There's a reason why i got such a good deal for my airfare to Hokkaido; i had to transit in Bangkok and since i made it a point to visit the city of angels every year, it's an opportunity for me to make use of the almost 18-hour transit window to meet my objective in year 2018!
A hotel was needed and while i can consider the hotels around and / or at Suvarnabhumi Airport, i thought it's more convenient to get a city near any of the airport rail link station.
I actually worked backward and gave some deep thought on what i wanted to do in Bangkok; massage at Urban Retreat, Thai omelette with rice at Pier 21 food court etc. A search on hotels.com map gave me a hotel near to not just the Makassan Airport Rail Link but also the Phetchaburi MRT Station; the FX Hotel Metrolink Makkasan.
Honestly, the walk from the airport rail link was about 10 minutes which can be tiresome if i had lugged around all my luggage. Thankfully for the baggage service at the airport; i just needed a backpack for this one-night stay.
Checking in was a breeze and the hotel receptionist spoke decent English. Key card for room number 510 was given, together with the complimentary WiFi password.
The modern yet spacious hotel room; compared to what we had at Sapporo for the past few days, the space was a luxury and i almost wanted to roll around the tiled floor (something i wouldn't be able to do back in my room at Unizo Inn, Sapporo).
To be frank, i was already prepared for the infamously small hotel room in Japan and decided to get a slightly more premium room in Bangkok; the 30-square meter premier room. In contrast, the basic is the 26-square meter superior room which cost only about S$9 cheaper.
Usual stuff but there was one thing that's missing from where it should be. Not the television that was mounted on the wall right in front of the bed; i couldn't find the bloody fridge!
Found the bar fridge eventually in the wardrobe that also housed the hair dryer, the in-room safe, extra pillow, bathrobes and slippers. Still find it strange to have the fridge in the wardrobe, especially when the room wasn't exactly small in the first place.
Bright bathroom with a shower; darn, i do miss the Japanese soaking tubs and the provision of an electronic bidet that's literally the norm in toilets at Hokkaido! :(
It only struck me at this point that FX Hotel Metrolink Makkasan is managed by Furama Hotels International! So what does the X mean? Xtreme, Xtra, Xemplary?
Regardless, it appeared to be an express version of Furama hotel (similar to Holiday Inn Express) although the management still managed to squeeze in a fitness room and a pool!
Open air pool that looked out to the skyline of Bangkok. Seemed not bad but there's more to the picture which i would show shortly.
Pool was incredibly small and it will be a squeeze with just five kids in it! Furthermore, there were yellow stains that even though might not translate into a cleanliness issue; it did give the impression the pool might not have been maintained often.
Breakfast for two persons was included in my package! It's common for me to skip the hotel breakfast in Bangkok as there were so much better food outside on the streets but this time, i made it a point to step in the cheery-looking metro cafe.
Reason being i had to catch the morning flight back to Singapore and time wasn't on our side! As you can see, it was a decent selection; nothing too extravagant.
I am happy with my usual toast and jam. Special mention to the fried noodle which tasted as good as what you can get from the food stalls along Bangkok streets.
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In all, i would recommend visitors to consider the 90-room FX Hotel Metrolink Makkasan if they prefer to have a place that's well connected to the subway bringing you to the vibrant downtown and to the airport rail link sending you directly back to the international airport.
Location
57 Asoke-Dindaeng Road,
Makkasan (Airport Link),
Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Pricing
Premier Room (Double Bed) - S$66.43 via hotels.com
Additional Information
Thai massage in the room is possible via the P.P Massage. p.s i am unsure if special service in the room refers to the "special service" or that the massage in your room is considered as "special".
No itinerary for this super short Bangkok visit but if you don't mind, you can consider checking out my 6 Days, 5 Nights Bangkok Itinerary (2016)!