Lub d Siam Square: Hostel review

You know what’s nice? Sandwiches. Sandwiches are nice. Well, apart from the ones that are sold at or near train stations in the UK, which are enough to make the Earl who invented this remarkable treat terribly sad. Were he still around to be terribly sad that is, which he isn’t.

The thing about sandwiches is that wherever you are in the world, they follow a nice pattern. Two bits of bread, with a filling. Ok, so sometimes you can go posh and have one with a third bit of bread, but really that just causes a mess. No-one has a mouth big enough to deal with those things.

I mention sandwiches because our trip to Thailand had something rather in common with a sandwich, in that we arrived in and departed from the city of Bangkok, and during our time there we were invited to stay at the Lub d hostels, of which there are two. So if our trip around Thailand was the tasty sandwich filling, the Lub d hostels were the bread, holding the whole thing together. The start and finish of any trip is important, much like the bread in a sandwich, and so it was important to stay somewhere nice.

I could have done this whole post using book ends instead of sandwiches of course, but they are far less tasty and prone to splinter in the mouth.

Allow me now to talk to you about the Lub d Siam Square, which is the subject of today’s post, and is the sister hostel to the Lub d Silom, which was the launching pad of our Thailand adventure, and was reviewed in detail in this post.

The focus at Lub d, as a chat with the management team revealed, is cleanliness, and that shows. The place is spotless, and teams of cleaners seem to be working constantly to keep it that way.

Don’t think though that you’re checking into the accommodation equivalent of a satellite construction facility. Sure, clean is one thing, but a place has got to have character, right? Soul is as important as spotless rooms, in my mind anyway.

Well, the good news is that soul is very much present. From the funky colours of the railings (think Paul Smith stripes, and yes, I did just make a reference to fashion) to the giant sofa in the lounge / bar / reception / restaurant area, Lub d Siam just feels like a cool place to be from the moment you step off the street and onto the giant terrace area.

Naturally all the options you’d hope to find in a hostel are in place, and then some. Clean towels and room turndown every day? Check. Free wi-fi? Of course. Separate women’s only sleeping area? You got it. Luggage room where you can store your bags for up to two months? No problem. Cinema room? Yes indeed. Clearly, someone has put a lot of thought into thinking what needs a traveller could have, and then added some on top of that, and turned it all into this hostel.

There’s a bar, of course, where they also serve up snacks. Breakfast is particularly good – if you’re not feeling like Thai food, then you can grab a croissant as part of the excellent continental breakfast. Which, after three months of Thai food, was rather novel. I may have eaten a few too many in fact. But if Thai food is what you’re after, then don’t miss the free taster sessions on Thursday night, where you’ll get an introduction to Thai street food, sticks and all.

Location wise, Lub d Siam couldn’t be any more different from Lub d Silom. Where the latter is in a relatively peaceful part of town, Siam is in the heart of the shopping district, with glitzy malls rising all around. Street food is a hop and skip away, particularly in the evenings, and there are roof top bars and clubs to provide entertainment should you be so inclined. The escalator to the Sky Train – a fast way to get around Bangkok – is located at the hostels entrance, so much of Bangkok including the main airport, is very easy to get to. Despite all this, the hostel offers a calm, relaxing environment, and street noise isn’t a problem.

Rooms come in five types. Naturally there are dorms, for the more budget minded traveller, although they sleep a maximum of four, so they are still fairly private. There are also ladies-only dorms, as well as private rooms of the twin, double, and deluxe double variety. The latter feature an ensuite bathroom and TV. A far cry from the hostel rooms of old.

So would we recommend this hostel? Absolutely, without a doubt. The location is superb for both retail therapy and exploring Bangkok. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and there is usually some kind of tour or activity arranged of an evening if you’re up for that sort of thing. The vibe is chilled, relaxed and friendly, and the design is superb. So yes, totally one to recommend. The hardest thing to do will be deciding which Lub d to pick for your stay…

Note: our stay at Lub d Siam Square was provided to us free in return for posting our thoughts on the property. Our thoughts remain entirely our own

This article originally appeared on travel and photography blog http://www.findingtheuniverse.com/, and was written by Laurence Norah. Please contact Laurence for re-use of text or images.