Last weekend I had a late evening flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and an early flight out the following day, so I took the opportunity to stay at one of the hotels located close to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport rather than travel into the centre of the Thai capital.
The Queen’s Garden Resort is located a 10 minute drive away from Bangkok’s international airport. I booked a one-night stay with Agoda and took advantage of the deal which included round-trip transfers to and from the airport. My flight from Chiang Mai was late arriving at Suvarnabhumi and there was no sign of the hotel driver when I got to the meeting point in the arrival hall (near door 3). After asking at the information desk at the airport they simply made a telephone call and a minute later a man holding the Queen’s Garden Resort sign greeted me. He in turn called the hotel and said the shuttle bus would be there in 10 minutes to collect me. Sure enough, the mini-bus soon arrived and I was taken to the hotel. I was the only passenger in the mini-bus, but this is clearly a well-organized service and I was impressed with how efficient it was. If you don’t use the hotel mini-bus service, you can get a taxi from the public taxi rank.
The journey time from the airport to the hotel is 10 minutes. On arrival, the receptionist asked me what time I needed to be back at the airport in the morning. The hotel mini-buses back to the airport depart on the hour throughout the day and night. If you haven’t pre-booked the service, the cost is 150 Baht per person.
There are no lifts at the hotel, but the driver carried my bag to my room on the top floor (the 4th floor). Although tipping isn’t always customary in Thailand, in instances like these a 20 or 30 Baht tip here will be appreciated by the recipient. The room itself is quite small (I had a twin room), but more than adequate for an overnight stay. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable and the air-conditioning unit was quiet and easy to adjust. The television reception wasn’t too good, but that was no big deal. The small bathroom is fairly typical of those found in many Thai hotels and guest houses with just a shower, sink and toilet. The bathroom I had could have done with a bit of sprucing up, but the power shower itself was excellent so no complaints. I also had a room which overlooked the water and temple (pictured below) which made for a pleasant view in the early morning. The room has free tea and coffee making facilities and complimentary bottles of water. The mini-bar is charged at reasonable rates and there is also room service available.
Wi-fi Internet is chargeable (I think it’s 200 Baht per day) or you can use the computer downstairs near reception (not sure of the charge for this). As I arrived during a downpour I didn’t venture very far and I had some Thai food at the hotel restaurant. The service was good, but the food was average. The restaurant also has a pool table and a large-screen projector television. There are also tables outside forming a beer garden and a couple of Thai-style salas to sit and enjoy a meal or a drink overlooking the water and the temple. Just a short walk away there are some street vendors, a small Thai restaurant, a 7-Eleven convenience store (including ATM machine) and a number of beauty salons and hairdressing shops. The hotel also has a massage service which can be useful for easing pre- or post-flight tension.
I would definitely stay here again if I had to be close to the airport. The hotel represents excellent value-for-money. I paid under 900 Baht for a twin room which didn’t include breakfast, but did include round-trip transfers to and from Bangkok airport. If you want luxury look somewhere else, but for a one-night stay or a few hours stop-over in between flights, this hotel is a good choice. Noise from planes was minimal, but as this is used as a transit hotel guests arrive and depart at all hours of the day and night. This may affect you if you are a light sleeper and have a room close to the stairs, so my tip would be to remember your earplugs just in case.
Marks (out of 10): 8
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