This hotel was a real find; we liked it so much we stayed there twice. The staff are fantastic; not just great at what they do and great service, but real characters in their own right with lots of information, advice and pleasant chats when they have the time. Genuinely lovely bunch of people. The hotel is quite eccentric and bohemian. Rooms are individually decorated in similar styles but personalised with hand painted items on the walls like fish or old antique gramophone players, books etc. Lovely little balconies with screen doors and old wooden shutters on the windows. Air-con and a ceiling fan in the rooms. Colourful printed textile cushions and bed throws and local stone clad bathroom walls with big rose head showers. Fresh tea left in your room in a flask each night, wonderful breakfasts that change every day and are really tasty and filling, a fantastic courtyard garden which opens from the breakfast area. It's very 'shabby chic' and a lot of thought, time, creativity and love has been put in to this place and it really shows. There's an internet room raised up from the garden, wi-fi access throughout the hotel including from your room, a play area for children, a funky little reception area, a shop selling selected local items, books to borrow, and eccentric 'fake' shop displays which line the breakfast area displaying old mechanical toys etc. My husband and I loved it, we like to find unusual and creative places to stay and this was so good we spent 7 days there first time around and another 2 days there on the way back. No TVs or room safes but the place is very secure as it locks the main entrance gates every night and there are 24 hour staff on the premises. You don't need TV, Bangkok is crazy and is like a living soap! Having this hotel to escape to from the madness at the end of the day was perfect. We would go back and we have already recommended it to a lot of travellers we have met along the way. It has a lot of repeat business and has featured in several style magazines. If you favour large, generic hotels like the Sheraton, Holiday Inn etc with all mod-cons, then this is not the hotel for you. But if you love finding something different and injected with the flavour of the country you are in, then book ahead because it is extremely popular and sells out even in low and mid seasons. It's the kind of place you will fall in love with and feel to be a real discovery. I would love to own this place and call it my own! When in Bangkok beware of tuk-tuk drivers, they will rip you off or not take you where you want to go; much better to stick with meter-taxis. When using a meter-taxi always make sure to tell them to put their meter on and do not accept any negotiated prices (which will be inflated by over double the normal fare), work from the meter price. Taxis are very cheap. Sky train is also good but about the same price for 2 people as just using a meter-taxi. Beware of people on the street (usually men) who will tell you they are tourist police and will advise that the place you want to visit is closed and the monks are chanting. This is usually a lie and they will try to deceive you so that they can take you on their own guided tour to their family shop to buy 'gems'. Better to rely on a local map, a meter-taxi and a good guide book. Wat Po (the giant reclining buddha), Wat Kraew, Wat Arun and Grand Palace are all must sees and will not disappoint. Golden Mount is worth a look and also has great views of Bangkok. Treat yourself to a VIP cinema ticket at Siam Paragon luxury mall - the VIP screening rooms are stunning and well worth the extra money (approx £10 a ticket each), an experience in itself with gold silk blankets and cushions and your private double booth to sit in with full reclining luxury seats! Street food is good, often better than the restaurants. The official snake research hospital is also worth a trip and is completely humane. Feed the big fish at the pier at the end of the road that has the small flower/garden centre shops lining it. Loads of people sell bags of bread cheap for you to feed the fish in the river; kids will love it - there are hundreds of fish which go crazy when you throw in the bread.

What a gem! This hotel is a little oasis in a crazy city. The folks who work at the hotel are the best people - they take the time to show you around, call you a cab, book you a tour, or just answer general questions. Breakfast was delicious & the Thai Tea is fantastic. I never felt as if they were fake or just being nice to get something - they are truly happy with what they are doing. The hotel itself is just lovely. There are wonderful murals everywhere (not cheesy), and a quite garden and free internet (thanks :). Take advantage of the hour massage for 300B! Great price, and very good. Location is a bit out of the way - but convient to the ferry. After 6pm, you will need to take a cab home. Within walking distance (10 mins or so) to the backpackers area which has a nightlife & shops & many restaurants. A/C in room is nice & works fine, shower is nice too. Our room had a small veranda which was good for a spot of tea (which they serve in the evenings). There is also a roof deck which has a view of an enormous buddha. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who doesn't mind a few minutes to get into the center of town, wants a true bangkok experience, and wants to have personal care.

A hotel that was a joy to stay in, a real retreat in the middle of a hectic city.

As others have said, the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly; they waited up for us even though we arrived very late, and after a long flight we were happy to be shown our room and use the great shower.

As others have said, this is not a five star hotel. More like the best hostel you will ever want, without the drunken backpackers that can sometimes haunt such places.

We only stayed one night but wish we could have extended our visit.

After the lovely breakfast a good night sleep just don’t forget to get out and enjoy Bangkok. Use the river boats to get around the city, they are fun will get you around quicker than using the roads.

My only hint is to make sure that you print off the map from the website to provide to taxi drivers as it can be a bit difficult to find on your first visit, particularly if you are arriving from the airport in the middle of the night.

Phranakorn-Nornlen is a fantastically unique, relaxing, charming and friendly place to stay in Bangkok. My girlfriend and i spent three nights here in sweltering April and we loved it. There are many reviews here explaining why it's so popular so all i need to say is - if you're in two minds on whether to book this hotel, remove any doubts and go ahead. You will not be disappointed (unless you are looking for 5* luxury). This hotel will provide you with the perfect base for a memorable stay in Bangkok. I do have to comment on the friendliness of the staff however; they are wonderful and are surely one of the main reasons why so many people fall in love with this hotel. As for the location - yes it's a little out of the way, but we didn't find this a problem in any way at all.
We spent four weeks travelling from Bangkok to Singapore and this was easily the most memorable place we stayed in.