Can't live without the butler anymore: review St. Regis Bangkok
There are things that, until you experience them, you cannot know that you will miss them. One of these is [...]
BKK
Thailand
Marriott
Recommended by TFC
There are things that, until you experience them, you cannot know you will miss them. One of these is definitely the combination of concierge and butler, or butler, at the St. Regis in Bangkok.
From the moment you set foot in this hotel within walking distance of Lumphini Park, in the neighborhood that houses all the major 5-star hotels in the Thai capital, you realize that the customer is truly at the center of everything here.
Reservation
The St. Regis belongs to to the Marriott family, to be exact it is a category 5 hotel. There are no higher category facilities in Bangkok. This hotel participates also to the program Fine Hotels + Resorts by American Express. And it was through the Amex travel portal that I booked for two nights at this facility.
I chose this mode to take advantage of one of the many offers dedicated to Amex customers, in this case the one that allowed for a immediate cashback of €70 upon spending at least €250. To this I added a travel voucher included in the annual fee of my American Express Platinum, so I was able to discount 220€ from the room price.
Taking advantage of the fact that Bangkok is still in partial lockdown, Despite the reopening of borders to tourists, the cost of rooms is much lower than pre Covid perdio. Thanks to all these advantages, the cost for the two nights was only 187€, or less than 95€ per night to sleep in a suite of one of the most luxurious 5-star hotels in the entire city.
In addition to this, thanks to the benefits under the FHR program, I enjoyed early check-in, 4 p.m. check-out, free breakfast (value €65) and 100$ credit to spend at the hotel.
The location
As stated, we are in the very center of Bangkok, walking distance to two of the largest shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and Central World. The hotel overlooks the Royal Bangkok Sports Club golf course and is less than a 10-minute walk from Lumphini Park.
It is directly connected to the BTS, or the city's elevated subway, and is surrounded by all the major 5-star hotels, such as the Waldorf Astoria and the Grand Hyatt.
It can be reached from the airport in about 50 minutes by cab, or if desired by the limousine service offered by the hotel, which for the record is done in a Mercedes Mayback.
Check-in
When we arrived, the concierge greeted us with a warm "Sawadee Ka," in less than 30 seconds our luggage had already been unloaded from the cab and we in the elevator that took us from the ground floor, the hotel entrance, to the 12th floor the reception floor.
The reception area is a small sitting room, we sit in chairs and go through all the procedures.
After registering the documents, the clerk explained all our benefits, those related to the FHR program and those related to the my Gold status in the Bonvoy program. One of these was an upgrade to a higher level of room, we had booked a Metropolitan Suite and were given a Grand Suite, a room that cost approximately 40€ per night more than the one booked. We arrived on a national holiday weekend, the hotel was almost sold out, despite this the upgrade was released.
The room
Our room was 1813. A long hallway gave access to the living room. In this room, in addition to the sofa and two armchairs in front of the big screen, there was also a work desk and a table where it is possible to have lunch for 4 without any problems.
The room had a huge king-size bed and an equally huge bathroom, divided from the room by an elegant wooden sliding door.
There is really everything in the room, from the nespresso machine with attached cappucinator.
A full minibar, with even a half bottle of champagne. Many snacks and even a bottle of Chianti.
At the desk is a stylish work set with stapler, highlighter and everything a digital nomad might need to live and work from the room.
Also in the room was a second 60″ TV, as well as a really high quality bluetooth speaker from Geneva.
Double sinks, double bathtub and walk-in shower with double shower head. In addition to this the room had two toilets. The first in the main bathroom, the second with access in the hallway with also a sink.
Very convenient for both couples and families with small children in tow like us.
The room is elegant, certainly not modern, the carpets are really incredible, and if you want to find a flaw, it is that From the 3 huge windows, the view is not breathtaking.
The h24 butler
One of the benefits offered at the St. Regis is to have the use of a butler, any time of the day or night. He is in charge of unpacking when you arrive and repacking when you leave. In between these two times he is available for any needs, free of charge.
She not only escorted us to our room, but also had treats for us when we arrived and incredible cupcakes for my daughter in the evening.
If a craving for hot chocolate comes up? No problem just press 0 and after a few minutes it will arrive along with some cookies prepared by the in-house bakery. In addition to the butler, there is the concierge service that completes the service and makes it unique.
Does the shirt or suit need to be ironed for dinner? The butler takes care of it.
Not only are hotel concierges as always the ones who give the right tips, but they also look out for the customer by taking pictures of the license plate of the cab where you get in and making sure the driver doesn't cheat the customer. Not to mention the attention every time you go through the lobby.
These two services make a stay at the St. Regis Bangkok truly special.
Services
The hotel has a swimming pool on the 15th floor overlooking the golf course, perfect for a dip at the end of a hot and humid day around the Kingdom's capital.
It is not very large, and probably if all the guests decided to go at the same time it would be cramped, but it is what is normally found in these city hotels where guests do not go to stay in the bathroom.
In addition to this, always on the same floor are the spa and gymnasium, open h24 with even a small ring where to train in the martial arts of which Thailand is the world capital.
The Spa
On the same floor as the gym and pool is the hotel's SPA. The treatment book, the offer is very varied, is brought to the room.
Of course, the prices are by no means cheap for being in Thailand, but it is still a 5-star hotel and the products used are first-rate and very expensive.
In the spa, in addition to treatments, we did not miss a Rasul Bath, also known as the "queen of oriental baths" perfect combination of health practices, oriental scents and the warmth of water. In addition to the classic jacuzzi, hammam and detox rooms.
Food & beverage
The main restaurant is Viù, on the 12th floor, the one that also hosts the morning breakfast.
Then there are two restaurants IGNIV by tristate chef Andreas Caminada and Zuma. Unfortunately, both are still closed due to pandemic.
Also on the lobby level are the main bar, with a small outdoor terrace, and the Decanter, a bar for wine and whiskey connoisseurs.
At The St. Regis Bar in the afternoon , during tea time, the music is live with pianist and violinist, very impressive indeed.
Breakfast has two sides. On weekends it is buffet style, while on weekdays it is a la carte.
The buffet is very well-stocked and large, although the feeling compared to what I had read is that it has shrunk in offerings.
The offerings range from sweet to savory, and in the center of the room are two view kitchens. The first is dedicated to the preparation of eggs, which can be ordered in all manners.
The second is the one dedicated to Thai products, such as noodles and soups. Usually quality does not rhyme with quantity, but in this case I must say that I was really pleased with all the offerings and the courtesy of the staff.
The next morning, Monday, we tried the other side of breakfast, namely table service.
The change is total, even the weekend crowds were gone and the open kitchens were off and bare.
The menu is brought to the table, and I must say that here I would have expected much more, instead very little choice of dishes and then the usual stuff, but much much less than the weekend offering.
I understand the choice, which is probably due to economic reasons and is aimed at avoiding food waste. But I would have expected better service and higher quality products. Instead the dish I was served, some fried eggs with bacon, beans and mushrooms, was cold. With very few guests in the room, the staff was also stretched thin, and this is not like the St. Regis.
Last, but not least, on the ground floor is The Lounge, a patisserie offering the chance to enjoy sweets and chocolate prepared by the hotel's kitchens
The surprise
We had recently returned to our room after a long day of Sunday shopping when the doorbell rang. Much to our surprise at the door was the butler with a birthday cupcake and a birthday card.
The nice thing is that my birthday was 3 days later and so on the cake was written "Happy Birthday in advance" surely they are not superstitious here. I must say a wonderful surprise considering the fact that I would not be spending my birthday in this hotel. A similar thing had happened to me in Tokyo, at the Hilton Bay at Disneyworld. Where we stayed in late 2019.
In addition to the (very good) cake, we were also served two ice lattes and a hot chocolate for my daughter.
In conclusion
If you are looking for a hotel in the heart of Bangkok where you can be pampered, this is definitely a good choice. Booking via FHR gives you lots of privileges that make your stay even better, If you then also hold elite status in the Bonvoy program. (the Gold level is included in the Amex Platinum) the benefits add up and then it becomes a VIP treatment. As a Gold customer, in fact, you also get the 15% discount at the SPA, the opportunity to have 2 garments ironed every day, the 15% discount at all restaurants, and much more.
When I explain why despite the monthly fee of 60€ American Express pays for itself I mean examples like this. Between discounts, vouchers, credit to spend, upgrades, and free breakfast, In this reservation alone I saved more than 500€, not forgetting that I also gained about 5000 Bonvoy points with this reservation.
Pro
- The butler and concierge make you feel like a prince in the palace
- The position
- Suite
Against
- Breakfast at the carté
- The non-view from the room