Miramar Hotel Review in Bangkok's Chinatown

The Miramar Hotel is one of Bangkok's many clean affordable budget hotels. Located on 777 Mahachai road it is considered a bit out of the way from most tourist spots in Bangkok. It is not a bad hotel at all but there are plenty of other budget hotels in Bangkok that are much closer to central Bangkok near BTS Sky Train and MRT underground train stations.

The hotel is located near Bangkok's Chinatown and it is certainly one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander around in the morning and evenings when the temperature is cooler. The area around the Miramar Hotel is ideal for exploring the older districts of Bangkok and quite far away from the concrete and metal monstrosity that central Bangkok has become.

And for most travelers who prefer a quiet neighborhood then the Miramar Hotel will certainly fit the bill. Though there is a trade off.

Travelers who choose to stay at the Miramar Hotel will have to rely mainly on taxis and tuk tuks. Which might involve a bit of haggling with the driver for services rendered (my suggestion is to keep looking for a taxi driver who agrees on using the meter, it's much cheaper). And I believe the Miramar hotel should at least provide complimentary tuk tuk service to Chinatown where it is a much busier area with places to shop and eat.

There is no free Wi-Fi Internet at MIramar Hotel. There are several rates you can choose from starting at 60THB for 1 hour. There is also no in-room safe so it's a good idea to have a luggage lock to keep your valuables safe.

For this review, I booked a stay in a standard room for several nights in early November, which is the high season for hotels in Thailand. I checked with the Miramar Hotel directly and was told that a standard room per night would cost me 1600THB per night including taxes.

Next I checked with Agoda.com and saw that I could get a room for around 1450THB per night including taxes. Though it's not a huge difference in savings on a single night stay it can certainly add up if you're planning on staying longer.

The Miramar Hotel looks small from the outside but there are 127 rooms and popular with tour groups. Though it looks totally brand new it is quite evident that the hotel has gone through some renovations yet some parts were left neglected, for instance the 2 tiny and worn elevators in the building.

I was given a room on the 4th floor and even though I was a solo traveler I was given a room with 2 twin beds on a king size frame. I wasn't bothered to much by it but it might for someone staying at the hotel much longer. I also found the walls and the doors quite thin. I could hear noise from the halls quite easily such as doors closing or even passing conversations. Though these are just a few things most budget hotels in Bangkok have in common.

My room was clean and for most budget travelers that's probably the most important thing. My bed was too firm though and I could feel a few springs in my back. But overall the room is what you would expect. However, I have stayed at hotels in much better condition and location for around the same price in Bangkok, such as the Mac Boutique Suites, Boss Suites and Hope Land Executive Residence.

All of the points of interest listed above will require a taxi or tuk tuk, except for the Bangkok Corrections Museum, which is just a 5 minute walk from the hotel. You can also walk to the northern end of Chinatown but it will take about 15 minutes.

Though the Miramar is a good budget hotel in Bangkok's old district, there is a lot of vehicle traffic and very often there are serious traffic jams. As a result many taxis want to avoid the Chinatown area. So if you're in any one of central Bangkok's shopping centers you might have a very hard time finding a taxi driver willing to take you back to the hotel.