Hello again, Bangkok!

*picture heavy post

To continue with my previous post, I went to Bangkok alone and I didn't want to stray far from where I was staying so going to the Grand Palace or the Reclining Buddha again are out of the question. I planned to go to a temple nearby but I spilled soup on my only pair of jeans so I decided to just enjoy the malls. So here's how I spent my quick break.

1. I stayed in bed till a bit late and had a quick workout at the hotel's gym.







No, I didn't swim but I wanted to share the photo of the pool.

2. I had ensaymada and a few pinoy treats at Goldilock's.



Where? Goldilock's is at the Column Tower near Asoke and Sukhumvit station.

3. I was craving for some burritos so I did a bit of research and found this pretty good Mexican restaurant, La Monita.





I went in the dead of the afternoon and found the place to be packed.





Where? Mahatun Plaza, La Monita - located right across Ploen Chit station.

4. Enjoyed dinner at a rooftop bar which appears to be all the rage in Bangkok.





Where? Rooftop, 9th Floor, Le Fenix Hotel, Sukhumvit 11 near Nana station. It's quite a bit of a walk and I got lost a bit so it might be best to take a tuktuk after alighting from the BTS. 

5. Visited a horror boutique mall, Mansion 7.





Where? 244/7 Ratchadaphisek Road, MRT: Huay Kwang, a few blocks away from the station.

6. Had the best massage at Urban Retreat, rates are very affordable at a very classy looking spa.







Where? Right across Asoke station. 

7. Explored the food halls of Siam Paragon and its richer brother, Emporium. This is what I really love to do. My friends can all attest how much I love Takashimaya's food hall and the food halls there are bigger and a tad bit sweeter.







A stall selling all possible green tea drink concoctions.





Here's an exquisite looking chocolate.



Gigantic chocolate croissants.



Pastel colored macarons.



8. Saw an interesting home scent at Central World.



9. I also had a disappointing Thai dinner at Paragon. The pillows looked inviting and I so badly wanted to sit from all the walking that I did so I chose this restaurant. Sadly, the food wasn't that great.







10. Good thing, my lunch the next day at the Ninth made up for it, also at the Paragon.









I had a wonderful time in BKK and I can't wait to be back.

All Seasons Bangkok Victory Monument

One hard part when planning a trip is looking for a hotel, this is especially true for a big group since you have to consider a few factors that are important to every person involved. For instance, for some, the room has to be comfortable and the toilet has to be decent while for others, the price takes precedence above all else.

I received a few recommendations while I was looking for a hotel in Bangkok but I was having a hard time deciding where to book since they all suggested hotels located in different areas. It turned out to be a blessing that we booked late cause we lucked out.

I chanced upon All Seasons Bangkok Victory Monument online. There were no reviews from Trip Advisor yet since they just opened this month but basing on the few pictures available on their website, it looked okay.



As I said earlier, we lucked out so here are the good points:







1. Price - The hotel is very affordable priced at 25 SGD (800 PHP) per person per day. It's an all inclusive hotel so breakfast is included in the price. It even comes with free and strong WiFi.

2. Location - The MRT station (Sanam Pao) is just about 2 minutes away. Siam station where Siam Paragon is is only 4 stations away and the very vibrant Silom night life is about 6 stations away.





By cab, going to Silom is just about 80-100 THB (115-140 PHP), going to Jatujak weekend market is just 50 THB (70 PHP). The airport is quite near but I'm not sure how much the fare is if one is to take a cab since we rented a big taxi so we can all fit in with our luggage; We were charged 700 THB (1,000 PHP) one way.

3. Rooms - I didn't have high expectations with the room given the price but I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite spacious compared to other budget rooms that I looked at. The bed was comfortable, there was a sufficient number of power plugs, a safe is available, a decent sized closet and a refrigerator.







4. Toilet - The toilet is also very decent and comes with a few bath essentials unlike the sorry excuse for a soap that Gohotel gives to their guests. (The reason I mentioned Gohotel is because they are comparable in terms of room rates)

Gohotel's paper-thin soap:

Water pressure is also strong which is important especially if you have rain shower.

5. Breakfast - Selections are quite limited but I can't complain. It does it job of filling you before you head out and start your day.

They have a selection of breads and danish, a couple of warm dishes, an egg station, fruit and yogurt selections, salad bar, cereals and drinks.











6. The Lobby and the staff - the lobby looked amazing, it's simply perfect for photo shoots and the staff are all incredibly helpful and friendly.













Apart from the above-mentioned points, the hotel also has a gym and a pool but sadly, I wasn't able to check them out.

If there are good points, I noticed just two points that they can work on:

1. The drinking water at breakfast is murky. Notice my glass below, it's just plain water but it's translucent. It's not really a big deal since they provide you with bottled waters in your room and a 7-11 is just nearby but I just feel that they shouldn't even be serving that anymore.



2. Bathroom towels - The towels are not so absorbent. It feels like using the fake, light towels. Yikes!



Again, a very minor complaint that I can live with. With all said, this hotel truly gives you the most value for your money.