Introduction I am generally not a big fan of the Novotel brand but a new one opened on Sukhumvit 34 and I often like to try new constructions rather than stay in aging properties (open October 2020). Actually the brand is “Novotel Suites”; I did not even know there was a distinction compared to the plain Novotel, this can be confusing because most rooms at Novotel Suites Sukhumvit 34 are actually not suites. Anyway despite my room not being particularly spacious the hardware was very nice and in fact most likely the nicest Novotel that I have stayed before. Accor Diamond Upgrade I booked the entry level room type and received a stingy one-category upgrade to deluxe. The next category up (premier) wass almost the same price as deluxe and seems to be the same size 34 sqm according to the website so I did not bother saying anything, and the junior suites seemed to be fully booked (?) despite low occupancy so I would bet that they don’t have many suites. When an established hotel makes the conscious policy decision that upgrades will not be more than +1, I normally stay away because it’s not competitive in this market. However for new hotels I can give them a pass because they have not found their groove yet; if after Novotel has been open for a while the upgrades remain limited to +1 that will be another story. Room At the risk of stating the obvious, the room was recent with hardware in good condition given that it’s still new & shiny and not many guests have stayed yet. I liked that the room did not have carpet and that the bathroom was bright thanks to a window with horizontal blinds plus a window above the bathtub overlooking the bedroom, and also had a stand-alone shower in the same partition as the tub. The room had a small sink near the entrance along with a microwave which is normally not found in Bangkok hotels and can be convenient (a feature of “Novotel Suites” I think?). The only moderate negative is that the air conditioning was a single unit on the ceiling and blowing air towards the bed rather than central AC with a few vents to cool the room uniformly. Service Unlike some hotels who currently do not allow alcohol with the welcome drink vouchers as per the government restaurant ban, Novotel did not have such a limitation and allowed guests to bring alcohol to the room. However with staffing cut to the bone, the receptionist told me that she did not know how to make cocktails and the barman would only be present the day of my check-out. She offered me beer instead, and they did not have wine. I simply asked for spirit on the rocks and I got proof that she was not a trained barman given the huge pour she gave me! Dining Breakfast was nothing to write home about but considering the price paid for the room (and free breakfast for Platinums + Diamonds) I did not think it was out of line. The restaurant had seating indoors and outdoors next to the swimming pool on the ground floor. Location The location of the hotel is away from the action in a residential neighborhood and a 10-minute walk to the sky train station Thong Lor. This will work best for people who want peace around the hotel but the downside is there is not much in the area. In fact it’s so quiet than upon check-out, taxis are not passing by so hotel staff drives guests with their shuttle to Sukhumvit road where taxis are plentiful. Wifi Wifi worked great with speeds of 75-90 Mbps. Overall Overall this Novotel is a good addition to Accor and provides a refreshing option that differs from standard and straightforward hotels which are already plentiful at each corner of the city. I am curious if upgrades will improve over time but at least we can say the room quality is very good for a hotel of this level and will be a good match for people who like a quiet location within a busy city.