Grand Hyatt Erawan has reopened July 1st and I had a quick stay there.  Unlike a growing number of hotels in Bangkok, Grand Hyatt has not lowered their rates materially to attract business so I am not sure this strategy will be successful in the short-term but they have time to adjust.  To go along the price level which was maintained, thankfully I found that the post-covid changes were reasonable and some ways better than the elite benefits offered in the past.

Room

As can be expected with low occupancy I received a suite upgrade as Globalist guest, in fact I even arrived at the hotel one day before my reservation and they had no problem updating my booking on the spot.  The suite was the same as usual – it is not anything special for Bangkok standards but I like the fact that it is of a decent size and has 1.5 bath including a Toto washlet in the master bathroom.  The view from our room this time was better than in some previous stays because we could see the sports club from the working desk from our high floor.  One issue that remains however with a room with the nicer view, from that side of the building the noise from the BTS sky train tracks can be a problem even from high floors especially since Grand Hyatt is at the intersection of both BTS lines so there is traffic.  They provide ear plugs besides the bed to mitigate the problem.  I also noted that the mobile phone with internet access for guest use was no longer offered, and June Jacobs bathroom amenities have been replaced by Balmain.

Dining

The breakfast buffet used to be great at this hotel.  Post covid many other hotels have introduced an a la carte menu but unfortunately Grand Hyatt has not (yet?).  Instead they have a slimmed down version of the buffet and a chef gives guests what they ask for.  The choice of fruits was quite basic and hot dishes were ok: fried rice and a couple of noodle dishes.  It’s not what it used to be, that said some other hotels we have visited in Bangkok recently have worse breakfasts even with a la carte options, notably Anantara Siam.  So I would say Grand Hyatt is now average compared to others – if they want to be above average they should consider offering an a la carte menu without cutting out the buffet.

The Club Lounge remains closed like many other hotels in Bangkok, but I found the alternative offered in “You & Mee” to be quite good.  They have a menu from which you can order anything you want, which I prefer to the small buffet they used to have in the club lounge.  So if anything, instead of making covid cuts to happy hour, at the moment it’s even better than before and the Yom Som O dish was particularly delicious.  Also during our stay there was a holiday with alcohol not allowed to be served in public.  Instead of using it as an excuse to deny happy hour drinks, they proactively brought a bottle of wine to our room which was appreciated.

Service

Service has not been a weakness of this hotel before and especially for a returning Globalist guest service continues to be excellent. 

Wifi

Wifi worked well with speeds of 65-70 Mbps.

Overall

Since Hyatt Regency Sukhumvit has opened in December 2018, Grand Hyatt has been getting somewhat squeezed and in fact sometimes Hyatt Regency is more expensive than Grand Hyatt depending on dates.  That makes it harder for GH to compete for Hyatt loyalist guests but it also means suite upgrades are moderately easier to get now, which used to be a problem at this property back when it was very popular and suites frequently fully booked.  While GH is not my favorite hotel in Bangkok, it has enough strengths for me to return on occasion and now prices are lower, happy hour is enjoyable, and suite upgrades are more plentiful for the foreseeable future with the depressed number of tourists in Bangkok.