Chatrium Suites Bangkok Review is a post from: Thai Hotels Blog.

The very first hotel I ever stayed at in Thailand was the Menam Riverside Hotel, about nine years ago. While the rooms were a little faded and the elevators were the slowest I have ever seen, the breakfast outside by the river terrace was quite memorable.

While planning a new round of hotel reviews late last year it struck me that I hadn’t stayed at any Bangkok riverside hotels since that inaugural visit to Bangkok all those years ago. With that in mind we decided on two riverside hotels, Chatrium Suites Bangkok and the Millennium Hilton Bangkok (Hilton review coming next week.)

Arrival

Chatrium Suites is a Dusit Thani partner hotel and is part of a complex of three buildings about five minutes away by taxi or boat from Saphan Taksin pier. The two other buildings are residences.  The suites are located in the third building in the complex, closest to the river, so if you arrive by taxi, tell the driver to drive right through to the end.

Upon arrival we were shown to an area in the lobby and seated while the front desk staff were taking care of some people checking out. It didn’t look too busy, but we were seated there waiting around the corner, out of sight of anyone for about 15 minutes. We felt like they had forgotten about us.

Rooms

When we got to our room, a Grand Suite 1 Bedroom City View, the first thing we did was head for the generously sized balcony, equipped with table and 2 chairs, and featuring a magnificent view of the Chao Phraya River. The view only got better as the day went on, culminating in the sunset view you see below.

Inside, the rooms were spacious, clean and appointed with modern furniture. There were two TVs, one in the living room and one in the bedroom.  Both TVs were flatscreen, however the one in the living seems a little small for the size of the room. Below the TV there was an audio component which plays CDs and had an audio jack, but I couldn’t get my iPod to play any music through the speakers.

The kitchenette featured a full sized refrigerator, an oven, a 2 hotplate counter-top stove, a sink and tea & coffee maker.

The bedroom was situated on a corner and the windows were floor to ceiling. You can open the curtains to fill the bedroom with natural light and enjoy the expansive river views, as seen in the photo at the top of this post.

While we stayed in a one bedroom suite, I did also take a look at one of the regular Grand City View rooms which also has a kitchenette and the same sweeping views as the one and two bedroom suites.

Bathroom

As seems to be a trend in hotels recently, the bathroom looks out into the bedroom, with wooden venetian blinds providing privacy. Just after taking the photos of the sunset that you see in this review, I jumped in the shower as I was late for a dinner appointment.

If you can, try to take a shower at sunset. With the venetian blinds open and the sunset shining in through the windows, it was a fantastic feeling.

I do however feel that I must bring up something that I think needs to be addressed by the management of Chatrium Suites.

While the tiles and the blinds in the bathroom are nice, I really think that a little more care/thought needs to be put into the bathroom setup, for a couple of reasons.

As you can see from the picture here, the soap holder in the shower is not only broken, but rusty as well. It is not very safe. Also the soap provided at Chatrium is the tiny little mini-soap bars, which fall straight through the steel bars of the holder, even if the holder wasn’t broken.

I really didn’t want to bring this up, but felt that the review would be dishonest if I didn’t.

Pool

The swimming pool at Chatrium Suites offers a number of features that are a rare find at Bangkok hotels.

People that like to swim laps to keep fit will appreciate the long pool with four lanes marked at the bottom. There are also two other pools, a kids’ pool and a sizable jacuzzi. Also, grass! While there are plenty of lounge chairs scattered around the pool, there is actually  a small grassed area where you can lay on your towel and commune with nature

The pool is located between the hotel and the river so the poolside views of the Bangkok riverlife are expansive and ever changing. Of course there is a poolside bar that serves refreshments and you can order your lunch by the pool.

Location

Chatrium Suites is located right on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The closest BTS Skytrain station is Saphan Taksin station on the Silom line.

From here you can get to the hotel either by taxi or by the hotel’s complimentary shuttle ferry. Both take five minutes. You can see the ferry wharf in the pool photo above. You could also walk if you wanted to- I did it once and it took about 25 minutes.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Chatrium. The rooms were nice and big, and the views were fantastic. While it is only 5 minutes from the BTS by car or boat, some people mind find it a little inconvenient to get to, since it isn’t really walking distance.

Have you stayed at Chatrium Suites Bangkok? If so how was your stay? Would you recommend this hotel? Did I miss anything that you think is worth mentioning?

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Dusit D2 Baraquda Pattaya is a post from: Thai Hotels Blog.

Cool has come to Pattaya with the 5 star Dusit D2 Baraquda which will appeal to guests who love modern and bright features in a hotel and want to enjoy a central location.

This ultra modern hotel speaks ‘designer’ and ‘boutique’ with its clean lines, trendy furniture, and open plan guest rooms that come equipped with all the high-tech gadgets you would expect – flat screen television, DVD and CD player, iPod dock, wireless high speed internet, and more.

Of the 72 guest rooms you can choose from a Deluxe King or Twin Room, Studio Suite Room, or D’Suite, all of which offer space and contemporary chic style. The Studio Suite and D’Suite offer a Jacuzzi bathtub in addition to the walk-in shower, and the D’Suite has a touch of loft living with its accommodation set over two floors.

For recreation the Dusit D2 Baraquda Pattaya offers an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, and spa. Also the beach and Pattaya Bay, as well as Walking Street are just a short walk away. The cutting edge style continues through to the hotel’s restaurants and bars, especially the cool Deep Bar. Sunset Lounge is also a popular retreat with its rooftop location and stunning views, and then there’s the hotel’s signature restaurant, S.E.A. which is open all day and serves fresh seafood and Southeast Asian cuisine.

If you can tear yourself away from the Dusit D2 Baraquda Pattaya you can enjoy the great central Pattaya location, located right next door to the Avenue Lifestyle Shopping Mall where you can shop, bowl, go to the movies, or karaoke. There are also plenty of entertainment venues, restaurants and bars within easy walking distance to the Dusit D2.

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