brought them inside. While we were filling out the usual paperwork at reception the bell boy took our bags to the room and we were served complimentary drinks. When we completed the check in paperwork we were informed that we would receive a complimentary breakfast for 2 each morning in their adjoining restaurant. A nice touch as the usual breakfast deals are normally just for one person.

The suite room at the LK Renaissance is the cheapest and smallest accommodation they have, it was neither small or cheap in appearance. The room was large and very well appointed. When you enter there is a small kitchen area across from the bathroom. The kitchen area has a nice sized refrigerator, a sink and some cabinets to store snacks. This area opens up into the room which has a king sized bed, a writing/computer table, a large flat screen T.V with a DVD/CD player, a small eating area and a small sofa.

The room also had a balcony to the rear of the building which is great considering the LK renaissance is directly across from the beer bars on Soi Dianna which can be quite loud at night. Although small, the balcony is still useable. It seems that all of the suites face the rea of the building.

The bathroom is very large with a jacuzzi tub and a large sink area. My only complaint was the shower head is actually a hand held type that lifts out of the tub and no shower curtain. Minor things that you will get used to but they can be a pain at times.

The bed was by far the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in in Thailand. The wardrobe was adequate with space for hanging clothes and drawers for folded clothes. There is also an in room safe located in wardrobe.

As usual with all hotels they offer the standard amenities such as laundry service, day trips to local attractions and room service. And as usual they are over priced for these services. With several small laundry services located right on Soi Dianna as well as travel agencies there is no need to to bother using LK Renaissance for either of  these services.

LK Renaissance also owns a Spa that adjoins the hotel as well as their own restaurant. While I didn’t use the Spa I did eat breakfast in the restaurant daily. The breakfast was standard fare for Pattaya, offering both English, American and Thai style breakfasts cooked to order. I could find no fault with the restaurant or it’s service staff, everything was fine. They also offer lunch and dinner but I didn’t eat either there. Room service can be had from early in the morning until late at night.

LK Renaissance also has a small pool located on the fourth floor. Although a bit small it’s an excellent place to relax on those hot afternoons.

The front desk personnel were above average and were happy to help with any request from getting a room cleaned later in the day to getting extra towels. They also offer free DVD’s from their very large collection that you can borrow for the night or several nights if you so choose.

Everything about my stay at the LK Renaissance was perfect and I plan on staying there again. For more information on the LK Renaissance as well as their sister hotels you can visit the LK hotel Group. I would highly recommend booking rooms at the LK Renaissance through through Agoda to get the absolute best deal on rooms.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Hotel California
• Areca Lodge Hotel Pattaya
• Kieng Piman Hotel in Mukdahan
• Mystic Place Hotel in Bangkok
• Mukdahan Grand Hotel

As seen posted on the front wall of the Dynasty Inn Hotel in Bangkok.  Signs like this always make me chuckle. Any other travel destination in the world you might see signs like ” no shoes, no shirt, no service” or ” no smoking”. It’s always nice to know the hotel’s stand on pachyderms! More hotels around the world should weigh in on the subject because you never know when you might have the urge to feed an elephant.

Although the sign looks funny there is a very real problem of Thai’s walking around Bangkok with their elephants hawking them to the tourists by selling them food to feed to the elephants. It’s very sad to see the elphants in the big city like that when they belong in their natural habitat.

If you find yourself in Bangkok try to resist the urge and maybe these elephants will find their way back to where they belong when the owners realize they aren’t making money anymore. I know, wishful thinking…but if more people understand the problem maybe things will change one day.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Funny Thai Signs
• Funny Thai Signs
• Funny Thai Signs
• Looking at Pattaya Language Schools
• You Don’t Make Plans In Thailand

Now, with yet another new Prime Minister, and even more political protests on the horizon from the opposition party, the red shirts this time ( DAAD), Thailand is poised to become the bargain of the century.

Thailand tourism officials and travel agents are forecasting bargain prices in the coming months on everything from flights to hotel rooms. right now it’s high season in Thailand, the time of year when millions of tourists are expected to spend billions of baht but by all accounts this is the worst high season in a very long time.

Normally during high season occupancy in all hotels is at 90%, this years high season has seen hotel occupancy at 10%-15%. Officials have said that right now Thailand’s tourism economy is significantly worse than after the 2004 tsunami.

If the tourism officials are right and the Thai’s don’t revert to the normal practice of charging more because less people are coming then there might be some incredible deals coming soon.

If you have been thinking about Thailand as a travel destination then the next few months might provide you with incredible opportunitys to save…if you are like me and going back to Thailand no matter what then it seems a good bet that there will be significant discounts to be had.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Thai Air Amazing Award Seat Sale
• Thailand’s New Tourism Plan
• Thailand Exempts Tourist Visa Fees for 3 Months
• Tourism Authority of Thailand Looks to the Future
• Thailand Tourist Visa’s Free Again

I stayed at the Nana Hotel in late 2006 for a few days while I was in Bangkok. Staying anywhere in the Soi 4 area is easy access to attractions, shopping, and of course the infamous nightlife of Soi 4. With ample taxi traffic and the Skytrain a stones throw away you can get anywhere in the city easily.

I booked a deluxe room at 1600 baht a night which is running about 1800 (roughly $52.00) baht a night now.  The room I stayed in was very reminiscent of the 70′s with the wood paneling and the furniture , but the room was large and had everything I needed. A little expensive for what it was but you have to keep in mind it’s not so much the room but the proximity to nightlife that the Nana is known for. This is definitely not a family hotel!

With the price of the deluxe room I got breakfast and complimentary paper daily as well as free bottled water daily. The hotel has a very nice pool located on the fourth floor which is a nice escape from the heat of Bangkok. Nana hotel also has a bar and restaurant on the ground floor and 24 hour room service.

The hotel is also home to Angel’s Disco…better known as the Nana Disco, which is always crowded. They do charge a cover to get in but I believe you still get a your first drink free. If you like the loud music and a lot of beautiful women then this is the place for you.

The hotel doesn’t have in room safes which I prefer but they do have room safes at the reception desk and they were very secure as far as I was concerned. You need to sign in and out every time you access the box. I’d much rather have a room safe but this worked out fine.

The hotel also has computer access in the lobby and I understand now they have installed Wifi.

As day turns into night you’ll see the area transform into a neon circus of sorts. With the Nana Entertainment Plaza right a cross the street  and freelancer bars up and down the street coming alive. The Nana Entertainment Plaza can best be described as an adult mall of sorts filled with bars and beautiful women. It really has to be seen as no reasonable description could possibly due it justice.

The parking lot of the Nana hotel starts filling up around 8pm and becomes quite crowded by ten with women looking for a date for the night. I told you it wasn’t a family hotel. By the time the bars close down around 2am the parking lot and street becomes a mass of human bodies and is a lot of fun to watch.

Like I said there are much nicer hotels and better prices available but it’s not so much the hotel as it is the atmosphere and the history of it all which is definitely a must see.

For more pictures of the Nana Hotel and some surrounding night life check out the gallery Nana Hotel

• Check in time is 14.00 Hrs. Check out time is 14.00 Hrs.
• Welcome Drink upon checking in
• Complimentary buffet breakfast atNana CoffeeShop (Ground Floor) from 06:00 am.- 10:00 am.
• Outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi
• 24 Hours Room Service
• Safe deposit boxes available at front
• Daily English Newspaper(on request )
• Daily Mineral water replenishment
• Refrigerator & Hair Dryer
• IDD telephone, WI-FI and Hi-Speed Internet in hotel’s lobby
• Colour TV with international satellite programs
• Regular Laundry service
• All major credit cards accepted

The Nana Hotel is definitely a historic landmark in Bangkok.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Military Intelligence in Bangkok, Not
• The Thai Barack Obama
• Mystic Place Hotel in Bangkok
• Funny Thai Signs and Sad Realities
• Hotel California

When I went up country to visit my girlfriends family in Mukdahan it was offered that I could stay in the family home, but I just didn’t feel comfortable staying there while meeting the family for the first time…the western thinking always kicks in.

My girlfriend told me there were several hotels in the city but all I could see were visions of squat toilets and hard beds…the western mind can really hold you back!

When we arrived at the Mukdahan bus station we took a short trip by tuk tuk to the Mukdahan Grand. Not only does Mukdahan have hotels…it has a 3 star hotel in the heart of the city. It would have been a 4 star hotel for me but the rooms have some wear but nothing out of the ordinary.

This was a totally unexpected surprise. The lobby was very nicely done and the restaurant looked very inviting after a 10 hour bus ride.

Believe it or not there were very few rooms available due to a large wedding party staying at the hotel and having the reception there as well. The food in the restaurant was great and breakfast was complimentary for all guests.

We secured a deluxe room for the small sum of 1000 baht a night ( $31.00 ) and again I was surprised at the size of the room, the beautiful view overlooking the Mekong and the very comfortable king sized bed.

The bathroom was just as nice fully decked out in marble with real heated water not a shower mounted heater usually found in hotels in Thailand.

The hotel also hosted a nightclub in its basement and from what I understand it is the place to be on Friday night in Mukdahan.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story and afterwords I’ll post the address and contact information in case you find yourself in Mukdahan and in need of a little luxury.

Mukdahan Grand information:

78 Songnangsathit

Muang
Mukdahan
49000
Phone: +66(0 42)61 2020, 63 0959
FAX: +66(0 42)61 2021

More pictures can be found in the Gallery or by clicking here: A Trip to the Village

Related Articles of Interest:

• Kieng Piman Hotel in Mukdahan
• Snow in Thailand
• A Trip to Issan
• While in Bangkok
• My Thai Photographer

More pictures of Areca Lodge Hotel can be found in the Areca Lodge Hotel Gallery

Areca Lodge is located on Soi Dianna in central Pattaya. A beautiful hotel with an open air design and two swimming pools. I stayed there in October of 2006 in an executive suite on the fifth floor. The suite was 2000 Baht a night ( $52 ) at the time. They also had rooms at 1200 Baht and 1000 Baht.

The executive sweet was nice and came with a fresh fruit basket, newspapers delivered daily, and nice plush robes. Looking back it was a little expensive but I thought it was worth it and still do. They have a very good restaurant on site which also meant room service. The mini bar was nice and stocked although a little expensive but they did provide free water.

The food at the restaurant was good but not as good as nearby Thai restaurants. They offered laundry service but it was expensive compared to the small laundry across the street where I had all my laundry done. Seven days worth of clothes at the small laundry was 280 baht!

On the plus side the Areca has 2 large pools. Great for relaxing around and enjoying the view. The main pool gets more sun during the day which makes it much hotter on that side. The newest pool in the back behind the new wing is just right and of course you can order food and drinks while at the pool. If you aren’t a guest at the Areca you can still enjoy the use of their pools for a small fee for the day. At the time I think it was 50 Baht.
The Areca Lodge bills itself as a non smoking hotel…which means they don’t want you smoking in the rooms but they have an ashtray on every balcony. I’ve heard they will charge you if you smoke inside the room. I had no problems smoking on the balcony and you can also smoke at the pool and the restaurant.

Areca lodge wasn’t set up for Wifi when I was there and that may have changed but they did offer a few computers in the lobby for internet access but you had to pay 10 Baht for ten minutes or so.

Areca Lodge also has a small outside bar which is nice for a nightcap or while waiting for your taxi.

Note: Making reservations directly through Areca Lodge is sometimes difficult as they will tell you that they are fully booked. In reality they hold large chunks of rooms for thailand hotel sites and they usually have rooms availablke for your requested dates. So, if you want to stay at Areca Lodge and they say they are booked search Agoda and you will find rooms and usually at a cheaper price.

Many more pictures of the room I stayed in and the hotel in the Areca Lodge Hotel Gallery.

If you have a review of a Thailand hotel send it in using the contact form on the About page and I’ll be sure to give you credit and a link back.

Areca Lodge Website

198/21, 198/23 Moo 9 Soi Diana Inn, Pattaya Sai Song Rd., Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20260, Thailand

+66(0) 3841 0123, +66(0) 3841 5549, +66(0) 3842 4801

For the absolute best price go through Agoda for Areca Lodge  reservations…they are usually cheaper than the hotel itself.

Related Articles of Interest:

• The Drug of Choice in Rural Thailand
• Pattaya Chonburi Cultural Festival Part 1
• Pattaya Chonburi Cultural Festival Part 2
• The Pattaya Motor Show 2011 in Pictures
• Halloween 2010 in the Land of Smiles

More pictures of the rooms at Jasmine Mansion Hotel can be seen in the Gallery or via this link Jasmine Mansion Hotel Gallery

I e-mailed Kevin & Jin Meacher owners of Jasmine Mansion Hotel back in February or march after seeing the completed penthouse pictures he posted on a popular Pattaya forum and inquired about a long stay from May 1 to June 3. Kevin responded within hours and let me know that the penthouse was available from May 1 to May 20th and that he could put me in a suite room for the remainder of my stay and the cost would be 34000 baht. The email was very detailed about paying upon check in and even listed the guest breakfast menu.

Right before my my trip I realized I could take off a few days earlier and emailed Kevin again to get another 2 nights. He respnoded again within hours that it wouldn’t be a problem. He had a guest in the penthouse on the first night of my arrival so would give me a standard double with balcony and although he usually leaves a days downtime for the penthouse between guests to make sure everything is taken care of and in working condition he would get me into the penthouse my second day.

I arrived on April 29th at 7:30 and they were ready for me. I met the owners Kevin and Jin and they got me sorted in no time. I asked them if it was ok if I paid 20k baht today and the balance tomorrow as I wasn’t sure how my credit card was going to handle the rate transfer. They had no problem with this and waived the 1k baht deposit seeing as I was using a credit card. There was a small fee for using the credit card but that was no big deal to me….and as you’ll see later I got more than that back from Kevin and Jin. Total for 5 weeks was 36k baht

My first night I stayed in a standard double with balcony and to be honest I didn’t take pics because the camera was packed and I took a shower and was out on the town by 8:30 and didn’t get back till 4am. Have no illusions the room is small but it is exactly as it appears on the Jasmine mansion website and would be fine to stay in for a while. Personally for a long stay I would want a suite or the penthouse.

The next day I moved into the penthouse….picture time: The yellow room is the Suite I stayed in for a couple of nights and is very nice.

The one pic I didn’t get was of the laundry room that is down from the entrance to the penthouse. During the day there are staff on the penthouse floor doing laundry and drying towels and sheets. They were quiet my whole stay never waking me once. By 4pm or so they are done for the day and the penthouse floor is very private and you have the terrace completely to yourself. There is a cctv camera as you enter onto the penthouse floor aimed at the steps down and only the steps.

If you can’t handle steps then the penthouse won’t be for you as it is quite a few steps to the top but they didn’t bother me or any of my guests.

On the 20th of may I moved down to a suite room as the penthouse was booked and I will post the suite room right after this post.

I remembered at this time I would need a late checkout and asked Kevin if it was possible to do a 8pm checkout and what the extra cost would be. He said he would let me know the next morning as he was leaving for the night. The next morning he said it was no problem and there would be no extra charge.

The next night my aircon froze up in the suite room and they had someone look at it during the day while I was out…came back and it was fixed. Jin gave me the keys and I headed up but she mistakenly gave me the penthouse keys as thats where she remembers me being…I come down to gt the suite keys and she politely scolds me to call down from the penthouse to have someone bring keys up if it should happen I get the wrong key. Then Kevin remarks ” If you like you can move back to the penthouse as the guest that booked was a no show. I dreaded repacking and moving back but on my way up I thought about it and told teelac to start packing and I would sort the key. Came down and told Kevin I would take him up on the penthouse offer if it was still free ( free as in American slang for still available) Kevin didn’t miss the chance to rib Americans for wanting a freebie. Kevin grabbed the key for the penthouse and I asked how much more for my last 13 nights…..Kevin remarked that the price would be 395 baht…exactly the price of my new book which has just arrived a book I was going to buy anyway. Thats twice now that he could have charged me extra and I would have gladly payed extra.

The proprietors Kevin and Jin were on the premises daily and they always asked how everything was and how my holiday was going and if I had any questions they were quick and helpful.

The staff was great …always smiling and helpful and very respectful to my girl at all times.

The hotel has their own restaurant called the Full of beans cafe and the food is absolutely great. Breakfast is included in the room price if you are up before 1 ( I usually wasn’t) but there is a 30 baht service charge if you want it brought to the room and let me tell you making small Thai girls hump trays all the way up to the penthouse is worth the 30 baht. Room service was good anytime during the day just don’t let your teelac and reception discuss in Thai breakfast as you might end up with cheeseburgers at 8am instead of cheese omelets but that too was sorted and omelets were on the table when I got out of the shower.

I can honestly say I had no problems other than the aircon in the suite going down which was sorted straight away. I think I got more than what I payed for and Highly recommend the Jasmine Mansion. It’s located on soi Boukow right up by LK Metro which is a great spot to stay as its central to everything.

Another thing I noted during my stay was the fact that when a guest checked out Kevin personally inspected the room and made sure everything was ready for the next guest including touching up paint….

JASMINE INFO

general:

Jasmine Mansion is a 23 room family run hotel facilites you a 5-Star service at economical rates and a true taste of Thai hospitality. We are located in Pattaya which is Thailand’s premier beach holiday resort.

We pride ourselves on the cleanliness of the hotel and its rooms and the security and safety of our guests. The hotel is only a few minutes walk away from Pattaya Beach, local shopping centres and renowned street markets as well as the main nightlife areas that Pattaya is famous for.

hotel facilities

Relax and enjoy your stay at Jasmine Mansion where we can provide you with a range of facilities:

o Full of Beans Café
o Licensed Hotel Bar
o Internet Office
o Pool Table
o Motorbike Hire
o DVD player Hire
o Room Service Menu
o FREE WiFi access in Guest Rooms

33/148-149 Soi Baukaow, Central Pattaya,
Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi, 20260. Thailand.

Telephone : 00 66 (0) 38 488534
00 66 (0) 38 488547

E-Mail : jasminemansion@mail.com

Jasmine Mansion Website

If you’ve been to Thailand and would like to put a review up for a hotel, restaurant, or attraction please use the contact form and send it in and I’ll be sure to credit you and give a link back to your blog or website.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Hotel California
• Areca Lodge Hotel Pattaya
• Kieng Piman Hotel in Mukdahan
• Mystic Place Hotel in Bangkok
• Mukdahan Grand Hotel