Nana Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand
The Nana Hotel is the kind of place you expect to see in a Chuck Norris movie. It's kind of crazy and at the same time pleasant and seems to have a different effect on everyone who stays there. Some will call it sleazy while other will call it nostalgic.
To me it's a mixed bag that I still haven't quite resolved and every time I have lunch there I change my mind a bit. I suppose it depends on my mood.
The lobby is comfortable and always seems to have small groups of men engaged in either animated or clandestine conversations. I have been engaged in and overheard conversations that lean towards wannabe soldiers-of-fortune, extreme adventures, work contracts in the middle east, offshore drilling and .. girls!
One reason for the "girls talk" is the location. The Nana Hotel stands just opposite Nana Plaza; one of corner of Bangkok's infamous "flesh triangle". If you walk out the restaurant's back exit you may well find yourself standing in the open air Golden Bar.
The Golden Bar overlooks Nana Nua and serves as the day and night judging area for the daily and nightly beauty parade of working girls walking to and from their Nana Plaza beer bars.
Even more entertaining is watching the antics of the pseudo judges. They seem alternately, captivated or disinterested depending on the beauty of the contestants. Occasionally a "stunner" glides past, siphoning all the attention.
Before you think that the Nana Hotel is all girl watching and tough guys .. the coffee shop is good. Some of the western food is excellent. Try the burger and fries. The service is good as well.
The rooms are a bit worn, but reasonably priced, and better prices can be negotiated during the low season. The Nana has a nice pool and terrace and a very popular disco.
But don't be surprised if you find that a number of customers look surprisingly like some of the girls you saw strutting their stuff in front of the Golden Bar.
If you like street shopping, the Nana is very convenient .. just a bit off Sukhumvit Road. You can find bargains on clothing, knock-off luggage, replica watches, and souvenirs on both sides of Sukhumvit for as far as you probably want to walk.
The Nana is convent for Skytrain travel around Bangkok since the Nana Station is a stroll.
If you need a break from the frenetic life on Nana Nua, walk down Sukhumvit to the Landmark Hotel and try the Huntsman Pub in the basement.
Or for a kinder and gentler version of Nana Plaza, find Washington Square just off Soi 22.
So how to sum up the Nana Hotel in just a few words? It's an experience.
