Bangkok's new wave of design hostels making dorms cool again
With numerous boutique hotels opening in Bangkok, we talk to the small business owners jazzing up budget stays.
10 years ago
Yim Huai Khwang
Construction cost: About B10 million. Rent is B100,000 per month.
Opened in February this year, Yim Huai Khwang is a modern and colorful hostel with a ground-floor café and gallery exhibiting works from local and international artists. (Currently it’s the turn of Malaysian artist Ali Bernie Buga-ay.) Situated a five-minute walk from MRT Huai Khwang, the four-story hostel consists of 16 rooms, divided into 10 private rooms and six dorms of four and six beds, each boasting views of a garden or trees outside. Each dorm has its own shower room and toilets, with clean towels on offer. Dorms for girls only are available, too. The décor is minimal with local touches courtesy of Thai-style cushions and bamboo mat. Rates range from B450 per bed to B1,520 for a 25-sq-meter private room for two, which includes egg in a hole for breakfast. Nearby attractions include a night market and a local fresh market. www.yimhuaikhwang.com
Chotirat Apiwattanapong & Panit Aramkul, both 30
The hostel is owned by a couple who enjoy travelling and staying at well-designed hostels across Europe. While Chotirat used to work for his family’s business, Panit was an office worker. Their families contibuted the funds, and they opened their own hostel in Huay Kwang.
What is the design concept?
We wanted to focus on three things: Thai, modern and green. Our name is Thai and the hostel has some Thai-style decorative items, but we also look modern due to our colorful décor. We wanted views of the greenery outside from every room. We also reused many leftover items from construction, making them into bamboo walls and clothes hangers.
What is the most difficult thing about running this business?
The construction details came out quite different from what we had expected. And recruiting and training staff proved quite a challenge as we wanted to make sure our staff here understand the hostel’s concept and deliver service accordingly.
How’s business?
Our occupancy is about 30 percent now. Before the political situation, we forecasted our break-even point to be in five years, but now we think it’ll take a little longer than that.
Box Packer
Construction budget: B14 million.
Among the first design hostels in Bangkok, Box Packer opened in April last year. Set in a six-story building on Petchaburi Soi 15, a 10-minute walk from BTS Ratchathewi, it’s close to major shopping district Pratunam and Panthip Plaza. The unique feature of the hostel lies in its beds, which were built like pods or boxes, with curtains so that you still have some privacy. There are four dorms, including one for girls only. The rooms are spread over three floors, each with shower rooms with mini rain-showers and storage area. The common areas are on the first floor with a pool table and on the seventh floor with a fridge and balcony. Next to the hostel is the newly opened Brown Café, run by the same owner. Rates start from B450 per bed to B900 for a double bed for two in a dorm, which includes breakfast. www.boxpackerhostel.com
Nuttakrit Chaicherdchuvong, 27
Chulalongkorn Univesity finance major Nuttakrit had experience in hotel management from working with his family, who owns the Period Hotel next door (and a garment business in Pratunam). Spotting a lack of hostels in the area, he renovated an old building owned by his family and opened Box Packer last year.
Where did you get the start-up funds?
From my family. Actually my dad and I run this business together.
What was the design concept?
I wanted to make a hostel with a unique design so I looked online and found this pod-style hostel in Singapore. I flew there to check it out and then decided to do a similar concept here.
What is the most difficult thing about running this business?
Controlling problems between our guests. Though we have a number of rules here for people to stay happily together, some guests don’t follow them. We had one guest who had durian in the dorm, for example.
How’s business?
Since there are no more political gatherings, our business is picking up again—we are almost full today. We have many regular guests who come here to shop for clothes to take back to sell at their home countries. We expect to break even in 5-6 years.
Glur Bangkok
Construction budget: B4 million. The rent is B50,000 per month.
Located a short walk from BTS Saphan Taksin, near central Sathorn pier, Glur Bangkok occupies a seven-story building, with a 24-hour café with free Wi-Fi on the ground floor, serving up drip coffee, freshly-made cocktails, beers and popular Thai dishes like tom yum kung (B140) and mango with sticky rice (B135). Decked out with wooden furniture and colorful walls, Glur offers a homey and welcoming atmosphere. The first floor is a common area where guests can help themselves to an all-day continental breakfast and chill out on the sofas. There are three dorms, including one for girls only: each contains eight beds and curtains, with toilets and dressing room on the same floor. Unlike most hostels, every bed is queen-size and the shower rooms are equipped with mini rain showers. Rates are B400/bed and B550 for a couple who want to share a bed. Breakfast and towels are included. www.facebook.com/GLURBANGKOK
Prabt Aurpatcharaphon, 28
Staying in the family businesses, Prabt studied hotel management and worked at his family’s hotel in Ayutthaya. His passion for cooking, however, led him to study at the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland. Prabt then worked as a chef in Switzerland and Taiwan, where he enjoyed traveling around and stayed at many charismatic hostels, which inspired him to open one in Bangkok.
Where did you get the money from?
My family business. We have a hotel in Ayutthaya and a jewelry business.
What is the design concept?
I started by thinking of myself as a guest and imagined what I’d like to see in a hostel. When I was young, our family moved houses quite often and I enjoyed planning our new places’ designs and décor.
What is the most difficult thing about running this business?
To control the tone of customers, meaning that we try to communicate the idea of us being more like their friends [glur means friend in Thai]. They are not our bosses and we are not like the hotel staff who tend to offer formal services. We are happy to guide them about Bangkok as their friends. We have to train our staff to have that mentality.
How’s business?
I think we are doing OK, not amazing because we’ve been hit by the political situation, but I think it should be better soon. Our occupancy is 60 percent now. I expect we will reach our break-even point in one year and 10 months.
Thrive The Hostel
Construction budget: B20 million. The rent is B250,000 per month.
Opened late last year, Thrive The Hostel sits in a four-story building on Rama 4 Road, near the bustling Silom and Surawong roads, a short walk from BTS Saladaeng and MRT Silom. Boasting a cool, industrial look thanks to gray-tone furnishings and brick walls, the hostel consists of 27 rooms, both private and dorms with four beds each, including six dorms for girls only. The room design is pretty minimalist, though every bed has a reading light and a towel. Room rates range from B350 per bed to B1,100 for a private room for two. There are shared bathrooms and a common area with TV and bean bags on the second floor. On the ground floor is Stoke Up Bar, which has an outdoor seating area to enjoy soft drinks and local beers at B90 a bottle. www.facebook.com/ThriveTheHostel
Bovorn Suvarnrungrueng, 26
The hostel is owned by nine partners (26-27 years old) who were classmates at Bangkok’s Assumption school. With a passion for exploring the world together, they opened a hostel for like-minded people.
Where did you get the start-up funds?
We borrowed it from our families.
What is the most difficult part about the business?
Getting all nine partners agreeing on something. We planned our break-even point to be three years at first but then we were hit by this political crisis so it’ll take longer. Our business is now picking up again though, since there are no political gatherings. We are almost full today. We all work on other businesses and this is like a community we want to create, but we do hope to make a profit.
Beat Hotel
Construction budget: Around B150 million.
Situated in the brand new 12-rai art-focused development W District, a short walk from BTS Phra Khanong, the newly opened Beat Hotel (www.beathotelbangkok.com) sees its 54 private rooms designed and decorated by young Thai artists like Lolay, P7, Oh + Futon, Jeep, Mamafaka and Suntur. The ground floor is home to Melting Pot, a café and library stocked with art books and with art pieces on display. W District is also home to two luxurious condo developments (Sky Walk and Le Luxe), E88 Community Mall and Hof Art Gallery, which exhibits more than 200 artworks. There’s also a DIY art market and a walking street, where you can shop for anything from sculptures to paintings. Rates range from B2,300 for a 24-sq-meter room to B2,700 for a double room with complimentary mini-bar.
Wichai Poolworaluk, 52
Where did you get the start-up funds?
I have other property developments, like Hi Residence in Asoke. In fact, I was the one who brought in the movie complex concept and Dolby surround sound to Thailand with the opening of the EGV cinemas years ago. Then we merged with Major Cineplex.
What is the design concept?
It’d be too boring to have only condos on this 12-rai plot of land so I planned to build a small community where people can do a variety of things. And I like art. When I travel I always visit museums and art galleries, so I wanted to create a space for artists to exhibit their work, too. Every art piece here is for sale. People who are interested in art can also come in and exchange their art pieces with the ones we have here.
How’s business?
In fact, my goal for this project is not to run a profit but to make it a symbolic attraction for people to come and have a good time. I think we should break even in 7-8 years. If we make it good, I believe people will come.
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