Bangkok Airport
Why did I need a Transit Hotel Bangkok Airport? Sometimes my travels plans have me flying through huge time zone changes in dizzying frequency, which sooner or later is bound to hit you.
One such instance recently manifested in me unexpectedly wanting a hotel room in Bangkok airport in the middle of the day! So how did I end up in that situation and what was that like?
Having been to Thailand a few times to explore this was just a brief escapade to Bangkok specifically so I can fly the awesome Qatar Airways First Class on their A380. The trip started fine and was going as expected.
Balancing my work commitments that week, I chose to stick to UK time – a decision that would soon prove consequential.
The night before I was due to fly back, I worked very late, followed by a late dinner/drinks that meant I was not in bed still 6am Bangkok time and I had to check out of my hotel before 11am!
Since I had nothing else planned for my day and was still technically working half that day, I decided to arrive at the airport by lunchtime and just work for a few hours there.
This all seemed a sound plan and something I have actually done many times before without any hiccups.
Post-security, I eagerly headed to the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, only to find it closed! It was due to open only at 3pm !
With it already being middle of the day, it never occurred to me that at least one oneworld lounge will not be open at this time, with Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas also flying to this airport. Yet this was precisely the case this spring 2023!
After a bit of back-and-forth, my only choice seemed the Miracle Lounge – a brand that seems to appear throughout the airport. Yet it turned out that the lounge was not obligated to welcome me on my Qatar Airways ticket.
While my Priority Pass membership would also normally grant me access, a strict rule allowed entry only three hours before departure.
Unfortunately, Bangkok Airport itself was hot and sticky, either the A/C was not working or it was struggling so working within the airport was out of the question.
Reluctantly, I paid the 1500 Baht fee to enter the lounge.
After just under two hours working in this lounge I got real tired and sleepy and just wanted to have a nap.
Even though this Miracle lounge was quiet, there was nowhere really dark enough with a comfy seats to do that in.
Inquiring with the staff, I learned that nap rooms were available at an extra cost. However, they didn’t actually have proper beds!
At this point, when I weighed up the fact that I wanted to A, do a couple of hours more work still, and B, not be super tired for my First Class flight I was really looking forward to, so I asked about Airport Hotel options…
Until this point I had not know it even existed, this hotel is located in Concourse A of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and involved a long walk with no travellators in sight from where I was in Concourse D.
Having little idea what to expect I was graciously escorted all the way from the lounge by the Miracle staff, passing through some nice indoor terrace areas and other Miracle Lounges! They also have a First Class Lounge?!
The hotel sell rooms in blocks of 4 hours for a fixed price of 3000 Baht with shared bathrooms or 4000 Baht with private bathroom. The later was the only category they had left apparently so that is what I had to pay.
Coming in with no prior expectations, I embraced the surprise..
Shabby would be the only thing I can say and that is a theme that continued from the bedding/closet down to the bathroom..
The room did have all the essential amenities you might need, with miniature toiletries provided in the room..
Some tea/coffee facilities were also available. If you are so parched in the 4 hours!
On the plus side, the room was big and can sleep two comfortably. It was a real bed, and I probably fell asleep within 20 minutes! With an alarm set to wake me up within 2 hours.
It has a nice view out of the airport, though that is not why you are here for exactly!
While the bathroom was also a decent size and clean, it looked like it had seen better days too.
It very much felt like I was in a hostel or somewhere remote in Laos or Cambodia. It was just drab.
The towels looked like poor quality like the rest of the place.
Needless to say, I did not use the bathroom at all.
I should note that they did offer a meal voucher with the room, which I could not use also, as I deemed it won’t quite be up to the standard of a Qatar Lounge, and I was probably right 😀
I needed some sleep and I found the best solution I had available to me given the circumstances and I did manage to get some sleep for a couple of hours. But I decided I wanted to also get out of there well before the 4 hours slot and eat/shower in the Qatar lounge instead. Miracle Hotel? I think not! But it was ok.
Bangkok is a city full of great quality hotels for reasonable prices. I had just left a Hyatt there that I was fairly happy with but I guess airport hotels do not necessarily reflect the prices they have in that city generally. Was this poor value? You could say that but I genuinely think the 2 hours sleep helped me enjoy by First Class flight better.
It’s worth noting the hotel is a 3-star category, perhaps something that puts its offerings into perspective?
A couple of years ago, I would not have posted about this but I think it’s valuable to share things like these as kind of a “behind the scenes” if you will so you know the life of a luxury travel blogger, isn’t always so glamourous ! 🙂
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