My first Luxury Collection experience. Hah. I know.

ADDRESS – 61 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Website.

CONTACT- Tel: +66 2-6508800. Email: mhrs.bkkdt.reservation@marriotthotels.com.

LOCATION – The property is located in the Sukhumvit area with Ploechit BTS Station being the closest but it’s an unsheltered walk of 8mins or so for those who are keen to try. I never did as I just grabbed all over but it’s good to know that’s an option.

PRICE – THB7,800++ per night (~ SGD300) = THB18,360 total booked for a Royal Guest Room via Hotelux under the STARS Exclusive Rate which includes a USD100 hotel credit to use during the stay. I thought it was a fair deal given that this is already one of the more expensive Bonvoy property in the city.

PRE-ARRIVAL – I applied my Nightly Upgrade Awards (NUA) to the stay but it didn’t clear so BOO. I was hoping though that I’d still be able to get some sort of upgrade even if not a Suite.

I corresponded with the hotel via the Bonvoy app chat for some last minute changes and it was all noted swiftly. I also received a pre-arrival email 1 day out.

GETTING THERE – the hotel was charging THB3,000 (~SGD112) for hotel pick up so we decided to use one of the airport pick up options offered by Klook instead for SGD29 – score! Took us about 45mins with moderate traffic which was honestly better than I anticipated.

CHECK IN – The bell staff was very attentive and our bags were immediately assisted with while we were ushered to check in desks. I liked very much the classy yet thai-ish vibe of the place!

Seeing my Titanium status, the staff offered to check us in at the Royal Club and we were escorted to have a sit-down check experience while we hydrated ourselves at the seat. There were seemingly alot of details to go through being a combi of Titanium + STAR$ guests, including going over and confirming our choice of booked hotel activities (more on that later). The club staff did apologize for not being able to get us a Suite but that checked out correct on the app so we were fine.

After about 20mins, we walked away with letters in our hand (for some reason my STAR$ letter was in Mandarin?).

ROOM – Our Royal Guest Room Double (44SqM), 2802, was really nice in its own traditional yet modern style, and accords sufficient space for 2pax with luggage.

The linear layout of the entranceway meant the wardrobe, mini bar, and closet are all lined up to the right as you enter.

Opposite this space is the bathroom which had a single sink but enough countertop for 2pax of toiletries, a open concept toilet, a separate standing shower space and a bathtub. Toiletries were pump-sized Breydo Le Chemin series which were just okay for me.

Further in is the main bedroom space which I found super comfy especially those 2 plushy beds which gave us quite good sleep! A bedside desk between the beds provided enough space for 2pax’s charging as it came equipped with sufficient powerpoints.

A cute towel elephant was placed on one of the beds

In a corner of the space is a cosy 2-seater sofa and a proper work desk which came with a thai traditional bell of sorts I thought was quite a unique touch.

On the coffee table was a welcome amenity of fruit platter as well as a chocolate accompanied by a welcome note acknowledging my Hotelux booking.

During both evenings, turndown service included a chocolate square and goodnight note placed on each bed alongside the usual slippers by the bedside. I’ve only ever seen this at more RC than other properties so I was impressed!

ROYAL CLUB LOUNGE – this was such a great space to chillax in during our 3days as it was so rainy most times. This interpretation of a Club Lounge is located on level 26 and takes up about half the level. The very expansive space is split into 2 sections but both peppered with cosy lounge sofa chairs at most spots with window seat options: one section closer to the food set up area, and another closer to the bar / drinks area. I liked the choice of cheery colors which offset the use of dark wooden surfaces.

I also liked that they have a chessboard if you so wish, as well as menus from the hotel restaurants. Apparently, you can order them to consume in the lounge at the indicated charges so this feature is going to be useful if you have any dietary restrictions the lounge cannot accommodate.

Off hours, these very addictive snacks are available for taking, alongside non alcoholic drinks eg coffee/tea/sparkling water etc. Staff will take your order and bring to you so there is very little self-service set up here.

Breakfast (6:30am-10:30am)(until 11am on Friday and weekends)

We decided to try breakfast at the lounge for more peace and quiet on our first morning and while the spread was understandably smaller than a proper restaurant’s, the variety was actually good enough especially when they have an egg station, fresh young coconuts, as well as sparkling wine which the restaurant don’t offer.

Afternoon tea (2:30pm-4:30pm)

We actually tried 3 sessions of this and found the variety okay but the bites were decent quality – scones were not bad too!

Evening Cocktails (5:30pm-7:30pm)

This session saw a smallish selection of canapes with a main protein featured each night which was high quality – super love! There was also a soup every night with a small selection of desserts and fruits which I appreciate.

Drinks were hit and misses with the cocktails being not my cup of tea – but the wines were very drinkable and we indulged in quite a few over the 2 nights.

Service at the lounge was consistently great with the whole team being super attentive and was very efficient in taking orders and clearing soiled plates. And every single team member was like that which was rare and honestly a service gem in these days.

BREAKFAST- the bigger breakfast is served at RainTree Cafe located on level G and starts slightly earlier at 6:00am. It’s a bug space but quite a necessity given the guest size and fitted out with loads of seating options including window ones when the buzz in the middle gets too much. I managed to take some quiet photos off hours to get a better sense of the space.

The spread is crazy big as well and split into the main hot food sections:

The cold appetizers / salads / fruits / middle eastern section:

Then finally the carbs section which included free flow of ice cream:

Service at the restaurant really impressed us as every team member was attentive and constantly asked if there is anything we need and soiled plates were cleared very quickly even when the space is busy. Offers of helping with our food and pulling out chairs for us also surprised us as these definitely do not happen at most restaurants’ breakfasts.

FACILITIES – The Pool (6:00am-10:00pm) and Athenee Fitness (24hrs) are located on level 4, with the pool seeing a healthy stream of guests especially when there is a poolside bar of sorts called The View which looked inviting even in BKK weather.

The fitness centre called Athenee Fitness (24hrs) is big and equipped enough to get a decent workout in, plus they have rower! I only ever visited around 6am each day and saw very little crowd but can’t say for sure about the rest of the timings.

The Athenee Spa was the choice to burn the USD100 credit – at THB2,500 per pax for the Ancient Thai Therapy massage x 2 pax, we still had to top up a little but well worth the money as the ambience was immaculate and the pre, post, and massage itself was great.

The treatment started off with a butterfly pea welcome drink, followed by heading into the very nice treatment room, and ended off with a post-massage tea in their relaxation room which was so soothing.

HOTEL EXPERIENCES – what was interesting was that the hotel also offers activities for in-house guests, which I thought was quite unusual for a city hotel. Most of them are free to sign up and we experienced a few which were available on our stay dates. The schedule accurate at the point of my stay were:

Floral Journeys – held at The View on level 4, this session brings guests through the Art of Lotus Folding which is essentially different ways to fold a lotus flower’s leaves, ending off with making our own potpourri bags with a scent of your choice. Quite fun la.

Mocktail Creations – held at the Glaz Bar on level G, this involves a mocktail platter of ingredients with a brief explanation before you are on your own to mix the concoction. Also quite fun.

Epicurean Moments – held at the Glaz Bar on level G, this involves a platter of Siamese royal lotus herbal snack ingredients, a brief explanation, and then feel free to make your own.

Voyage to Our Royal Roots – this involves a hotel tour of their Ratanakosin Suite and Vimarn Siam Suite and includes an option to dress up in a traditional thai costume. Quite fun I must say! The staff also delivered great service when he took a pictures of us on his mobile phone and thereafter the printed version appeared in our room – what a sweet surprise.

SERVICE – I found the service consistently great throughout the hotel whether its at the Royal Club, the restaurant, the front desk, the concierge, and the bell desk. If feels like the property had an acumen for selecting their staff or training them really right!

An example of this is when I asked if I can get 2 of their Athenee hotel bears complimentary and they said yes, even taking the extra step to place them in our room with a birthday card (it was none of our birthdays but we wont complain).

CHECK OUT – completed at the Royal Club with a few blips but nothing major.

In Summary,

I am sure glad I picked this property for this short trip and the Hotelux’s deal made a good deal even better! I wish the property offers a shuttle to the nearest mall / BTS station but that’s a good to have. I was initially hesitant about trying one of the more expensive Bonvoy properties in Bangkok but now, no regrets!