The Phoenix Hotel is made up of two connected wings of a contemporary but nondescript four-story building. Inside the lobby, the curved wraparound front desk has an attractive gold-tinted mosaic frontage. It's a basic space, with low ceilings and off-white floor tiling alongside a mismatch of seating, with massage rooms running off the side. Dated hallways in the older wing have plain blue walls and hideous curtains with ugly brown fabric toppers on some landings, but the new wing is better, with contemporary brown-patterned floor tiling and white walls with cute lamppost murals providing directions. Most guests are transit passengers needing a place to stay near the airport.

Though it’s not within walking distance of the airport, the Phoenix Hotel is just a short drive away (transfers are free), meaning it’s still convenient as an overnight base between flights. The local residential neighborhood can feel isolated initially, but there are convenience stores within a short walk of the hotel. It’s a short drive or an 18-minute walk to the nearest Airport Rail Link station (there’s a free shuttle). From here, getting downtown is simple and inexpensive -- but travelers planning to spend much more than a night in Bangkok will have little reason to stay this far out of the city.

• Seven-minute drive to the Paseo shopping mall
• Eight-minute drive to Suvarnabhumi International Airport
• 11-minute drive to Lat Krabang Airport Rail Link station
• 17-minute drive to Mega Bangna shopping mall
• 24-minute drive to the BITEC convention center
• 29-minute drive to the Thonglor neighborhood (42 minutes by public transportation)
• 30-minute drive to Siam shopping malls (32 minutes by public transportation)
• 32-minute drive to Chinatown
• 36-minute drive to Khaosan Road and the Grand Palace
• 37-minute drive to Ancient Siam historical park, in neighboring Samut Prakan province
• 38-minute drive to Don Muang International Airport

All 65 air-conditioned rooms here are decent enough for a stopover. Standard amenities include cable TVs (tube models in most Standard and Deluxe Rooms), phones, coffee- and tea-making facilities, mini-fridges, hairdryers, and basic miniature toiletries. Only Family Suites have safes.

The 215-square-foot (20-square-meter) Standard Double and Twin Rooms feel dated and basic, with white walls and patterned off-white floor tiling. Beds have old-fashioned bedskirts, and dark wood is used throughout on freestanding bedside tables, large closets, small desks, and TV cabinets. Wet-room-style bathrooms are equally basic with white wall tiling with navy-blue mosaic trim, and free-standing sinks.

The 258-square-foot (24-square-meter) Deluxe Double and Twin Rooms are more stylish, though still generic, but subtle skyline murals are etched above the beds, and floors sport handsome dark-wood-panel flooring. Small but chic bathrooms have white louvered French doors, elegant gray-brown wall tiling, and stylish navy-blue mosaic accent tiling in stalls with power showerheads. Just outside, sinks are set into mosaic-tiled vanities. Standard and Deluxe Rooms have small but pleasant unfurnished balconies, but the views are nothing special and the ugly, thin curtains don’t block out much light.

The 484-square-foot (45-square-meter) Family Suites features handsome ceiling-high dark-wood paneling behind king-size beds with built-in bedside tables, plus two single beds against white walls. There are large built-in closets and small desks on wood-panel flooring, and lovely paneled privacy partitions, neutral-toned sofas, and large balconies. Huge bathrooms have elevated soaking tubs and separate walk-in showers with glass doors and both rainfall and power showerheads.

The Phoenix offers a fair selection of facilities for a mid-range transit hotel, but one of its most unique features is the plane-spotting roof terrace that’s often booked by visiting groups of enthusiasts. The cute on-site cafe has outdoor service and offers a menu of a la carte local and international fare from breakfast until late in the evening. Room service is also available. A separate “bakeroom” cafe, a few seconds’ walk from the hotel’s main building, serves cakes, snacks and drinks until evening; it’s a surprisingly trendy, Scandi-inspired space that feels like it belongs in Bangkok’s much more style-conscious Thonglor neighborhood. Massages are available at the hotel, and drinks and souvenirs are for sale at the 24-hour front desk. Guests get free two-way airport transfers using the 24-hour shuttle (though pickup on arrival can sometimes be slow). There’s also a free shuttle to Lat Krabang Airport Rail Link station, plus limited free outdoor parking. Other features include internet terminals for guests to use as well as free and reliable hotel-wide Wi-Fi.