One Night in Bangkok

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After nearly two months of sleeping in tents and rooms in which I would never dare touch the bed directly, we splurged last night and booked a five star hotel in Bangkok for about $150. This would be a very nice room by any standards, but was particularly amazing after our recent rooms that rarely cost above $7/night.

Less than a week ago, we were staying in a NR 150 room (about $2), and I was awakened by what I thought sounded like a rodent in our bags. Steve had just succeeded in calming me down and assuring me that there was no such visitor when he suddenly screamed and launched himself across the bed. A huge rat had scampered across his leg!

Our other rooms in Nepal and India weren't much better. We tried to ignore the Rorschach stain patterns on the sheets and learned to tolerate icy cold showers (refreshing in India, not so much in chilly Nepal).

We arrived in Bangkok last night with no plan - no onward flight, no reservations, no travel guide - but quickly managed to book a trip to Cambodia and find lodging for our one night here. I wasn't sold on the idea of spending much for a room, but Steve stealthily booked the Lebua at State Tower while I was off satisfying my caffeine cravings with Starbucks and Thai Red Bull.

This hotel is ridiculous! We arrived in the posh lobby sporting our least muddy clothes and huge packs with hiking poles strapped to the side. There was a very long delay while the staff retrieved our reservation. I was convinced they were going to send our grubby butts off, so I was quite surprised when we were shown to our upgraded suite! It contained a master bedroom and bath, second bedroom and bath, full kitchen, dining room, sitting room, entry room, and two large balconies overlooking the Bangkok skyline.

While Steve eagerly turned on both large televisions, I amused myself with stuffing all of the fancy toiletries into my bag. Shaving kits? Four toothbrushes and tubes of paste? Bvlgari hair products and lotion? Excellent!

I was about to desecrate the glamorous marble bathroom with a load of handwashing when I discovered the most amazing feature of the suite: a washer/dryer! I have never stayed in a hotel room with one before, nor have I ever been in quite so desperate need of clean clothing. Three weeks of nearly constant movement meant that we haven't had any time for laundry.

This morning's breakfast was another pleasant surprise. The free spread included everything from fresh croissants and made-to-order omelets to sushi and shrimp dumplings. It was honestly the best brunch buffet I have ever seen. We gorged ourselves sufficiently to not need another meal today.

We are now well-rested, pleasantly scented, and entirely stuffed with delicious food, and we have full packs of fresh clothing. This hotel was definitely worth the splurge! I think the money we saved on food, bottled water, laundry, internet, and transportation (it's much closer to the airport than the cheaper hotels) more than made up for the added expense.

Steve, I'm sorry I doubted your wisdom in spending a lot occasionally!

If anyone is looking for a truly amazing hotel in Bangkok, I highly recommend this one: http://www.lebua.com/.

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Comments

[Dawn Jellison]

clean
I can smell your fresh clean scent from here....congratulations on your wise decision...

[Becky]

I literally laughed out loud at the description of Steve screaming and launching himself across the bed. Sounds like you guys hit the jackpot with the hotel - nice work on the luxe toiletry acquisition. We miss you guys!