For those looking for affordable luxury accommodation in the Bangkok, the capital of the Land of Smiles, the Royal Meridien would be a good choice. From 4960 Baht per night, guests can stay at the deluxe room with a choice of different types of beds and from 5880 Baht per night, guests can live in the more luxurious Royal Club Room. Being a large hotel with an array of facilities and restaurant choices, there is definitely something for all guests at the hotel.

Date of stay: May 2013

Address

61 Wireless Road (Witthayu)
Bangkok 10330, Thailand


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Deluxe Club Room

Prices start from THB 5880 per night for the Royal Club rooms when you book through the hotel’s website.

Location
 

Royal Meridien Bangkok, also known as Plaza Athenee Bangkok, is a luxury 5 star hotel installed in the prime area of Bangkok. This hotel aims to cater to all types of guests. It is conveniently located proximate to many of the city’s popular attractions. Many prominent sightseeing attractions are located just a walk away from the hotel. Examples include Lumpini Park, Erawan Shrine and 100 Tonson Gallery. Shoppers also will not be disappointed because the hotel is located merely steps away from  Phleon Chit BTS Station, which allows guests to travel effortlessly to a plethora of shopping malls. Examples include Central Childlom, Gaysorn, and the popular tourist must-visits, Siam Paragon and MBK. Guests can also visit the weekend Chatuchak Market, and the friendly hotel staff will be more than delighted to assist guests in arranging transportation to the floating market. The hotel’s website states that it is positioned in the commercial hub, but to my disappointment, accessibility to office towers were not as convenient as compared to travelling to shopping malls. Nonetheless, the efficiency and proximity of Bangkok’s BTS and MRT systems still make travelling around the city a breeze.

Check In

The check in was smooth an relatively quick, just what you would expect from a 5 star hotel. The staff were very friendly and polite to me, and were obviously well trained. Even though it wasn’t impressive, it was definitely still one of the better quality services that I have received from a 5 star hotel. Being an SPG gold member, I was upgraded to a Deluxe Club Room for free, as this hotel is owned by the Starwood group. As a result, I was entitled to a bigger room with some additional perks which I will mention later on in the post.

Room

The entrance of the room was warm and welcoming, with dark cherry red hardwood covering the walkway to the main area. This immediately gives the room a cosy rustic feel that many modern 5 star hotels lack.

The room was really spacious, partly because it was a club room. Floor to ceiling windows encase one side of the wall beside the bed, offering a spectacular view of Bangkok’s city skyline. However, I was slightly disappointed with the architecture and decor of the room. For one, the design of the room was rather old fashioned. The furniture selection and colours are unflattering and do no justice to the brand of the hotel. It does not take an expert to tell that the furniture have seen better days. However, I have heard that the hotel will be undergoing renovation in April 2014, and perhaps the rooms will be refurbished to give a more modern and luxurious touch. Albeit the dated furnishings and design, I was happy to observe that the room was very well maintained. The bedsheets were fresh, clean and well pressed. The bed was soft and comfortable with a selection of two pillows which will cater to almost all guests.

Nonetheless, the combination of warm orange lights and the dark cherry toned wooden bed frame sets up a cosy resting area for guests. The lamps by the sides of the bed were sufficiently bright to allow guests to read comfortably at night. In the morning, the abundance of natural sunlight is sufficient to light up the whole room. For those who prefer a warmer and more cosy setting, day blinds are available. Such a set up creates versatility, as minimal lighting is required for the day, and guests have various choices of lighting to create the required mood for any events.

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There was a work desk in the room made of wood, giving the desk a vintage feel. However, I felt that the work desk was rather sparse. It was basically empty besides for some booklets about the hotel, their room service and about the local area. The desk also lacked a stationery set, and there was only one pen available for use. Furthermore, the desk lacked drawers making it really quite impractical for any one that needs to get some serious work done. After all, I would expect at least a couple of drawers to keep my stationery or notebooks while doing work.

The room had a well appointed pantry area with a more that sufficiently stocked mini bar. With an array of soft drinks, beers and juices, guests will be spoilt for choice should they want to enjoy a cold drink in the room whilst relaxing on the sofa by the window. The only bane to Not forgetting the generous assortment of finger-food like snickers bars, potato chips and chocolate. Guests are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to sinful, convenient snacking. For the caffeine addicts, there is a coffee machine complete with Nescafe coffee blender provided free of charge.

Located below the pantry desk was a drawer full of surprises.

This is definitely liquor heaven for those who drink. Nicely stocked in the drawer were bottles of liquor like Gin, Whisky and Vodka, with wine glasses and whiskey glasses. With this amazing selection of drinks, I would say that the room is definitely well equipped enough for guests to host a party with friends. However, please take note that all these drinks are chargeable and it would be wise to enquire the price before opening any bottles, so as to avoid any nasty surprises when receiving your bill.

An ironing board is also provided and is stored together with the steam iron and safe, in the wardrobe adjacent to the main entrance. Even a fire extinguisher is provided in the room, unlike many other hotels where the fire extinguishers are shared and only found in the common corridors. However, I feel that the wardrobe itself and the way the interior is designed looks really dated and aged. I cannot help but be reminded by some of the less pleasant motels I have stayed in before in some other countries.

Bathroom

The bathroom was very spacious, considering the already ample space observe in the bedroom. Square marble tiles cover the entire wall and floor. The intelligent use of mirrors and the white colouration of the tiles give the toilet a slightly vintage yet classy and elegant feel.

The sink was also clad in marble, but the matted finish and the dark wooden body revealed its age. Nonetheless, the sink area was clean, and all necessary toiletries were placed neatly inside a nice wooden box. Two complimentary bottles of water were also provided and placed by the sink. The bottles were actually glass bottles and I found this an interesting and practical way to provide good service to guests and yet protect the environment. The glass bottles are always reusable, unlike plastic bottles and can also act as storage bottles for boiled water, thus reducing wastage of water. Guests would not have to worry about the inconvenience of having to carry heavy bottles out as plastic bottles are also provided in the mini bar as mentioned above.

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There was a nice bathtub in the toilet which was big enough for 2 and attached to the wall next to it was a bathing robe – a luxury expected from 5 star hotels of this calibre. The wasn’t anything special about the bathtub, just what you would expect from any 5 star hotel – clean and spacious. One thing that guest should take not of is that this bathtub was placed there for the purpose of soaking and for bubble bathes only. The lack of shower curtains means that water will splash all over the bathroom floor should guests attempt to have a shower in the bathtub. Of course, complimentary toiletries were provided in small plastic bottles, as usual, but what I had hoped for was branded toiletries, which is now becoming the norm for luxury an boutique hotels, and not just shampoo and shower gels with the hotel’s name on them.

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