Bandara Suites Silom, Bangkok

The Bandara Suites Silom is housed in a
tall, contemporary tower with saffron-colored accents on cream-colored exterior
walls. Inside, the lobby has the feel of a standard business hotel. The main
seating area is in a small bar/lounge with a piano and low orange chairs set
around tables. The Bandara sees a decent mix of business and leisure travelers, and is particularly popular with corporate guests from Japan. There is a
smoking floor, but the smell of cigarettes is undetectable in non-smoking parts of
the property. 

The Bandara is located on a quiet street
off of Saladeang Road between Silom and Sathorn, Bangkok's business districts.
The property is in an older residential area, with plenty of luxury condos and
apartments in the immediate vicinity. It takes just over 10 minutes by foot to
reach the BTS Skytrain and MRT (metro) stations, and there's a tuk-tuk shuttle
service between the hotel and the stations. The Jim Thompson House,
which focuses on traditional Thai architecture, is a 12-minute drive northwest, while reaching the markets of Khao San Road takes around 20 minutes. The
temples of Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Arun are around 30
minutes northwest by car, and Suvarnabhumi
Airport is about a 30-minute drive east, barring traffic. 

The Bandara’s room categories include Superior
and Deluxe Rooms, Business Suites, Bandara Suites, and Two-Bedroom Residences. Superior
and Deluxe units are the same size and come with safes, minibars, 32-inch
flat-screen TVs, DVD players, free Wi-Fi, and one king or two twin beds. The
main difference between the two room types is that Deluxe units have more
captivating views and are on the 15th floor or higher. Business Suites are
one-bedroom apartment-style units with one double or two twin beds in each, while
Bandara Suites each have two bedrooms. Both suite types come with separate living
and dining areas, along with kitchenettes. An additional 48 serviced
apartments are located in the adjacent Bandara Residence, aimed toward long-term guests and offering more space
and in-room amenities. Decor is consistent throughout the rooms, with
an aesthetic that’s sleek and contemporary though not particularly striking.
All units feature polished hardwood floors, dark wood furniture, white bedding, neutral
curtains, and easy chairs. Bathrooms with shower/tub combos are simple, with some featuring windows with mini-blinds that look out onto
rooms. Some past guests have complained that their rooms were dirty or worn,
although higher floor rooms are in reportedly better shape. 

The hotel’s on-site restaurant Bandara Brasserie
offers a buffet breakfast along with an a la carte lunch and dinner, and a dessert
counter. The eatery features contemporary decor and gets natural light from
large street-facing windows. Cocktails and soft drinks can also be ordered
at the hotel's lobby bar. The property's medium-sized fitness center features a
variety of cardio equipment along with weight machines and free weights. Also
on hand are a sauna and two swimming pools, including a semi-covered rooftop
pool with a large adjacent whirlpool hot tub. The hotel's business
center is semi-open and looks out over the Bandara Lounge, an executive space
with plush sofas and easy chairs, reading materials, a couple of desks, and a
few computer terminals. There's also a small meeting room with built-in
audiovisual equipment; the space can fit up to eight people around a
rectangular conference table. The Bandara has a coin-operated
laundry room with an iron and ironing board for guests' use. Dry-cleaning and
laundry services are available through the front desk and have a four-hour
turnaround time.