This no-frills chain property is a low-cost downtown option appealing to tourists and business travelers alike. The hotel occupies the first eight stories of a large, modern tower set just back from the main road; the upper floors house the Mercure Bangkok Siam hotel (breakfast is served in the Mercure’s restaurant). The hotel’s glass frontage is fringed by trees and outdoor seating; inside, contemporary island-style front desk banks sit beneath chic red light fixtures. Decor includes gray-and-white floor tiling and off-white wall paneling with wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. Simple brown sofa seating somewhat softens the bright, functional space. The bar and restaurant (connected to the lobby) has metal-framed, wood-topped tables with bright orange seats, white tiled flooring, and floor-to-ceiling windows plus modern suspended pendant lights, and an attractive gray bar with shiny under-counter mosaic tiling.

Right beside the Skytrain’s National Stadium station (and thus also close to the MBK mall and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre), the Ibis Bangkok Siam is conveniently located on a busy stretch of road in the heart of Bangkok. Being set back behind a drop-off and pick-up point for the station means it manages to remain relatively peaceful. The shopping malls of Siam are a short walk away, and there are plenty of local food vendors on the sidewalks just outside.

• One-minute walk to National Stadium Skytrain station
• Two-minute walk to Bangkok Art & Culture Centre
• Three-minute walk to Jim Thompson House museum
• Six-minute walk to MBK shopping mall
• Six-minute walk to Siam shopping malls
• 14 minutes to the Erawan Shrine by public transportation (four-minute drive)
• 16-minute drive to the Grand Palace (36 minutes by public transportation)
• 22 minutes to Lumpini Park by public transportation (six-minute drive)
• 22 minutes to Pratunam market by public transportation (five-minute drive)
• 24-minute drive to Don Muang International Airport
• 24-minute drive to Suvarnabhumi International Airport (38 minutes by public transportation)

The 189 rooms at the Ibis Bangkok Siam come in one size only -- they're all 183 square feet (17 square meters), with either king-size or twin beds. Rooms are clean and bright and sport contemporary decor, though they’re generic and basic, without any extra bells and whistles. Beds are comfortable and rest against pale-wood headboards with small built-in bedside tables and wall-mounted lamps. Accent walls and blinds are in the signature Ibis shade of red, and there are funky wall-mounted modern canvas prints on the walls plus dark wood-panel flooring. Built-in desks with white countertops sit beside well-sized windows (with decent views of neighboring buildings and the Skytrain). Other features include simple gray daybeds, coffee- and tea-making facilities, mini-fridges, safes, and flat-screen TVs inset into pale-wood wall units. Small bathrooms have off-white floors and wall tiling, basic vanities with elegant brown mosaic tile accents, and simple walk-in showers with power showerheads. 

The Ibis Bangkok Siam has few facilities to speak of. There’s a 24-hour restaurant and bar in the lobby, and a decent breakfast is served (for a fee) at the Mercure hotel’s restaurant on the ninth floor in the same building. There’s also an on-site convenience store that’s open 24/7, and guests can pay extra to use the Mercure’s pool and gym. Laundry services are available, and there’s fast and free Wi-Fi throughout. Pets are welcome.