Accommodation in Thailand

[Accommodation Review] – Aloft Hotel (Stylish Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (19 – 22 May 16)

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Location

Aloft Hotel Bangkok is part of the SPG group of hotels and is a sister hotel of W Hotel worldwide. The hotel is located in Sukhumvit Road, and the nearest BTS is Nana Station, which is a mere five minutes walk from the hotel. Nana Station is three stops away from Siam BTS interchange station and one stop away from Terminal 21 shopping mall. However, do note that the side of the BTS exit does not have escalator and guests to this hotel are expected to climb three flights of stairs to get to the ticketing area of the station. While walking along Soi 11, one might feel the walk takes forever to reach Aloft Bangkok as it is located far in the street, despite only five mins on foot is required. The area around the hotel is sprouted with bars and pubs, which can be noisy and rowdy at nights. If the agenda is to enjoy the clubbing scene in Bangkok, Aloft Bangkok is an excellent base as the pubs are literally on the hotel’s doorsteps. Despite the clubbing scene around, the hotel rooms are well sound-proofed which is very effective in keeping the noise out of the rooms. There are also tons of street food from the hotel to the BTS station, there are also a few convenient shops in the vicinity of the hotel. Soi 11 from the main road to the hotel can be jam-packed with cars and pedestrians at night, one will be faced with traffic jam at nights when going to the hotel.
Hotel Signage at night
Entrance to Aloft Bangkok
There is plenty of seating in the lobby of Aloft Bangkok
The reception area in Aloft Bangkok
Aloft Bangkok has a vibrant vibe throughout the hotel with the use of bright and cheerful colours

The Suite

Living Room

I checked into the Stylish suite, one of the two categories of suite Aloft Bangkok has, measuring a generous 60m². Guests staying in this spacious suite would have ample room to move around, entertain their friends as well as to stow their personal effects. As I entered the suite, a white coloured small round dining table with four chairs caught my eyes. This dining set is placed in one corner of the living room of the suite. There is a door to the left of the entrance to the suite, which gives me access to the walk-in wardrobe and the bathroom.

The corridor outside the suite
The main entrance to the suite. The door on the right leads to the wardrobe area and the bathroom
Guests entering the suite will see the dining area with four chairs

Continuing into the suite, a turn to the left opens up to the couch area. The brown coloured 3 seater couch, together with a large-sized cushioned stool is a perfect place for guests to laze in while watching numerous channels on the LED TV in the lounge area. A coffee table is placed between the TV and the couch. There is also a TV rack placed below the wall-mounted TV, creating more space for guests to put their stuff on. I like the clever use of space in the suite, which creates a spacious feel throughout the entire suite.

Lounge area in the living room 
The lounge area is located right in front of the dining area
The placement of the TV allows guests to watch TV even when dinning

The minibar area is well tucked into the wall space next to the dining table. Here is where guests can find a small bar fridge as well as a coffee machine and an electric pot. There is a magazine rack on top of the minibar area, with the latest magazines for guests to read in the lounge area.

Minibar with complimentary water, coffee and tea
Contents in the fridge (chargeable)
Snacks (chargeable) placed under the TV

Bedroom

Through a sliding door from the lounge area, one will find themselves entering the bedroom. Entrance to the bathroom is to the right of the door to the bedroom. Entering the bedroom, a cosy and comfortable sensation is immediately felt. Aloft Bangkok merged contemporary design with hints of Thai culture into the design of the bedroom as seen in the portraits above the headboard of the bed. the main feature in the bedroom is the super King Size bed, capable of sleeping three adults comfortably. There are a couple of bedside tables on either side of the bed, with power sockets, allowing guests to charge their lifestyle gadgets. Aloft Bangkok also provided an alarm clock cum docking device for users of Samsung phones to plug into on the bedside table next to the entrance of the bathroom. The sleep quality on the bed is nothing short of excellence. I had great quality sleep on the bed every night. The bed is so comfortable that I was fast asleep soon resting on it.

Super King Size bed that we sleep 3 adults comfortably 
The sleep quality on the bed is superb. I was left feeling refresh every morning
Clock cum docking device in the suite

Another large LED TV is being mounted on the wall facing the bed. As with that in the living room, there is also a ledge for guests to put their stuff, creating more storage space. Next to the TV, in front of the bathroom entrance is where one can find a work desk.

A LED TV is mounted on the wall opposite the bed

The work desk is tucked onto the wall facing one of two large windows. There is a series of connecting ports, ranging from USB to HDMI and more power sockets on the wall at the work desk.

Work desk
Spacious work desk allows one to do some decent work
Power sockets and various ports for connecting to the TV is available at the work desk

A white colour single-seater armchair is being placed with a standing reading lamp in the furthest corner of the bedroom. I find this spot a perfect place for guests to do some reading or simply to chill.

 

Armchair tucked into the corner of the bedroom, providing a great spot for guests to do some reading

Bathroom

There are 2 entrances to the spacious bathroom, one from the bedroom and one from the living room. The design of the bathroom is an ingenious move, by merging the wardrobe area with the bathroom, the bathroom not only is spacious, but it is also very functional. Entering the modern designed bathroom from the bedroom, one can find double sinks mounted onto a white tabletop. The generous double sinks allow guests in the bathroom do not have to fight or waste time waiting for their turns using them. Standard toiletries such as soap, shaver, toothbrush and vanity kits can be found placed between the two sinks.

Twin sink in the bathroom
Toiletries provided. Only one toothbrush is provided despite the records stating there are two of us staying in the suite.

To the right of the sink is two cubicles enclosed in glass, adding even more spaciousness into the bathroom. The toilet cubicle and the walk-in shower are located to the right of the sinks. The shower cubicle does not come with rain shower head, however, the showerhead is sufficient to give me the rainshower feel. As a green effort that Aloft Bangkok is undertaking, shampoos and shower gels are not in small bottles but placed in large containers mounted to the wall in the shower cubicle. The housekeeping staffs ensured that these amenities are topped up every day they clean up the suite. I particularly like the Bliss all-in-one shampoo+conditioner and the shower gel as they left my skin feeling soft after every shower. The body lotion also leaves my skin feeling soft and does not feel sticky.

The use of glass in the bathing area enhances the spaciousness in the bathroom
Toilet cubicle
Shower cubicle. There is no rain shower head.
Excellent quality shampoo and body wash provided in the shower cubicle

Tucked at the furthest corner of the bathroom is where guests can find a Jacuzzi bathtub, which is a great place for one to relax into after a day’s shopping in the streets of Bangkok. However, when I turned on the tap to fill the water in the bathtub, brownish water flowed from the tap. There were also black particles being ejected out of the Jacuzzi jets when being turned on. However, these were being resolved by the staff the next day.

Luxurious bathtub with jacuzzi
Brown water coming from the tap in the bathtub. The tap was also ceased up that we can’t use the shower head by the tub

Guests are treated to a generous wardrobe area from the entrance next to the main entrance to the sinks. This area (about 3/4 of the size of the living room) is where the wardrobe can be found. The wardrobe, a single panel wardrobe is capable of hanging two weeks of clothing, however, there are limited amount of hangers available in the wardrobe. Guests can locate the iron and the ironing board well hidden inside the wardrobe. Beside the wardrobe, built into the wall are a four-tiered open shelving and two large drawers. A hairdryer is stored in the top drawer. The space dedicated to these shelvings are rather generous, guests can put a lot of stuff in these shelves. An in-room safe is being installed in the middle open shelf. Aloft Bangkok designed their suite to give ample space to stow tow big luggage on the ledge opposite the wardrobe.

Wardrobe area in the bathroom. The door leads to the living room
Four tiered open shelves with two large drawers below
The wardrobe is capable of storing more clothing if more hangers were provided 
One of the two ledges for storage of luggage
This can double up as a vanity area or stow luggage

Breakfast Run

Breakfast was served in Re:Fuel restaurant located on the ground floor of Aloft Bangkok. The spread was not a lot, but sufficient to fill my stomach. I am quite surprised to find grilled pork and soup noodles being served. There is a section of cold sandwiches at the entrance of the restaurant. There are however no signs of eggs nor an egg station. Guests would have to request them from the ever-busy staffs.

Egg themed dishes 
Hot food area
Noodle station
Grilled pork and bread station
Cold sandwich station

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in Aloft Bangkok is located on the 10th floor. The 1.2m deep infinity lap pool stretches to the edge of the building, where guests can relax, looking out into the streets of Sukhumvit Soi 11. There is a small wading pool at the other end of the pool, separated by hip height glass for safety reasons. There are limited tanning chairs around, however, due to the low utilisation of the pool by the guests, I was able to get a spot fairly quickly whenever I visited the pool. There aren’t many trees around at the pool area, guests can be assured of getting a good tan on most of the chairs. There is a small pool side bar indoors, where drinks and snacks can be ordered from. The water temperature in the pool is just nice, I wasn’t feeling too cold when swimming there.

Infinity lap pool that stretches to the edge of Aloft Bangkok
All the tanning chairs are free from vegetations. Guests can be assured of having a great tan here
Infinity pool with Aloft logo
Edge of the pool

Gym

On the same level as the swimming pool, located by the lift lobby on level 10, is where the gym is located. The gym space is rather small, however, there are machines that allow guests to work out every part of their body. There are limited numbers of each type of machine. The gym in Aloft Bangkok has a small corner where the weights are located. A water dispenser is available in the gym for guests to hydrate themselves.

Small but well-equipped gym

Service

Service rendered in a hotel is another factor that I pay attention to. The service in Aloft Bangkok is a mix. Service at the reception of Aloft Bangkok is exemplary. I was warmly welcomed by the staff and the duty manager at the time of my checking in. The staffs at the reception introduced themselves to me and ensured that the check-in process does not take too long. I was briefed on the breakfast timing and the location for breakfast. The duty manager even assured me to give her a call should I require more assistance to ensure my stay is comfortable. There was this occasion when I raise some issues to the duty manager, instead of being defensive the duty manager listened with empathy and assured me that the issues raised will be rectified.

I approached the reception the next day to inform them about the brown water from the tap in the bathtub, instead of pushing it away, the staffs ensured that the piping was checked and I returned to the suite with clear water from the tap after the issue was being raised. Staffs at the reception area were always smiling and listening attentively to guests. When I asked to extend my late check-out, by another hour, the staff immediately acceded to my request without asking for reasons. She even voluntarily encode the keycard to my suite to ensure I will still be able to gain access to my suite. The check-out process is swift and fuss-free.

My friend arranged with the hotel for a birthday cake for me. The cake and a bottle of sparkling wine were placed in the suite when we entered.

The professional staffs ensured that I was not held up unnecessarily and even gotten her colleague to hail a cab to the airport. The hotel also provides complimentary tuk-tuk shuttle service to the nearby Nana BTS and some other nearby locations. However there was no sign on how to get the service, I only found out on the last day of my stay when I approached the concierge desk in the lobby.

Hotel tuk-tuk that ferries guests to the nearby BTS station
Locations that the hotel can pick up guests from in their tuk-tuk

However, the service during breakfast runs at RE:Fuel does not match up with that provided by their colleagues in the reception area. I was greeted by an impatient and frowning staff at the entrance to the breakfast restaurant on the second day of my stay. The staff tried to put me up in a table (for four pax, we were a party of two) underneath the staircase leading to the second floor. When I scanned around and saw an empty table by the window and requested to change table, I was told off by the staff that the table is a larger table for four pax. I was only allowed to change table (reluctantly) when I told the staff that the size of that table (by the window) is the same as that underneath the staircase.

On the third day of my stay, we met the same staff at the entrance to RE:Fuel who told us that the ground floor restaurant was full. We were invited to use the dining area upstairs. My friend and I went upstairs after getting our food and realised that none of the tables upstairs was set up for dining. There was no cutlery set up in any tables upstairs. This is the time we went back downstairs and inform another member of the restaurant staff of the situation upstairs. After learning of the situation, this is when the staff swiftly cleared a table for us. In the process of setting the table, the staff dropped the table mat on the floor (the floor of the restaurant was dirty, at least in the area we were seated), instead of replacing the table mat, she put the same table mat on the table right in front of my eyes. I told another staff of what had happened, he apologised immediately and had the table mat changed.

Stained table mat during breakfast service
The coffee machine in the restaurant was also stained.  There were insufficient teaspoons provided

Despite the service lapse at RE:Fuel, the housekeeping staffs were friendly. I approached one of them to request for body lotion and was met with a smile, despite me disrupting their work. The housekeeping staff was diligent in keeping our suite clean and tidy, ensuring we always come back to a clean suite every day. However, I find it weird that only one toothbrush was provided in the suite when the records showed that there were two of us in the suite.

Overall

I had a comfortable stay at Aloft Bangkok. The hotel has a hip and vibrant personality, extending from the lobby to the suite. I particularly like the spaciousness and the clever use of space in the suite. There is ample space for my friend and me to store our luggage and our daily shopping. The design of the large and brightly lighted bathroom with direct access to the wardrobe area is ingenious. In terms of service, staffs at the front desk of Aloft Bangkok did a great job to ensure guests feel welcomed. However the same cannot be said of those in RE:Fuel. I would recommend Aloft Bangkok for visitors who like to pub or appreciates the spaciousness of the suite, however not so for the patronage of the restaurant on the ground floor.

[Accommodation Review] – Grand Hyatt Erawan (King Room), Bangkok, Thailand (7 – 9 Jan 16)

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Hotel Signage

Location

Grand Hyatt Erawan is located in the heart of downtown Bangkok. It is located right behind the famous Erawan Shrine, which sees thousands of devotees coming to offer their prayers to the Four-Faced Buddha. The hotel is within minutes’ walk from the nearest BTS station – Chit Lom Station. It is also within minutes’ walk from shopping malls such as Central World, Gaysorn to name a few.

The Room

The room I checked in is the Grand King room. Upon checking in, I was upgraded to the Grand King View room. The difference between the two rooms is the view. While the Grand King room faces the back of the hotel, the Grand King View room faces the front of the hotel. Upon entering the rustic room, the entrance to the bathroom is immediate to the right side. The squarish designed bathroom feels compact and luxurious at the same time, extending the rustic feel from the entrance of the room.  There are a couple of cubicles on the left of the entrance to the bathroom. The first cubicle is the walk-in shower with both rain shower and regular massage showerhead, and the cubicle next to it, next to the sink is the toilet. There is no additional door to the toilet cubicle. The sink feels rather small, but sufficient for one to place one’s additional toiletries. Opposite the cubicles, by a foldable door that opens to the room, in the bathtub. There are speakers piped into the bathroom so that one can watch the TV from the tub with the sound from the TV.
Entrance to the room
Rustic feel in the bathroom
Walk-in Shower cubicle
Toilet cubicle
Luxurious bath amenities
Additional toilet amenities in the box
Bathtub
After the entrance to the bathroom is the wardrobe area. There are two sections to the wardrobe – the open part and the enclosed part. The open portion has five-tier shelving with the safe occupying the centre tier, whiles there are baskets for guests to put their stuff into for the rest of the shelves. The enclosed part of the wardrobe is purely for guest to hang their clothing. There is sufficient room for one to hang up to two weeks of clothing.
Open Shelving
Enclosed wardrobe
Walking past the wardrobe, the room opens up to the spacious bedroom. Right around the corner, one can find a king bed. The bed is very comfortable and allowed a very well needed rest for the night after all the walking in Bangkok. There is also a pillow menu for guests to choose from different types of pillows to suit one’s needs. There is a shelf to the left of the bed with a pot acting as a decoration in the room. The bottom part of the shelf houses a radio and control for the switches in the room. There is sufficient room for one to place one’s mobile phone while charging on the bottom shelf. To the right of the bed is a bedside table with a phone and another switch control. To the right of the bedside table, further into the room and nicely tucked into a corner of the room facing the window is a couch and a glass top table. The couch is oddly placed in the room and perhaps intended to function more like chairs for the table than for one to relax in and watch the TV. The large-sized glass table functions as both a work desk, with most of the international adaptor powerpoints at the side of the table, and a dining table. There is a lamp on the table. There is another armchair placed at the glass table.
Comfortable King bed
Couch and the glass table by the window
Powerpoints by the glass table, which also functions as a dining table
Switch controller
Opposite the bed, is a large table with the TV placed onto it, There are three drawers on the table for guests to store their stuff. There is a long beach placed underneath the table, which one can use to place their luggage on. Complimentary coffee and tea can be found in one of the three drawers. To the right of the table, near to the entrance of the room is where one can find a minibar area, with the bar fridge well-concealed on the bottom shelf.
The TV is located opposite the bed
Minibar area
Contents inside the bar fridge
Complimentary coffee and tea (the titbits are not complementary though)
View from the room
Lift lobby

Swimming Pool

The hotel has a fairly large swimming pool located on the 5th floor. The free-form pool allows one to dip in and cool off in the hot Bangkok sun. There are a large number of deck chairs to go around and most of them are not situated under trees or any form of shades, providing guests with good spots for tanning. There is a poolside restaurant providing snacks and refreshments for guests.

Swimming pool located on the 5th floor of the hotel

Spa Facilities

The hotel has spa facilities separately for both male and female guests located on the 5th floor. There is a sauna, steam room, hot and cold jacuzzi inside the spa facilities. There are showers and lockers available inside the spa facilities. Guests can obtain the key from the staff manning the counter outside the spa facilities. There are ample amenities such as shavers, cotton buds, and towels available inside the spa room.

Lockers and changing room in the spa facilities
Amenities inside the spa facilities
Toilet inside the spa facilities
Hot and cold jacuzzis are available inside the spa facilities
Sauna inside the spa facilities

Gym

The gym is also located on the 5th floor of the hotel. The gym is quite well equipped with treadmills, press machines. There is a small counter serving drinks and complimentary bottled water next to the gym. Towels are available on the shelves outside the gym.

Very well equipped gym located on the 5th floor

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in the Dining Room located on the 1st floor of the hotel. There is quite a good spread of cuisine available for breakfast, ranging from Western to Asian to Thai to Indian, catering to the differing pallets of the guests staying in the hotel. The spread of food is good enough to last guests through dinner.

Dessert section
Fruit section
Widespread of pastries available for breakfast
Beverage section, coffee, and tea are available as well
Salad bar
Different types of bread available
All these are just for breakfast
Chefs preparing eggs and waffles for guests in front of the cooked food section
Indian Cuisine for breakfast

Service

The service in the hotel is truly 5-star. One will be treated like a VIP the moment one alights the cab. Staffs at the concierge are ready to assist us with our luggage and escorted us across the expansive lobby to the check-in counter where their check-in counterparts will assist us further. The concierge staff greeted us and opened the door for us whenever we walk past them. The staffs at the check-in counters truly embrace the warmth of the Thais, greeting us with a smile and went all way out to arrange for a room that we requested through booking. The proficient staff processed our check-in very speedy and ensured that we did not have to wait for too long before handing over the keycard to our room.

The great service is not only found in the lobby and the main entrance to the hotel. Even the housekeeping staff made us feel pleasant and welcomed in the hotel. We bumped into a couple of them during our short stay at the hotel. They never failed to smile and greet us whenever we bumped into them. I requested for additional bath amenities and extra pillow, the housekeeping staff got them delivered to us rather fast and as always with a genuine smile on his face. The staff outside the spa facilities and the pool are always smiling and readily made us feel welcome to use the facilities in the hotel. There are always smiles hanging on the face of the staff at the spa facilities counters whenever we walked past them. The staffs are always ready to answer any questions that I raised.

The service at the Dinning table is a mix. On the first day of our stay,  the staff made us feel welcome and ensured we were brought to our table almost immediately. Plates were cleared whenever we left our table to grab more food. However, it was not so on our second day of stay at Grand Hyatt Erawan. Perhaps due to the crowd, the counter at the front of the restaurant was not manned by anyone. We were made to wait for 10 mins after admitting us into the restaurant as the staff was frantically looking for a table to us. The chefs at the egg station cooked our eggs with care. There was once I wanted to grab some pancakes. A thoughtful chef, instead of giving me the one on their table, made a new one for me.

Check-in counter
Drinks are available at the check-in area

Overall

I had a pleasant stay at Grand Hyatt Erawan. The sleep quality is excellent and the room is well designed with comfort in mind. The facilities in the hotel were top-notch and the availability of the spa facilities to the guests without additional charge. The services that I had received during my stay with the hotel are fantastic. The staff made me feel welcomed and were seen smiling and greeting guests. With a convenient location and the excellent hardware and service, this hotel is well worth a stay for visitors visiting Bangkok for leisure or business alike. I look forward to staying in a different type of room in Grand Hyatt Erawan the next time I visit Bangkok.

[Accommodation Review] – Hansar Hotel (Urban Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (4 – 7 Jun 15)

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Location

Hansar Hotel Bangkok is conveniently located in downtown Bangkok. The location of the hotel is within 3 mins walk from the nearest BTS Station (Ratchadamri Station), which is one stop away from the central Siam Interchange and one stop away from Sala Daeng Station, where the famous Patpong Night Market is located. The Hotel is also within 5 mins walk from the famous Four Face Buddha Erawan Shrine and about 7 mins walk from Central World Shopping Mall. The location of the hotel is very convenient for visitors as it is rather central to most of the shopping malls around the area.
Hotel Signage
Hotel Facade from the Street
Main Entrance to the Hotel
Stairs leading to the reception
Check-in counters
Artwork around the hotel
Lobby on the ground floor
Hotel Facade

The Suite

Hansar Hotel Bangkok is touted as an all-suites hotel, where even the most basic room is a suite. The suite that I checked into is the Urban Suite, a complimentary upgrade when booked through the Small Luxury Hotels website. The contemporary Urban Suite has a total floor area of 71m² and has three sections to it.

Living Room

Upon entering the main door, the hotel’s signature green wall greets one on the right side. Further into the suite is the living area. There is a study desk with a marble bench right at the edge of this part of the suite. The marble bench is a great addition to the suite as it offered more space for guests to stow away their belongings, be it stuffs that one buys from their trip or their luggage. The study desk faces the TV, which allows guests to watch the TV even while working. The study desk is rather sizeable and stretches about 3/4 of the width of the suite. There are ample powerpoints, with international sockets, at the study desk for one to charge their electronic gadgets. The hotel is rather generous in terms of powerpoints as one can easily find one around this suite.
The main entrance to the suite
The signature green wall
Overview of the living room
Bench for extra storage. The safe is located behind the wooden panel
Nice sized work desk
Powerpoints neatly hidden when not in use
Sky garden outside my suite. Unfortunately, it is inaccessible
Right in front of the desk is where one can find a comfortable two-seater couch, where one can simply laze onto while watching the TV. The couch is so comfortable that I fell asleep on it while watching TV. There is also a coffee table and a stool in this part of the suite. The TV is mounted on the wall facing the couch and the work desk. The 40″ LCD TV has no lack of options for guests to choose to watch. As mentioned, the wall where the TV is mounted serves as a partition between the living room and the bedroom of this suite. Several cabinets are built into the wall where one can find more storage space beneath the TV mounting. To the right of the TV is where one can find the minibar. This is where one can find the electric kettle as well as coffee and tea. The fridge is nicely tucked under the storage space for the kettle. The architects of the suite cleverly hide the fridge in the cabinet under the open storage for a kettle. This small feature makes the whole suite look tidy. One thing worth mentioning is that all items in the minibar, both drinks and snacks, are complimentary from the hotel and it gets topped up daily.
Two-Seater Couch in the living room
A minibar and the sliding door to the bedroom
Snacks are complimentary and replenished daily
40″ TV in the living room with storage underneath it. There is no lack of storage in the suite
Magazines and stationery in the cabinet beneath the wall-mounted TV
Contents of the complimentary minibar
Welcome fruit plating. The fruits were delivered shortly after I checked in. Fruits are replenished daily during housekeeping
View of the living room from the study desk
View from the suite in the bedroom
View from the suite in the living room

Bedroom

There is a sliding door built into this wall serving as a partition between the living room and the suite. Rather than merely provide a wooden door, the designers have a full-size mirror mounted on the door, which is functional yet does not occupy space. The decor of the bedroom is minimalistic. Upon entering this part of the suite, one king bed attracted my attention. The bedroom comprises only of the bed, a TV and a couple of bedside tables. It does seem that the designers have functionality in mind when designing the bedroom. There is another 40″ LCD TV facing the bed mounted on the wall that separates the living room from the bedroom. Again there are ample power points in the bedroom so that one does not have to leave their phone charging in the living room. The king bed is very comfortable and I had no problems going to sleep shortly after lying on the bed. The pillows are however too soft for my liking, but the hotel provides foam pillows that gave me a good night sleep. As with other hotels, switches for the lighting can also be found on both sides of the bed. Again the designers did a fantastic job by building ledges for guests to hide all the wiring. This feature makes the suite look very tidy.
Comfortable king bed. The headboard is an art piece which is manually strung up using beads. The headboard is very comfortable to rest one’s head on
Another 40″ TV in the bedroom
Items on the bedside table

Bathroom

Access to the bathroom is through the bedroom, separated by 2 panels of wooden doors with full-length mirror mounted on the bedroom side of the door. The large bathroom occupies approximately 3/4 of the length of the suite. The dry areas of the bathroom are decked out with wood whilst the wet areas are laid with marble. At one end of the bathroom is where one can find an open wardrobe, which is very convenient and provides easy access to guests clothing. The wardrobe spans across the width of the bathroom, providing ample space for guests to hang up their clothing. There are two panels to the wardrobe, where one can find a 2 tier cabinet on the left panel. The top of the cabinet also serves as storage space for guests to stow their luggage. On top of the cabinet is where the hotel makes full use of space by providing hanging racks for one to hang their clothing such as shirts and berms. On the right panel is where one can find a full-length hanger for longer garments. On the wall side of the wardrobe in this panel is where one can find four open tiered ledges for putting away of small items. One can also find the hairdryer and plugs for shavers nicely tucked onto the wall. Along Stretching across the length of the bathroom, facing the door is where one can find the countertop with his and her sinks. The dual sink allows both guests to brush their teeth without the need to queue up. The expansive countertop also means there is ample space for guests to store their toiletries. The hotel is also very thoughtful in placing two bottles of drinking water here for guests to utilise. Opposite the wardrobe is where one can find two cubicles. The use of glass as partitions for these cubicles makes the bathroom feel spacious. On the left cubicle is where the bathtub and the shower are co-located. The bathtub is very large for 2 to soak in to comfortably. Incorporating the shower area together with the bathtub in this cubicle is very convenient for guests who prefer to shower after soaking in the tub. The bathroom features both a rain shower and a showerhead. Water pressure on both shower heads is strong. The other cubicle in the bathroom is where the toilet is located.
Wardrobe with ample space for storage in the bathroom
Countertop with his and hers sinks
Amenities on the countertop
A couple of bottles of water is being placed in the bathroom
The quality of the bath amenities is excellent.
Bathtub cum walk-in shower cubicle
Toilet cubicle next to the bathing cubicle

Breakfast at Eve Restaurant

Breakfast is served at the Eve Restaurant located on the ground floor. Guests are given the choice to choose indoor or outdoor dining. Despite the limited choices for food on display, guests can order additional food, with its listing in the menu that is found on every table. The hotel made a couple of changes to the food on offer daily.
Additional items on the menu for breakfast
Honey is dripped directly from the source during breakfast
The high ceiling in the restaurant makes it look big
Menu for additional items not on the buffet table

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in the hotel is located on the 8th floor. The rooftop infinite pool stretches across the entire floor. The water in the large swimming pool is rather chilling, however, it does provide a great cool dip amidst the hot weather in Bangkok during my visit. Most of the sun chairs are under shelter, hence guests wanting to do some tanning will find it challenging. There is a jacuzzi located at one end of the pool, just outside the changing rooms on this floor. Inside the changing room, other than shower cum toilet cubicles, one can also find a steam room here.
Swimming pool area
Infinite rooftop swimming pool. The pool stretches across the entire floor

Gym

The hotel has a small gym. Despite its size, one can find the standard gym equipment such as treadmills, weights and stationary cycle here. The gym is both clean and uncluttered.
Small but well-equipped gym
Some of the gym equipment

Luxsa Spa

The in house spa occupies the entire 10th floor of the hotel. Upon exiting the lift, a friendly staff greets guests stopping at the spa. The wooden decor of the spa gives one a zen feel. There is a waiting area at the spa when one exits the lift. The spa provides hair cut and hair care treatment, pedicure and manicure on top of the spa services.
Signage of Luxsa Spa
The waiting area in Luxsa
Reception in Luxsa

Service

The services in the Hansar is generally very good, except for one of the Duty Managers. The other staffs in the hotel understood what it meant to be customer centric. The impeccable services starts when I requested for a change of room when showed to my room. My room was changed immediately and the staff even offered to bring the keycard to my new room. Moments later when I was settling into my room, the doorbell to my room rang. The staffs knew my request for firm pillows and brought over the pillows from the other room as well as some welcome fruits.
The housekeeping staffs are friendly and detailed in their work. My room is always neat and tidy whenever I returned to my room at the end of the day. The housekeeping staffs ensured that all amenities are promptly topped up. There was this instance I requested for extra bath amenities late at night, one of the housekeeping staff brought the stuff to my room. I commented on the hot weather in Bangkok, the next thing was a ring on my door bell. The staff brought a bucket of ice and 2 bottles of water for me to quench my thirst. Such thoughtful behaviour attests to the fact that even the housekeeping staff knew what it meant to be customer centric. Every time I walked past the housekeeping staffs, there is always no lack of smiles and greetings from them.
The bell boys at the front of the hotel are excellent in their service as well. They are always seen with a smile and did not allow me to open the front door to the hotel myself, even late at night. They are always seen running up to the door before me when they saw me approaching afar so that I can transit into the hotel without having to open the door. Several times I told them it’s okay, I can open the door myself, they still wouldn’t allow me to, saying that it is their job to do so. I met Golf a few times and he is always with a big welcoming smile on his face. Golf even helped to hail a cab for my trip to the airport and helped me with my luggage.
The staffs at Eve Restaurant are very attentive and welcoming. I did not have to wait for long to be shown to a table for breakfast. Service is fast and there is no instance where I found plates uncleared from my table. I had the opportunity to speak with Han, the Operations Manager of the hotel during breakfast, whom is seen walking from table to table to chat with guests. I learnt a little more about the hotel and its operations from Han. It is very seldom where one would see the manager walking around chatting with guests.
My stay in Hansar would be perfect if not for one of the Duty Managers who was on night duty. During my check in I enquired about late check out and I conveyed to the duty manager that my flight is at 9 pm. The manager told me to check with the reception again on the day on my check out to see if a late check out is possible. I returned to the hotel around 1am on the day of my checking out, I met the duty manager again. When I asked about late check out, he gave me a bunch of dodgy excuses. The conversation soon became heated and the manager became defensive. I told the manager that I would want to check with the Operations Manager later in the day and check if he will be in the hotel (being a Sunday). The duty manager told me that he will be in the hotel. Later during my check out, I learnt that the Operations Manager is not working on the day of my checking-out. At this moment, I realised that the Duty Manager actually lied to me. It is ironical that the rest of the staff understood what it meant to be customer-centric, and a manager does not.
The rest of the staff provides great service and are very attentive, however not so for this duty manager. I was served by another duty manager and related my experience to her. The duty manager processing my checking out was empathetic and listened attentively without being defensive.

Overall

My stay in Hansar is comfortable. The size of the suite is large and the sleep quality on the bed is excellent. The Hotel clearly has the hardware, designing around convenience to guests. The service around the hotel is impeccable, less for the duty manager who spoke to in a defensive manner. If not for this particular personnel, my experience in Hansar would have been perfect. It is unlikely that I will return to this hotel if they can condone a managerial level staff to lie to their guests.

[Accommodation Review] – Cape House Service Apartments (1-Bedroom Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (6 – 9 Nov 14)

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Location

Cape House Service Apartments is located within downtown Bangkok. It is about 5 minutes walk from the nearest BTS station (Chit Lom), which is one stop away from Siam Central Station. The property is also within 6 mins walk from the famous 4-face Buddha shrine – Erawan Shrine. It is within walking distance to major shopping malls such as Central World, Siam Paragon, Siam Square,  Central Embassy. The Platinum shopping mall is within 15 minutes walk from the hotel. There is no lack of 24-hour convenient shops (7-Eleven) near the property. There is one just right opposite to the hotel and one more nearer to the main street.

The Suite

There are 3 configurations of rooms available in this property, namely studio suite, one-bedroom suite and two-bedroom suite. I was informed that the two-bedroom suite is leased out for long term guests leaving studio suite and one-bedroom suite available for short terms stays. The suite that I stayed in is the one-bedroom apartment suite. The suite can be segregated into 4 main sections, namely the kitchenette, the living room, the bedroom and the bathroom.

Kitchenette

The kitchenette is situated to the left side of the suite upon entering from the main door. This small kitchenette features a mid-size 2 compartment fridge, an electric stove and microwave ovens. There is also a kitchen sink installed here in the suite. The suite comes with a full range of utensils, allowing patrons to host up to 4 guests. There are also pots and pans available in the suite for guests to do some cooking. A front loader washing machine is found in this part of the suite. Clever use of a bar stand separates the kitchenette from the living room. The kitchenette, despite its small size, is sufficient for one to do some cooking. 2 to 3 persons can work comfortably in the kitchenette without bumping into each other.
Kitchenette in the Suite

Living Room

Directly ahead of the kitchenette, in front of the main door is the living room. The contemporary and comfortable living room is the largest area in the suite. This area can be further segmented into 3 sections. Directly in front of the kitchenette is the dining table. The table is tucked in one corner of the living room, making clever usage of space within the suite. The table is large enough to seat 4. Next to the dining area is the work desk. The window facing work desk is not intrusive and the way the hotel lays out the work desk makes it functional, yet not cluttering the space with unnecessary furniture. The work desk has a separate lighting and wired connections for internet. The hotel also provides free wifi throughout the hotel. The other segment of the living room is the couch area. The two-seater couch faces a large LED TV. There is also a single-seater armchair and a large cushioned stool in this area of the room. There is also a coffee table in the centre of the seating in the living area, decked out with in-house magazines and some other business magazines. To add to a sense of spaciousness, the designers of the hotel made use of the floor to ceiling window in the living room. The view from the suite that we were being assigned is not fantastic, as it faces another apartment building next to the hotel.

The dining area and the work desk
TV in the living room, facing the dining area and work desk
Cosy Couches for one to laze on

Bedroom

Further into the suite, to the right of the main door is the entrance to the bedroom. Separated from the living room with a door, the contemporary bedroom screams of comfort and cosiness. It is of the right size, neither too big nor too small. The bedroom features a king-size bed, placed in front of another floor to ceiling window. I kept the curtain here closed most of the time as I can see directly into someone else’s apartment opposite. The sleep quality of the king bed is excellent. One can almost immediately fall asleep on this bed, which is neither too soft nor too hard. The pillows are also just right for my liking. Next to the entrance of the bedroom is a 2 panelled wardrobe. The wardrobe is rather huge as it occupied almost the entire length of the bedroom. The huge wardrobe allows guests to comfortably stow away 2 weeks of clothing for 2 persons. An in-room electronic safe is also tucked away within the wardrobe. There are also a couple of bedside tables being placed on each side of the bed. There is another smaller TV, tucked away to the side of the bedroom, in the same area as the makeup area. The makeup area is located next to the wardrobe and has separate lighting.

Comfortable King Bed
View of the bedroom and the doors leading to the living room and bathroom
Makeup area and another small TV in the room

Bathroom

The bathroom spans across the bedroom and the living room. Accessible from either of the rooms, the spacious bathroom decked in marble flooring and tabletops has a rather large bathtub tucked in one corner of this area. There is a separate walk-in shower located at the other (living room) end of the bathroom. A sink and the toilet bowl is located between the bathtub and the walk-in shower. The hotel provides the standard range of toiletries except for toothbrush and toothpaste. Patrons staying in this hotel are reminded to bring their dental kits. There are also a couple of racks found on the walls of this room for patrons to hang their wet towels. This is a plus as most hotels lacked area for one to hang towels for drying.

Bathtub and sink area in the bathroom
Toilet Bowl and Walk-in Shower
Bath amenities

The Lounge

Guests in the hotel are entitled to free access to the lounge. Located on the 15th floor of the property, the spacious Executive lounge is a great place for guests to hang out. Decking out in white theme and wooden flooring, the lounge has several couches for relaxation. There are also business magazines and daily newspapers for guests to browse through whilst at the lounge. There is an assortment of complimentary pastries available all day for guests to enjoy, however only coffee, tea and plain water are available for guests. Smoking is allowed in the lounge within its enclosed smoking room. The view from the lounge is much better than that from the suite I was assigned to. Other facilities such as outdoor jacuzzi, swimming pool and gym are also available on the property. However, due to my short time stay, I did not visit these facilities.

Finger food on offer at the Executive Lounge
Executive lounge decked in White and wooden flooring
Magazines and the reception area in the Lounge
Nice view from the lounge
Smoking room in the lounge

Service

The staffs in the hotel are generally very helpful. There is always a warm welcoming smile whenever I approach them at the lobby. They are not stingy in offering information on the whereabouts in Bangkok should they be approached. There is also no lack of greetings whenever a guest walks past. These ambassadors of the hotel are very welcoming, truly embracing customer service and the friendliness of the Thais. The same is said of the bellboy. They are always alert whenever guests approach the main door of the hotel. They would leave no guests having to open the main door themselves. There are no instances where greetings are not being accorded to by these staffs at the main door whenever I walk through these doors.
The same, however, cannot be said of the staffs at the No. 43 Italian Bistro. This is the place where one would have their breakfast daily. The staffs here are a little cold and getting a smile from them seemed to be an uphill task. It seemed to suggest that they are only interested in their function, to clear the plates and ensure the food is being topped up. Despite that, food is rarely being topped up during breakfast service. These staffs seemed to be hiding away from the sight of patrons most of the time, which leaves plates uncleared and food not topped up. Their egg station does not seem to be staffed at all times, and one would be expected to wait up to 10 minutes for anyone to appear at the egg station.
No. 43 Bistro where breakfast is being served
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast

Overall

The hotel is an ideal location for one to be at whilst in Bangkok. Its proximity to the shopping malls in downtown Bangkok, as well as amenities such as the BTS station and 7-Elevens, makes it a great place to stay whilst in Bangkok. The well-appointed suite that I was assigned, apart from the depressing view, is very cosy and comfortable to stay. The air conditioning of the suite is efficient and powerful enough to cool down guests from the heat of Bangkok. Service-wise is a mix comparing to the staffs in the restaurant and the rest of the front line staff. I would not hesitate to stay here, given the price and the location and the size of the suite, the next time I visit Bangkok.

[Accommodation Review] – La Flora Resort Patong (Pool Villa), Phuket, Thailand (10 – 13 Sep 14)

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Location

La Flora Resort is located right in the heart of Patong area in Phuket. Patong, being the centre of all tourist activities on this island of Thailand. The resort is within mere minutes walk from Bangla street and Jungceylon Shopping mall. The resort is also located right at the doorstep on the northern part of Patong Beach, despite being a little further from the actions on the beach, one will also be able to catch actions and fun on the beach. La Flora’s convenient location where one can find the shopping and highlights on Patong and the beach makes it a location to be sought after whilst staying in Phuket.
Resort signage
Entrance to the resort
Patong beach just at the back of the resort

Pool Villa

Bedroom

I was upgraded to a pool villa by the good people of the resort. After checking in, I was escorted to the villa. The villa can be divided into 3 sections: the bedroom, the toilet and the backyard. Upon entering the villa, a contemporary designed bedroom greeted us. There is a space right by the entrance of the villa where one can find a long study desk. The desk a tad too narrow for one to stow things. Several standard items are being placed on this desk, which gives little space for one to put their stuff. During turndown in the evenings, the staffs would place 2 small bottles of mineral water on this table. There are a few cabinets below the study table, which provides additional space for one to stow one’s stuff.
Study desk
Right behind the study table is a ledge for one to stow one’s luggage. This space is large enough to stow 2 cabin size luggage. Below this ledge is a couple of drawers for one to put away more stuff. A wardrobe is found right next to this ledge, nicely tucked in a convenient yet non-intrusive location in the villa. The wardrobe is large enough to store a few days of clothing for 2. This is where one would find the mini-fridge nicely tucked into the wardrobe, providing guests with complimentary drinks to quench their thirst.
Luggage storage and wardrobe
Wardrobe and mini-fridge
Well stocked fridge
On the left of the entrance of the room is a couch for one to relax onto or to entertain guests. On the 2 sides of this couch, are tabletop worked onto as a composite unit of the couch. Here is where one can find coffee and electric kettles. On the other end of the couch is where the resort placed a plate of complimentary tropical fruits to welcome guests.
Welcome fruit
Couch
Coffee and Tea
The centrepiece of this part of the villa gotta be the oversized king bed. The bed is located in front of the study desk, using the study desk as the headboard for the bed. The bed is neither too soft nor too hard to sleep on. Coupled with the comfortable bedsheets, one can be reassured of good night sleep on the bed. The bed comes with 4 pillows, however, the pillows are a tad too soft for my liking. One can always request for additional pillows from the resort, which they promptly delivered to the villa with a smile. In front of the bed is the LED TV. There are no connections to the TV from anywhere in the villa. One would have to plug their computers directly to the rear of the TV. There are, however, no lack of TV programs. One can either choose to watch the local TV channels or the documentary channels such as National Geographic or Discovery Channels or choose from the library of movies the resort provided in the room at no additional charges. The TV is hooked onto a hard disk drive where the movies are located.
King Bed
TV in room

Bathroom

Onward to the second section of the villa is the bathroom area. From the bedroom, one can walk right into a corridor where the dual sinks are located. This means that there will be no fighting over the sinks in the morning. The large sinks are placed on the countertop where one will be able to stow their toiletries. However, as with the study desk, the countertop is a tad too small, but still sufficient to put facial products. There is a cloth hanger for one to place their towels in this part of the toilet area.
Branded toothbrush
Dual sink
Between the 2 sinks are the entrance to the shower and toilet area. Upon entering this part of the villa, the blue bathroom opens up to a standing shower area to the left, featuring both a rain shower and a standard showerhead. The shower looks into the back yard and provided a lot of natural light into the villa. I used the standard shower head most of the time as the rain shower seem to be suffering from a lack of maintenance. The water flow from the rain shower is inconsistent and seem to be weaker than the standard showerhead. To the right of the entrance is where one can find the standard toilet bowl. Further into the bathroom is where one can find a jacuzzi tub. the tub faces the back yard for one to relax into while soaking. The pressure of the jacuzzi nozzles is in good shape and can provide guests with a well-deserved water jet massage after a long day on the beach or just walking around Patong area.
Bathing amenities
Jacuzzi tub

Private Plunge Pool

Further onto the corridor where the sinks are located in the bathroom is the back door which leads to the back yard. This is where one can find the private plunge pool and a couple of tanning chairs. The plunge pool is a tad too small for one to get a decent swim but large enough for one to plunge and soak by the pool. This pool, despite the size, is deeper then the ones one would find outside the villa. The enclosed backyard ensures guests receive maximum privacy in the back yard. The back yard is also lightly decorated with some plants, giving guests a relaxing feel. However, the placement and the orientation of the pool does not allow one to receive sufficient sunlight for a decent tan.
Tanning chair in the villa
Private plunge pool
The villa, whist great, lacks power points for one to charge their electronic gadgets. There are limited PowerPoint outlets throughout the villa. The powerpoints are located in inconspicuous places which can be inconvenient for guests to accessed to. There is also lack of tabletop spaces in the villa for one to place their stuff within reach. One would have to stow away their stuff in the cabinets.

Swimming Pools

There are 2 lap pools within the resort grounds. One of them is the normal pool, where one can enjoy a swim without many obstructions. The other pool (located just outside our villa), is of the same length as the first pool. Here is where can find a few tanning chairs and a non-functioning jacuzzi.  There are pool access rooms located on the sides of both pools. Despite the lack of tanning chairs by the pool, there are a few more scattered on the resort grounds. The resort provides towels for guests who opted to tan on the beach, which is on the back yard of the resort.
Lap pools in the resort
Lap pools in the resort
The view around the resort
View of the lap pool
Proximity to the beach

Service

The staffs in the resort were very welcoming. I was greeted with the widest smile upon arrival at the hotel for checking in. The staff ensured that guests have a great experience from the point of check in to the point of check out. Welcome drinks and cool towels were presented to guests upon arrival. While another staff processed my checking in with speed. I did not have to wait for too long for my check-in to be completed. Upon arrival, staffs were seen sprung into well-oiled actions to ensure guests feel comfortable and everything is taken care of, including luggage.
The staffs would be engaged in conversations with guests to see how well their day has been exploring around Phuket every time I walked by the reception. Wais was seen on every staff given to guests walking by the reception.  2 staffs came to our villa during evening turndown and their speed of turning down is remarkable. I was at the resort spa exploring the resort and the staffs, despite knowing my intention was not for the spa service, still greeted me and engaged in a conversation with me. This shows that the staffs on the resort know exactly what service is and what it takes to be service-oriented. The staffs even provided valuable information on the Patong area and Phuket and how to maximise my time in Phuket. The staffs also ensured that the villa is being cleaned every single day and amenities are being topped up every single day, including the drinks in the fridge.
There was an instance where I had to go through the restaurant due to the rain, the staffs at the restaurant, despite knowing I was just trespassing, showed me the way to my villa and even offered umbrella to shelter me from the rain. I was promptly welcomed every single morning at the restaurant for breakfast.
Check out is equally efficient and I was given a room for a shower before heading to the airport. The hotel staff helped me with my luggage to the room they assigned me for a shower. The resort even arranged a complimentary transfer to the airport in a Mercedes for my trip home.

Overall

 The resort is the place to be whilst in Phuket. It offered the best of both worlds, close to the proximity of shopping and allowed guests to relax close to the beach. I had a very comfortable stay in the resort, though more can be done in terms of the infrastructure in the villa. It is tough to find fault with the service rendered in the villa, with every single staff understanding what service is all about and offering guests the biggest smile they can give. I would recommend staying in this resort for trips to Phuket.

[Accommodation Review] – Thavorn Palm Beach Resort (Premium Deluxe Room), Phuket, Thailand (7 – 10 Sep 14)

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Location

Thavorn Palm Beach Resort is located in a quiet area in Karon Area in Phuket. The resort is one road away from the beach, which sees much lesser crowd as compared to Patong. The resort is far from everything else and the nearest 7-Eleven is a good 10 mins walk from the resort. If one is looking for a quiet place to relax, this resort can be placed in your consideration list. The resort is about 20 mins walk from the famous Phad Thai shop in Phuket. There are some shops about 10 mins walk from the resort selling mostly daily use products. There isn’t much to see or do in the vicinity of the resort. The facade of the resort look aged and run down. The rustic lobby gives guests a feel of being taken back in time to the 60s. Most of the time the resort feels dark and deserted, perhaps partly due to the period I stay there being the low season for Phuket.
Quiet lobby
Welcome drinks

The Room

Wardrobe Area

After checking-in, we were escorted by a front desk staff to our room. Despite the aged facade of the resort, the Premium Deluxe room, which offers partial sea view, we were assigned to is rather new. The contemporary room seems to be recently renovated, however, there are signs of ageing in the room. As one enters the room, one can spot the wardrobe located to the right of the main door.  The wardrobe is sufficient for 2 persons to unpack their clothing into. However my friend and I did not utilise this wardrobe much as it seemed aged, this is one of the few areas in the room where the resort did not manage to renovate. Right next to the wardrobe is the mini bar area. The standard mini bar is where can find complimentary coffee and tea, however, the rest of the beverages in the fridge is chargeable. We also did not use the electric air pot for water as it looked rusted and dirty.

Wardrobe by the main door
Minibar area

Bathroom

Opposite the minibar is the entrance to the bathroom. The bathroom provides sufficient space for guests. There is a large glass window in the bathroom, right next to the sink. The resort also provided curtains for one to hang for privacy. Opposite the door to the bathroom is the toilet bowl and the sink is next to it. This room only comes with a walk-in shower. There is a ledge by the toilet bowl, which provides guests with space to put their bathing amenities.

Toilet
Shower area
Bath amenities

Sleeping Area

Walking past the corridor from the main door opens up to the bedroom. The bedroom is rather spacious. To the left of the room is where can find the bed. We requested for a king-size bed and was given a bed which is a combination of 2 super-single bed. The bed sleep quality on the bed is bad as the mattress is very soft and one can feel the bed frame of the 2 single beds when sleeping. The pillows are also too soft for my liking. Next to the bed is the makeup table, which is of a decent size for female patrons to stow their cosmetics. Opposite the bed is where one can locate the LED TV. The TV only shows local channels and some outdated channels from popular TV shows such as National Geographic and Discovery Channels for free, one would have to pay for the rest of the channels. To the right of the TV, and in between the TV and the minibar area, is a marble ledge where one can stow their luggage. The ledge is large enough to hold one huge luggage or 2 cabin-sized luggage. To the left of the TV is a queen size day bed, placed next to a window that looks out into the balcony, this day bed is good for one to relax and laze without messing up their bed.  There is a coffee table placed right in front of the day bed.

“King Size” Bed
View of the room
TV
Day bed

Balcony

Beyond the makeup table is a glass door that leads to the balcony. The balcony is quite big, taking the entire width of the room. There are a couple of straw made chairs and a table placed on the balcony that looks into the beach afar and the swimming pool below. On a clear day, this is a good spot for guests to see the sunset.

Balcony

Service

We had very minimal interaction with the staffs in the resort. The service in the resort is generally acceptable. Cold drinks were being served upon arrival, and the front desk staff invited us to sit by the lobby while she processed our check-in. It took quite a while before we were handed our keys. The staff volunteered to show us to our room, despite us rejecting a few times. She was however very friendly and showed us the way to our room and the various facilities within the resort. Upon entering our room, she also shows us the fixtures in the room. I can sense that she was waiting for a tip and seem to refuse to leave without tipping, by going into mindless introductions such as the air pot and the toilet bowl flush. We had tipped her to get her off our back.
The housekeeping staffs are very friendly and were never stingy with their smiles and greetings. However the same cannot be said of the staffs at the restaurant where breakfast was served. We had to search for our seats as the staffs were engaged in petty gossips amongst themselves, paying occasional attention to guests. The bellboys at the lobby is a nice bunch of people, who truly portrays the spirit of Thais. They are always asking how was our day, where did we go and if we needed help with our luggage whenever we walked past them.

Overall

Despite efforts to revitalise the resort, the effort is only restricted to the rooms. The facade and parts of the room still show signs of ageing. The location of the resort is very bad as it is far from everything else. Throughout my stay in the resort, it felt that most of the staffs did not bother to initiate a relationship with guests, rather the relationship building is left to chance. At the period of my stay in the hotel, it was low season for tourism in Phuket, however, the attitude of the staffs towards guests seemed to be lukewarm. The sleep quality of the bed is also pretty bad, despite being a spacious room. This resort is not worth staying.

[Accommodation Review] – S31 Sukhumvit Hotel, Bangkok (Duplex Suite), Thailand (26 – 30 Dec 13)

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Location

S31 is located along the main Sukhumvit Road along Soi 31. The hotel is around 5 mins walk from the nearest BTS station. There are several food options available around the vicinity. There are also quite several massage parlours around mainly offering traditional Thai massages. There is an upmarket shopping mall along the main Sukhumvit Road, which is near to the hotel. There is a 24-hour supermarket nearby. The hotel is 4 BTS stations from Bangkok city centre.
Hotel Signage

The Suite

Living Room

S31 Sukhumvit Hotel is under Small Luxury Hotel Group. Being an SLH member, I got a complimentary upgrade to a duplex suite. The 2-level suite was fantastic. The lower level of the suite has a small kitchenette and a full-size fridge, equipped with a microwave oven. Opposite the kitchenette is a toilet, which is a thoughtful additional in the suite. There is some storage space underneath the stairways leading up to the second level of the room. Further from the kitchenette is the living room in the suite. This part features a 3 seater couch facing the TV in the living room. There is a reading couch for one to relax on just after the 3 seater couch, in front of the floor to the ceiling glass window.

Minibar at the Kitchen area
Bar table separating the kitchen from the lounge area
Full-Size fridge in the kitchen
Kitchen area
View of the ground floor
Toilet on the ground floor
View of the couch by the window from the second floor

Bedroom

Round the corner are the stairways leading up to the second level. Most of the storage space is located on this level. Upon arrival on the second level, a huge King bed which seem to be able to sleep 4 adults comfortably. The ledges along the perimeter in this level is a thoughtful addition as it provided additional space to put my stuff onto. There is another TV facing the bed on this level. The wardrobe can be opened on both sides, from the bedroom and the bathroom.

Staircase leading to the second floor
Huge King bed on the second floor
Another TV in front of the bed
Huge king bed

Bathroom

The bathroom is just a little up from the bedroom. It featured a huge bathtub and a walk-in rain shower, and a toilet bowl. There is also a huge mirror in front of the toilet bowl, which is also a fire escape leading to a corridor outside the room.
Toilet on the second level
Walk-in shower
Sink area
Bathing amenities
Bathtub
Sink area
View from the room

Swimming Pool and Gym

I had the chance to utilise most of the facilities on this property. The pool area was rather small, with less than 10 suntanning benches. The pool was of a good size and is elevated onto the platform. One can see the activities inside the pool through the glass wall, perfect for photo-taking without getting wet. There is also a mini-golf area at the side of the pool, where patrons can borrow the golfing sets at no extra charge. The gym is located on the 9th level. The small but functional gym seem well equipped with most of the gym equipment one can find in a full-scale gym. There is even a boxing ring in the gym. At the same level was the changing room, where one can find both sauna and steam bath facilities. The hotel has fantastic hardware that can make one feel comfortable.

Thai artwork along the corridor outside my suite
The corridor outside the suite I stayed in
Massage centre reception
Swimming  pool, gym reception
Gym
Boxing ring inside the gym
Swimming pool
Tuk-tuk provided by the hotel

Service

Most of the staffs here are very friendly and know the meaning of customer-centric. Upon entering the lobby of the property, the friendly and welcoming staffs welcomed us to the hotel and extended their services to help with luggage. Despite declining their assistance, the staffs escorted me to the lift and pointed out that the reception is on the 8th floor, where I will be able to check-in. Check-in was a breeze and the staffs at the check-in counters were very friendly and very welcoming.
The staffs are welcoming and pleasant, especially those on the ground floor where the concierge is located. They are very willing to recommend places to go and their local knowledge is fantastic beyond words. However, the staffs at the gym level and the spa staffs needs to pay more attention to their customer service. Most of the time they are seen chatting with each other or playing on their mobile phone. Even when approached for towels for the pool, they couldn’t seem to care less about meeting customer needs. The hotel provides free tuk-tuk shuttle to the nearest BTS station, but at the period when we were there, it was down except for the last 2 days.

Overall

The hotel has fantastic hardware, with excellent sleep quality and spacious suite that I stayed in. Most of the staffs are very friendly and there are certainly huge room to improve on the customer service aspect of the hotel for the staffs at the gym and the spa.

 

[Accommodation Review] – The Westin Grande Sukhumvit (Deluxe Room), Bangkok, Thailand (25 – 26 Dec 13)

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Location

The location of the hotel is fantastic, it is just next to the Terminal 21 shopping mall. The hotel is also close to the BTS train system. There is no lack of food options around the hotel and there are several shopping malls around the hotel.

Hotel Signage

The Room

The floor area of the room felt just right for its category, it isn’t too cramp and there isn’t too much unnecessary furniture in the room.

Bathroom

Heading into the room, the toilet door is located on the right side. The toilet itself was presentable and functional. A single basin with racks that the hotel staffs display the amenities. The amenities are of good quality, but the flaw is it is too small a bottle. I had resorted to bugging the housekeeping staff a few times to get more bathing amenities. The walking shower is just next to the toilet bowl, tucked in one corner of the bathroom. On the other side of the bathroom is a smallish bathtub, with a huge mirror hung up on the wall. The bathtub looked too dirty to be used, hence I did not even bother using it.

Bathtub
Walk-in shower and toilet bowl
Storage shelf in the toilet
Storage shelf in the toilet

Sleeping Area

Opposite the toilet is some shelving that houses the minibar and drinks, with a small wardrobe. The main bulk of the room is taken up by the king-sized bed, big enough to sleep 3 adults. Opposite the bed was a large LED TV. There is also a 2 seater couch beside the bed and a study for those who want to do some work in the room. The view of the room we were assigned was facing the city, which is a better view of the 2 sides of the hotel. However, the downside of the room is that it somehow felt wasn’t ready for occupancy. We saw an empty plate on the study desk, which comes with a small note that reads “Please enjoy the complimentary fruits”, it turns out there was NO fruit on the plate! I am not too sure if this is a practical joke that the hotel cracks with the customers on Christmas itself.

Minibar area
Minibar
Wardrobe
The couch in the room
King-size Bed
TV and the work desk
EMPTY fruit plate!!
View from the room

Swimming Pool

After settling in, I headed for the pool for sun tanning. The pool was of the right size, however, the water is very cold, despite it being the middle of the day. The amount of tanning benches at the pool is rather limited. Once one can grab a spot, the pool is a good place for tanning.
Pool area
The facade of the hotel from the pool

Service

I stayed at this property on Christmas day itself. Check-in counters are located on the 8th floor. Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by the staff at the front door, who had volunteered to help with my luggage to the reception which was pointed out by the staff is on the 8th floor. I told the staff I can manage the luggage and he showed me to the lift that will take me to the check-in counters.

Check-in counters 
Xmas tree in the lobby
At the counter, the staffs greeted me with a smile and helped to process my check-in promptly. I got the keycard and was given a room that matches my requirements. However, there was no special mention about my SPG member unlike the other hotels under the chain. I collected the keycard and proceeded up to our room. When I was at the door of the room as assigned, I couldn’t get the door open with the keycard. I enquired with the housekeeping staff who was a few rooms down regarding the problem I was facing. She promptly put down her work and concentrated on helping me solving the problem. Although she spoke very little English, she managed to find out my problem and called the front desk. Upon checking with the front desk, I realised I was told the wrong room. The housekeeping staff even showed me to my room and ensured that I was comfortably settled down before resuming her work.
I saw some staffs around the pool. All of them doesn’t appear to be interested in working. Spotted some chatting in one corner with their colleagues, while others were busy playing on their mobile phone. I checked out the gym, which was rather small, the staff at the gym saw me entering the gym and gave me a “what the hell are you here for” stare. I am taken aback by the difference in service standards among the staffs that we have met throughout the hotel. Some of the frontline staffs are not interested in ensuring customers are well taken care of, while that level of service was seen portrayed by a backend staff such as a housekeeper was different. The free wifi at the lobby is a joke! I was given one slip, which can only be logged in by one device at a time for 1 hour! However, most of the slips that I was given were expired! Wonder what is stopping the hotel from opening up wifi at the lobby for patrons to use!!

Overall

Overall, while the sleep and the room were comfortable in this hotel, the difference in service standards portrayed by the various staffs and the rude joke that we encountered in the room, coupled with the dirty bathtub are serious flaws that the hotel intentionally or unintentionally overlook. There are better hotels around at this price range that will provide better and more consistent service.