Hi,
For context: I am not a local, but I have family and friends that live in a nearby neighborhood (Ekkamai). I would say I've been 50 times in 20 years, and right near this area most of the time.
> stayed there last time and it was fine, not glitzy but clean and
> comfortable. It's about $44/night booked through Agoda.
That place looks fine. I have never stayed there. But it's only good if you only want to go to the conference hotel, which might be a reasonable thing to go for.
Here's how this neighborhood works:
| (Soi odd numbers, like 29)
|
|
<------- Sukhumvit Road --- BTS train -------->
|
|
| (Soi even numbers, like 34)
The further you get away from Sukhumvit Road, the more you'll have to know the city. The Admiral Suites is fine if you're just going to the conference hotel, but that is a bit of a hike to get to the main road. This is fixed in practice by riding on the back of a scooter, but I'm not sure all IETFers are up for that. They have something like Uber there (Grab), but it is really harsh on foreign or new SIMs (fair; they suspect you are clueless and will waste their time).
>
> If you prefer familiar chains, there's a Holiday Inn just north of the
> Marriott, which is on the map on the IETF website, and a Sheraton Four
> Points across the street, which is not.
I have stayed at this one (once). It is not the sleepy airport hotel you might have in mind. The rooms are just what you would expect, but there is a fairly constant rooftop pool party with a DJ and all that, and the loud EDM music from your neighbors might lead you to suspect they are not working on internet standards.
I would stay at Hotel Nikko (~$130, BTS Thong Lor), but if the budget were tight, I would find something just a couple BTS metro stops further at Phra Khanong or On Nut. These places are a little more boring, but safe.
thanks,
Rob
