Arun Residences, Bangkok Thailand
Just up the street from our previous accommodation, Arun Residences would be our home for the next night allowing us to see more of the nearby attractions and in easy reach of the Hua Lamphong Train Station where we would be catching the overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai.
Address
36-38 Soi Pratoo Nokyoong , Maharaj Road , Phrabarommanaharachawang , Phra Nakorn , Bangkok 10200
Dates stayed
5th October for one night
Price
5800 Baht ($236 AUD) for a suite room with river view and breakfast
Location
Built on an artificial island, Arun Residences is located on the banks of Chao Praya River with views of the majestic Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Set amongst beautifully restored 19th Century shop houses, the tiny hotel with just six rooms is nestled away in a quieter part of the city and is in short walking distance to Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace.
Parking
There is no onsite parking but you are able to park on the street if you can find a spot.
Check-in/Check-out
- Check-in is from 2pm
- Check-out is by 12pm
- Recepion is open for limited hours only
- A welcome drink was brought up to our room after checking in
The check-in desk inside Arun Residences
our welcome drink that was brought up to our room
WiFi
Complimentary WiFi was available in the rooms and public places of the hotel.
Room
Arun Residences have only six large rooms. The four different room types are Double, Suite, Family Suite and Deluxe Double Room. All room types included:
- flatscreen TV’s
- safe
- phone
- bathrobes and slippers
- mini bar with complimentary bottled water
- airconditioning
- fridge
- tea and coffee making facilities
- dressing gowns and slippers
- bathroom amenities and hairdryer
As we had a suite, we also had a living room with sofa, a work desk and a private balcony to sit out on and admire the views. The room was decorated in dark wood with Chinese touches and the floors were parquetry.
We had the Jasmine Suite
Queen bed constructed of dark wood
bathroom inside our suite at Arun Residences
bathroom amenities
the living room inside our suite at Arun Residences
it was nice to sit out on the balcony and watch the world go by
Grounds
Due to the size of the block, there are no grounds belonging to the hotel.
walking from Arun Residences
Hotel Facilities
Despite its small size the hotel was still able to provide a number of facilities which included:
- a rooftop restaurant and bar called The Deck located up a steep winding staircase and serving French, Italian and Thai cuisine
- meeting facilities
- airport shuttle
- internet corner
- gift/news stand
- massage service
- room service
- luggage storage
items for sale downstairs by the reception desk
view from up on The Deck at Arun Residences
fried rice for breakfast for me this morning followed by some pancakes
hubby about to get stuck into his Phad Thai
enjoying some orange juice with breakfast
What’s nearby
- Wat Pho (houses the Reclining Buddha) – 250 metres
- Wat Arun – 500 metres
- Grand Palace – 600 metres – unfortunately this was closed when we visited due to the preparations for the late King’s cremation
- MBK and Central World Shopping Centre – 8.5km (about half an hour)
For more things to do nearby see Sala Arun review.
The Reclining Buddha housed at Wat Pho, one of Bangkok’s largest and oldest Wats
The Reclining Budha in all its 46 metre long glory
The feet of the Reclining Buddha tower over the top of the doorway
More than 1000 Buddha images can be seen at Wat Pho
Images of Thailand’s late King are found all around Bangkok
inside the extensive grounds of Wat Pho
CentralWorld in Bangkok is the tenth largest shopping complex in the world
Down on the ground floor was a concert you would normally expect to pay for
The view from the food court up on the top floor
Mr Jones’ Orphanage is an adorable cafe filled with little orphan teddy bears
This shop sold the most delicious drink I’ve ever tried
The best tasting drink in the world from Yenly Yours at CentralWorld
this CentralWorld shop made candy right before your eyes
Wouldn’t the kids love these?
How adorable are these cleverly decorated cupcakes
and some more cuteness – how could you eat these
Pros
- large rooms with views of Wat Arun
- conveniently located near a number of tourist attractions
- only 5km from the Bangkok Hua Lamphong railway station
- complimentary breakfast and Welcome drinks are always appreciated
Cons
- although efforts are made to clean up the Chao Praya River, it is unfortunately still quite polluted
- quite a way from the Airport and the nearest BTS or MRT
- a little expensive for what you can typically get in Bangkok
- with no lifts this place is not suitable for the physically impaired or elderly
Summary
The location was great for seeing the attractions we wanted to visit and for getting to the train station to catch our train to Chiang Mai. I felt however it was a bit overpriced.