{"id":17713,"date":"2013-05-28T05:33:49","date_gmt":"2013-05-28T05:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17713"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:43:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:43:50","slug":"luxe-for-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/luxe-for-less\/","title":{"rendered":"Luxe for less"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tired and travel-frazzled, I arrive in Bangkok<\/a> at 11:30 p.m., 24 hours, two planes, and a 5-hour stopover later. Still, the transcontinental journey is worth it for what I\u2019m about to experience: A luxurious 2-week Thai getaway for less than the price of a week at a 4-star hotel in Hawaii.<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s my first foray into Bangkok<\/a> and it’s late at night,\u00a0I\u2019m overjoyed to find a modern train attached to the airport that whisks me and my husband downtown in less than 30 minutes. While cabs cost upward of $15, the train is a measly $1.50. At the station, I hail a candy-pink cab instead of walking to my hotel, which appears to be down a dark alley. (The next morning I discover it’s a normal street.)<\/p>\n

The Lit Bangkok<\/a>, my hotel for the stay, is cool, calculated, and calm, defined by clean lines and ELLE Decor<\/em>-worthy aesthetics. And to think I almost didn\u2019t book it because there were no reviews. I might have missed out on what’s become one of my top 10 hotel stays of all time!<\/p>\n

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The Lit Bangkok<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Now 1 a.m., a gracious gent wearing a sculpted silk getup welcomes us outside the hotel, ushers us to check-in, and escorts us to our techie-sleek room where he explains we can raid the minibar and book 10-minute foot massages for free. Before departing he also reminds us about breakfast, also included in the $100 rate. While many of the city\u2019s haute<\/em> hotels go for $250 – $400 per night, I’m staying in the same lap of luxury for a fraction of the price.<\/p>\n

The next morning, we force ourselves onto the local clock – 10am is a respectable vacation wake-up, no? – and walk to breakfast in style, strutting to the beat of ambient music permeating the hotel hallways. The first and free meal du jour<\/em> is housed in a bright, white-walled room, overlooking a petite, infinity pool and treed garden. A healthy spread of muesli, croissants, veggies, and yogurt shooters covers every inch of the bar, yet I beeline for the fresh-pressed OJ and strong coffee being poured at my table.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip:\u00a0When traveling abroad, always print out a map of your hotel, or directions in your destination\u2019s local language.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Blissing out in my modern, air-conditioned abode, I know the Big Mango – in all its sweet and sticky glory – beckons to be bitten. In sweat-friendly threads, we head into the heart of the concrete jungle by Skytrain, to barter our way through the football stadium-sized Chatuchak Weekend Market<\/a>, the largest urban market in the world. Think of this place like a dollar store on steroids, where you can pick up everything from handicrafts to jewels to live animals to chocolate-dipped bananas. Browsing miles of seemingly never-ending stalls, I somehow pinpoint two things I can throw in my carry-on: a leather rope-belt and a cobalt-blue skirt. Thirteen dollars later, I\u2019m satisfied.<\/p>\n

The buzzing and broiling market saps our energy, so we head back to The Lit for a catnap that turns into a half-night\u2019s rest. Travel fail! At 10 p.m. we arise in a still-tired tizzy, and rush out with enough eye drops to brighten our peppers for life.<\/p>\n

Coming to the realization our last meal was breakfast, we follow a bevy of Bangkok\u2019s 12 million locals and order dinner on the street. Sure, the digs are not debonaire, but so long as you find the right vendors, the food quality rivals some of the city\u2019s top dishes. For binner<\/em> (a combo of breakfast and dinner), we select a busy street cart mixing made-to-order crepes with accoutrements like fried eggs. The cook\/cashier folds our meal\u00a0into a bouquet, wraps it in red and white checkered paper, and hands it over with a proud smile. Not satisfied to nosh just anywhere, we board\u00a0a river ferry – hire a longtail boat if you want an iconic experience – and DIY “dinner cruise” while wat-spotting along the\u00a0Choa Phraya River.<\/p>\n

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Lofty libations in Bangkok<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Proud of our mere $20 spend, we\u00a0follow the lead of\u00a0The Hangover II<\/em>\u00a0misfits and soar to the breezy 64th floor of the Lebua State Tower<\/a>. Not surprisingly, our budget soars too, as we dole out more than my new blue skirt on one drink from the sky-high bar. Fair enough, lofty lounges typically command top dollar, and we couldn’t come to Bangkok without visiting this posh perch.<\/p>\n

Back on solid ground, we return home to conquer the alley that first threatened our luxe-for-less stay. Passing by (legit) $10 massage parlors and $0.50 pineapple vendors, it occurs to me that sometimes posh pops up where we least expect it.<\/p>\n

What are your top luxe-for-less destinations?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finding Bangkok's uptown vibe for downtown prices<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1878,1877,1814,1782,1816,1788,1797,1774,1872,1843,1873,1818,1801,1825,1776],"tags":[117,33,744,607,328,61],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-17713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangkok","category-budget","category-city","category-destinations","category-food-and-drink","category-interests","category-luxury","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-shopping","category-solo","category-spring","category-summer","category-thailand","category-tropical","category-type-of-vacation","tag-all-the-girls","tag-couples","tag-independence-day","tag-labor-day","tag-memorial-day","tag-spring-break","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLuxe for less | 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