Thailand's Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel

For a 13-night program to Bhutan that I was leading, our group departed for Paro, Bhutan, on Sept. 29, 2006, from Bangkok, THAILAND’s, new Suvarnabhumi Airport, which had officially opened at 3 a.m. on Sept. 28. Due to an early departure on Druk Air, our group stayed at the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (Suvarnabhumi Airport, Racha-Taeva, Bangpli, Samutprakarn 10540, Thailand; phone +66 2 131 1111, fax 1188 or visit www. bangkokairportonline.com), adjacent to the new airport.

From the hotel, there is complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport, plus an underground pedestrian tunnel connects the airport to the hotel.

In addition to four restaurants and a pool, this hotel has 612 deluxe and executive-floor rooms. The deluxe rooms were spacious, well appointed and quiet. We received a group rate through our agent, but during high season rates start at $180 single/twin.

The 24-hour Square Restaurant offers a dinner buffet with steaks to order, lobster, smoked salmon, fresh fish, a full choice of hot and cold Asian dishes and homemade desserts, including ice cream, for 650 baht per person plus taxes and service — about $21.

A taxi from Novotel Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok cost about 350 baht ($9), including express tolls, and took about 40 minutes in nonpeak hours.

To avoid long lines at checkout, check out of the hotel the night before your departure.

I found the airport fairly easy to navigate. All travelers must know their gate for check-in. For example, Druk Air, which services Bhutan, uses Gate 10, and United and ANA use Gate 4.

Despite some delays and lost luggage in its first few days of operation, the new airport was functioning quite efficiently by the second week.

KATHLEEN FUNG

San Francisco, CA