Check In

We arrived at 3pm and were led to the Executive Lounge by a Concierge staff for check-in. First impression of the refurbished hotel (former Grand Millennium Sukhumvit) was good. Everyone in the lobby was friendly and we did not have to carry our luggages up to the Executive floor ourselves (Had a bad first impression at the Conrad after these 2 nights where we literally dragged our luggages across the huge lobby to the executive floor and waited for a full 30 mins).

There were 3 lounge staffs during my check-in. One of them came to welcome us while the other was busy preparing our documents for check-in. A third fetched us drinks while we waited.

A list of Platinum benefits was handed to me shortly after together with 2 welcome drink vouchers. One voucher (for Gold/Platinum members) entitled the user to a glass of wine, classic cocktail, beer, juice or soft drink served at the lobby bar. Strange enough, another voucher entitled just juice and soft drink(for Silver) was issued to my partner. This preferential treatment, however, made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

The list of Platinum benefits that I had for my upgraded room was also found out to be slightly different from the list of Executive Room benefits. Notable exclusions were the complimentary 3 pieces of laundry per person per day and the complimentary 30 min spa but these did not matter as we have brought enough clothes and there were already many spa/massage options around Sukhumvit.

Room

Spacious and new. Usual Pullman standard with some Platinum amenities. Interesting addtion to the desk was a stationery case containing a pencil, eraser, small sharpener, some paper clips, correction tape and stapler. That showed the attention the management paid to the needs of the business travellers staying at the hotel.

Platinum amenities: Delicious Thai kueys and fruits nicely displayed and a CBTL coffee machine with 3 premium capsules.

Full set of toilet amenities including bath salts:

Good view of Asoke/Sukhumvit junction, the nearby Terminal 21 shopping mall and the road traffic (pun intended):

Dining

My room rate did not include breakfast but as platinum member, I was invited to enjoy daily breakfast at either the main restaurant or the lounge which I chose the former. The spread was ok but not particularly huge considering it is a 5-star Asian hotel. I remembered there were 4 hot Asian main dishes, some Japanese dishes including a sushi section, chawan mushi, teriyaki salmon etc, some Western dishes including roasted meat, and the usual stuffs like egg section, bacon, ham, salad, bread and pastry, yoghurt etc. No thai dishes to my surprise. There was also a freshly squeezed juice section near the entrance which I liked very much.

Executive lounge access includes daily breakfast (6.30 to 10.30am, until 11am on weekends), afternoon tea (2 to 4pm) and evening cocktail (6 to 8pm). First, I would like to say the lounge is spacious and tastefully designed. The soft lighting during my evening cocktail sessions wasconducive to a relaxed atmosphere.

Limited selection of food during afternoon tea but the evening cocktail session was sufficient to make a light dinner with tapas, cakes, bread, sandwiches, fried finger food etc. There was also a good selection of alcohols:

Location

As the hotel is located near Soi Cowboy along the forever busy Asoke Road, traffic can be very heavy during morning and evening rush hours. Our cab from airport was stuck in the traffic during off-peak time of 2pm on a Thursday. It took us 30 mins for a short 1 km journey along that road to reach the hotel. I cannot imagine how bad the traffic would be if it's in the morning or evening. So for those who wish to stay at this hotel, I suggest you take the airport express train to Makkasan and transfer to the MRT line nearby (no overhead linkway between Makkasan and MRT it seemed) alighting at Sukhumvit station. The hotel is just a stone's throw away.

The hotel is near the Asoke/Sukhumvit junction which means it is situated strategically between two BTS stations along Sukhumvit Road and is also served by the underground MRT line.

Overall

Good value, excellent Platinum recognition and service. Staffs are well-trained despite being a new hotel. Location is a little less desirable because of the bad traffic. It will, however, add to my choice of stay in BKK in future.