Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok

This umpteenth four days weekend, I propose you to discover a very beautiful hotel in Bangkok, the Royal Orchid Sheraton, where I had the pleasure to stay in late April 2015 for 6 nights. The hotel is one of the many Starwood hotels in the Thai capital, but it is the only one to be on the Chao Phraya River.

Booking

I made my reservation through the SPG site, but having found a cheaper fare on another travel site, I used the Best Rate Guarantee (BRG)form, which allows you to receive an additional 20% discount on the cheapest fare found. A bargain, since the average price per night was 2,330 THB per night, or about 80 euros, taxes included, accommodation only (no need to take a breakfast rate included when you are a SPG Platinum member…).

Location

The hotel is located in the center of Bangkok, along the Chao Phraya River, 15 minutes walk from the SkyTrain (BTS Saphan Taksin). From the SkyTrain, a shuttle boat operated by the hotel takes you directly to the Sheraton (welcome with cold Oshibori and a bottle of water to cool down after a day in the city’s humidity).

Arrival

I had taken an Über from the airport, for a cost of 1,075 THB, toll included. This cost may seem high, but you don’t want to struggle to negotiate a metered cab, and especially, to have change to pay for tolls and the cost of the ride (cabs often have only 1000 THB change).
Note, however, that only ÜberBlack is now available from the airport to the center. Strange, because it is always possible to order ÜberX from the center to the airport…
At the front desk, my SPG Platinum status was recognized immediately and I was taken to the Sheraton Club, located on the 27th floor of the hotel, for check-in. The suite was ready, and the Platinum benefits were presented to me. This is a nice upgrade to an Executive Suite and access to the Club, which includes breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails.

The room

Like all the rooms in the hotel, the suite I stayed in has a view of the sea through 4 large windows (two in the living room, two in the bedroom. And as pictures are better than speeches, here is a virtual tour in video:

The decoration was modern and pleasant, obviously recently renovated.
The cleaning and room service were impeccable.

Food

I primarily used the Sheraton Club for in-house dining. The Club is open from 6:30 am to 10 pm every day.
Breakfast service is available from 6:30 am to 10 am. The buffet is quite substantial and changes every day. I regret however the impossibility to order cooked eggs on demand, except when the omelette booth is present (1d/2-3). The service is generally good ( removal, refilling of hot drinks). For the evening, very good buffet also, but especially beautiful card of cocktails. The lounge is very pleasant at this time, and the view from the lounge is enhanced by a sunset of the best kind.

I also tried the hotel’s Thai restaurant, Thara Thong. The Thai menu is very good, but the dinner show part gives a kitsch side that is not necessarily adapted to the place. Nice to see once, but not more.

The Pool

The establishment has two swimming pools, one located below and called Garden Pool and not very sunny, and the other facing the river bathed by the sun. I decided to take advantage of the latter. The swimming pool is rather ordinary, rectangular and without particular attraction except the superb sight at the edge of the river. The poolside service is almost non-existent despite the presence of menus. I waited for my order to be picked up for a whole hour, in vain, and left!

Departure

As I had to take an early flight the next day to Chiang Mai, I preferred to do the departure formalities the day before, which was done in a fast and efficient way. No problem on the bill, which was correct.

Conclusion

In my opinion, one of the best value for money in Bangkok. If access to the Club Lounge was one of the only SPG Platinum benefits, it is enough to be completely satisfied. The staff is pleasant, the service up to par, and the location, although slightly set back, is perfect for accessing the city and its tourist sites. I recommend it to all those who want affordable luxury!