When we travel, we normally seek budget accommodations. Our first choice is a vacation rental to spend the week or longer, however, if we are staying for less than the week, we look for a budget hotel with a character. Personally, I prefer a non-chain hotel that reveals the personality of the place we are visiting, if such an accommodation exists in our destination. When we visited Bangkok, we found just what we were hoping for.
PN Courtyard
Phranakorn Nornlen was the perfect hotel for us while in Bangkok; everything about the hotel screams hospitality, cleanliness and going green. The building is an old school that was later converted to a charming little hotel. From its organic garden on the roof, to the clean, comfortable bed in each room, PN was one of the highlights of our time in Bangkok.
View from the rooftop at PN
A delicious, freshly squeezed juice( I think it was jack fruit juice) was a great gesture when we were checking in at the hotel. The hotel staff were among the friendliest, kindest people one can meet, and truly understand and apply the concept of customer service. We were shown to our room, which if I had taken photos of before I moved in, I would have posted the photos, alas, the ones I have show the not so tidy side of us. The bed was spacious and comfortable, the AC was refreshing, a relaxing music was playing from the little CD player that was mounted on the wall, the bathroom sink was very cute, and the stand up shower was interesting. Overall, the room met every comfort and cleanliness standards, and still held a charm.
PN Second Floor Hallway
The breakfast was a real treat every morning at PN. I mentioned that they have an organic garden on the roof top, where they grow all kind of vegetables and herbs, and they truly put them to good use in the morning. What's better then a delicious, and healthy breakfast, served with smiles to start a day in the hectic city of Bangkok? The freshly squeezed fruit juices were a treat of their own right; pineapple, watermelon and Pandanus,were just some of the pure freshness we got to taste at PN. And just an example of the great service at the hotel, they gave us our breakfast wrapped in boxes to take with us on the day we were checking out since we had an early flight and were going to miss breakfast. Out of all the hotels I've stayed at, I was never given breakfast to go, and delicious breakfast at that with a bottle of freshly squeezed watermelon juice.
Yummy Breakfast
PN Dining Area
The location worked for us, since we took taxis everywhere. It was convenient and hassle free, although we did have to show the cab drivers the little map of the hotel location(which was given to us when we checked in).If one wanted to stay in the middle of things in Bangkok, which I suppose may vary depending on one's interests, PN could be a little out of the way. To be sure, the hotel is near the Thewet Pier, where one can catch the ferry to historic Bangkok and be there in ten to fifteen minutes. It is also surrounded by food vendors and markets, although I can't recommend any of these places.
PN Computer and Massage Room
So, when you visit Bangkok, if you are looking for a little charming hotel, that is tucked in a little alley in the "Old Bangkok", with clean rooms, healthy food, free computers with internet, and top notch customer service for under $50 a night, Phranakorn Nornlen might just be the place for you, I certainly recommend it.
Comments (8)
This really does look and sound like a perfect place. Love the view from the rooftop! Pretty cool to find a green place with its own garden too.
Posted by Annie | July 28, 2009 6:15 AM
Posted on July 28, 2009 06:15
Wow Candi, what a fantastic find!! Not sure I'll ever get to Bangkok, but if I do, this looks absolutely perfect. Impressive service, love that they sent you on your way with takeout breakfast, how lovely! And what a gorgeous view. Thanks for sharing this gem with us!
Posted by Anne | July 28, 2009 5:44 PM
Posted on July 28, 2009 17:44
Hi Candi, this sounds like a wonderful little hotel and a real bargain at only 50 a night. The breakfast sounds yummy too. I love the sign "Slow life"! Very fitting for a Slow Traveler...
Thanks for sharing this great find. I'll have to book mark it for future reference.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | July 29, 2009 6:23 AM
Posted on July 29, 2009 06:23
Candi, this looks absolutely charming -- and I love the "Slow Life" philosophy.
I can't believe it's only about $50 a night -- with such a breakfast, a computer and massage room and that fantastic rooftop view!
Posted by sandrac | July 29, 2009 1:17 PM
Posted on July 29, 2009 13:17
That does sound amazing. Maybe I'll have had my travel thrills enough to convince my other half to venture there in our later years. :)
Posted by expatraveler | August 1, 2009 9:47 AM
Posted on August 1, 2009 09:47
Wow, this hotel looks like a real gem. An amazing find with an unbeatable price.
Posted by María I. | August 4, 2009 2:00 PM
Posted on August 4, 2009 14:00
Sounds like the perfect hotel! I am starting to think more about Thailand as a destination after reading your posts. All the fruit sounds just like what I imagined Hawaii would be like when I moved here. The breakfast looks yummy and take out. That is cool. I often forget to take a photo of my room before I start messing it up. Thanks for letting us all know about this great place. Glad you found it! Sounds like the perfect oasis from the craziness of Bangkok.
Posted by girasoli | August 10, 2009 2:32 AM
Posted on August 10, 2009 02:32
I am catching up on your blog and this was certainly a good place to start!! The hotel looks great and like Girasoli says, Thailand is sounding like a wonderful destination. People in Norway go there a lot in the winter, it has become very popular with northern Europeans.
Posted by Chiocciola | August 10, 2009 6:32 PM
Posted on August 10, 2009 18:32