Baannai — Hotel in Phaya Thai Subdistrict

i am always intrigued by places with a rich family story. So when i read about Baannai being a family house turned hotel, i had to come and see it. ||||i cheated on Thonglor for 1 night and moved way way wayyyyy out of my comfort zone over to the area just by the Samsen Railway Station.||||Baannai and its compound was smaller than what i imagined it to be from the photos that i have seen. But the feeling it gave me, was very close to how it was like when i was at my grandma's house when i was young. My grandma didn't stay in a properly built house like this, but the outdoor area with trees, plants, the sound of birds and the sound of water from a fountain was very familiar.||||i met the owner Tao, who is the granddaughter of 1 of Baannai ladies. She was very kind to share a lot of her family stories while i was waiting to check in. i would have been very proud of her if she was my granddaughter. They have rebuilt the house to make it safe for staying, based on the original layout of her grandmother's house.||||A lot of antiques and old things filled the halls of Baannai. But they are all nicely curated for memory sake, not just for vintage decor purpose. You would imagine some of them to be really kept till today from the days of the Baannai ladies, and used by them.||||The ground floor is the check in area and also the restaurant. The furniture were well-chosen for a very homely feel. They serve up quite an unusual fare of family recipes. i had heard about their restaurant too, and so i had come to have lunch. Presentation of the food was impressive. They had put in a lot of effort looking into the details - from the utensils they use to the way they have cut their food and garnishings.||||i ordered the crispy deep fried rice noodles which was coated with a sweet and sour sauce, and grilled catfish served with watermelon fried rice. This is when i wish i can grow 5 more stomachs to try more things.||||The taste wasn't something so out of this world, but you know when you eat it that this came from a family kitchen. i felt very comforted.||||i booked this place so late that my only choice was 1 of the superior double room. But it was perfect. i can't tell if the wardrobe was a remake or a refurbished, but the floral fabric that lined the inside brought back so much memories for me. It was officially my favourite piece of furniture for me. The full height windows came in double layers - the glass layer to enclose the aircon in, the louvred layer outside which can be opened up to allow the light in. i did that and the room became so romantic. There's even a balcony i can go out to.||||When i went out at night, i met Tao and someone who is probably her father having dinner together. He asked me what time i will be back so that the security will look out for me. i was touched. They really run this place taking care of their guests like family. With that in mind, i made an effort to come back early so that i don't give the security too much trouble just like how i never wanted my parents to worry for me when i come back late. After i went in, he turned off all the lights. i was again very touched by this gesture. It's like how your parents will wait up for you or leave the lights on for you.||||It became more than just another hotel hop for me. It was also the reminiscence of some memories in my life that i haven't thought about for a while. Thank you for reminding me of the things that i...

i am always intrigued by places with a rich family story. So when i read about Baannai being a family house turned hotel, i had to come and see it. ||||i cheated on Thonglor for 1 night and moved way way wayyyyy out of my comfort zone over to the area just by the Samsen Railway Station.||||Baannai and its compound was smaller than what i imagined it to be from the photos that i have seen. But the feeling it gave me, was very close to how it was like when i was at my grandma's house when i was young. My grandma didn't stay in a properly built house like this, but the outdoor area with trees, plants, the sound of birds and the sound of water from a fountain was very familiar.||||i met the owner Tao, who is the granddaughter of 1 of Baannai ladies. She was very kind to share a lot of her family stories while i was waiting to check in. i would have been very proud of her if she was my granddaughter. They have rebuilt the house to make it safe for staying, based on the original layout of her grandmother's house.||||A lot of antiques and old things filled the halls of Baannai. But they are all nicely curated for memory sake, not just for vintage decor purpose. You would imagine some of them to be really kept till today from the days of the Baannai ladies, and used by them.||||The ground floor is the check in area and also the restaurant. The furniture were well-chosen for a very homely feel. They serve up quite an unusual fare of family recipes. i had heard about their restaurant too, and so i had come to have lunch. Presentation of the food was impressive. They had put in a lot of effort looking into the details - from the utensils they use to the way they have cut their food and garnishings.||||i ordered the crispy deep fried rice noodles which was coated with a sweet and sour sauce, and grilled catfish served with watermelon fried rice. This is when i wish i can grow 5 more stomachs to try more things.||||The taste wasn't something so out of this world, but you know when you eat it that this came from a family kitchen. i felt very comforted.||||i booked this place so late that my only choice was 1 of the superior double room. But it was perfect. i can't tell if the wardrobe was a remake or a refurbished, but the floral fabric that lined the inside brought back so much memories for me. It was officially my favourite piece of furniture for me. The full height windows came in double layers - the glass layer to enclose the aircon in, the louvred layer outside which can be opened up to allow the light in. i did that and the room became so romantic. There's even a balcony i can go out to.||||When i went out at night, i met Tao and someone who is probably her father having dinner together. He asked me what time i will be back so that the security will look out for me. i was touched. They really run this place taking care of their guests like family. With that in mind, i made an effort to come back early so that i don't give the security too much trouble just like how i never wanted my parents to worry for me when i come back late. After i went in, he turned off all the lights. i was again very touched by this gesture. It's like how your parents will wait up for you or leave the lights on for you.||||It became more than just another hotel hop for me. It was also the reminiscence of some memories in my life that i haven't thought about for a while. Thank you for reminding me of the things that i...

I stayed here in December and had a great time. I missed my window of opportunity to review on the airbnb page as it was quite a busy season for me, so I wanted to leave a review here because I really had a lovely stay.

From the get-go booking on Airbnb, our hosts Jam and Tao were friendly, helpful and receptive. They provided some useful tips for visiting the area.

The room itself was lovely, comfortable, well-decorated and the compound was a delight as well with chirping birds and lilting jazz from downstairs. I really enjoyed my stay there and would absolutely love to stay again. The other reviews comment on the welcoming homey-cozy feel and this was definitely true of our experience.

The neighbourhood is a sleepy one, with coffee shops a small drive or big walk away, which fit the experience I was looking for.

A small note that the building is opposite a train line with occasional tannoy announcements when a train passes through. It was ok for me at night with earplugs, and my heavy-sleeper partner slept through it all so that was not a concern for us although I can imagine it would be for light sleepers.

We had lunch on one of the days we were there, too. It was really tasty and the environment was relaxing. We had the flower blossom salad, and it was easy to get vegetarian options.

All in all, a top...