Accommodation in Thailand

[Accommodation Review] – VIE Hotel Bangkok (Grand Duplex Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (9 – 14 Mar 23)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment
VIE Hotel Bangkok facade
VIE Hotel Bangkok

Location

VIE Hotel Bangkok is in a very convenient location and just one BTS stop away from the heart of Bangkok in the Siam area. Most shopping malls near the Siam area are about 7 mins on foot, and the shopping malls at Pratunam are about 10 mins from the hotel. The nearest BTS station is right at the doorstep of VIE Hotel Bangkok, a mere 2 mins walk from the hotel lobby, providing guests with an excellent connection to the rest of Bangkok via BTS. Furthermore, there is no lack of 24-hour convenient shops near the hotel, with the nearest located just across the road from the hotel.

Reception at VIE Hotel Bangkok
VIE Hotel Bangkok lobby
The lobby in VIE Hotel Bangkok

The Grand Duplex Suite

We checked into the spacious Grand Duplex Suite with a total floor area of 145m2 shared among two storeys of living space. The upper floor of the two-bedroom Grand Duplex Suite mainly houses a bedroom of the same layout and size as that on the lower floor.

View of the living room in the Grand Duplex Suite from the second level

Entryway

The Thai wooden theme of the Grand Duplex Suite at VIE Hotel Bangkok is immediately felt in the suite’s entryway. The small area immediately at the main entrance to the suite is tastefully furnished with a high wooden table, allowing us to place small items such as our keycard. In addition, a single potted plant and the two Thai fabric paintings bring life to this otherwise dull part of the suite. Other than looking pretty, welcoming guests into the Grand Duplex Suite, the entryway is also functional, with cabinetry allowing us to put away our shoes neatly without making the entryway look messy.

Entryway of the Grand Duplex Suite
The entryway is tastefully furnished with a simple table and plants

Located in the entryway is a powder room. The functional powder room is only furnished with a toilet giving occupants of the suite an additional avenue of avoiding fighting to use the toilet. It also provides the convenience of visiting the loo before heading out to explore Bangkok, other than not having to transverse up the flight of stairs to use the toilet while chilling out in the living room of the Grand Suite.

Entrance to the powder room
Toilet in the powder room

Living Room

The end of the entryway led us to an expansive living room with a high ceiling spanning the two storeys in the Suite. The high ceiling makes the large Grand Duplex Suite look even more spacious. Sitting in the centre of the living room are not one but two beige-coloured five-seater couches, with one facing a cabinet wall that stretches across the two levels in the Suite. The couches are comfortable to laze on while we watch the variety of local and international channels on the large 55″ LED TV. Other than being home to a large LED TV, the cabinet wall is tastefully decorated by VIE Hotel Bangkok with ornaments (along with some fake books) that reinforce the Thai theme in the Suite. A large dark brown wooden coffee table sits in the centre of the couches, and the TV gives us another alternate venue to dine while watching the TV.

View of Bangkok from the living room

Sitting next to the couch area of the Grand Duplex Suite is the minibar area. Instead of having only one minibar counter, VIE Hotel Bangkok furnished the minibar area with a dark brown wooden kitchen island that provided heaps of storage space. The mini fridge and a microwave oven are located on the kitchen island. Tucked by the wall is another minibar countertop space, where a Nespresso machine, electric kettle, capsules, and teabags can be found. I like the inclusion of a kitchen sink here at the countertop, which is very convenient for us to fill up the water in the Nespresso machine and the kettle. In addition, there is more storage space on the countertop space for us to stow away our stuff.

Dining Area

A large dining table is between the two-storey high floor-to-ceiling window and the couch. Despite being furnished with only four dining chairs, the table is large enough to sit at least six comfortably. The inclusion of the dining table enables us to take away many of the delicious Thai street food or order from Grab food to dine comfortably in our suite.

The dining table in the living room
The dining table is large enough to sit more than four comfortably

Bedrooms

The Grand Duplex Suite comes with two bedrooms. Both bedrooms’ designs and fittings are identical, with one located on the lower floor just after the entryway and the other on the top floor. A waist-height chest of drawers with three large drawers was the first thing we saw when we opened the doors to the bedroom. The height of this chest of drawers is perfect for placing our luggage and, at the same time, provides us additional storage area for smaller clothing items. The main bedroom area is on the left from this chest of drawers, while the bathroom is on the right. The wooden Thai theme in the living room continues into both bedrooms. A large king bed resting by the wall and a beige cushioned headboard look inviting. The king bed is very comfortable to sleep on, providing excellent sleep quality. I find the four pillows on the king bed a tad too soft. Fortunately, there is a pillow menu that one had to request from VIE Hotel Bangkok, which we could request firmer pillows. Other than the two reading lights fitted on the headboard, two additional lamps are on the two bedside tables. The side tables are large enough for us to place our mobile devices despite being equipped with a lap, a phone or an alarm clock. However, I thought the placement of the power outlets by the bedside tables was flawed. These outlets are inaccessible as they are located behind the table we had to pull out to use them.

There are two wardrobes in each of the two bedrooms, one beside the bed and the other opposite. The wooden wardrobes do not come with any additional drawers. They are suitable for us to hang our six days’ worth of clothing. However, the lack of drawers inside the wardrobes meant we had to stow our smaller clothing items in the chest of drawers by the bedroom door. A dressing table that doubles up as a work desk is fitted opposite the king bed, which we mainly used to stow the stuff we bought while shopping. The presence of power outlets at the desk also meant we could only charge our lifestyle devices on the desk. I like to keep my stuff out of sight, but I find the absence of drawers means we have to leave our stuff on the desk. We were quite surprised to find mini fridges under the work desk in both bedrooms. The mini fridge is handy for occupants on the second level as it means we do not need to go down whenever we want a chill drink. Mounted by the wall above the end of the work desk is a 43″ LED TV that faces the king bed. This LED TV provided us with the same entertainment options as that in the living room.

As the bedroom is relatively spacious, instead of leaving the space near the floor-to-ceiling empty, VIE Hotel Bangkok furnished this space with armchairs, a small coffee table, and a floor lamp. I guess the hotel intends for this spot to be allocated as a space for reading while sipping a cup of coffee or tea or even for guests to look out into the Bangkok skyline. We merely use the armchairs to place our bags.

Armchairs in the bedroom by the window

Bathrooms

Similar to the bedrooms, the two ensuite bathrooms located inside the bedrooms are identical. Separated by two panels of frosted glass, the yellow marble-clad bathrooms scream luxury. The bathroom has a large sink countertop fitted with two sinks that prevented guests from fighting each other for the priority of using the sinks. The entire wall by the sink is fitted with a mirror, eliminating whatever claustrophobic feeling one might get (as if anyone will suffer from claustrophobia with the size of this bathroom). There are two sizeable walk-in stalls opposite the sinks. The stall next to the entrance to the bathroom is designated as the walk-in shower. Although the walk-in shower is fitted with both regular and rain shower heads, I used the regular shower head most of the time as the rain shower suffers from reduced pressure. The other walk-in further into the bathroom houses the toilet. Instead of a standard bathtub, VIE Hotel Bangkok equips both bathrooms with a jacuzzi tub. I find the jet pressure in the jacuzzi tub jet to be quite powerful, which is excellent for a hydro massage while soaking in the sizeable tub.

Work Desk Area

Despite having a dresser table that also doubles up as a work desk inside each of the two bedrooms in the Grand Duplex Suite at VIE Hotel Bangkok, the hotel also allocated a space on the second level of the suite for a work desk outside the bedroom, overlooking the lower level of the suite. The dark brown work desk, consistent with the dark brown Thai-inspired theme throughout the Grand Duplex Suite, is fairly large and has three drawers that provide additional storage space for us to stow away files and printouts. The two power outlets at the work desk gave us the convenience of charging our laptops so that we could continue working looking out at either the lower level of the suite or out into the skyline of Bangkok through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the suite. The absence of a desk lamp did not bother me as there is sufficient illumination from the ceiling lights in this part of the suite. A large cabinet is furnished at the work desk area, giving us additional option for storage.

Service

This is my third time staying with VIE Hotel Bangkok. I find the service during my previous experience at the hotel inconsistent. However, it was not the case when we were at the hotel this time. We found the service to be constantly impeccable service from every staff we met during our stay with them. The excellent service was already felt when we contacted the hotel regarding our booking and privilege as a Diamond member. The email responses from the reservation staff – Jazz and Jeng, were always fast. Both Jazz and Jeng understood our needs and requirements and provided non-SOP answers to our questions.

Jenny assisted us during check-in. Jenny showered us with the warmth the Thais were famously known for. While Jenny was processing our check-in, things seemed to run like clockwork. The other staff at the reception (I did not manage to get her name) immediately disappeared into the room at the back of the reception and re-emerged with welcome drinks to cool us from the humid Bangkok climate. Not only was Jenny meticulous in giving us all the information that we needed, such as meal times and where the nearest BTS station was, but she also noted that the mini fridge would be empty and gave us additional welcome drink vouchers for us to use daily throughout our stay at the hotel. The hotel handled our air-conditioning issue very well. The air-con in the suite that we were assigned initially did not work. The hotel got some engineers to fix the issue, but we faced leaking from the air-con. We approached Jenny at the reception and requested a change in the room. We were immediately assigned another suite after the duty manager personally checked the condition of the suite before they sent a porter to help us with the shifting.

We found the staff at reception were always welcoming whenever we walked past them. We have always been greeted with the Thai Wai and the biggest smile anyone when we walked past them. The bellboy at the main door is always seen running towards the door to open the door for us. Similarly, the staff at La VIE restaurant were terrific. We were always greeted with a warm smile from them every morning we were at the restaurant for breakfast. In addition, staff at La VIE were observant and diligent in patrolling the restaurant grounds to ensure empty plates were cleared, and food was always topped up.

Hotel Facilities

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool at VIE Hotel Bangkok is located on level 10. There are two ways to access the swimming pool: via the gym at level 11 or from the lift in the separate building in front of the hotel. Despite the rooftop swimming pool being a tad small with limited sundeck chairs available, it still allows guests to swim a decent few laps. Fortunately, few people used the pool throughout the six days we stayed in the hotel. The swimming pool at VIE Hotel Bangkok is an excellent place for those looking for a great spot for suntanning as there are no structures around to block out the sun.

Gym

The gym at VIE Hotel Bangkok, located on level 11 of the leading hotel building, is a commercially operated gym under the WE Signature Fitness Club banner. The gym is very well equipped with free weights and machines that enable guests for full body workouts with machines that work out different muscle groups. Besides strength training machines, the gym is equipped with numerous cardio training equipment such as treadmills and elliptical machines. On top of the machines, the gym has a small group fitness studio running numerous exercise classes, from yoga to MMA. However, guests at VIE Hotel Bangkok would have to pay additional fees to join these group exercise classes.

Breakfast at La VIE Bistronomy

Breakfast is served at La VIE Bistronomy restaurant on level 10 of the hotel daily—a good mix of Asian, Thai and Western options for breakfast. The breakfast served was delicious, and I particularly liked the big and puffy croissants, and the hashbrowns served daily were crispy. Food was being topped up constantly by the diligent staff at the restaurant, ensuring all food options were available to guests. I applaud the hotel’s effort to create daily changes to the breakfast. Most hotels attempt to create a particular form of menu changes where the food options are repeated every other day. This is not the case in VIE Hotel Bangkok; we did not see any changed items repeated throughout the six days we dined at La VIE Bistronomy during breakfast.

Cocktails and Canapés at Piano Bar

VIE Hotel Bangkok serves cocktails and canapés from 3 pm to 5 pm daily at the Piano Bar for guests staying in Executive Suite or higher categories. The Piano Bar is located on the hotel’s ground floor, next to the reception. There is a limited list of beverages, from cocktails to mocktails to soft drinks, that guests can enjoy with the canapés, which are topped up constantly. In addition, each day, there is a selection of about eight Thai-fusion finger food items with a good mix of sweet and savoury items for guests. Similar to breakfast, the canapés menu was changed daily.

Overall

We had a pleasant stay at VIE Hotel Bangkok. The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok with numerous shopping malls under 10 mins walk from the hotel. The proximity to the BTS is a bonus for us to explore Bangkok. The Grand Duplex Suite is spacious and very comfortable, and the bedding provided us with excellent sleep quality. The service we experienced was impeccable. The staff were always welcoming. This is the best experience we had with VIE Hotel Bangkok compared to our previous experience.

[Accommodation Review] Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel (Opera Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (13 – 17 May 22)

/ kktong76 / 2 Comments

The Location

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel sits along the main artillery road in Bangkok – Sukhumvit Road, which leads towards the city centre. The hotel is located about 5 mins walk from Terminal 21 Shopping Mall, and there are numerous food and shopping options surrounding the hotel. Despite not being situated in the heart of Bangkok, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit is wedged between two BTS stations – Nana and Asok stations, and both are around 5 mins walk from the hotel, making exploring the city of Bangkok via public transport a breeze. Although the two stations are equidistance from the hotel, I prefer to walk to Asok station (despite being one station further to central Bangkok than Nana station) via the covered walkway with a direct link to the hotel that sheltered us from the hot sun in Bangkok. Besides the BTS, the hotel is also very well located within 6 mins walk to Sukhumvit MRT station, which gives us the additional choice of transport for exploring Bangkok.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel façade
Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel lobby
Reception at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel

The Opera Suite

We originally booked the Prestige Suite and were given an upgrade to one of the three Opera Suites upon checking in due to my friend’s Diamond status with Accor. The 104m² Opera Suite is spacious and decorated with both Thai elements and French themes in different parts of the suite. I like the small balcony attached to the suite, which gave us a spot to look out into the Bangkok skyline around the Asok area.

Living Room

The entirety of the living room unfolds before our eyes from the entryway the moment we enter the suite, where we get our first glimpse of the spaciousness of the suite. The wooden floorings and the dark brown dining table graced the Opera Suite at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel with a sense of cosiness. The huge dining table furnished with four chairs sits near the entrance of the Opera Suite, providing ample space for the occupants to feast. Besides this for dining, we mostly used this table to place the things we bought. A marble-laid powder room next to the entrance to the suite provided us with additional toilet facilities, which also prevented the awkwardness of guests of the occupants of the Opera Suite having to bash through the bedroom to use the toilet.

Large dining table with four leather-clad chairs
The entryway into the Opera Suite
The dining table sits right before the main entrance to the Opera Suite.

The powder room next to the dining area
The powder room has a single sink

The lounge area, located after the dining table, occupies most of the space in the living room. I like how Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel only furnishes the Opera Suite with practical furniture instead of over cluttering the space, giving the suite a sense of spaciousness and certainly more space for its occupants to move around. The lounge area is furnished with one five-seater couch, an armchair and an ottoman-like chair. I also find the dark brown wooden coffee table the right size and not unnecessarily large. The LED TV mounted by the wall seems to be a tad too small for the size of the living room. There are numerous channels (over 50 channels) on the TV catering to international guests. I find the TV channels boring as there are limited English channels on the TV (they do not even have Discovery Channel and the only National Geographic channel is in Thai). Most of the channels on the TV in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel are in the Thai language, and a few more are in various European and Asia languages.

The lounge area in the living room of the Opera Suite is very spacious
View of the entire living room of the Opera Suite in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel
The TV in the Opera Suite looks a tad small for the suite
The large ottoman serves as a chair and a space for us to put away our stuff
Coffee table in the centre of the couches and chairs in the lounge area
The armchair in the living room
The lounge area in the living room of the Opera Suite
I like the small touches such as fresh flowers throughout the Opera Suite

The mini bar is placed inside the Thai-style wooden cabinet under the TV. The mini-fridge, well-stocked with overpriced drinks and snacks (as with most hotels), is hidden in the right-most cabinet. While cups, glasses, and tea are found on the left cabinet. The hotel uses the Illy espresso machine and provides Opera Suite quests with three capsules per day, and I find it weird that the hotel charges THB150 per capsule for extra capsules. However, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel is generous with providing drinking water, placing them in strategic spots throughout the suite.

A Thai-influenced cabinet that houses the minibar
The mini-fridge is well stocked with drinks
Glass and mugs in the mini bar
Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel provides an Illy espresso machine for their Opera Suite guests.

A large glass-top work desk sits in one corner of the living room by the floor-to-ceiling window, farthest away from the main entrance to the Opera Suite. The chair with the work desk is comfortable enough for guests to work for hours. I like that Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel furnishes an armchair with a small side table in the other corner, opposite the work desk. This armchair provides guests with a place to read a book or chill while looking out into the Bangkok skyline.

A sizeable work desk sits in the living room of the Opera Suite
The work desk and armchair in the living room
The armchair in a cosy corner of the living room next to the balcony door

Balcony

The Opera Suite is one of the few rooms in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel that comes with a balcony. While the balcony is not a large space, it is a great spot that we used to look out into the Bangkok skyline. The balcony has two large chairs and a table, but we find the chairs to be a little dirty to sit on.

There is a small balcony in the Opera Suite.
View of Bangkok skyline from the balcony during the day
Night view of the Bangkok skyline from the balcony

Bedroom

The bedroom of the Opera Suite in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel is decorated with French elements, from the carpet to the bedside lamps. The bedroom occupies about 1/3 of the space in the Opera Suite, and the large king bed immediately caught my attention as I entered the bedroom. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent, together with the firm mattress and pillows that the hotel provides, taking away the fatigue from exploring Bangkok, leaving me refreshed the next day to explore the city. In addition, the powerful air conditioner in the suite contributes to the comfort, which took away the brutal Bangkok heat. However, I thought the available space on bedside tables was limited; despite being a fairly large table, the bulk of the table is taken up by the large bedside lamps and the telephone, which hardly works. Fortunately, the drawers at the bedside tables provided me with storage space for smaller items. In front of the king bed is a small sofa we can use to watch TV. However, we mainly use this bed foot bench to put our bags on.

The bedroom of the Opera Suite
The left bedside table is less cluttered and offers more space
The king bed sits right in the centre of the bedroom
The right bedside table has lesser space compared to the left one

Another LED TV is mounted on the wall opposite the king bed, which allows us to watch whatever we find entertaining on the channels in bed. This LED TV is the same size as that found in the living room of the Opera Suite, but the TV seems of the right size due to the size of the bedroom and the distance between the TV and the bed. The TV has the same entertainment options as that in the living room. An empty cabinet sits below the TV, providing additional space to put away our shopping from Bangkok.

The TV in the bedroom has the same channels as that in the living room of the Opera Suite.

The Opera Suite has three large wardrobes, ideally positioned outside the bedroom’s bathroom entrance. There are plentiful areas for us to stow away our clothing, and I think there are no problems with these wardrobes swallowing up to two weeks worth of clothes that guests might bring with them. In addition, the drawers in one wardrobe provided additional storage space for small clothing items. Here, we found the in-room safe, securely safekeeping our valuable items.

The wardrobes in the Opera Suite are strategically placed outside the bathroom.
Large wardrobe space in the Opera Suite

The artworks in the wardrobe area
Old School climate control in the Opera Suite

Bathroom

The Opera Suite bathroom screams luxury, using marbles from the floors to the sink counters. The first thing we saw when we opened the double-panelled doors to the bathroom was the oversized countertop with a double sink. I like the space at the sink countertop; despite the space occupied by bathroom amenities provided by the hotel, there is still space for us to put away the toiletries we brought for this trip. The additional drawer below the sinks allows us to put away our toilet bags. Extra towels are neatly folded inside the cabinets on either side of the drawer.

A glimpse of the bathroom from its entrance
The sink and countertop in the bathroom of the Opera Suite
Smaller amenities are stored neatly in a box on the sink countertop

The toilet and the other walk-in shower cubicles are located to the left of the sink. Beyond the glass doors is the porcelain throne in one cubicle and the shower equipped with rain and regular shower heads. The space at the walk-in shower is large enough for us to place our facial wash and glass with our toothpaste without feeling cramped. Sofitel Bangkok provides the luxurious French brand – Balmain shower amenities to guests of the Opera Suite.

The toilet and shower cubicles in the bathroom
Sofitel Bangkok provides Balmain bath amenities to its suite and club room guests.

The toilet cubicle
The Walk-in shower cubicle is fairly large.

The highlight of the Opera Suite at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel is the bathtub. The round bathtub is buried into the raised marble platform. Despite looking large, the practical space in the bathtub is rather small. Soaking in the bathtub allowed me to watch TV from the smaller TV mounted onto the wall or look out into the Bangkok skyline at the Asok area through the ceiling windows. Unfortunately, the remote for the TV was nowhere to be found in the suite at the time of our check-in. So we had to call the operator to request the TV remote.

The seemingly large bathtub in the bathroom of the Opera Suite
The bathtub may seem large, but there is a lot of wasted space in the design of the tub
View from the bathroom
There is a small TV for guests to enjoy while soaking in the bathtub.

Service

The Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel staff makes us feel welcome when we step out of the cab from the airport. The staff at the front door sprung into action like clockwork, opening the cab doors for us and unloading our luggage while another staff ushered us to the reception for our check-in. The queue at the reception was very light and was served by Ted, the duty manager, who processed our check-in efficiently and struck up a conversation with us on our visit to Bangkok. Ted acknowledged my friend’s Diamond status with Accor and accorded us an upgrade to the next category room. He took the effort to meticulously went through the details such as the timing and location for breakfast, the timing for afternoon tea and evening cocktail at Club Millésime lounge, and the location of the fitness facilities. Ted even provided information on the ideal way to the nearest BTS station.

Every staff we met at the hotel made us feel welcomed, displaying the warmth the Thais are so famously known for. When we were at the pool, the only staff operating the pool area brought us some drinks when we were settled into our sundeck chairs. The housekeeping staff brought us the items we requested with the biggest smile. The staff at Voilà! greeted us with the warmest smile every morning we popped by for breakfast. Finally, the Club Millésime lounge staff took care of us when we were at the lounge for afternoon tea. They took the time to introduce the food available and kept a distance, being ready to jump in to assist us so that we could enjoy the quiet afternoon tea.

I approached Diamond, one of the duty managers, to notify her of some issues with the suite and table arrangement issues at Voilà! during breakfast before we head out to explore Bangkok. Diamond listened with empathy, immediately addressed our concerns, and got the issues fixed when we returned to the hotel in the evening. The service at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel was impeccable, and every staff took very well care of us at the hotel.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel has a dedicated counter for Accor Members.
Small touches by the hotel that makes the stay pleasant

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel provided me with a surprise birthday cake on top of the welcome fruit and chocolate.
I was pleasantly surprised by the efforts Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel took to decorate the room for my birthday.

Hotel Facilities

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel is located on the 9th floor of the hotel. The pentagon-shaped swimming pool is excellent for hotel guests to do decent laps while holidaying in Bangkok. Perhaps due to the hot Bangkok climate, the water temperature in the salted pool felt just nice. I find dipping in the pool refreshing and is very effective in cooling off under the hot Bangkok sun. No trees or tall buildings surround the hotel so one can get a great tan anytime in the day. The swimming pool is very quiet at the time of my stay. Thus the number of sundeck chairs seems abundant. Thanks to the hotel’s mattress lying over the chairs, I find tanning on the sundeck chairs very comfortable. The chairs are so comfortable that I fell asleep while tanning. There are several cabanas around the pool, catering for families or couples who want to laze in the comfortable cabanas.

View of the swimming pool from the balcony of our Opera Suite
Swimming pool in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel
The palm trees at the swimming pool gave it a tropical feel.

There is a small wading pool in the pool area
The swimming pool is a great place for suntanning

SoFit Gym

The resident gym – SoFit Gym, is located on the 9th floor in Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel. The gym is rather sizeable and well-equipped with machines that allow guests to perform total body workouts. Strength conditioning machines work every part of the major muscle group in the body, and different cardio machines like treadmills, static bikes, and elliptical machines. In addition, there are areas in the SoFit gym dedicated to free weight and yoga training. A staff manning the gym, ready to provide any workout advice while keeping the gym spick and span.

The SoFit gym from the entrance
The SoFit Gym at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel is very well equipped.

The cardio training machines at the gym
There is a sauna in the changing room next to the gym.

Club Millésime

Guests staying in the Opera Suite are entitled to access the Club Millésime lounge, occupying the entire 31st floor of the hotel. The lounge has three areas- the dining area, the lounge area and an office area. The dining area occupies about half the lounge area, mainly furnished with two to four guests dining tables. The lounge area is mainly furnished with sofa seats giving this area a very comfortable vibe and feels perfect for guests to spend their time reading a book. There is even a bar counter in the lounge area, which is not manned on our visit. However, staff patrolled the lounge area, ready to assist guests. Between the dining and the lounge area is a small office area. A few workstations and a printer cater to guests who had to work during their stay in the hotel.

Club Millésime lounge at Sofitel Bangkok
The dining area at Club Millésime lounge
There is no lack of seating in the dining area of the lounge.

An abundance of sofas characterises the lounge area
Part of the lounge area is decorated to look like a library

Due to the pandemic measures, the Club Millésime lounge is only open during afternoon tea and evening cocking at 2.30 pm and 5 pm, respectively, where finger food and desserts are made available on a variety of alcoholic non-alcoholic drinks. We visited the lounge only during the afternoon tea and were warmly welcomed by the lounge staff when we stepped out of the elevator. The staff introduced us to the food before showing us to the seat of our choice. Besides a handful of choices for the savoury dishes, most of the food is desserts. The food is delicious and is certainly effective in filling up our stomachs.

There is an extensive choice of pastries at the Club Millésime lounge during afternoon tea.
Savoury choices for afternoon tea

Breakfast at Voilà!

Buffet-style breakfast is served at Voilà! Restaurant taking up the entire 2nd storey of the hotel. There are options for western, Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisines for breakfast. A variety of bread is situated in another part of the restaurant, far from the main food section. Here we found a small chilled cheese room. The food tasted great with a slight variation on different days.

Entrance to Voilà!
Ham is available for breakfast at Voilà!

The breakfast menu at Voilà! is quite extensive
Bread selection during breakfast

Overall

We had a pleasant four-night stay in the Opera Suite at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel. The suite is large and comfortable and has everything found in a home. I particularly like the large dining table, which allows us to consume the take-aways and provides additional space. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent, and we had no trouble falling asleep every night. The facilities in the hotel are very well maintained, we particularly like the swimming pool on level 9. The service rendered by the staff at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel makes our stay even more pleasant. We were immediately met with welcoming staff at the reception, and whenever we requested items, it did not take the staff too long to send them to our Opera Suite. The hotel’s location is excellent, making it a great base for exploring Bangkok and an ideal place to rest for anyone visiting Bangkok.

[Accommodation Review] – Dusit D2 (Studio Suite), Chiang Mai, Thailand​ (9 – 12 Nov 17)

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Location

Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is located just outside the East of the Old City of Chiang Mai, within 15 min walk to the eastern Tha Phae Gate. The hotel’s location is nearby 2-night markets in the vicinity. Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is 2 min walk from the Night Bazaar and 5 min walk from the Night Market. It is 10 min away from the Ping River. However, the hotel is rather far from shopping malls in the city such as Maya Lifestyle Shopping Mall and Central Festival Chiang Mai. One point to note, Central Festival Chiang Mai offers shuttle bus service that stops by Dusit D2 Chiang Mai at scheduled timing.
Dusit D2 Chiang Mai Signage
Hotel Facade
Dusit D2 Chiang Mai Reception

The Suite

There are 2 types of suites in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai, namely Studio Suite and the larger D’Suite. I stayed in the Studio Suite which has a total room size of  64㎡ . The Studio Suite in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai has 3 sections to the suite, namely Living Room, Bedroom, and Bathroom.

Living Room

Entering the suite in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai, the minibar is hidden in the wooden cabinet to the right of the main entrance. Here is where one would find the mini-fridge, electric kettle and glasses. Opposite the minibar, a door leads to the walk-in wardrobe, which is also linked to the bathroom (more about the walk-in wardrobe later). Further into the little corridor from the main entrance, the suite opens up to a spacious living room. The decoration in the living room is contemporary yet exudes a Thai flavour, The choice of colour in the suite is also in line with the familiar bright orange we have seen in the hotel lobby, extending the vibrant and energetic spirit into the suite. The furnishings in the living are stylish yet functional. A large work desk, tucked into the wall of the living room on the right side, extends from the hidden minibar to the midpoint in the living room. This large work desk serves as an alternate space for me to put my things onto. There are a few power sockets on the wall, which makes it an excellent place to work and to charge my lifestyle devices.

Entrance to Dusit D2 Chiang Mai Studio Suite
The mini bar is tucked inside the cabinet next to the main entrance to the suite
Work desk with plenty of space

A small table built into the wall next to the work desk functions as extra space which is perfect for me to place my shopping. A curved couch, capable of sitting 4 persons wraps around the corner of the living room to the wall separating the living room from the bedroom. At the end of the couch is where one would find complimentary beverages such as coffee, tea and bottled water with a coffee machine nicely tucked in the corner of the living room. A couple of wall lights on either side of the wall, in front of the large panel window that looks out into Doi Suthep, provides additional lighting in the living room of the suite. Across the curved couch is a large LED TV mounted onto the angled wall, which is perfectly angled for watching TV. A small glass top coffee table is placed between the TV and the couch. There is a single seat orange couch chair placed at the corner of the living room, providing the additional seat for guests to entertain their guests. The entire living room did not feel cramp and has loads of space to move around, as the furniture is arranged flushed to the wall around the living room.

The couch in the living room with a glass top coffee table
Coffee and tea area
Living room in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai Studio Suite
TV in the living room
View of Doi Suthep from the suite

Bedroom

A large wooden sliding door serves as the entrance to the bedroom from the living room. The bedroom is also heavily decorated with a Thai theme, together with the bright orange colour theme that is seen throughout Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. The bedroom feels cosy due to the colour scheme used and the lighting, making the entire bedroom feels very comfortable visually. Entering the bedroom, a wooden-framed king bed sits in the centre of the room. The height of the bed is a tad high, nonetheless, the sleep quality is excellent on the bed. However, I find the pillows too soft to my liking. On either side of the bed are bedside tables, but only the table nearer to the window has power sockets. Tucked by the large window panel on the right side of the bed is a couch, perfect for watching the TV in the bedroom or just for relaxing and enjoy the views of the mountain from the bedroom. Opposite the king bed, mounted on the wall, is a small TV. Despite the placement of this TV is a little off, guests are still able to watch the TV from the comforts of the king bed.

King bed in the bedroom
One of the bedside table in the bedroom
Couch inside the bedroom
Couch and a small TV in the bedroom

Bathroom

Dusit D2 Chiang Mai Studio Suite has a large bathroom. The bathroom is accessible from the bedroom and the living room. Entering the bathroom from the bedroom, a shower cubicle sits opposite the door. The only regular shower head is found in the shower cubicle, however, the pressure from the showerhead is great. The sink is located next to the shower cubicle where one can find ample space to put additional toiletries on the sink countertop. To the right of the sink, tucked into the corner of the bathroom is where the toilet is located. Opposite the sink, next to the large panel window that looks out into the bedroom is the bathtub. The bathtub seems to be tucked in a corner, making getting in and out of the bathtub difficult. I appreciate the window panel as it allows guests to watch TV from the bathtub. The sound from the TV in the bedroom is also piped into the bathroom, making it ideal to watch TV while relaxing in the bathtub. Dusit D2 Chiang Mai provides their house brand bath amenities, which is both of good quality and feels luxurious.
Shower cubicle in the bathroom
Sink in the bathroom
The toilet is located beside the sink area
The bathtub is placed next to a large window that looks into the bedroom
Bathroom amenities
Dusit D2 uses their in-house brand bath amenities which feels luxurious
Bathroom Amenities

Walk-in Wardrobe

The walk-in wardrobe is found in between the bathroom and the living room. Dusit D2 Chiang Mai employs an open concept for their walk-in wardrobe. Other than the 2 doors accessing the wardrobe, there are no wardrobe doors. The wardrobe space is large, allowing guests to change up after their shower. Next to the door to the bathroom, is where a 3 tiered drawer is located. These drawers provided additional storage space for small personal items. On top of the drawer is the in-room safe. A large ledge for guests to put their luggage on is located opposite the wardrobe.

Walk-in wardrobe where we stow our luggage
Wardrobe in the suite
There are places to put one’s luggage in the walk-in wardrobe

Club Lounge

The Club Lounge in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is located on level 7 of the hotel. There are armchairs for smaller groups and several dining tables capable of sitting up to 6 guests for larger groups. Guests staying in Club rooms and suites can check-in and out from the Club Lounge. Guests can walk in during the opening hours for complimentary drinks. Hors-d’oeuvre is served every evening in the Club lounge, where guests staying a club room and suites in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai can enjoy. The selection for Hors-d’oevure in the Club Lounge is, however, limited.

Sitting area in the club lounge
Hors d’oevure served in the evening

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is located on level 1M. The freeform swimming pool is a little small but is still capable of letting guests swim a few laps in. There is a limited number of suntan chairs in the pool area.

The free-form swimming pool is rather small

Gym

D:Fit is the gym in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. The gym is located on the 10th floor of the hotel, with the entire floor dedicated to the gym. There are standard treadmills and elliptical machines in the gym. which allows guests to do a decent workout. There are also some weight machines in the gym. There is a steam room inside the toilet in the gym.

Entrance to D:Fit, the gym in the Dusit D2 Chiang Mai
Gym in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai
The gym is well equipped with exercise machines
Weight area in the gym

Soi Cafe

The package that we booked includes breakfast and dinner. Both meals are served in Soi Cafe, located on the ground floor, next to the lift lobby in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. Similar to many hotels, buffet breakfast was served in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. Breakfast includes both oriental and western options, such as porridge, salad, bread to name a few. There is also a small selection of Thai food available during breakfast. There is a hot counter which prepares eggs, chicken noodles, pancakes and waffles that are prepared a la minute. Food on offer during breakfast is fresh and delicious. There are some variations in the breakfast served daily.

Soi Cafe signage
Cold bar in Soi Cafe during breakfast
There are cooked food which changes every day during breakfast
The cooking station where noodles and eggs are cooked a la minute

Dinner was served in Soi Cafe as well. During our first night there, we were given options of Thai cuisine (fish in black pepper sauce) and western cuisine (chicken steak). We opted for Thai cuisine. The food was delicious and flavourful. During the subsequent 2 nights, instead of set dinner, Dusit D2 Chiang Mai offered us seafood buffet dinner. There was a good spread of food during dinner service. Cold dishes are placed in the centre of the restaurant, with options such as sea snails, cockles, cold soba shots and salads made available to guests. There is a section where guests can choose from a range of raw meats such as pork, pork ribs, chicken, salmon and dory fish, where the chefs will barbecue for guests. There are also cooked sections with fried rice, noodles, pizza available. As with breakfast, there is a minor variation during dinner service to the cooked food. The food on offer was delicious, with the right amount of flavouring to them.

Thai set dinner that we had on the first night
Cooked food served during buffet dinner
Cold bar during dinner where calms and sea snails are served on top of many other dishes
Barbecue station with numerous options
Cooked food options
Cooked food options
Pizzas as part of the buffet dinner
Desserts are tasty

Service

The service we received in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is impeccable. Every staff who we came across displayed the nature of the Thais that we have all came to know about, hospitable and warm. They seem to go all out to ensure we feel comfortable in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai and our requests are being met with. The excellent service came weeks before we even departed for Chiang Mai when I coordinated with the hotel via email. The reservation supervisor, Panatsaya, was very prompt in her replies and assured us that our requests are being captured. As the package we booked comes with return airport transfer and a vehicle for us to use for 8 hours, Panatsaya was able to quickly coordinated our requests and our flight details to arrange for the drivers to pick us up. During her absence, the coordination continued with her colleagues, Preenan and Pennapa. We were being picked up by the hotel staff the moment we walked out of the restricted area in Chiang Mai airport upon our arrival.

The staff at the main entrance, Young, welcomed us and quickly unloaded our luggage when we reached the hotel. By the time we were done with the check-in procedures and proceeded to our suites, our luggage was already waiting for us in our suites. When Young saw us heading out and helped us hail a taxi. He helped us translate to the cabby on our destination and even ensured that we were not overcharged. Young is always very welcoming and gave us the warmest smile whenever we bumped into him at the entrance to the hotel. Young drove us to the airport during our departure and refused to let us handle our luggage. At the airport, he even took the initiative to help us get trolleys and loaded our luggage onto them.

The staffs at Soi Cafe did a tremendous job in making us feel welcome. Phet showed us to tour table on the first night we had dinner. She was welcoming and made us feel like VIP. We requested for warm water from Phet during our dinner. 2 nights later, we met Phet again at Soi Cafe. After showing us to our table, she asked if we prefer to have warm water. Such observant and taking the extra mile in remembering our preference, despite being 2 days ago goes to show that the level of service rendered by Phet was impeccable. I don’t even remember what I had eaten the night before, let alone expecting Phet to remember our preference for small items such as water. I was pleasantly surprised by Phet.

Poy is another staff working in Soi Cafe in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. We would see her every morning during breakfast service, standing at the entrance to the restaurant welcoming guests. I am glad to find that we only have to mention our room number on the first day during breakfast and Poy took the effort to remember our room numbers. During subsequent days, Poy did not even ask our room numbers and showed us to our table without delay. As one of the members of our group is a vegetarian due to religious reasons, I requested to Poy if the kitchen was able to prepare some vegetarian meal for my friend. To my surprise, instead of rejecting us, Poy got the kitchen to whip up a vegetarian meal and even checked if my friend likes the taste. Subsequent mornings during breakfast, Poy would sit us at a table and quickly went into the kitchen to place the vegetarian meal order without us reminding her. She would never fail to check if the meal was sufficient for my friend.

Puchong is another staff working at Soi Cafe. During one of the dinner service, Puchong showed us around on the food options for the buffet dinner. He recommended us to try out the barbecue ala minute and would help us take our order and brought the cooked food to us. Puchong even took the initiative to bring us some sauces which he had recommended us to try with which food. Indeed, the sauces did make the food taste better (not as though the food is not good enough). Puchong would always check on us and ensured that empty plates are cleared and our water is being topped up.

There are still many unsung heroes, who either work in the background (such as the housekeepers) or whose name I did not manage to get. They made us feel welcomed in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai and portrayed the traits of Thais that the world has come to know of. I have travelled to Thailand many times a year and this is the first time I experienced the warmness and hospitality of the Thai people in Thailand.

 

A very nice touch in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai. The housekeeper would place a different souvenir every day for guests to bring home
Welcome drink served in the bar at Dusit D2 Chiang Mai

Overall

I highly recommend one to come to stay in Dusit D2 Chiang Mai should one visits this Northen Thailand City. The Studio Suite in the hotel is very spacious and comfortable. The design of the suite is functional and the infusion of Thai elements and contemporary decor makes the suite feel very cosy. The location of Dusit D2 Chiang Mai is excellent to explore the daily night markets and the rest of Chiang Mai. What left a good impression on us was the impeccable service. Every staff member truly embraced customer-centric and displayed the hospitality and the warmness that the Thais came to be known about. The staffs always saw with a smile and are very welcoming. I would come back to Dusit D2 Chiang Mai the next time I return to the city.

[Accommodation Review] – Anantara Baan Rajprasong (2 Bedroom Superior Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (21 – 23 Jul 17)

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Location

Anantara Baan Rajprasong is a service apartment under the Anantara group, a Thai hotel chain group. The location of Anantara Baan Rajprasong is very central, located next to Lumpini Park. It is within 10 mins walk from the famed Erawan Shrine and within 15 mins walk from Central World. 2 BTS stations provide excellent accessibility to the service apartment. The nearer Ratchadamri BTS station is 5 mins walk from the service apartment. This BTS station is one stop from Patpong and also one station away from Siam Interchange Station, where Siam Square and Siam Paragon is located.

Hotel Signage

The facade of the hotel

Fountain at the entrance of the hotel

Reception in the hotel lobby

Hotel lobby

The Suite

Kitchen

We checked into the 127㎡ 2 bedroom suite in Anantara Bann Rajprasong. Entering the main door to the corner suite, the kitchen to the suite is located to the right of the entrance to the suite. The kitchen is well equipped with a stove, a microwave oven and a full-size fridge, allowing guests to do some cooking. There are utensils and cutlery, together with dinner wares for 4 stowed in the various cabinets in the kitchen area. There is a coffee machine as well as an electric kettle placed on the countertop of the kitchen area. A washing machine is also found under the sink in the kitchen area.

Fully equipped kitchen in the suite
The kitchen in Anantara Baan Rajprasong is furnished with a full-sized fridge
The kitchen area in the suite. This door leads to the bathroom in the second bedroom
The kitchen is well equipped that it allows guests to do some cooking in the suite
Kitchen washing gears, that also comes with detergent for the washing machine
Minibar amenities with complimentary water, coffee and tea

Living Room

Further into the suite, pass the kitchen area is where the living room is located. Just behind the counter that separates the kitchen from the living room is a small dining table with 2 chairs. I particularly find it weird that only 2 chairs are furnished despite the suite being a 2 bedroom suite and can accommodate 4 adults. Further into the suite is where one can find the lounge area, decked with a 3 seater L-shape couch that faces the 42″ LED TV. There is no lack of international channels being played on the TV. The TV is placed on top of the TV console that stretches to the end of the room, extending into the work desk tucked by the wall of the living room. A little further into the suite, is where the balcony of the living room is located. The balcony is furnished with 2 chairs and a table, which makes it a great place to hang out. The view from the balcony here is not that great as it faces an office building.

Dining table for 2 pax only in the suite
The couch in the living room of the suite
TV console and work desk in the living room of the suite
Air conditioner controls in the suite
The balcony in the living room is furnished with 2 chairs and a small table for guests to chill out

Bedrooms

Master Bedroom

The bedrooms are located on either side of the living room. To the left of the living room, from the main entrance is where the Master Bedroom is located. The Master bedroom is significantly larger than in the second bedroom. The Master bedroom is furnished with a super king-size bed, that can sleep 3 adults comfortably. The king bed is placed by the wall, next to the entrance to the bedroom. A couple of side tables are placed on either side of the bed. To the right of the entrance to the Master bedroom is where a couple of wardrobes are located. These large wardrobes provide ample space for guests to store their clothing. There is an in-room safe placed inside the wardrobe next to the make-up table. The make-up table is placed on the left corner of the bedroom, with a large mirror and a chair, the make-up table provides space for guests to place their cosmetics on. At the other corner, to the right side of the king bed is where the TV placed on the console is located. The placement of the TV console and the make-up table provides ample space for guests to walk inside the Master bedroom. The King bed is placed opposite a floor to ceiling window, allowing guests to lie on the king bed and peep into the scenery outside the room. The balcony in the Master bedroom is the biggest in the entire suite. The balcony wraps around the parameter of the bedroom and provides a great view of the swimming pool below.

King bed in the master bedroom. The TV console is nicely tucked in a corner so not to obstruct the view outside from the bed
Dressing table
TV console in the master bedroom
Wardrobe in the master bedroom
Another wardrobe in the master bedroom with in-room safe
A large balcony in the master bedroom that wraps around the perimeter of the room

Second Bedroom

To the right of the living room, from the main entrance, is where the second bedroom is located. The second bedroom is significantly smaller than then Master bedroom and there is limited walking space in the second bedroom. Furnished with 2 super single bed with a bedside table between the 2 beds, the second bedroom feels a lot more cluttered compared to the Master bedroom. Opposite the beds here is where a third TV placed onto the cabinet that stretches the entire length of the second bedroom is located. There is another makeup desk at the end of the cabinet with a large mirror hung onto the wall, next to the entrance to the balcony in the bedroom. The cabinet provides ample storage space in the second bedroom. There are 2 small wardrobes placed on either side of the entrance to the bathroom here. There is also another in-room safe being placed inside the wardrobe. The balcony here is the smallest in the entire suite and it is not furnished with any furniture.

2 super single beds in the second bedroom
TV console and dressing table in the second bedroom
The wardrobe is a lot smaller than that in the master bedroom.
Wardrobe in the second bedroom with in-room safe
Wardrobe in the second bedroom
The bedside table is placed between the 2 beds in the second bedroom

Bathroom

Master Bathroom

What I like about the 2 bedroom suite in Anantara Baan Rajprasong is there are 2 bathrooms inside both the bedrooms. The bathroom in the Master bedroom is very big. The walk-in shower, enclosed in a glass cubicle is tucked in one corner of the bathroom, with the toilet bowl opposite the entrance to the bathroom. To the left of the entrance is where one can find the sink area, which does provide sufficient space for guests to stow their toiletries. A huge bathtub is placed on the right of the entrance to the bathroom. Anantara Baan Rajprasong provides 3 types of bath salts, each with different healing properties for guests to soak in. Anantara Baan Rajprasong does not provide toothbrush as part of their bathroom amenities.

Walk-in shower and toilet in the master bathroom
Sink in the master bathroom