Short stopover in Bangkok on my way from Jakarta to Siem Reap, I remain faithful to Luxury Collection and choose the Athenee Bangkok, delighted as I was by my recent stay at the Keraton at the Plaza Jakarta.
Access to the hotel and check-in
Two days before my arrival, the hotel’s concierge emailed me to arrange my transfer, which I accepted. These services are often unaffordable in Europe but totally affordable in Asia.
An agent of the hotel waits for me in the arrival area and installs me in the Mercedes S300 which will take me to my destination. Fresh drinks, Oshibori, TV screens, Wifi… nothing is missing.
The hotel is located 10/15 minutes walk from Lumpini Park. It is a former hotel of the Le Meridien chain that has been upgraded and rebranded after renovation. It was previously known as the Plaza Athénée.
The ” Méridien ” style of the building is well recognizable.
As soon as I arrived, a bellman took care of my luggage and I entered the hotel.
The lobby makes a very good impression as soon as you enter.
I go to the check-in.
Having done a mobile check-in on the SPG app everything is already ready and I only have to sign a paper to get my room keys.
The day before, the application notified me of a suite upgrade that “disappeared” a few hours before my arrival. I pointed this out to the person in charge of check-in, knowing that she had “skipped” the protocol of welcoming a platinum client. She just says “that’s the way it is” to me. Knowing that there were still suites or superior rooms available for reservation, I find the practice a bit petty but I am not surprised: in Asia, given the zero empowerment level of the staff and their total lack of initiative, there was little chance that she would call a manager as it would be done elsewhere. So I settle for the proposed upgrade: an “Athenee Club Room” which is none other than the standard Athenee Room I had booked but on the upper floors, with a better view and a lounge access which was automatically due to me as a platinum anyway.
More than average application of the benefits of the loyalty program.
Athenee Club Room.
So I take possession of my room. Very classic.
A night space extended by an office space and a lounge sofa area. 38m2 well optimized.
The lounge area.
The desk.
Bathroom with single sink, separate tub and shower, decent size Without more.
Needless to say, the bedding is excellent and I slept very well and the whole thing is totally in line with what is expected from a hotel of this category.
A small reproach nevertheless: I find the whole a little crowded on the aesthetic level and I regret the sobriety and simplicity of the Keraton. In addition the relatively dark colors combined with the lighting…not too bright, will leave me with a “can do better” impression.
The video to finish.
A good lounge, a disappointment at the restaurant
It’s late afternoon, time for a snack in the lounge.
The Athenee’s lounge is very large for a hotel lounge and spans several rooms.
Drinks are served at the table and the buffet is well supplied and varied.
More than enough not to feel hungry in the end. Having eaten well on my flight from Jakarta to Bangkok the passage to the lounge will be enough for me and I will not test the hotel’s restaurants this first evening.
On the other hand the following day I will opt for the Japanese restaurant (There are 5 restaurants in the hotel of which one 2 Michelin stars).
I’ll have a crab salad and beef teppanyaki. What a disappointment!
The salad is good, but nothing exceptional.
And for me a Teppanyaki served like that and not even prepared in front of you is just any piece of beef.
I found nothing of the experience or tenderness of the meat experienced at the Westin Tokyo or the Prince Gallery.
I may have chosen the wrong restaurant or taken the wrong dishes, I may have been unlucky but this is my experience and it does not correspond to what is expected from a hotel of this category.
My evening will be saved by a visit to one of the bars of the hotel, the one located next to the pool. I will stay very classic on my drinks without trying to explore the cocktail menu but the place is very nice and the staff friendly.
Swimming pool, Fitness, Spa: beautiful facilities and a bit of pettiness
Located high up and with a beautiful view of the city, the Athenee Bangkok’s pool is superb.
It is large, there is space, we are not squeezed against each other and it is of constant depth along its length which allows to make real laps.
At the end you have access to a small garden.
And at night the view is majestic.
A really calm and soothing place where you can relax day and night, away from the bustle of Bangkok. Since the comparison is inevitable with the Sofitel So Bangkok I will say that they do not compete in the same category. The one at the Sofitel is a sight to behold, but it is a noisy, crowded and unbearable place of festivity. Here it is less impressive (although…) but we feel really well. Show-off on one side, discreet luxury on the other.
The Athenee Bangkok has a beautiful, well-equipped fitness room overlooking the pool on which floor it is located.
Very good point: I learn that it is adjoined by a spa. A sauna and a hammam to relax after a session…
I had in mind what the W Barcelona had done recently…and so I was disappointed.
At first it looks pretty good…
Then you find something totally utilitarian, not experiential at all.
It’s sad, uncrowded (and for good reason) and doesn’t make you want to stay long.
I will try the “real” spa at the Athenee Bangkok. 20 hours of flight in two days deserves at least a short massage.
The facility is beautiful and the quality of care is top notch.
On the other hand there is also a small disappointment. In general, in hotels of this range, the spa often has a “wet zone” that can be freely used by hotel guests even if they do not have a treatment or, at worst, this facility is reserved for “elite” clients of the loyalty program. There they send the customers to the facilities I showed you next to the gym. Really a shame, bordering on petty.
When one doesn’t understand the mobile check-out
I had reserved with the hotel a transport to bring me back to the airport as for the outward journey. It was ready on time.
I do my mobile check-out from the SPG app which allows me to not go through the reception again…except that a girl from the reception runs after me asking me to pay. I explain to her that I have done the procedure on my mobile and she tells me that I have to go to the desk first. I start to get annoyed at this waste of time and explain it to her again. Finally her manager will explain to her that the mobile check-out dispenses with the need to go through the desk again…. unacceptable in this hotel cagetory.
Conclusion: an excellent service but …..
The Athenee Bangkok offers very high level services but leaves me a little disappointed. A bit of amateurism on the check-out, a more than limited application of the loyalty program, a tasteful decoration but an atmosphere finally too dark for my taste and a restaurant missing the point.
So yes, these are details, but in a 5 star hotel it is precisely these details that make the difference.
I liked it but I was not enchanted.
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