Positives and Negatives

There are positives and a few negatives about staying at this hotel. The positives include being quite close, just a few minute walk, to the SkyTrain (Phrom Prong station) and the Emporium for shopping, including a supermarket - and Naraya on the corner for souvenirs. The room is itself is well-maintained, clean, reasonably large, with a comfortable bed, nice kitchen area and large bathroom. They are a bit more generous with toiletry articles than a number of other comparable Bangkok hotels. The staff is friendly and clean the room promptly. I didn't eat at the restaurant/bar so I won't comment on that - but in a city with many coffee shops there is only one, no-seat, standalone on the street. Finally, the internet speed (and making a connection) is excellent. While most hotels in Bangkok provide wireless gratis, it is often frustrating waiting for a simple e-mail to load. The Oakwood has the fastest wireless of any hotel I'd stayed at in Bangkok. There were two negatives - first although the kitchen is fine, there is no clothes washing machine in the room (apparently there are in the most premium rooms - most Bangkok Residence Hotels do include this). This is annoying for a somewhat budget-minded traveler as hotel laundry prices can run into money for a longer-term stay. In Bangkok there are often places that will do your laundry cheaply by the kilo, however I was unable to locate such a place in the vicinity of the Oakwood. Finally the outdoor rooftop swimming pool is tiny. For many people the laundry and pool issues may be irrelevant. In that case I certainly recommend this hotel. If, though like me, you for example, consider a daily swim in the pool an important part of your Bangkok hotel experience, you might wish to consider an alternate lodging.