Hotel review: St Regis Bangkok (Thailand)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a luxury hotel and/or flight review.

A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Thailand, and I publish my trip reports about it this month:

Swiss Airbus A340 Business Class from Zurich to Bangkok (not impressed)
Today: review of the St Regis Bangkok (excellent)
Review of ultra-luxurious Soneva Kiri (my best hotel experience ever!)
Austrian Airlines B777 Business Class from Bangkok to Vienna (excellent)

Today (June 10, 2015): Review of the St Regis Bangkok (Thailand).

Location: Google maps
Address: 159 Rajadamri Road Lumpinee Pathum Wan กรุงเทพมหานคร 10330, Thailand
Hotel website: St Regis Bangkok
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso

The St Regis Bangkok is one of the most luxurious hotel properties in the Thai capital. It enjoys a premier location in a skyscraper along Rajadamri Road, near the city’s elite business institutions, superb restaurants, and fine boutiques. The hotel’s 228 guest rooms, including 51 suites, are beautifully appointed with plush furnishings, refined amenities, and unobstructed views. Every experience is enhanced with the legendary St Regis butler service.

In this review (more info and photos below my Youtube clip & slideshow):

Pros & things I like
Cons & things to know
My verdict
Tips for future guests & save money
Best time to visit
How to get there

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*** Travel tip: how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel & save money ***

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Business travelers will love the hotel’s location, along Rajadamri Road, in the commercial heart of Bangkok near the city’s elite business institution. Both Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang Airport are an easy 35 minutes away by taxi.

The hotel is housed in a sleek, 47-storey, 185 m (607 ft) tall skyscraper, that was finished in 2011 (so everything is very modern). The hotel itself occupies the ground floor, and floors 12 to 22, while the St Regis Residences are located on the top floors. The Royal Bangkok Sports Club, one of Bangkok’s most renowned sites, is located right in front of the hotel.

Upon arrival, guests enter the hotel lobby on the ground floor, where they are met by the hotel staff and whisked away in the elevators to the hotel’s main lobby on the 12th floor. The latter is a grandiose space, with high ceilings, marble cladded walls and a majestic staircase.

Check-in is efficiently done in a corner of the lobby and is an elegant affair: guests are seated and offered a refreshing cold towel and welcome drink (which is highly appreciated given Bangkok’s muggy climate) while a St Regis representative finishes the administration in no time.

Next to the lobby, you will find the The St. Regis Bar, offering an elegant and refined ambiance with high ceilings and dark, polished wood floors, all bathed in soft light. It also has a small outdoor terrace overlooking the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

All of the hotel’s 172 guest rooms and 51 suites are beautifully appointed with plush furnishings, refined amenities (such as fancy bathrobes with matching slippers), and unobstructed views through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I stayed in a spectacular Caroline Astor Suite, which includes a separate living and dining area, one bedroom with a very comfortable kingsized bed (layered with Egyptian cotton sheets), a sumptuous marble bathroom, and a separate guest bathroom. Because of its corner location, the Caroline Astor Suite offers amazing views of the Bangkok skyline and the greenery of the Royal Bangkok’s Sport Club from the living area, the bedroom and the bathroom.

The bathrooms are clad in black and white marble and all come with a separate rainforest shower and bath. They are stocked with Remède toiletries (soap, lotion, shampoo), which are – IMHO – amongst the best in the hotel industry (although those offered by COMO hotels & Resorts are my favorite, as you can read here). I particularly liked the freestanding bathtub in the Caroline Astor Suite, in front of the window with expansive city views.

The welcome snacks in the suite made quite an impression with a terrific presentation (see photo below).

While in residence, guests enjoy discreet St Regis butler service, 24 hours a day. St. Regis Butler Service has been the signature of the St. Regis experience for over one hundred years. From a forgotten travel item, to a perfectly pressed suit ready for an important meeting, to a favorite book at hand for an evening read, or a thoughtful, last-minute gift for a loved one, no request is too small or unattainable no matter the hour of the day.

Service is impeccable, as you would expect from a hotel managed by the one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands.

WiFi is complimentary for all guests throughout the hotel (as long as you made your reservation on the official hotel website).

The hotel has a beautiful but rather small outdoor swimming pool, which is located on a terrace on the 15th floor and thus comes with nice skyline views. It is surrounded by lots of loungers, some of them located in a shaded space. Those who like the sun, will be happy as the terrace is facing the south and west, guaranteeing sun exposure from late morning till evening. The pool is served by one indoor and one outdoor bar.

In addition to 16 treatment areas, including two couple’s treatment Suites, the elegant Elemis Spa features Rasul chambers (where guests can experience an ancient Arabian bathing ritual), Jacuzzi whirlpools, a hammam, and relaxation areas.

The breakfast buffet, displayed in the open kitchen, is amongst the best I ever encountered at a luxury hotel. It’s a spectacular spread of fresh fruits, cold meats, sushi, noodles, eggs, breads, and dim sums to name a few.

The modest room rates are remarkable, given the luxury caliber of this hotel. I paid 170 USD for the room with a 20% discount using a Beste Rate Gurantee (and received an upgrade to a suite thanks to my SPG Plantinum status)

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

The St Regis is amongst the poshest hotels in Bangkok. I liked my stay and I highly recommend it. I did not encounter any major nor minor issues during my stay, but you may want to know the following nonetheless:

While the hotel has a terrific location for business travelers and shopping goeroes, it is further away from the area of Bangkok that is of most interest to tourists (e.g. Royal Palace, Temple of Emerald Bhuda, riverside promenade). However, direct connection from the hotel’s 2nd floor to the Ratchdamri BTS station enables guests easy access to all points of interest in Bangkok.

There are some areas where the hotel is showing some signs of wear and tear (such as the carpets in the corridors), but overall, the property is well maintained.

This is not a small-scale, intimate, boutique hotel with an authentic Thai ambiance, but a rather large city hotel, bordering a corporate feeling.

MY VERDICT

Location: 8/10
Design: 8/10
Rooms: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Overall experience: very good: 8.4/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Save money: read my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like the St Regis Bangkok (and/or receive many free perks).

Save money: book your room via Virtuoso and you will enjoy free VIP amenities (e.g. daily breakfast, room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, and one dinner for two).

Save money: book your room with an additional 20% off making use of a Best Rate Guarantee.

Read my tips on how to prepare your trip in time.

Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) with Gold or Platinum status are well treated, with – amongst other benefits – free high-speed WiFi, complementary room upgrade (when available), early check-in or late check-out (when available), and free breakfast (SPG platinum). Click here to read my review of the SPG program (with pros & cons).

All rooms are gorgeous, but if a spectacular view is a must, then be sure to request a room on a higher floor and/or book the Caroline Astor Suite (or a higher room category).

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The weather in Bangkok is dominated by a tropical monsoon climate which means there are three main seasons: a cool, dry season between November and February (which is the best period to visit the city); a hot, dry season from March to June, and a rainy season from July to October. As Bangkok holds claim to being the hottest city in the world, expect daytime temperatures to be in excess of 30 degrees centigrade throughout the year (with the possible exception of late December and early January). The two periods April to May and September to October are characterised by high, almost untolerable humidity. The southwest monsoons arrive between May and October bringing unsettled, cloudy conditions and, for many, this is a welcome respite.

HOW TO GET THERE

Bangkok is served by 2 airports and this Tripadvisor page is great to find out how to get from the airport to the city center.

Suvarnabhumi International Airport is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of downtown Bangkok and is a major hub in Asia. Check the Wikipedia page of Suvarnabhumi International Airport for an updated list of airlines that offer direct flights to this airport.

Don Mueang Airport is Bangkok’s regional commuter flight hub and the de facto low-cost airline hub. Check the Wikipedia page of Don Mueang Airport for an updated list of airlines that offer direct flights to this airport.