Frankly after staying at many hotels, there really isn’t a hotel that is absolutely horrifying. Well, at least for me there isn’t. Even for budget accommodations (of which I had my fair share of from my backpacking trips), the basic needs of cleanliness, a roof over your head and a workable washroom are met.
When we pay more, the standards are elevated accordingly. Needless to say we begin to expect more, and with so many hotels to pick from, what motivates the guests to repetitively return to a particular hotel?
For me it could be the food (in-house restaurants or the breakfast spread), the service, the amenities or simply, the comfort of my room.
Pullman Bangkok Hotel G on Silom Road prides itself as a “lifestyle hotel”. Lifestyle Hotel is a popular term now, essentially to describe intimate, usually luxurious or unique hotel environment.
These hotels differentiate themselves from the larger cookie-cutter chain of branded hotels by providing personalized accommodation and services/facilities. The term “boutique hotel” or “design hotel” are loosely used here too.
I’m all for unique experiences. Fresh feel, quirky decor, modern art, vibrant colours. These are some of the elements I realized that a hotel would focus on to set themselves apart. For Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, it exudes modernity; vibrant but with muted style and urban funk.
Upon entry, I was torn between my left and my right. On my left was a long top with Macbook Airs and a very bar-like setting. “Whoa, Mac Air? Is that for guests’ use” – was the first thing that popped into my mind. On my right is an urban chic looking lounge and a fat structure of a sumo wrestler.
The lobby is busy busy busy. It was obviously a popular hotel. The hospitality begin the moment my cab drove up its entrance. My luggage was retrieved from the boot and my door opened to a warm greeting of “Sawadee-ka”.
I smiled in relief (I’m always glad to reach my hotel after a flight) and after some argument with the cab driver who refused to give a receipt and my change I finally stood at the reception to be checked-in.
Check-in was swift and sweet (as how all check-ins should be) and we were left on our own to locate our room. I was surprised that my luggage was not sent to the room yet and though it would have been nice to be escorted to the room, I guess I shouldn’t expect that in every hotel.
All that was forgotten the moment the lift doors opened. I was held spellbound by the large display screen inside. A lover of dance myself, I was transfixed by the dancers’ fluid motions and the beauty of the dance displayed.
The ascent to the 23rd floor was barely felt.
It might be a small feature, but we don’t see that in every hotel so for me it was something worthy of mention. Besides, what a novel idea (instead of still pictures) to keep guests preoccupied while they travel the boring ascent/descent from room to lobby or vice versa.
Mesmerizing right? I stood and kept the lift doors open while I took these shoots with my Sony NEX 3N. The camera captured the moving dancers pretty well!
On the 23rd floor I was greeted with clean decor and warm lights at the corridors. But my room elicited another gasp of delight as soon as the door was flung open.
Beautiful.
Gorgeous, minimal and clean white all around. A sole rug on the ground, no carpets and wooden floor. My deluxe room is one of the 308 deluxe available from the 18th – 26th floor.
It 34sqm in size and with the minimal furnishing it gave us so much space to move around. The overall decor is minimalist with the monotony only broken with a black and white painting in the room.
Floor to ceiling windows allows plenty of light into the room, something which I love! For those who shy from the sun, just pull the blackouts and curtains over the windows and the room would be in total darkness.
The view is better at night when the city is lighted up since this hotel is located in the city centre.
An ipod and iphone docking station sits conveniently on the workdesk. A smart feature of this desk includes power sockets at one side of the desk. A not-so smart thing is that the international sockets were so near to each other that only 1 socket at be used at any one time due to the size of the power point.
Even a small power plug, once plugged into one of the sockets would overlap to the other power point rendering it useless.
A traveler with many gadgets, I went looking for more powerpoints immediately. Powerpoints beside the bed are my favourite as that allows me to plug in my laptop/iPhone to use while I relax on the bed at the same time.
I discovered the powerpoints located on each side of the lone bedside table (also international so there wasn’t a need for an adapter) so that was another nifty feature of the room that I like.
In addition to that I appreciate the control console with clearly labeled functions so I didn’t have to press all buttons while trying to figure out which button is for which light.
A chaise chair beside the floor to ceiling window encourages guest to sit back and enjoy the Bangkok city view while sipping a cuppa. Â Complimentary coffee and tea making facilities are available, but that’s given for any hotel of this standard. A large TV sits facing the beds. I hate any form of noise when I’m in my room so it was never switched on. In fact I don’t think I ever switched on the TV in any of my hotel stays.
The beds are comfortable enough and I appreciate the extra pillow provided at the top of the wardrobe. I didn’t know there was a pillow menu (why is it that most hotels doesn’t make it known?) else I would have asked for firmer pillows. Instead I had to suffer from mild neckache for the entire duration of my stay. At home, I bought special head pillows since I need firmer support for my head.
I ran my eyes over the rest of the area. Ah, a complimentary condom? Not bad. We are in Thailand after all. (I can’t find that picture I took of the condom!)
A full bar plus complimentary coffee and tea sachets.
Bathrobes. Though why only one was provided while there were 2 bedroom slippers is beyond me.
Safe. Hair dryer. Shoe mitt and a sewing kit. Uncommon place for a sewing kit but well at least it was provided.
I didn’t bring my toothbrush as I had expected a hotel of this level to provide full amenities. Apparently not. Not a problem. Things are cheap in Thailand and 7-11 are everywhere.
The bathroom is spacious for a deluxe, with a separate bathtub and shower room. Bathroom amenities are Roger & Gallet (I’m not familiar with this brand) and all 3 types of towels are provided – face, hand and bath towels.
Complimentary WIFI is available throughout the hotel and the room, a must for me.
Thanks to DIAsiaTourism and Pullman Bangkok Hotel G for the comfortable stay. Pullman Bangkok Hotel G is located on Silom Road and it was convenient for me to get to the conference venue as well as to the central shopping district since the BTS station (Chong Nongsi) is a mere 5 mins walk away.
Rates differs but expect to pay from USD122 per night for the deluxe room. Higher rates expected for the executive and suites, naturally. I’ll be showing the other facilities of the hotel as well as the breakfast spread in a separate post.
DIRECTIONS TO HOTEL:
From Suvarnabhumi International Airport: 35km (45 mins drive)
Don Muang Airport: 37 km (45 mins drive)
PULLMAN BANGKOK HOTEL G
188 Silom Road, Bangkok Thailand 10500
t. +66 (0) 2238 1991 e. [email protected] www.pullmanbangkokhotelG.com
Nearest BTS: Chong Nongsi (5 mins walk)
Wow, very stylish touches at this hotel! I love it! It does feel very different from the ‘safe’ sameness at many other hotels =)
Love how the room is entirely white, so chic and comfy! And the photo of you on the bed, awwwww (:
I’m pretty artsy-fartsy myself and I’ll love the video in the lift too. The dancers looks amazing
Tell me about it Renee! I stood mesmerized each time I’m in the lift! I actually enjoyed my ascent/descent each time! 🙂
Aww….. I love the pristine white room!
OH YES! I gasped aloud when I opened the door and walked in for the very first time! 😀
I can’t wait to see the rest of the hotel. Frm the lobby this reminds me of your previous post on Aloft – funky vibe, but still chic.
Oh yes, ALOFT is quite a character too! Pullman is less on the colours, but still can feel the urbanite hip vibe from the decor and art pieces!
Might look into this for my next trip! Waiting for your subsequent posts on the food and the hotel facilities!
Oh apologies it took a while for me to get the other up. So many pics and so many things I wanted to write about. There was the pool, gym, MICE, bar…
Well knock yourself out –> https://www.rebeccasaw.com/pullman-bangkok-hotel-g/ 😀
Wonderful travel post as usual. All your accommodation revies are detailed and you really touch on every aspect of the stay!
Looking forward to your usual hotel tour post! I want to see the rest of this hotel!
TQ Holly for such encouraging words! If case you missed it – the hotel tour post is here –> https://www.rebeccasaw.com/pullman-bangkok-hotel-g/ 😀
Good piece on the hotel. I enjoyed my stay here too.
Oh wow! You were here when?
Did you hang out at the bar? 🙂
LOL! Your post begins, “Frankly after staying at many hotels, there really isn’t a hotel that is absolutely horrifying.” – maybe not for you, but for me there is one!!! On one of my first assignments as a travel writer, I was taken to a lovely an offshore island of Guangdong province in China, where I was put up in a little hotel. The room was disgusting! It smelled! The toilet didn’t flush! The air-conditioning didn’t cool the room (although it made LOTS of noise)! The TV worked about as well as the air-conditioner! The view from the window was of scruffy lot surrounded by the back side of some run down restaurants. A cock was cackling. Neither the sheets nor the towels looked clean. But do you know what bothered me most? The ceiling wasn’t painted (not as in “industrial chic” but as in “why bother???”)!!! I felt so dejected. I thought that I had hit ROCK BOTTOM!!! And I muttered to myself, “You couldn’t PAY me to stay in a dump like this!!!” And I realized, to my amusement, that I WAS being paid to stay at a dump like this. And thus started my career as a travel writer …
OMG!
Well to be honest, if it’s China.. I would believe you! 😛
And what a great beginning to your wonderful career! Hahahaha!! Didn’t you do the usual “call the reception and speak to someone in charge procedure”? Or you thought it was a hopeless case anyhow? hehe!
This was several years ago, and China was very different then. If I had pointed out the problems, they wouldn’t have understood. It would have been like “playing the violin before a cow”. It’s like the time I went to the floor attendant and asked to buy a cold drink – because there was a counter with snacks for sale and refrigerator behind it. She said, “Mei you!” (We don’t have any – the standard response to any question in those days.) When I pointed to the refrigerator and asked what that was inside, she opened the door and showed me that it was full of purses. That’s where the attendants kept their personal belongings!
That’s true. It probably would have been more frustrating for you! I hope the stay was ermm..short? HAHA!
Just checked out from Pullman after 3 nights. Functional room, great ambiance all round and breakfast is alright, not fab but decent.