The Athenee Hotel Bangkok offers a lot – and surprises more than expected. Above all, the exceptionally warm service team, the great Suite upgrade and a Club Lounge, the quality of which is anything but a matter of course in this category. Where you can see the hotel’s age a little here and there, but why did this hardly bother us and why did we leave very satisfied in the end? Find out in our detailed review. We hope you enjoy reading it.
Review # 114
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- Daily complimentary breakfast for two guests per room
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Content
Location
The Athenee Bangkok is located in the chic Phloen Chit district – one of the most elegant areas of the metropolis. Here, life pulsates between futuristic skyscrapers, luxurious shopping temples and small streets where Bangkok still feels very authentic. The BTS skytrain station Phloen Chit is just a few minutes’ walk away, so you can be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Siam Square or relaxing in Lumphini Park in just a few minutes. Even the river with its markets, temples and rooftop bars is just a short drive away – Bangkok could hardly be more central and exclusive.
Arrival
The easiest way to get to The Athenee Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is to take the Airport Rail Link (ARL) to Phaya Thai and change there to the BTS Skytrain – from here it’s just a few stops to Phloen Chit, more or less right outside the hotel door. If you prefer a more comfortable option, take a cab, grab, bolt, uber or a private transfer. Depending on traffic, the journey takes between 40 and 60 minutes and takes you through the chaos of Bangkok.
Getting here by train or long-distance bus is also very straightforward: From Hua Lamphong Central Station, the MRT takes you to the city center in just a few stops, where you can change directly to the BTS, which in turn takes you almost to the hotel. If you arrive at the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai), it’s even easier – just hop on the BTS and after a few stops you’ll be there. Whether by train, bus or cab – The Athenee Bangkok can be reached quickly and stress-free from all directions.
We arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Frankfurt on Thai Airlines flight TG 921 and got from there to the hotel by grab.
Check-in
As we drove up to the entrance of The Athenee, the car door was opened immediately, we received a friendly welcome, our suitcases were unloaded and stored straight away.
For check-in at reception we were led through the Lobby, where we were welcomed warmly and greeted with a cold tea and cold towels. However, as guests with Titanium status at Marriott Bonvoy, we were eligible to check-in at the Lounge and were accordingly escorted upstairs by a very friendly member of staff. At the Lounge, check-in was carried out at one of the cozy tables and not at the Lounge reception itself. We could also choose drinks and opted for Butterflypea tea and water.
At check-in we were also given an overview of the benefits we were entitled to and opted for the additional 1000 points, as we were able to have breakfast at the Lounge.
The Athenee Bangkok at a glance
The Athenee Hotel is part of the Marriott Group’s Luxury Collection and is one of the city’s renowned 5-star hotels. The hotel has a total of 374 rooms and Suites spread over 29 floors. The Lobby is located on the first floor and is spacious and classically elegant with high ceilings and a prestigious design.
The room and Suite categories are spread across the upper floors of the building. On the higher floors, guests usually enjoy a beautiful view of the Bangkok skyline. The exclusive Royal Club Lounge is located on the 26th floor and the outdoor pool is located on the 4th floor surrounded by tropical greenery – a small oasis of calm in the middle of the city. The pool bar and fitness center are directly adjacent as the spa is located on the floor above.
The all-day dining and breakfast restaurant Rain Tree Café is located in the main area of the hotel on the 3rd floor and offers international and Asian cuisine. The culinary offering is complemented by several other restaurants and bars.
Incidentally, the hotel is located on the grounds of the former princess palace, which is why there is also a statue commemorating the princess in the garden.
Suite
As usual, we booked the cheapest room at The Athenee, in this case an Athenee room. Due to our Titanium status at Marriott Bonvoy, we fortunately got a very rare upgrade to an Athenee Suite.
So let’s take a closer look at Suite No. 1902 together.
Welcome
As soon as we moved into the Suite, a very small fruity welcome gift was waiting for us.
Entrance
Just behind the front door to the Suite, you will find yourself in the relatively spacious entrance area. There is a chest of drawers and a large mirror on the wall to the left and the guest toilet to the right.
Living room
Continue straight ahead into the living room, which in this Suite really is a completely separate and independent room. The room is of course mainly dominated by the large couch with two armchairs, bench and table. A large TV is installed on the wall opposite the armchairs. In the far corner is the fully equipped desk with a view of the room, which is ideal for working.
The minibar is located diagonally to the left opposite the entrance in a kind of chest of drawers. On the worktop is the capsule coffee machine with matching capsules, as well as the kettle, cups, water, red wine and snacks. The drawers below contain glasses, spirits and the ice bucket, as well as coffee to go papercups. And in the small fridge you will find soft drinks, various waters, white wine, beer and other chocolate snacks.
Bedroom
From the living room you enter the bedroom. There, of course, the bed plays the leading role. There is a bench at the foot of the bed and a really large and comfortable sofa in front of the full-width window. Another large TV set is installed on the wall opposite the bed.
The incredibly comfortable king-size bed has two differently firm but equally sized pillows on each side and a super cuddly soft comforter. There are lamps on both bedside tables and on the left you will find the telephone with notepad and pen, as well as the remote control. On the right is just a box of tissues.
Cupboard
From the bedroom you enter the master bathroom and on the way there you walk through a hallway where the fitted wardrobes are located. There are two of them on the left where you will mainly find hanging space for your clothes, but also a bathrobe, slippers, an iron and ironing board, an umbrella and a safe. At the end of the room there is a suitcase rack with drawers.
Bathroom
The spacious master bathroom may seem a little dated with its yellowish marble, but the choice of color also radiates warmth. To the right of the room is the washstand with two washbasins and here you will also find the amenities provided for you. There really are a lot of them and we didn’t really miss anything here. There is also Byredo soap and body lotion in the Le Chemin fragrance.
To the left of the room is the bathtub with the second bathrobe, as well as the toilet behind it. Opposite is the walk-in rain shower, again with Byredo care products.
View
Our Suite overlooked the street and the buildings opposite. On the right, we could see the Ploen Chit BTS station and the legendary Park Hyatt.
Turndown
We arrived a little later in the afternoon and for some reason the room had already been prepared for the evening – so the turndown service was already done.
The comforter was folded back, the rugs and slippers were laid out and two small chocolates were laid out as bedtime treats.
Lounge
Luxury Collection hotels don’t actually have a Lounge so the Royal Club Lounge at The Athenee is probably a remnant of the previous operator, Le MeridiĂ©n. Accordingly, we found it great and surprising that there is a really beautiful and large Lounge located on the 26th floor of the hotel. There are two large rooms here, whereby the rear one is closed during the day and is only open during meal times – i.e. breakfast and Cocktail hour.
At the mentioned Cocktail hour, every day between 17:30 and 19:30, in addition to the obvious drinks, there is also a quite impressive Buffet and even a live cooking station. The food was really excellent and went well beyond the normal standard. Drinks were served at the table, but could of course also be ordered at the Bar.
Hotel activities
Pool
The beautiful outdoor pool is located on the 4th floor extension. The relatively large pool offers plenty of space and a sufficient number of loungers.
Kid’s Pool
Adjacent to the large pool you will also find a shallow round pool, which is ideal for splashing around and having fun with small children.
Fitness Center
Also on the 4th floor is the gym with a view of the pool. The relatively large room offers plenty of muscle-building equipment and, of course, cardio machines. There is also a free weights area.
Spa
The Athéneé Spa is also located on the 4th floor and offers the usual services.
Restaurants
All of the hotel’s restaurants are located on level 3. These include the Japanese restaurant Hashiri, the Chinese restaurant The Silk Road, the Thai restaurant The House of Smooth Curry, the Mediterranean restaurant The Allium Bangkok and the all-day-dining restaurant Rain Tree CafĂ© , which also offers breakfast.
Pool Bar
This Bar at The Athenee is called The View and, in addition to a view of the pool, also offers beautiful views of the surrounding skyscrapers. It mainly serves small snacks and classics, but of course also Cocktails.
If you are lying by the pool, you will be served water straight away and small refreshments, such as fruit, are also offered on site throughout your stay.
Breakfast
Due to our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status, we automatically got Lounge access and therefore decided to have breakfast here which is possible every day until 11 am. Here you are offered a not-so-small Buffet again with a live cooking station where you can order eggs of your choice.
Of course, there is also the option of having breakfast at the actual breakfast restaurant, but we opted for the more relaxed version at the Lounge. It really wasn’t crowded at all here and was correspondingly quiet.
Check-out
We decided to check out in the Lounge again – the ladies were really super friendly and the check-out itself went very quick. A few nice words and off we went.
Costs
We paid 6,501 THB for this one night at The Athenee Bangkok. Which was roughly 177 euros at the time of our stay. Mind you, this was for the smallest room category. The upgrade to the Suite and access to the Lounge, including breakfast, came from our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status.
Departure and onward journey
From here we continued our journey and took the grab to our next hotel in Bangkok. The bell boy met us at the Lobby and asked us how we were leaving. He then immediately remembered the number on our driver’s license plate and even loaded our suitcases. Perfect!
The Royal Orchid Sheraton directly by the Chao Phraya and opposite the famous ICON SIAM Mall is waiting for us after just under half an hour’s drive.
Conclusion
We arrived with rather low expectations and were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is no longer brand new and could do with a renovation here and there, but the structure is good and the housekeeping team does a really great job of keeping everything in good shape. The staff are extremely well trained, consistently friendly and incredibly courteous. And then there’s the super Lounge with a really wide range of food and the upgrade to the Athenee Suite. It couldn’t have been any better.
The windows are tinted throughout the building, which makes it a little dull inside, but I think it actually works quite well, as it’s usually rather glaring outside. The hotel is a little off the beaten track, but that also makes it a little quieter.
We can actually recommend The Athenee to all groups of guests. Solo and business travelers are just as well catered for here as couples and families.
We place the hotel in the Luxury segment on our EVRYWHRE internal scale.
Rating
We award The Athenee Bangkok a well-deserved 10 out of 10 possible points. Apart from a few minor details, everything here was perfect and there was really no reason to deduct points.
Go there?
Yes. The Athenee is definitely worth a visit.
YouTube Review
If you want to find out more, you can of course also watch our YouTube review from the year 2022. Have fun with it.
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