The Buddy Lodge Hotel sits right in the middle of Bangkok's busy backpacker-friendly Khao San Road, making it a lively spot throughout the day and well into the night. Rooms are a tad pricier than some of the area's ultra-cheap budget haunts, so while backpackers do stay here, the hotel tends to attract a wider range of travelers. Guests enter through a shopping-center-style complex housing a McDonald's and a coffee shop, along with a few silver and tailor shops. The reception desk, which is staffed 24 hours, sits in an enclosed room on one side of the building's main corridor; there's a separate, glassed-in area for guests to lounge on the opposite side, but it's rarely occupied. A set of stairs leads to the main elevator and a second elevator is located at the end of the building, next to a pay toilet and a small concert venue that attracts a local crowd, but this elevator shuts down at the end of the night.

The Buddy Lodge Hotel is located at the east end of Bangkok's major backpacker strip -- Khao San Road -- surrounded by restaurants, bars, clothing stalls, and shops. The area gets incredibly crowded in the evening, when street food vendors and evening revelers descend on the street to party it up. The Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew), within the grounds of the Grand Palace, is a 15-minute walk from the hotel. It's about a 30-minute drive to the heart of Sukhumvit Road and to Don Mueang Airport, where many of Thailand's domestic flights depart. It can take more than an hour to reach the larger Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK), depending on traffic. 

Of the 76 rooms at the Buddy Lodge, 62 are Superior and 14 are Deluxe. Decorated in a colonial and Thai style, all rooms have dark-wood floors and furnishings, plus green glass lamps and jewel-toned accent pillows on the beds. Free Wi-Fi, safes, 32-inch flat-screen TVs, minibars, kettles, and balconies are also standard. Deluxe Rooms have additional coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a selection of hot drinks. Marble bathrooms have showers, hairdryers, and toiletries. Bedside tables have built-in alarm clocks that control the lighting around the room, TV, and the air-conditioning. Be aware that rooms, especially on lower floors, can get noisy (higher-floor rooms can get noisy too if there's a concert going on).

The highlight for many guests at the Buddy Lodge Hotel is the rooftop pool, which while on the small side, is a pleasant place to cool off or meet other travelers staying at the hotel. The fitness center, which is open to outside members, has treadmills, a steam room, sauna, and a Thai boxing ring, but the weight-training equipment is dated and worn. Although the hotel doesn't have a full restaurant, Buddy Beer (located in a separate building down the road) serves breakfast and provides a relatively calm environment to nurse a cool one away from the bustle of the street. There are also several restaurants and shops in the complex. The 24-hour front desk can help guests book local or long-distance travel, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.