Charm Churee Villa Rustic Resort, Koh Tao

Charm Churee Villa Rustic Resort, Koh Tao at Jansom Bay

During my many stays on Koh Tao for diving or work on Koh Tao during PADI IE's I get to know the island relatively well.

One very nice discovery is the Charm Churee Villa Rustic Resort south of Mae Haad on Koh Tao.

The hotel is set in Jansom Bay, one of Koh Tao’s most beautiful areas, with views of the beach and the crystal-clear waters. Set in a secluded spot, this resort is the ideal place to get away from the stresses of modern life. There are two restaurants on site serving a variety of Thai and international dishes, as well as a range of cocktails. This is a great place to visit during your trip to Thailand.

The beach is exclusive to the resort which makes it even more desirable to stay there. On the down side, elevators are a big no no on Koh Tao so be prepared for some stairs walking in order to get to the room or anything else on the premises.

To get away from it all for a reasonable price, this is one of the places in Thailand to be and direct access to all the great dive sites Koh Tao has to offer.

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Deluxe Room

Panorama terrace

View from a sunset room

Sunset over Koh Tao

View of the exclusive beach and the bay

Bandara Suites Hotel, Silom, Bangkok

Bandara Suites Hotel, Silom, Bangkok

A friend of mine just stayed here and although he turned out to not be a big Bangkok fan, he enjoyed staying at this hotel.

Bandara Suites is the calm within the storm. Located in the heart of Silom; one of Bangkok's most important financial, shopping, restaurant, and night life districts. The Bandara Suites superb location on Soi Sala Daeng 1 , is only a 5 minute walk down a quiet Soi to the MRTA Subway and BTS Sky train and the three main thoroughfares of Silom, Sathorn, and Rama IV roads. Bangkok's traffic free connecter to all of down town. Bandara Suites Hotel is comprised of 2 high rise buildings. Bandara Hotel & Resort is a 17 storey structure with 48 units of exclusively serviced residence designed to match the Pure Bandara Suites concept. There are also a 4 bedroom penthouse and a 3 bedroom penthouse that offer the maximum in amenities, service, and extravagance. Bandara Hotel & Resort has been designed for the long term resident who needs to be in Bangkok's prime business location.

Bandara Suites is a 26 storey building which brags some of the best views in all of Bangkok. Enjoy the splendid sunrise and observe as Thailand's capital city comes to life; and then later in the day watch the sunset and the skyline of Bangkok shine with high rise illumination

All rooms at Bandara Suites are equipped with high-speed internet and full kitchens for a comfortable stay of one night or as a permanent residence. The 4-star hotel’s facilities include: 2 pools, a spa, a gym, a squash court, a sauna, a whirlpool, a business center, and a restaurant. The city is waiting to be explored as soon as you step out of Bandara Suites in Silom.

Currently, Agoda has some fantastic offers for this hotel available.

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Deluxe two bedroom suite living room

One bedroom suite dining area

Deluxe room

Jacuzzi pool

Lounge area

Twin Towers Hotel, Bangkok

Twin Towers Hotel, Bangkok

The location of the Twin Towers hotel on Rama VI road in Bangkok is one of it's best assets, about a kilometer away from Chinatown with all it's fascinating little streets, food and exotic things to see and discover and on the edge of Chinatown is also a small street laced with outstanding Indian restaurants and (literal) hole in the wall places.

Many business area's are nearby, an entertainment zone (Patpong) is also around the corner and shopping malls are just a BTS station away with MBK and Siam Paragorn just to name a few.

Both my sister and an old friend of mine with their respective families stayed here early August 2009 for a few days, just before they visited me and my family on Koh Samui and both were happy with the price/quality on offer. They also booked various other activities through agencies in the hotel lobby, very well organised both inside the hotel and the actual trips that they booked.

There are a total of 660 rooms at the hotel, each designed with your comfort in mind. A variety of delectable dishes are served at the on-site eateries, while the cocktail bar serves an array of exotic drinks.

A good choice if you're travelling with a family or in general want a good deal for an affordable rate in Bangkok.

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Deluxe Twin room

Standard King Size room

Pool at the hotel

The exterior

An unusual shot of the hotels exterior

Rajamangala Pavilion Beach Resort, Songkhla

Rajamangala Pavilion Beach Resort, Songkhla

It's been a while since I stayed in Songkla, probably for over 6 years or so upon writing, back in the days that I still needed to make Visa and border runs. Usually I stayed in Hat Yai but Songkla is very nearby and makes for a perfect break without the big city hustle of Hat Yai.

My impressions of Songkla were that the city is very laid back and relaxed and had a beautiful beach which seemed to stretch for ever.

Although I didn't stay in the Rajamangala Resort, it's located on Chalatat or Samila Beach with a lovely view over the bay and is a short distance from Songkla 'downtown'.

All rooms have fantastic views of the Samila beach and the Gulf of Thailand from the private balconies.

The hotel boosts Chalatat Restaurant located at the 1st Floor and they serve Thai, Chinese & European Cuisine. Operated between 06.00 – 24.00 with 125 seats.

If you want some more action, for keen bargain hunters, take a 20-minute drive to the bustling Santisook market in Hat Yai, where inexpensive duty free goods, from cigarettes, cosmetics, to food stuff, brought in mostly from neighboring Malaysia are abundant. Various other shopping malls and restaurants are also located in the center of Had Yai.

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Guest room

Guest room

Superior room

Lobby

Swimming Pool

LK Metropole Hotel, Pattaya

LK Metropole Hotel, Pattaya

Each room of this modern hotel has its own balcony with city, pool and ocean views, all 133 of them.

With the beach and the array of entertainments that make Pattaya famous all within walking distance this hotel is ideal for those who like to be close to the action.

The Metropole offers a wide array of facilities including a fitness center, a spa, a swimming pool and a massage service. All the rooms are tastefully laid out and come with hi speed internet access, a mini bar and television. At the LK Metropole Hotel you can experience a little luxury and peace between forays into the razzmatazz that characterizes Pattaya.

The location is really good; smack down in the middle of Pattaya on the corner of Soi Buakhao and Soi Diana and is one of the few hotels in Pattaya with a car park.

The pool is rather small though and breakfast is not spectacular but good enough to get a day started, be aware that the 'free' wifi internet access is only available for one hour per day.

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Standard room

Studio room

Restaurant


Restaurant and pool

Exterior

Rachaphruk Grand Hotel, Nakorn Ratchasima/Korat

Rachaphruk Grand Hotel, Nakorn Ratchasima/Korat

We stayed in the Rachaphruk Grand Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima or also known as Korat during our trip last to Isaan or the North Eastern part of Thailand last year in January.

What I really liked about the hotel was all the souvenirs, like pictures and banners from all kind of US Air Force personal that stayed in this place, starting during the Vietnam War, when Korat hosted an airport to the US Air Force.

The other thing I really liked about this specific hotel is it's location which was on the ring road around the town center, but directly opposite the road that leads to Kohn Kaen and Udon Thani which we had to take the next day.

The hotel supports a coffee shop, a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant and a disco. On the third floor is a swimming pool and also a fitness center.

All in all a decent choice and affordable. The Superior rooms are decent and for just a couple of hundred Baht more you can get a Junior Suite room on each floor.

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Superior room

Junior Suite

Pool

Location

Lebua at State Tower Hotel, Silom Road, Bangkok

Lebua at State Tower Hotel, Silom Road, Bangkok

Lebua at State Tower Hotel offers 327 suites within the prestigious 65-storey State Tower which rises over a main thoroughfare of Bangkok near the river. High-speed elevators whisk you away to suites that exude space-age luxury with an old-world feel. Each suite is equipped with a charming living room, modern bathroom with separate shower, two flat-screen TVs, a DVD player, in-room broadband internet connectivity, workstation, a large and fully stocked refrigerator, a coffee percolator, iron and ironing board and personal safe. Lebua has conveniently procured a private entrance for the reception area on the ground floor. The rooftop restaurants offer a breathtaking-yet-breezy, romantic-yet-stately dining experience that on a clear day, makes for the experience of a lifetime.

Within the State Tower, there are a wide range of shopping, dining and entertainment choices under one roof. Additionally, the hotel offers a number of features for residents.

My sister and her family stayed here once and I was lucky enough to be in Bangkok and visited her here and it was gorgeous. Unfortunately it was very stormy that day and our planned dinner at the Sirocco restaurant was rudely disturbed by rain and we had to relocate to the room/suite.

The view that I had up there was stunning though and well worth it. Unfortunately it was before my blogging days started so I don't have any pictures of the place nor of the restaurant.

Come to think of it, I actually stayed at the Dynasty Inn Grande when she stayed here at Lebua.

This is not a cheap place to stay in Bangkok but it's definately worthwhile it if you can afford it.

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Standard room

Two bedroom suite

Three bedroom living room

Balcony view over Bangkok

Sirocco restaurant