Happy 3
by the TopOfHotel team
Happy 3 is the hidden hotel that delivers loft rooms and a real pool for around $50 — punching far above its price, scoring 9.0.
Happy 3 is the hidden hotel that delivers loft rooms and a real pool for around $50 — punching far above its price, scoring 9.0.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Happy 3 hides in a small lane near MBK, among the cheap eateries and cafes that feed Chulalongkorn students, in a red-brick building that looks like an old New York warehouse. It scores around 9.0/10 from real guests. The Loft Deluxe room runs about 28 square metres in grey-and-black concrete tones, with a polished-concrete floor, a 3-metre ceiling with exposed ductwork left visible for the industrial look, black steel wardrobes and Edison bulbs hanging overhead. The Queen bed is soft without being mushy, dressed in dark grey linen, and the bathroom is lined in white subway tile with a strong rain shower. You can shoot a dozen good photos in a single room.
Food and amenities
What makes the sub-$60 rate worth it is the rooftop pool — roughly 8 metres of clear water edged in timber slats, ringed by black sun loungers that match the building. Swim early, before anyone else is up, then head down to the ground-floor cafe for a simple breakfast: toast, a fried egg and a fresh latte run about $5 as a set. By afternoon you will see Chula students settling in for group work, and the mood stays easy and unpretentious. Free Wi-Fi, air-con and 24-hour service round it out.
Location and getting there
Out of the lane it is about 400 metres to BTS National Stadium, so you are on the Skytrain in minutes. MBK Center sits roughly 350 metres away, and walking on past the Chulalongkorn campus through Siam Discovery brings you to Siam Paragon. Guests love that the lane is full of cheap student eats — order-to-cook plates at $2 to $2.50 — so you never have to spend mall prices to eat well. The 9.0-9.1 guest scores prove the people who find it leave impressed.
Things to know before booking
This is a small hotel with only a handful of rooms, so it books out well ahead and there is little give if your dates move. It is not on the Skytrain itself — that 400-metre walk to BTS National Stadium is easy but noticeable in midday heat or rain. And because it is both popular and tightly held, rooms fill fast, especially on weekends, so a last-minute reservation rarely lands. Book ahead and you avoid all three.
Our take
Happy 3 is the budget standout most travelers walk past in the Siam area. We would point design-minded budget travelers straight at it, along with couples in their late twenties and thirties chasing photogenic rooms and solo travelers who want a rooftop pool without the squeeze on their wallet. At around $50 a night for a loft this good, with a 9.0 guest score behind it, it is the best-value pick on the list.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- An apartment-style hotel done in stripped-back industrial loft style, with 28-square-metre rooms on polished concrete, 3-metre ceilings, exposed ductwork and black steel wardrobes hung with Edison bulbs.
- A genuine rooftop pool of roughly 8 metres with clear water, timber decking and black sun loungers — almost unheard of in this price bracket, and quiet enough to have to yourself first thing in the morning.
- A short flat walk to the action: about 350 metres to MBK Center past the Chulalongkorn campus, and on through Siam Discovery to Siam Paragon, with BTS National Stadium 400 metres the other way.
- Rooms start near $50 a night, which is the headline draw, while the look and finish would not be out of place at nearly three times the rate.
- Real guest scores land around 9.0 to 9.1, with the value sub-score hitting 9.4 — numbers that stand out sharply against what you pay.
- It is a small property with only a handful of rooms, so it books out well ahead and there is little flexibility if your dates shift.
- It is not directly on the Skytrain — you walk about 400 metres to BTS National Stadium, which is easy but matters in midday heat or heavy rain.
- Because it is popular and tightly held, rooms fill fast, especially on weekends, so a last-minute booking rarely works here.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Insider Tips
- Book well ahead — this is a hidden hotel with very few rooms, and it sells out faster than the bigger names nearby.
- Swim early: get to the rooftop pool first thing in the morning before anyone else is up, then take the simple breakfast set downstairs for about $5.
- Eat in the lane, not the mall — the Chula street-food stalls outside run plates for $2 to $2.50, far cheaper than the food courts a few minutes away.