The ModernThailand.com team was honoured to be invited by the Bel-Aire Princess to tour the hotel. We decided to travel by the MRT underground. Immediately outside Sukhumvit station (Exit 3) is Asok BTS sky-train station; this is one link between the BTS and MRT networks. Our destination is Sukhumvit Soi 5, and in fact, if you opt to travel by BTS, we recommend that you exit at Nana station (Sukhumvit Soi 7 Exit), as it is not far from the hotel, only around 5 minutes’ walk. However, as there is only one MRT station on Sukhumvit Road, we must walk from Asok intersection to Sukhumvit Soi 5.
This is not inconvenient however, as it only takes around 10 minutes.

The surrounding area

We also used this opportunity to explore the surrounding
area, thereby killing two birds with one stone. This is one of the shopping areas popular
with tourists. Small and large shops line the roads, but it is the smaller stalls stretching
along the footpaths that seem to be more attractive to tourists. They sell a variety of goods,
such as clothing, bags, jewellery, souvenirs, handicraft, CDs and many other products.
Unfortunately, not many places were open when we passed by, as it was still early; the vendors had just started to set up their stalls, but if you come after 6pm, you will see crowds of tourists looking for good deals. Most importantly, products may still be bargained for here, but I must mention that every Monday the footpath stall vendors have a day off on order of the Bangkok administration.

Sukhumvit Soi 5

Before meeting the hotel staff, we have enough time to explore Soi 5, where the Bel Air is situated. From the beginning of the soi, there are shops lining both sides of the street: clothes shops, minimarts, tour agencies and restaurants. 7-Eleven and Foodland, which are open 24 hours, are situated in the middle section of the street. There are also two restaurants popular with tourists: Gulliver’s is on the right and the Thai Food Terrace is on the left, in the centre of the soi.

The Middle-East Street

There is also a minor road in this area connecting Soi 5 and Soi 3/1, which is full of shops and tourism businesses. It’s called Middle-East Street. Most of the shop signs are in Arabic, and most of the restaurants serve Mediterranean and Arabic fare. In fact, you can tell by the name of the road that this accommodation and tourist area is popular with Middle-Eastern tourists, especially from July to September, which is regarded as their holiday period. So, it wasn’t strange that we found Middle-Eastern tourists wherever they went, among the crowds walking in and out of the side roads and in the cars which made the roads feel very narrow.

In front of the hotel.

The Hotel Building

What was most strange was that it was reasonably quiet from
the middle to the end of Soi 5, without many shops or crowds. It made us feel that if we
wanted to find a place to stay in Nana, this area would be a very good place to relax.

The hotel lobby

As we almost reach the end of the road, we finds the Bel Aire Princess, which is located on the right hand side. This is the very first time we’ve seen the hotel and surrounding area. The hotel is new, and its entrance opens onto the soi. When we enter, we receive a friendly welcome from the hotel staff.

The reception area is not very spacious, and its design is simple, but pleasing on the eye

Although the lobby area and guest Internet corner are limited in size, their cleanliness and brightness are admirable.

Internet access in the lobby area

The Superior & Deluxe roooms

Most hotel guests are European or British, according to the hotel staff assisting us during our visit. The first place they invite us to see is the guest rooms, which are divided into 5 types: Superior, Deluxe, Superior Plus, Deluxe Plus and Club Room. The hotel contains 160 rooms altogether, but only offers 150 rooms to guests. Unfortunately, we are unable to visit the Superior and Deluxe rooms, as they are fully-booked, so the hotel staff invites us to visit the Superior Plus, Deluxe Plus and Club Rooms. They tell us that the amenities in the Superior Plus and Deluxe Plus rooms are no different to the Superior and Deluxe rooms, apart from the fact that the Plus type double rooms contain Queen Size beds and offer Internet access.

The Superior Plus and Deluxe Plus rooms are situated from the 11^th floor up

City view

Faclities available in all rooms.

personal safe

The selling point of the Superior rooms is the high availability and lower room rate. Although the amenities are not very different to the more expensive accommodation, if you would like a more spacious room, we would suggest that the Deluxe room would be more comfortable.

The Club Tribeca room

For those travelling as a family group, the Club Tribeca is recommended, as its size and amenities are similar to the Deluxe Plus.

Club Tribeca Room

Club Tribeca Room

The additional features in the Club Tribeca room are the DVD player (but no CDs!) and a sofa, but if guests reserve a triple room, arm chairs are provided instead.

Club Tribeca Room

View from the window

The Club Tribeca room seems to be more spacious than the Deluxe Plus, and according to the hotel staff, this is due to the room’s position in the corner of the building.

After visiting each type of room, we are able to summarise that all rooms are beautifully decorated in modern style and the various in-room amenities are new and state-of-the-art, as they are replaced regularly. The rooms are bright and fresh, and most importantly, extremely clean. It is unfortunate that there are no balconies, but the windows provide a city view.

Club Tribeca Bathroom

The bathrooms in all types of room are the same. They are not very large, but clean, with chic hand basins. Bathtubs are provided in all rooms except the Club Tribeca Room on the 17^th floor. However, if guests would like a bathtub, they may request a different room from the hotel staff.

The hotel facilities

After our tour of the accommodation is over, the hotel staff takes us to the 3^rd floor by elevator in order to visit the other facilities.

The hotel staff told us that every evening they put fruit on the tables in the elevator area for guests, another impressive service.

The 3rd floor contains many of the hotel’s facilities, such as the fitness centre, swimming pool, massage parlour and conference room.

The fitness centre is small, but the equipment is in good condition, and may be used by around 6 guests at any one time.

The Massage Parlour on the hotel’s 3^rd floor.

The swimming pool

Another facility we were intent on visiting was the swimming pool. We asked the staff to take us to the swimming pool, which was located near the fitness centre. As we arrived, we noticed that some guests were using the facilities, but not many. This may have been because it was still early. The swimming pool’s opening hours are 7am-7pm.

The swimming pool is not large, but looks very cute. The various facilities are in new and clean condition.

The number of sunbeds is limited by the size of the pool, which is probably the reason why guests complain a little that they are insufficient for hotel guests. Another issue is that because the hotel is surrounded by high-rise buildings and the swimming pool is situated on a low floor, the amount of sunlight able to reach the swimming pool is restricted. This may disappoint sun-bathers slightly, but is perfect for those who would like to swim without the worry of sunburn.

The Tiffin restaurant

Before bringing today’s tour to a close, the staff introduced the hotel’s two restaurants. Tiffin is situated on the Ground Floor, and guests reserving Superior and Deluxe rooms with breakfast dine here. This restaurant has a maximum capacity of 60 guests.

The Tiffin Restaurant

As we entered the restaurant, they were, in a word, very impressed. It was impossible to find flaw with the restaurant in any respect. The restaurant was clean and attractive, and was divided into various different sections. The furniture and cutlery were modern, whether it be the tables, chairs, lamps, plates, bowls, spoons or glasses, and in harmony with the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Comfortable and lavish seats are provided if required by guests.

Before arriving, we interviewed guests about the breakfast service. Most of them said that the food was nice and that there were a variety of dishes to choose from.

The Club Lounge restaurant

The hotel’s other restaurant is the Club Lounge, situated on the 2^nd floor, with a maximum capacity of 40 guests. The Club Lounge is smaller than Tiffin, and there is also an Internet corner at the entrance.

The Club Louge Restaurant

The restaurant’s atmosphere, interior décor and
various amenities, including the tables and chairs, are quite luxurious and stylish,
and provide a feeling of privacy. Guests that reserve Superior Plus, Deluxe Plus
and Club Tribeca rooms may take breakfast here or in Tiffin, which offers a wider variety of cuisine.

The free Internet service in the Club Lounge is reserved for guests staying in the Superior Plus, Deluxe Plus and Club Tribeca rooms (Club Rooms).

We must bring our visit to the Bel Aire Princess Hotel to a close; however, we sincerely hope that our review will be beneficial for tourists looking for a place to stay in the heart of Bangkok. Most importantly, we would like to thank the Bel Aire Princess Hotel and hotel staff for allowing us the opportunity to visit, assisting our tour, and providing much helpful information.
If we have printed any erroneous information, we apologize in advance.