Pampered and pampered, review of Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
I had been waiting since before Covid to stay at the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok, and I finally did. The [...]
Thailand
I had been waiting to stay at the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok since before Covid. And I finally succeeded. Thailand reopened to tourists in July 2021, but only a year later were all restrictions on travel and attraction openings in the nation lifted. I therefore returned to see how thefor life compared to the Phuket bubble., where I had been just in August last year. Above all, I wanted to compare Hilton's top sign with the neighboring St.Regis Bangkok of the Marriott group.
Reservation
In this article:
The best bonuses
I chose to book this hotel through the American Express travel portal and especially through the program Fine Hotels+Resorts. I could just as easily have made the reservation with the Hilton Honors Points, but it would not have been a convenient conversion given the low price of the room.
Also active on the Amex portal was a 25% discount off the list price, making it even more convenient to book through FH+R. A savings of about €150 for two nights, to which we can add the long list of benefits of the exclusive Amex program.
I also have decided to use the €150 travel voucher That every year is given to all Platinum cardholders, is included in the charter fee. In the end, the cost was just under €185 per night, compared to a list price of €330. Not to mention that FH+R reservations allow you to get all status-related privileges and accumulate points.
Location
The area of ultra-luxury hotels in Bangkok is concentrated almost exclusively in the Ratchaprasong district, near the famous Erawan Temple. On the same street are the St.Regis, Grand Hyatt and the famous Royal Thailand Sports Club, Lumpini Park and the shopping mall area are within easy walking distance.
The Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, opened in 2018, has 171 rooms and is located near the BTS Chit Lom bus stop. Like many buildings here in Thailand, the hotel occupies one part of the structure, while the larger part is a private residence. The hotel occupies floors 6-17 and 55-57 of the high-rise building, the rest, however, is the Magnolias Ratchaprasong Serviced Residences.
The trip from Bangkok International Airport takes about 45 minutes, traffic permitting. The hotel also offers pick-up service for 3500 bath, I (of course) opted for the cab taken outside the terminal and spent 500 bath.
Check-in
As soon as the cab pulled up in front of the hotel door, an attendant immediately rushed to get my luggage, and a colleague opened the cab door and escorted me to the elevator and then into the lobby to the reception area.
Like many hotels in mixed-use buildings, the ground floor of the Waldorf Bangkok is just a reception area, useful for waiting for cabs in the cool air conditioning, while the actual reception is on the 15th floor.
In this hotel I needed a few elevator rides to figure out exactly where was what, when to book the elevator to go up and when to go down.
You can tell the hotel is still new: it is 4 years old, but two have been pandemic with little use. The lobby has a glass window overlooking the Royal Thailand Sports Club, a green patch amid the concrete metropolis where more than 10 million people live.
The environment is bright with marble floors and walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, bronze screens, and colorful furniture. Like the guest rooms, the lobby was designed by Hong Kong architect André Fu, who designed Upper House in Hong Kong and The Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore.
Unmissable fresh cloth and welcome drink served while the receptionist took care of the paperwork.
The whole thing would have lasted less than 5 minutes except that, between the benefits related to the FH+R program and those related to my Diamond status in the Hilton Honors program, the list was virtually endless. I had already noticed the main benefit in my Hilton app: my Deluxe room had become a Deluxe Suite.
Summary of all benefits I had on this reservation.
The FH+R program gives the following benefits:
- An ownership credit of $ 100
- Room Upgrade (subject to availability)
- 12:00 check-in (subject to availability)
- 16:00 check-out
- Breakfast for 2 adults
The hotel does not have a lounge for Diamond guests or for those staying in the executive rooms, for this they are given a package of additional benefits, some that are typical of the status, others ad hoc to make up for the lack of the lounge which are:
- One 1000 bath credit to be used in SPA treatments (per room/stay)
- A 500 bath credit to be used in the hotel restaurants/bar (per person/stay)
- 50% bonus HH points
Obviously credit and small bonus do not make up for lack of lounge access, especially taking into account the costs of bars and restaurants in this facility. The 1000 bath for the spa is only needed if you are going to use it, and the cheapest treatment costs no less than 2000 bath.
The room
Having completed all the paperwork, the attendant escorted me to my suite, which was located on the 14th floor.
When the door was opened, the automatism was triggered, which also opened the curtains, flooding the room with light. The room did not have two separate rooms as a suite should have, but it was an extra luxurious studio apartment.
The small entrance hall, with a bronze partition, houses a cabinet that hides the bar fridge and everything else inside: from the coffee maker to snacks, tea kettle to glasses.
In the room an unfailing king-size bed, incredible pillows and a killer topper. The room is really huge and the glass wall overlooking, unfortunately, not the park but the rest of BKK gives the impression of being on a cruise ship.
On either side of the bed is a 5-seat sofa and armchair, on the opposite side is a desk with two chairs perfect for smartworking.
While in the room everything has muted colors, On the bed was a huge golden triangular pillow., as well as some pillows on the sofa. Only spots of color in an otherwise very quiet room.
The room is controlled by home automation, on a bedside table a small tablet manages the opening and closing of the curtains, the room lights the air conditioner, and the "do not disturb" button for the cleaning staff.
The other nightstand, on the other hand, has something similar in the button panel inserted inside, with the most important button the one that at once turns off all the lights in the room.
Everything is taken care of down to the smallest detail, even the power outlets are hidden inside the nightstand.
Of course, an ever-present 50″-plus screen with smart functions, which I didn't even turn on.
Everything in this hotel is designed to impress and please guests at 100%, wi-fi included.
Hidden behind the wall of the bedroom is a walk-in closet, as large as the single room in some hotels.
The bathroom, beautifully designed with two sinks, is an empty space in the middle that allows you to see the bedroom. This has the advantage of making the room even more spacious, although of course you can close the door if you need privacy.
A round tub, not a jacuzzi, but one that could be categorized as a mini pool and a stunning walk-in shower with overhead showerhead. All marble, all beautiful and with an incredible view of the city. If you want, you can even watch TV while bathing.
Last but not least the toilet, I love Japanese tablets so much that I would like it in my house too. Too bad that in Italy these models are unobtainable, next time I go to Japan I will send it home. This is one of the newer models in the Toto line, the board has a presence detector and raises/lower itself. The hand control allows you to manage all the functions, and if you forget to flush, no problem, she takes care of it.
I very much appreciated the almost total absence of plastic from the room; in the bathroom, products from Ferragamo's Tuscany line, soap aside, are in infinitely refillable dispensers instead of individual plastic packages. Only the water is still in plastic bottles.
The sweet welcome
Also waiting for me in the room were some sweet surprises. On the coffee table in front of the sofa were two chocolate tartlets, very good and some delicious chocolates.
While in the bar fridge two coconuts, branded WA, ready to drink.
Chapeau.
The structure
The whole hotel is super stylish, from the hallways to the common areas you can see the experience of the architect who left nothing to chance. The only boring thing is that to go to the top of the skyscraper you have to go down to the ground floor and take another pair of elevators to reach the restaurant and bar on the 55th and 56th floors of the hotel.
Food & Beverage
In my two days in this hotel I have to say that I didn't miss anything, also because I had a lot of credit to use up and there are, between bars and restaurants, as many as 6 points.
On the ground floor is the Front Room restaurant, which I did not try. On the lobby floor is La Brasserie, a restaurant that offers breakfast for guests in the morning. On the opposite side is Peacock Alley, a sign found in other Waldorf Astorias around the world. With a view of the grounds of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, it is perfect for afternoon tea from 1 to 5 pm.
Then there is a small food court on the 16th floor, the floor of the swimming pool.
Finally, there are the two venues at the tip of the skyscraper: on the 55th floor, the Bull & Bear restaurant, which seats about 80 people and offers show cooking and spectacular views of the city.
On the top floor is a small Champagne Bar where you can enjoy a bubbly or a glass of wine before going to enjoy a well-deserved rest in your room.
I have tried the 50% of these options.
Breakfast at La Brasserie is of the highest quality, all offerings divided by islands. From Asian to sweets, from savory items to healthier offerings.
A very elegant buffet with all dishes freshly cooked by chefs and the option to choose from a menu of eggs, smoothies, and coffee (Illy), all prepared by a real barista.
Having credit to spend, I also tried dinner at Bell & Bear and delighted my palate with an Australian beef and tenderloin tartarre. And as an end to the meal a mango panna cotta with dried pineapple. All really great and perfect for burning the FH+R credit.
I couldn't pass up the champagne bar, and here I tried one of the iconic cocktails created by a well-known local bartender.
Services
First of all, we need to talk about the staff, always present and attentive to the guest's needs. Excellent, but it could not be otherwise in a hotel of this category, room housekeeping in the evening, as well as attention in the pool and other areas of the hotel. With excellent levels of cleanliness.
On the 16th floor of the hotel is the rooftop pool, which then is not exactly on the roof because the skyscraper reaches as mentioned to the 56th floor, here we are just on the roof of the hotel area of the facility. Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., it is perfect for enjoying the sunset before going out to dinner or one last dip before going to your bunk.
I have read several reviews about this hotel and the pool is a love/hate affair. Not because of the view or the controlled temperature of the water, much less because of the large beds "floating" in the water. How much for the structure that resembles a tree towering over the area. For me it is great for shading the whole area, for others it is a detriment for the same reason.
Also on the same floor is the gym, small but appropriate for the hotel, open h24.
And the spa, open from 10 am to 10 pm. Truly top-notch treatments, but obviously quoted by 5-star hotel and not market price in Bangkok. Having 1000thb to spend, I didn't pass up a nice massage in a super elegant setting.
The small defects
The first is a communication flaw, I think alerting potential guests that demolition work on a building is going on nearby is important. Not so much because noise is coming into the rooms, but because being in the pool with the construction site open without good soundproofing headphones is impossible, and the construction site closes at 5 p.m.
Second definitely the lack of a lounge: in a hotel of this category is serious, of course you try to make up for it, but it is not the same thing, much less has the same value.
Third and finally, there are often private events in the hotel that make some of its areas unusable, in my case I had kept the afternoon tea experience in Peacock Alley, but it was not accessible precisely because of a company meeting.
In conclusion
Bangkok has no shortage of luxury facilities and quality, this Waldorf Astoria is definitely one of the best hotels to stay at; at the level of service, there are certainly few that can match this hotel. The comparison with the St.Regis WA wins it, the much more modern structure makes a difference. Despite the minor flaws that cause the final grade to drop a point.
Pro
- The structure
- The perosnal
- The food
Against
- No Lounge
- Little communication before and during the visit