I get it…on paper 3,000 Starpoints a night at an Aloft or Four Points in Bangkok looks cheap, as does that 3.000 Baht ($90) room rate. However, you can spend $630 for one week at the Aloft Sukhumvit, or you can spend $575 (19,000) and get a MONTH in a one bedroom Bangkok apartment, like I did, at the Rio Monte.
Yes, $18/night.
Instead of a basic hotel room I enjoyed a full air-conditioned and furnished 1 bedroom apartment in a residential neighborhood. I also had secure access with a doorman and a pool that was pretty much always empty. Best of all, a little cafe that would deliver Thai dishes I still remember for an average of $3.
I also get that not everyone has a month to spend…but even at 2 weeks or ten days you’re going to end up ahead on a month long rental, and if you took a studio ($320) you’d be ahead in four days, versus a MONTHLY rental!
This just happens to be the one I picked when I stayed in Bangkok, and I had a good experience there. There are literally thousands of others.
My point is…points may not be the way to go in South East Asia. My whole time there I didn’t stay in a single points earning hotel. I can’t say I was any worse for the wear! Even my absolutely favorite hotel stay in the world, which will get it’s own blog post one day, was at a Thai chain.
How do you find these off the radar gems? Booking.com would be my first search. They’ve got the largest database outside of the USA and no fees. Look for keywords like “corporate apartment”, “serviced apartment”, “executive apartment” or “long-term rental”.
Have you ever rented an apartment overseas? Please share your experiences in the comments!
Dia, I love your posts because you are so realistic about when points are great value and when they aren’t a good fit. I’ve also had great successes with Booking.com for apartments/guesthouses/inns. They showcase a lot of really affordable properties and ratings and reviews have been accurate (in my experience).
Keep sharing your travel tips in your balanced fashion!
Thanks! Your kudos mean a lot to me. Glad to hear they have worked for you as well.
Fantastic post – thanks for this heads up. I looked into this a few years back with not much success, but I was also listening to a friend who lives in BKK and didn’t know what he was talking about. I may want to do this at some point in the future, depending on how long I stay working/living/traveling in E. Asia.
Glad to hear. Having just returned from a month in Asia where we moved around weekly, I have to say I preferred having a home base!
Totally get it. Fantastic idea to stay in non-point earning places, and have done. That’s why I am debating my booking at Hua Hin at the new JW Marriott there for Christmas. $100.00 a night but two buffet breakfasts included and a 60 minute massage daily. Hmm. I am typically a Hyatt girl, but this deal was maybe too good to pass up? Thought?
Great deal! But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Centara Central Hua Hin. It’s my favorite hotel in the entire world!