My group of five spent three nights there from 20-23 Dec 2007. Three of us had a two-bedroom apartment while the other two a one-bedroom unit.

The Ascott Sathorn is a good change from the claustrophobic, bed+desk+bathroom setup of a typical hotel room. I strongly recommend it for families and groups - you get a living room and open kitchenette to hang out in, after which you can retire to the privacy of your own bedroom. There's a big fridge, oven, washing machine and CD/DVD player.

Our apartments were cleaned daily and they had the usual bathroom amenities one would expect from regular hotels. The complimentary drink and snack basket consisted of four cans of soda, two fruit juice packs, a cup noodle, instant coffee, tea bags, some candy and snacks. There's a convenience store in the lobby that also delivers to the rooms.

The breakfast buffet spread was unimpressive but adequate for the room rates that the Ascott charged. There were 4-6 Asian dishes, 4-6 Western (scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, pancakes, French toast), Chinese congee, an omelette station, cold cuts, salad, fruit platter and juices.

The Ascott is located in a business/embassy area which gets rather quiet in the evening so guests have to venture out for more shopping and dining options.

The shuttle van service (max 10 passengers) leaves the Ascott every 1-2 hours and stops at a number of commercial buildings and shopping malls (such as Central World and MBK). The stops are different depending on the time of day. We took the 11am van on a Friday and it took us 30 mins to reach the last stop on its route, MBK mall.

The nearest BTS station is Chong Nonsi which is a 10-min walk away and involves climbing an overhead bridge. SIam BTS station (next to the Siam Paragon mega mall) is 3 stops away. The Saphan Taksin station is 2 stops away in the other direction and that's where you can take river taxis to explore the Chao Phraya River.

LIKES
- Clean and spacious apartments
- The Concierge and Limo/Tour staff were friendly and helpful

DISLIKES
- The service at the breakfast place was slow and incompetent. We had to wait 15-20 mins - with many reminders - for tea and coffee to be served to us. Some guests resorted to pouring their own beverages, but after the pots ran dry it took the handful of staff there another 15-20 mins to refill them.
- Some people may find the walk to the Chong Nonsi station unpleasant, esp during the day under the sun and near heavy road traffic.

The one-way taxi ride between the Ascott Sathorn and Suvarnabhumi International Airport should cost about THB350 inclusive of highway tolls. It'd be a good idea to have the Ascott email a copy of the address printed in Thai to you before you arrive in Bangkok.

I have just returned from a 2 night stay at the Ascott Sathorn. I made my reservation a couple of days in advance via Wotif, for a studio room. I was attracted by the generally good reviews, the overall reputation of the Ascott group, and finally that the rate was a good 30-50% less than many of the 5-star hotels in Bangkok.

Also I have stayed at many hotels in Bangkok (Sheraton Grande, Sukhothai, Millenium Hilton, Hyatt Erawan, Conrad), and was interested to try a serviced apartment.

The room was clean and spacious, but not luxurious. The kitchen would be handy for a longer stay, but it was not used during my short 2 nights. I was assigned a low floor room, and did hear some street noise, but it was not loud enough to be distracting. There was also a large balcony, but the floor had not been washed in some time.

The concierge was helpful with restaurant reservations, and the doormen very efficient in getting taxis. The main downside I found was that the location is better suited for business - and I personally prefer to be in the Wireless Road or Sukhumvit area for leisure.

Overall, I think I got good value for what I paid. However make no mistake that this is not in the same overall quality level as a traditional 5-star hotel.

I stayed at the Ascott Sathorn for 4 days during my last business trip to Bangkok (my office is just two blocks away from it). It was not my prefered and first choice but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The room is very spacious. I was upgraded from a studio to a one-bedroom apartment. Personally, I find it a bit too huge for my liking cos most of the time, the space is not utilised. The complimentary drinks in the fridge and snacks on the dining table were nice... something that the hotel chains will usually charge you for an arm and a leg.

The best part for me is that they have a huge and comprehensive gym... something that you don't usually find in a hotel or serviced apartments. I understand that Ascott outsources the gym facilities to a third-party vendor. This is good because they functioned like a real gym. They have extensive equipments and classes... you will be so happy if you are a gym fanatic.

The only fault that I could find with the Ascott Sathorn is that the breakfast is not that appealing. Yes, they do have the standard stuff like eggs, bacon, chinese congee, fruits, toast, etc. But they lack a wide selection. Nevertheless, I would consider its breakast selection one of the better ones for Bangkok hotels and serviced apartments.

On the whole, the Ascott Sathorn is a good mid-range serviced apartments. Though it lacks the luxurious feel, it compensates with its full amenities. Great stay for business travellers and those on budget. For those who want a more luxurious stay, a little bit more pampering and have a bigger budget, I would recommend them to stay at one of the five-star luxurious hotel chains in Bangkok.

Stayed here for a week. Absolutely everything was top notch (except for Hu'u restaurant - see below). Staff very pleasant, everyone greets you in that nice Thai way and always asking if they can help and checking on your experience / satisfaction.
Room was HUGE. Too much for the time being spent but spotlessly clean. Provided two bottles of water each day and refresh towels, plus on arrival there is a small basket of initial food items etc. (I shopped at the 7 Eleven down the street)

I would stay away from the Hu'u restaurant. So-so food, service good (we were the only ones there the night I ate there and it was clear why after the meal was delivered). The Aldo Bistro on the 7th floor is just excellent. Every meal was terrific, good service with great staff and atmosphere. Try to eat outside beside the pool if the weather is ok..nice treat.

The hotel is close to the overhead rapid rail system with good connections to the spotless and well-lit subway system. Don't hesitate to try these...unbelievably cheap and a great way to experience the local atmosphere.

I would definately stay here again.