July 10th, 2005 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

The Atlanta Hotel

I'd been trying for months to get a room at the Atlanta before I finally managed to snag one. I was tired of the usual Khao San fare, and most of the $20 rooms around Nana Plaza (Suhkimvit) are about as appealing as the sleazy bars that huddle around them.

Billed as 'Bangkok's bastion of wholesome and culturally sensitive tourism', the Atlanta, while unique and worth a stay, is just a tiny bit full of itself. This would be fine if it really were such an anomaly - a place apart, stuck in a cozier and more civilized era - but in the end it feels like a gimmick.

Granted, I might be feeling more generous if the room, which I had booked 2 weeks in advance, was what I had expected. Not only was it unavailable, but the one I ended up with had perpetually moist linoleum floors, ratty sheets and an awkward bathroom. The hotel actually does call these the "You get what you pay for" rooms; For $16, I didn't feel like I got much.

Hipsters into modern eclectica and all things cool are sure to overlook such small details in favor of the overall ambience, but for those who feel more than a little put off by the constant 'you are a guest here and you'd better do as we say' tone of the advertising (also cleverly printed on their restaurant coasters, these guys are much more marketing-saavy then they'd have believe you believe) you'll just have to grin and bear it.