Review: Solitaire Hotel on Sukhumvit 11, Bangkok – a Luxurious Urban Retreat to Unwind in Style

During my self-imposed Hong Kong moratorium I decided to spend one month-plus in Bangkok, Thailand. And, the stay would not have been complete if I didn’t stay at one of my favorite hotels in all of Asia – the Solitaire Bangkok Hotel on Sukhumvit 11. This 4-star hotel, located a stone’s throw away from the nightlife and action of one of Bangkok’s most notorious nightlife districts, is always my go-to stay in Bangkok. 

I spent the entire month posted up in this gem of a hotel, working, battling strep throat, and recovering after extensive ‘eating days’ in one of the best cities for food in the world. Here’s an honest review of what I loved and liked (there isn’t much I really took issue with).

Solitaire Hotel Price & Location

One of my favorite pictures from the opening of a new Old German Beerhouse branch right around the corner many years ago.

Website, Address, & Details: https://solitairebangkok.com 

Location: 75, 23 Soi Sukhumvit 13, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Find me a better priced hotel at the same quality in this area of Sukhumvit 11 and I’ll show you a liar. Granted, sometimes being in the heart of the hustle and bustle is not the most conducive to a healthy, productive long-term stay (the hedonism and spectacle are ripe here). However, if you are passing through Bangkok for a one or two week stay and want to be right where the action is – you’ve found your spot. 

For the total month at the Solitaire Hotel on Sukhumvit 11, I paid roughly USD 1,600 for a ‘Deluxe Room’ (with windows), which works out to around baht 1800 per night. I also requested a corner room as it comes with multiple windows and has some of the best lighting of any hotel I’ve stayed in.

I took a bit of a different approach with booking, as the platform fees for Klook and Agoda seemed slightly unreasonable at points, and only booked the first week via Klook. I then booked directly with the hotel for the remaining stay, which allowed me to reduce the price by about 10-15%. 

However, since my extended stay, prices on Klook, Agoda, and other booking sites seem to have normalized and evened out.

A word of warning, this is a gamble as the hotel may be fully booked. So if you want to cross your T’s and dot your I’s, I would then recommend booking everything in advance. Finally, keep in mind that prices will fluctuate depending on the season, with June and September being traditionally considered Thailand’s ‘low season’. 

Restaurants, Booze, & Touts 

7-11s, burgers, laundry services, and late night discos galore. The Sukhumvit 11 area has something for everyone. I was relatively behaved during this stint in Thailand as I had strep throat and a lot of work on my plate so I primarily stuck with eating marathons and cafes. 

What was the biggest surprise to me after not having been back to Bangkok since 2018/2019 was the amount of cannabis trucks and small dispensaries that lined the streets. Depending on if that is your thing, then this is either a positive or negative.

I did receive the best compliment and/or insult ever by a short mustachioed man outside of the Burger King when he aggressively questioned, “Where do you think you’re going Daddy Longlegs?” This can be a highlight or pain point for travelers. The area is filled with touts of all types and this can be somewhat taxing after a long day of work or travel. 

I would be remiss not to include a short little list of some of my favorite eats in this area:

• Old German Beerhouse (Two locations: Soi 13 and Soi 11): a consistent, hearty, beerhouse with al fresco seating for those wanting quality schnitzel, spaetzle, and German beers on draft (Hefeweizens all day for me)
• El Gaucho Argentinian Steakhouse: if you’ve read my article on El Gaucho in Saigon, Vietnam then you know the soft spot I have in my heart for this steak chain. Reasonably priced high quality cuts of beef, tartare that makes my mouth water, and soups that ‘bring da ruckus’ as well (listening to Wu Tang Clan while writing this). 
• Frying Pan Jerk Grill: you might be skeptical about eating Jamaican food in Asia but this is the real deal. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve eaten anywhere (ended up eating here once or twice a week for a month straight). Highly recommend the oxtail stew, jerk chicken wings, and Johnny cakes (fried bread dumplings).
• Bang Bang Burgers: this might be controversial but Bang Bang Burgers is far superior to Artisan Craft burgers right next door. Plus, it has live music. Don’t trust me? Try both out and let me know in the comments if you have any preference. I’m a huge fan of the sliders at Bang Bang (sans mayo of course). Also, it was a great spot to post up and watch Premier League. 
• Chowpati Indian Street Food: North Indian, South Indian, and everything in between, you’ll find it here. Affordable, delicious, and open late-ish (11PM). The pav vada, palak paneer, and massive dosas were always on point.  

I also just have to give a shout out to the Burger King on Sukhumvit 11 as there were several nights where I just wanted some nostalgic comfort food and they nailed it every time. If you have any questions about spots to check out in this area, don’t hesitate to reach out by email (info@palealetravel.com) or in the comments!

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you are in the mood for a stiff drink with a view, I cannot recommend ‘Above Eleven’ enough. Located right around the corner from the Solitaire Hotel and on the rooftop of the ‘Fraser Suites’, Above Eleven is hands down one of the best rooftop bars in Bangkok, serving up a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food that you didn’t know you needed. 

The Rooms: Spacious, Bright, & Comfortable

Image of a Deluxe Room courtesy of Solitaire’s website.

From family rooms to one bedroom suites with balconies, Solitaire Hotel provides formidable options for travelers of all types. I should note that I first selected a ‘Superior Room’ with no windows in my first booking. This was definitely a mistake. It gets disorientingly dark in those rooms and I found myself the first few nights waking up with absolutely zero clue what time it was. On my second day, I switched over to a ‘Deluxe Room’ (30 to 36 square meters in size) with windows at both corners of the room, located in one of the secondary towers. This was the right move. 

The light that permeated the room, in itself, made the price point more than worth it. 

Coming from Hong Kong where studio apartments can feel like dorm rooms, Solitaire’s ‘Deluxe Room’ puts any studio apartment I’ve ever stayed in the ‘Orient Pearl’ to shame. Never once did I feel cramped. In fact, this was one of the largest spaces I enjoyed during my entire six month stint outside of Hong Kong. 

The bed was sizable, comfortable, and struck a good balance between not as hard as a wooden board and not something that you sink into. I slept very damn well here. It also came fitted with a desk that was perfect for late-night work calls (since I work odd hours). The only less-than-stellar note I would make is that both rooms did feel ‘older’ in look and with some of the peeling or discoloration on the walls. 

I often find at the Solitaire Hotel that the bathrooms are almost too big. The type of bathrooms that I picture are perfect for those who like to sit down while showering (as the showers typically come equipped with benches for…sitting?). However, this is not a real con as it is not disproportionately large compared to the overall size of the room. 

The Amenities: Pool, Gym, & the Work

Image of the pool at Solitaire Sukhumvit 11 courtesy of their website.

Solitaire’s outdoor pool is a highlight of the hotel for me. It’s a nice little hidden oasis to seek refuge in an otherwise in your face, fast-paced, exhilarating city. And it is equipped with an ‘Aqua Bar’, for those in need of libations to cool them down from a strenuous 500 m butterfly. It does get considerably packed during mid-day but never to the point where it is inaccessible or a pain. I do enjoy my morning or late-night swims here though. 

This may be superfluous (or maybe not) but having switched over to intermittent fasting and a 40 km running schedule per week (don’t worry, the same amount of beers are still being consumed), it can be difficult to find a hotel and/or apartment when traveling that allows you to keep up with said routine. 

I would say that while Solitaire is not an optimal spot for hardcore gym enthusiasts (not that I am one), it does provide a bit more than most hotels when it comes to exercise equipment. It sports several treadmills and a stationary bike, two to three machines for chest exercises, a small area for stretching, and a surprisingly filled out dumbbell rack. 

Mix this in with no shortage of walking in this massive city and you will definitely be burning more calories than you are consuming (and you will be consuming a lot).

Finally, there’s a rooftop Indian restaurant called ‘Bawarchi Rooftop Indian Restaurant’. I can’t comment on this too much as I’ve never eaten here but it does have overwhelmingly positive reviews. I should note that there are a handful of amenities I’m not listing here as I haven’t used them but would recommend checking them out at the Solitaire Bangkok website.

Would I Recommend Solitaire Hotel on Sukhumvit 11?

The Solitaire Sukhumvit 11 is right around the corner from one of my favorite bars and date spots – Above 11.

You bet your bottom dollar I would. If you want to be right in the action, within an arm’s reach of a BTS station, and smothered with restaurant and rooftop bars for days, this is your spot. I should also mention that the staff were always extremely courteous and professional. 

Were there a few hiccups? Of course. But that is going to happen at almost any hotel that you stay at for a prolonged period of time. Will this be my go-to spot everytime I return to Bangkok (unless I hit the lottery and can stay at the Park Hyatt Bangkok)? One-hunna-pacent. 

If you have any questions about staying at the Solitaire Hotel in Bangkok, or any questions about restaurants to eat at or bars to drink at, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via the comments or by email (info@palealetravel.com). 

Oh, and if you stay in Bangkok long enough, just be prepared for the occasional power outage. I actually didn’t hate it as I work odd hours sometimes and meandered down to an outdoor terrace at about 3AM to listen to the thunderstorm and watch the rain pulverize the back alleys of Sukhumvit 11. 

Eat and travel well,

Big Body