Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit
Dec 13, 2013, 6:00 am
#121
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,789
Well, I guess no-one else had temperature issues with the showers this or last week?
On another note, took the Merc E-Class back - nice Sofitel logo on the door, 2 bottle waters and classical music.
On another note, took the Merc E-Class back - nice Sofitel logo on the door, 2 bottle waters and classical music.
Dec 13, 2013, 6:01 am
#122
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: ASIA
Programs: TK Elite, ALL Plus Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,530
acr2013 may I suggest you do drop a short note to Nathan the accor concierge. Snr management of accor do drop into these threads fairly regularly and with your details with the accor concierge they can at least get the details through him if for whatever reason the details have not reached them yet.
Dec 13, 2013, 6:26 am
#123
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 256
acr2013 may I suggest you do drop a short note to Nathan the accor concierge. Snr management of accor do drop into these threads fairly regularly and with your details with the accor concierge they can at least get the details through him if for whatever reason the details have not reached them yet.
Dec 13, 2013, 7:20 am
#124
Company Representative, Accorhotels
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: France
Programs: ALL - Accor Live Limitless
Posts: 751
Hi ACR2013,
I am not above any other online contact you've been reaching out to.
Besides if you are already in contact with the Accor customer service, I cannot help you more than that...
Again, I am sorry such a thing happened to you. Hopefully you'll sort it out and understand the extent of it.
Thanks,
Nathan
I am not above any other online contact you've been reaching out to.
Besides if you are already in contact with the Accor customer service, I cannot help you more than that...
Again, I am sorry such a thing happened to you. Hopefully you'll sort it out and understand the extent of it.
Thanks,
Nathan
Dec 15, 2013, 7:27 am
#125
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 256
To clarify some previous questions.
After the first robbery, I thought I messed up myself by giving wrong currency to a taxi driver from the airport to the property. I knew that that was impossible, but couldn`t think of anything else on how I had missing money without leaving the hotel. I didn`t even think about housekeepers stealing money at Sofitel (at some cheap place that most likely would be my first thought, but I`ve stayed at Accor`s properties many times as a paying guest and with friends-around the world, so I had that safety and trust built-that propbaly the reason why I didn`t suspect the staff). So only the second time confirmed that I was indeed robbed twice and I wasn`t crazy the first time.
I didn`t call the police because I was in Thailand, where police smiles but: fines 200 TBT tourists only for not wearing helmet on a scooter/bike, follows a tourist who smokes and awaits him to throw a smoke butt just to fine him 2000 TBT, and so on. No, I don`t believe in cops in Thailand. Moreover, when I reported, it was after 11 PM, and I am a female who traveled by myself, so I didn`t feel particularly safe to report it to Thai cops at any time. I honestly was scared and slept with a dead bolt every night after the accident (never happened before at any property either, but it did at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit).
As of December 15, I haven`t received any official response to either of two cases. The folks who answer Sofitel`s Facebook were with me since I reported it and kept assuring me that Accor is seriously taking this case. I will keep updating on how and if this nightmare stay at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit gets resolved.
After the first robbery, I thought I messed up myself by giving wrong currency to a taxi driver from the airport to the property. I knew that that was impossible, but couldn`t think of anything else on how I had missing money without leaving the hotel. I didn`t even think about housekeepers stealing money at Sofitel (at some cheap place that most likely would be my first thought, but I`ve stayed at Accor`s properties many times as a paying guest and with friends-around the world, so I had that safety and trust built-that propbaly the reason why I didn`t suspect the staff). So only the second time confirmed that I was indeed robbed twice and I wasn`t crazy the first time.
I didn`t call the police because I was in Thailand, where police smiles but: fines 200 TBT tourists only for not wearing helmet on a scooter/bike, follows a tourist who smokes and awaits him to throw a smoke butt just to fine him 2000 TBT, and so on. No, I don`t believe in cops in Thailand. Moreover, when I reported, it was after 11 PM, and I am a female who traveled by myself, so I didn`t feel particularly safe to report it to Thai cops at any time. I honestly was scared and slept with a dead bolt every night after the accident (never happened before at any property either, but it did at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit).
As of December 15, I haven`t received any official response to either of two cases. The folks who answer Sofitel`s Facebook were with me since I reported it and kept assuring me that Accor is seriously taking this case. I will keep updating on how and if this nightmare stay at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit gets resolved.
Dec 15, 2013, 7:59 am
#126
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil,
Posts: 4,553
Sorry to hear of your misfortunes, ACR2013. I've stayed at this property 4 or 5 times and wouldn't ever think something like this would happen. It still baffles me why you would leave a wallet in your room, even in a 5-star property. On a few occasions over the years, I've been given keys to occupied rooms (not in Thailand) so unexpected access to the room can happen, let alone staff access.
I've never experienced the issues that you mentioned at this property, and this hotel among my favorites in BKK. The hotel should be in regular contact with you with the report of such an incident, and it's a shame if they aren't. Hopefully you'll hear from them soon.
I've never experienced the issues that you mentioned at this property, and this hotel among my favorites in BKK. The hotel should be in regular contact with you with the report of such an incident, and it's a shame if they aren't. Hopefully you'll hear from them soon.
Dec 23, 2013, 9:50 pm
#127
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
Just finishing up my stay at the Sofitel. Wanted to provide my thoughts.
Check-in: Lovely Club Lounge check in on the 31st floor, with cold towel provided
Was told my room was upgraded from luxury to luxury with a view. The view was of Sukhumvit. For those in the know... there is nothing to look at here. I do not consider this an upgrade - and it should not be mentioned as such. Further, although I booked 5 nights, my keycard only worked for 4. Apparently the check in lady mistakenly loaded my key card for less days then I booked. Annoying. Also had to fight to get a 3pm late check out (even though Plats are entitled to 4pm). It was finally accepted, but not without much back and forth. Not a great start to my stay here.
Room: Although disappointed in no upgrade, the luxury room feels more spacious than it is. Mirrors abound and are strategically placed so it appears bigger than it is and the bathroom has windows making the room an "open" concept. I truly loved the rain shower head and water pressure. Again, helpful to optimize the space. The room is well appointed and there ais a work desk with a bunch of outlets. However there is not a proper work chair and it's very hard to move it back/forth. A chair with wheels would be very helpful. Further, my room had a variety of maintenance issues. Dead batteries in the TV remote, bathroom sink that doesn't drain well, toilet seat that fell off the toilet, and molding that had come off the doors. After calling maintenance 2 times, I got tired and dealt with the sink & toilet. But clearly this place is falling apart. House cleaning was hit/miss. They never cleaned the rooms until after 3pm. Even when I called to have it cleaned earlier (so I could nap), they didn't come for over an hour (and at 3pm). Annoying. But the worst part of the room is that the doors to the hallway are thin - and result in you hearing the cleaning people and all the children who run up and down the hallways during your stay in the AM. Hard to get rest here.
Amenities: Love the gym. It's large, beautiful and has everything you need. The pool is very nice too. And the club lounge is lovely and comfy. The amenities were the best part of my stay.
Voila! Restaurant: The spread here is decent enough. They have many stations including soup and omelet stations. They are missing fresh cut mango and papaya (many hotels offer this in Thailand, why this luxury hotel doesn't is a mystery). Still, while not the best breakfast, it is decent. But they have one issue which significantly downgrades my opinion of it. Every day (not some days, but EVERY day) the food was not refilled in a timely fashion. I went to get a dish only to open the cover and find it empty. Not one dish. Not two... but sometimes I counted as many as 6!!! And yes, there are so many workers running around here - I just can't understand what they are doing. Refill the food please. This AM there were no potatoes, no grilled broccoli, no stir fried veggies, etc. It's ridiculous. Someone has to fix this problem.
Service: The service was friendly but weirdly it didn't feel genuine. Some people were super nice (such as the head housekeeper and the doormen/women), but often times it felt like I was in France and offered a fake smile. Never had that feeling before in Thailand. Sad that.
Location: I loved the location of this property. It's half way between Nana and Asoke BTS lines - which I think is perfect as you can go either direction or walk anyplace fairly easily. A huge plus.
Overall: Overall, I enjoyed my stay here - but I'm unlikely to stay again. While I enjoyed the location and amenities, I prefer the upgrades I enjoy at Starwood and was really disturbed by the maintenance issues and breakfast issues. While both could easily be fixed prior to an upcoming stay - the Sofitel Sukhumvit didn't impress enough to win my business away from the Starwood properties. However, I certainly wouldn't avoid the property and if I wasn't an SPG Plat - would likely rank this property more highly - especially if they fixed the issues described above.
Check-in: Lovely Club Lounge check in on the 31st floor, with cold towel provided
Was told my room was upgraded from luxury to luxury with a view. The view was of Sukhumvit. For those in the know... there is nothing to look at here. I do not consider this an upgrade - and it should not be mentioned as such. Further, although I booked 5 nights, my keycard only worked for 4. Apparently the check in lady mistakenly loaded my key card for less days then I booked. Annoying. Also had to fight to get a 3pm late check out (even though Plats are entitled to 4pm). It was finally accepted, but not without much back and forth. Not a great start to my stay here.Room: Although disappointed in no upgrade, the luxury room feels more spacious than it is. Mirrors abound and are strategically placed so it appears bigger than it is and the bathroom has windows making the room an "open" concept. I truly loved the rain shower head and water pressure. Again, helpful to optimize the space. The room is well appointed and there ais a work desk with a bunch of outlets. However there is not a proper work chair and it's very hard to move it back/forth. A chair with wheels would be very helpful. Further, my room had a variety of maintenance issues. Dead batteries in the TV remote, bathroom sink that doesn't drain well, toilet seat that fell off the toilet, and molding that had come off the doors. After calling maintenance 2 times, I got tired and dealt with the sink & toilet. But clearly this place is falling apart. House cleaning was hit/miss. They never cleaned the rooms until after 3pm. Even when I called to have it cleaned earlier (so I could nap), they didn't come for over an hour (and at 3pm). Annoying. But the worst part of the room is that the doors to the hallway are thin - and result in you hearing the cleaning people and all the children who run up and down the hallways during your stay in the AM. Hard to get rest here.
Amenities: Love the gym. It's large, beautiful and has everything you need. The pool is very nice too. And the club lounge is lovely and comfy. The amenities were the best part of my stay.
Voila! Restaurant: The spread here is decent enough. They have many stations including soup and omelet stations. They are missing fresh cut mango and papaya (many hotels offer this in Thailand, why this luxury hotel doesn't is a mystery). Still, while not the best breakfast, it is decent. But they have one issue which significantly downgrades my opinion of it. Every day (not some days, but EVERY day) the food was not refilled in a timely fashion. I went to get a dish only to open the cover and find it empty. Not one dish. Not two... but sometimes I counted as many as 6!!! And yes, there are so many workers running around here - I just can't understand what they are doing. Refill the food please. This AM there were no potatoes, no grilled broccoli, no stir fried veggies, etc. It's ridiculous. Someone has to fix this problem.
Service: The service was friendly but weirdly it didn't feel genuine. Some people were super nice (such as the head housekeeper and the doormen/women), but often times it felt like I was in France and offered a fake smile. Never had that feeling before in Thailand. Sad that.
Location: I loved the location of this property. It's half way between Nana and Asoke BTS lines - which I think is perfect as you can go either direction or walk anyplace fairly easily. A huge plus.
Overall: Overall, I enjoyed my stay here - but I'm unlikely to stay again. While I enjoyed the location and amenities, I prefer the upgrades I enjoy at Starwood and was really disturbed by the maintenance issues and breakfast issues. While both could easily be fixed prior to an upcoming stay - the Sofitel Sukhumvit didn't impress enough to win my business away from the Starwood properties. However, I certainly wouldn't avoid the property and if I wasn't an SPG Plat - would likely rank this property more highly - especially if they fixed the issues described above.
Last edited by TravelinSperry; Dec 24, 2013 at 1:19 am
Dec 24, 2013, 1:35 am
#128
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,789
TravelinSperry,
Is Voilà the club restaurant side or the restaurant next to l'Appart? I didn't understand if you had breakfast in the lounge or not.
Luxury rooms come with Hèrmes toiletries, correct?
Is Voilà the club restaurant side or the restaurant next to l'Appart? I didn't understand if you had breakfast in the lounge or not.
Luxury rooms come with Hèrmes toiletries, correct?
Dec 24, 2013, 7:12 am
#129
Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ*G, Mar LTT, Hyatt Glb, AA LTG, LY, HH, IC, BA, DL, UA SLV
Posts: 12,020
Service: The service was friendly but weirdly it didn't feel genuine. Some people were super nice (such as the head housekeeper and the doormen/women), but often times it felt like I was in France and offered a fake smile. Never had that feeling before in Thailand. Sad that.
Dec 24, 2013, 7:20 am
#130
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,592
Dec 24, 2013, 8:50 am
#131
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Asia
Programs: Krisflyer, Enrich, Marco Polo, Accor, HHonors, IHG
Posts: 610
. But I remember the nice doorman lending me 20baht for the taxi fare because the taxi driver refused to give me change for my big notes.
Dec 29, 2013, 9:53 am
#132
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
Yes, the rooms come with Hermes toiletries. But personally, I'm not a fan of them, too spicy of a smell. But if that's your thing, they do have them.
Dec 30, 2013, 8:06 pm
#134
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10
Stayed at this hotel for 5 nights just before Christmas. As always a warm welcome and as a platinum member I was escorted for check in inside the Club lounge. Was upgraded from a luxury room to a Club millesime room with all the benefits. I really like the room, the bed is nice and soft and the bathroom is fairly big. Samsung Smart-TV and a Bose sound system. The Hermes-products are great. Internet is kind of slow, but ok. What wonders me is that some things in the room is low low quality Products, like the sink and shower. Some times 2-3 People greeting me upon arriving or leaving the hotel, and some times I even need to open the entrance door myself (not that it bothers me). Some staff members don't understand English, Breakfast have slightly improved since last time I stayed at this hotel (July).
Location is perfect for the ones who like nightlife, and with the BTS nearby it is easy to og everywhere in Bangkok. Shopping mall Siam Paragon only 3 BTS stations from Asok.
Overall a pleasent stay. Being a platinum and all the benefints, this was definately good value.
Location is perfect for the ones who like nightlife, and with the BTS nearby it is easy to og everywhere in Bangkok. Shopping mall Siam Paragon only 3 BTS stations from Asok.
Overall a pleasent stay. Being a platinum and all the benefints, this was definately good value.
Last edited by tommyh80; Dec 30, 2013 at 8:13 pm
Dec 31, 2013, 4:19 am
#135
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, HH Dia, PC Plat, MR Gold, ALL Sil,
Posts: 4,553
I'm presently at this hotel for my 6th stay. The hotel is full and so unfortunately no room upgrade. However, more important to me, is the free breakfast and evening cocktails in the lounge that I was granted. Looking back, here are my stats at this hotel for what it's worth (always booked standard luxury room):
Room upgrade: 3 of 6 (twice to prestige suite, once to Millésime room)
Lounge access: 6 of 6
Welcome drink: 3 of 6
There is so much demand for the lounge now that they have been opening the room usually used just for breakfast to accommodate everyone during cocktail hour. They have probably doubled the staff and so they're keeping up with demand. ^ to them. Now if only the elevators could keep up...
Room upgrade: 3 of 6 (twice to prestige suite, once to Millésime room)
Lounge access: 6 of 6
Welcome drink: 3 of 6
There is so much demand for the lounge now that they have been opening the room usually used just for breakfast to accommodate everyone during cocktail hour. They have probably doubled the staff and so they're keeping up with demand. ^ to them. Now if only the elevators could keep up...