OrientExpress

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, absolutely

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Standard, cheapest room, were upgraded to Garden Village (2 category)

- How are the rooms?
Big, Huge Bathroom with bathtub

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Upgraded
Breakfast: Not so many selection, but delicious. Best view, all table are in balcony with direct sea view
Pool warm, with jacuzzi & child pool
Beach: private, clean

Bad:
Nothing

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Absolutely, booked cheapest room during Accor Super Sales. Unbelievable rate 85++ per night

FlytheTail

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Definitely. This was my third stay and I was very happy.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Luxury Room and received Prestige Suite with lounge access. I would have been very happy to get an upgrade to Luxury Club Millesime so the double upgrade made me ecstatic.

- How are the rooms?
Still in nearly new condition. Everything was spotless and in good working order. I didn't hear anything from other rooms, so soundproofing is excellent.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good: Room upgrade and lounge access, which included breakfast and evening cocktails. Great mixed drinks and the hors d'oeuvres were better than my last visit. Great fitness center and reasonably good swimming pool.

Bad: All minor, but no welcome gift, no welcome drink, and no fresh flowers or plants anywhere in the room. There was a nice hand-written note so they were expecting me.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Booked another stay after this experience. This was the first time I redeemed some vouchers online and everything worked as it should have.

exs2

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
So Suite with Water preference.

Got So Suite with Water preference from the 28th. (highest) floor and corner room. After two hours or so, they came to offer me So Lofty in Metal from 16th. floor but I actually preferred the So Suite Water at 28th. and kept that after checking the other room.

- How are the rooms?
Water element was nice. The Metal element looks bit too "white". Wood would be my second choice and earth (which is blue) is just horrible IMO. You can get good idea by looking at hotel specific site:
http://www.sofitel-so-bangkok.com/en/

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Platinum recognition.
Was given early check-in.
Welcome drink voucher for two, two water bottles, assortment of fruits, chocolate and 1000 THB voucher for SPA. Was also invited to join Pool Party and Full Moon party, which were held at that day (for free).
Infinity pool was nice.
SPA Thai massage was excellent

Bad:
While always polite and helpful, they seemed to be bit lost at times and made few silly mistakes, like billing wrong at first for SPA etc. They corrected it immediately after being told about their error but I would rather wish they don't make mistakes like that in the first place.

Club lounge offering is not as good as in some other Sofitel properties elsewhere (Example Sofitel BKC Mumbai).

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
This is hard one. I think the price is bit high vs competition and as such, I think I could get better value elsewhere in Bangkok. It was a nice property though and I might return.

Other useful information:
Airport pickup is with ridiculous price tag (2300 THB) one way

You can get close to property with Airport Rail Link + BTS or MRTA cheap. I used Airport Rail Link (City Line) to Phaya Thai (45 THB) and the switched to BTS to Sala Daeng (through Siam) (30 THB). Total travel time bit over 1 hour.

On the way back to airport I used MRTA Lumphini to Phetchaburi (22 THB) and Makkasan Express (90 THB) but the Express was big mistake. It took 30 minutes for it to arrive and then it stayed in station for 15 minutes and while it went to airport in another 15 minutes, I would have been there same time or faster with City Link (and cheaper).

Neither of these options are good if you have lots of luggage. BTS option requires about 1 km of walking and MTRA option about 500 meters.

Seles

What is your Le Club status?

Platinum (thanks again John O. )

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?

Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked: Superior Room with 1 King Bed
Received : Executive Suite, Rafflesia Wing (Borneo style)

How are the rooms?

The Exec Suite was a very nice room. Large, spacious living room, separate toilet, bedroom, large bathroom with rain shower and (separated) toilet, all very design and still warm feel to it. The terrace was a bit small.

What was good and what was bad?

Good:

- Very nice and helpful staff.
- Luggage was taken out of the taxi as soon as they noticed it was there
- Smooth, friendly and efficient check-in with free smiles included. ^
- I also really liked the style of the room. It was very cozy.
- Very nice grounds, decent food, free shuttle service to the shopping mall (and some bus stop?).
- Newspapers, little balsa-wooden luggage-tag of the hotel, fruit in the room, no drink voucher found (But I had brought my own tax free, as traveling to a Muslim country)
- Did I mention the location? :-) An after-dinner evening walk with spectacular views of the lit buildings and bridges. Bring your camera (and a stand for some of those lovely long exposure shots)

Bad:

Well, these are all details really, and most of them not the hotels fault:
- The hotel was packed with locals upon arrival that had some celebration. So the restaurant was very noisy, kids running around, a bit like a cafetaria sadly. (it was much better afterwards, and the food was well priced and quite good)
- My terrace faced the little public beach on the left (if you look from the hotel to the lake) and that had locals arriving early in the morning, with shouting kids, rather noisy remote control airplanes, ... (don't think I dislike kids please, but this was my "acclimatise/relax" part of the trip) and the windows towards the terrace didn't really keep the noise out.
- The lake view from the Bunga Tanjung wing probabely is much better, as RJ77 stated.
- I couldn't get a massage, full booked. Sad, but that's life.
- Some of the exterior parts of the hotel facing the lake could usea touch of paint and varnish, and the "entrance" to the hotel is a bit special.

Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Definately in terms of value for money. Paid less than 75€/night (promo sales, incl breakfast) and it was certainly worth it, especially for that suite. Not sure if I would pick it as a destination again, but if I needed a stay in Putrajaya, I would book it again without a second thought.

Seles

What is your Le Club status?

Platinum

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?

Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked: Superior room
Received: Superior room (with view on Piłsudski Square)

How are the rooms?

Nice room, good (be it rather soft) bed

What was good and what was bad?

Good:

- The welcome at the reception was very friendly, efficient and it kind of felt like coming home after a very long day with 2 flights and the rush visit to IST before the flight to WAW
- After the well needed shower, I noticed the box of candy, the hand-written welcome note and the welcome-drink voucher. Just what one needs after being on the road for 36+ hours! ^
- That welcome drink (I took the house cocktail, a Vodka Sour) was made with passion and expertise (and very very tasty), and when I returned from my evening breather for an Islay Whiskey before bed, I was simply amazed by the passion and knowledge of the other bartender, who allowed me to smell some of his favourite Islays before making my choice, brought me some local smoked cheese to complement it and just radiated with passion and dedication for his job. It has been a while since I have seen such a competent and knowledgeable staff (all around the hotel by the way) and it made this stay a memorable one.
- Smiles and genuine staff enthousiasm. Big thumbs up!
- The 3 L's : location, location, location!
- They seem to be renovating the hotel

Bad:

- The outside of the hotel doesn't really appeal to me, but that's personal taste I guess

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Paid just shy of 100€/night, but yes. Definitely would return. And I'll make it my destination instead of a stopover. Like the city, love the location, great staff. Hoping to get a suite next time ;-)

nicolas75

What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked cheapest adavance rate, and received basic room on high floor with pool view.

How are the rooms?
Not huge (less than 25 sqm)
Typical old version of Novotel (with horrible textured wall)
Quite comfortable bed
Tiny bathroom with [ugly/cheap/not so clean] plastic bathtub/shower combo.
Flat screen television with good selection of French and international television channels
Kettle
Very quiet
Separate dressing and toilets
Nice view over the pool and leafy surroundings

What was good and what was bad?

Good:
- Very friendly staff
- Pleasant pool/garden area
- Good restaurant
- Free and fast wifi
- Good selection of newspapers (but no Les Echos)
- I like the door that separates the room from the dressing/bathroom (no noise from hallway). Hotels with small rooms generally do not have such soundproofing door.

Bad:
- Location is convenient if you have a car, but the hotel is located in the middle of nowhere (soulless area close to the highway)
- Rooms are getting dated
- One elevator out of service
- As most of Novotels/Mercures: only 2 members of staff at check-out and long queue (15 minutes wait for check-out ). Express check-out would be more than welcomed.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Not exactly the dream hotel, but does the job for a business meeting in the region.

ffsim

What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked" Standard Non Smoking Room with 1 queensize bed" and that's what I received. I seem to have been given a higher floor and better view that previous stays, but not a category upgrade.

How are the rooms?
Comfortable, relatively spacious and well-equipped. Lots of wall outlets and closet space.

What was good and what was bad?

Good:
-Excellent location... steps from a metro station and a few minutes' walk to Arbat street with great selection of restaurants, bars and shops.
-Friendly staff.
-FAST, free wifi.
-Small, boutique-feel hotel.

Bad:
-Ludicrously expensive breakfast; it's decently tasty and satisfying, just unreasonably priced.
-The open shower design allows water to leak out into the rest of the bathroom.

Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
-Great value for Moscow hotels. Will definitely return.

flyoff

- What is your Le Club status? Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay? Yes. Good location -easy walk to the railway station. Friendly staff. Room and furniture a little dated, but generally in good condition but very comfortable bed.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive? Classic room booked. Upgraded to a large Luxury room wich included a spacious lounge.

- How are the rooms? Large room. Bathrooms need an upgrade.

- What was good and what was bad?

Good: Free wifi. Good location close to Central Station to get easily to/from the airport and centrally located in the city. Free drink in the bar. Complimentary half bottle of champagne delivered to the room. Nespresso coffee machine as well as a kettle. Free room upgrade. Friendly staff.

Bad: Room a little dated.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Reasonable value for money. I would definitely return.

PeterT1953

I agree - great hotel.

Next time, try the "a la carte" breakfast in the bar. V good and much cheaper. e.g scrambled eggs, bacon, bread butter and jam and a coffee for less than £5.00.

virtualaris

Having stayed in more than 30 different Accor properties in Asia Pacific and never got five-level upgrade like yours. Well, you should be lucky

fredandgingermad

- What is your Le Club status?
Gold

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Not particuarly

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked superior room and got superior room

- How are the rooms?
The rooms were good, although had booked a double bed and got twin beds but the bed was comfortable, liked that the toilet and the rest of the bathroom (bath and separate shower) were split accross two rooms

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
The room was good, as was the webcorner access

Bad:
Not particuarly impressed with the customer service, had requested a wakeup call as i arrived there late at night and didn't get it, although checked in at their priority desk the guy didn't seem to have much of a clue what he was doing and it all took rather a long time

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
I booked this on the 'Happy Monday/Tuesday' rate so couldn't complain but i've had a better welcome from the Ibis next door so unless I was able to get the same rate again i'm not sure i'd bother returning

fredandgingermad

- What is your Le Club status?
Gold

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked superior room and got superior room

- How are the rooms?
The room was fairly nice, beds were comfortable

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
Smooth Check-in, two drinks vouchers included with the room key Welcome gift for my 6 year old
Ate in the bar which was really nice, very impressed with the children's menu
Good location, very close to the railway station and to local attractions

Bad:
Sofa bed hadn't been made up which as there was 3 people on the reservation (inc a child) wasn't too impressed with

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Pretty good value for what we paid (booked during the private sale) would probably return regardless of no discount

ffsim

Awesome, thanks for the tip! I'll give it a try next time.

fredandgingermad

- What is your Le Club status?
Gold

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
No

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked privilige room and got privilige room

- How are the rooms?
The room was fairly nice, bed was very comfortable

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
Room was good, free bottle of water 750ml (expected water as per room details but surprised at size!), chocolate bar (unexpected)
I had a rather unfortunate accident with a razor, the member of staff was not particuarly helpful but her colleague much more so

Bad:
Shower pressure was somewhat extreme, it was either on full with hot water and physically hurt or not on full and freezing cold
No signs indicating reception, ended up feeling like an idiot when had to ask, what turned out to be the reception desk looked more like a bar, while the staff member was checking me in she was talking to someone who appeared to be charging their ipod from her laptop. Really unimpressed looks from night staff when returned in early hours of the morning, then again how were they to know i'd been at an FT do

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
I booked this in the Monday/Tuesday weekend sales, for more or less central London the rate was brilliant, shame all bar one staff member spoilt the experience, if could get such a good rate again i'd consider returning however

PeterT1953

I had a rather unfortunate accident with a razor, the member of staff was not particuarly helpful but her colleague much more so


What on earth were you shaving? Was it relevant to the FT do? I think we should be told.

Really unimpressed looks from night staff when returned in early hours of the morning, then again how were they to know i'd been at an FT do

They did. And they all knew about the shaving incident.

That's why they gave you one of "those" looks.