I was very happy with our stay in this hotel. We got there at 7am after a long flight from Europe expecting to be told we'd have to wait for our room. Instead, we were greeted with big smiles, given a free drink (juice) and asked to sit in the lounge while they processed our check in. We were in the room unpacking less than 20 mins later. The room was a good size, very clean, and well laid out. The hotel is not new so it does seem slightly worn in places but nothing that would turn you off. The location is great - a 5 min walk from the Nana Skytrain station. The breakfast is a bit expensive for a standard hotel buffet but the dinner is good value and good quality.

We stayed here for 2 nights in Jan 08.
The hotel is very clean, rooms are nicely decorated. The restaurant serves very good food and the staff are so friendly and helpful. It is situated very close to the a sky train station and we felt very safe to walk around at night,
Only down side to the rooms is that the windows do not open so if you have a smoking room the smoke stays inside ! All in all a perfect stay in Bangkok.

Myself and three mates stayed here for three nights in May 2008. We were very happy with the hotel and its restaurant and pool area. The rooms were very clean and modern and the lounge bar was great. It is in a great area on Soi 5 in Sukhumvit, close to everything that you need when you stay in sukhumvit. I highly reccomend getting the breakfast, it was great. The pool area is good, with a bar and snacks available.

I will certainly stay there agian in September when I am back in town. It is just down the road from Gullivers Bar and there are ample Tuk Tuks and taxis everywhere.

We've been staying at the Bel-Aire since 1999, a total of 6 times and on this trip we stayed twice, a couple of days at the beginning of our trip and then another 4 days at the end.

The first room we had, an executive room on the 18th floor was very nice and clean, with good facilities and we were quite happy. The second was very much a basic 3*, the bathroom was not what I expected, chipped and cracked tiles around the bath and hand basin and overall looked very 'tired'. Disappointing (unexpectedly so).

The area around the pool/gym was being worked on, and the noise reverberated around the hotel, even on the 10th floor, and the pool was really out of bounds unless you fancied lots of banging. The service here for a drink was so slow that we thought they'd forgotten our order. (No-one mentioned any of this to us or apologised even though the gym was closed)

There were also a number of young british children (unaccompanied when we saw them) having a great time playing in the lifts. One of the lifts was frequently out of order and on a couple of occasions we had to wait a long time for it.

The staff, although still very friendly, will charge for anything they can. When we asked about upgrading the room on during our second stay, they tried to sell us a package costing another £50 per night! Also, whereas you could stay in your room late if it were free, now they'll charge you 1500bt up till 9pm and day rate for any time after. I know it's a commercial world - but I'm aware of how it used to be like!

The area around the Hotel has changed a bit too. The most disappointing is the parallel Soi where all the Muslim and Arab restaurants are situated. These used to be really friendly, and we've had many a fabulous meal there. Now it's just not friendly, they don't have the same 'vibe' and you do not feel welcomed at all. I know this is because of what's happening in the world - but we were really shocked at the under-current we found. If you do go, then shorts and sleeveless tops are not to be recommended.

I still love Bangkok, but I won't return to the Bel-Aire again.