Majority of the places I’ve stayed at are of two types: business and budget hotels. Sure, a lot of them, especially the five-star ones, boast beautiful rooms and topnotch facilities, but since I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels during my travels, they tend to look and feel the same—at least to me. So when I flew to Thailand recently, I was thrilled to stay at Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11 and get introduced to its unique and refreshing hotel concept. Read more…
Aloft Bangkok is a four-star vision of W Hotels, as with the other properties under the brand. Known globally for its “different by design” style, Aloft caters to a younger, urban market as part of the well-regarded hotel group Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which is behind such luxury concepts as W Hotels, Sheraton, Le Meridien, St. Regis, Westin, and Four Points.
The hotel is centrally-located along Sukhumvit Soi 11, a happening hotspot frequented by farangs (foreigners) due to its eclectic mix of trendy restaurants and nightlife places. Five minutes away is Nana BTS Skytrain station, from which the concept mall Terminal 21 is a station away, while Siam Paragon, Siam Square, and Central World are two or three stations away—though they also can be reached by taxi, which should only cost about 70-80 THB.
Arriving one late afternoon, we were giddy the moment we stepped into the hotel. The lobby and reception spoke volumes about the entire Aloft concept—colorful furniture, pinstriped walls, swinging pod chairs, fun patterns, quirky pop art, LED TV panels, and iPad concierges that all added up to the conspicuous stylishness. I thought the lobby was “hipster-friendly” and “Instagram-worthy,” two adjectives I never foresaw I’d use to describe a hotel.
Just our luck, we were upgraded to a more spacious Breezy Room in the upper floors—31st in our case. Inspecting the room, I loved how modern and sleek it felt. It was minimally but classily decorated, and the theme and color scheme—from the wall panels down to the pinstriped carpeting—were trendy and hence a match to my taste. In addition, a picturesque view of the Bangkok skyline was afforded by the room’s large windows.
Apart from the sexy mood lighting, Aloft’s signature R&R platform beds assure restful slumbers. There’s also a desk equipped with power points, a LED TV that doubles as an A/V equipment through its remote outlets, and incredibly fast wi-fi for those who mix work and leisure like me. On one end of the room, meanwhile, is a small living area with a cozy couch.
Their rooms come with the usual conveniences: mini-bar, iPod dock, Senseo coffee maker, electronic safe, and iron, among others. Their hip bathroom was very clean, and their bath amenities included nice-smelling shampoo with conditioner and shower gel by Bliss Spa.
We took our late breakfasts at Crave Wine Bar & Restaurant, a chic all-day dining outlet that transforms into an uber-cool lounge at night. It serves up a modest spread of delicious Western and Asian comfort food perfect to cure those hangovers.
Every Aloft hotel worldwide has a signature wxyz bar, and the one in Bangkok is proud to be the first in town to be concocting molecular cocktails. Arriving during happy hour, we were able to score a two-for-one deal on the Heaven on Earth, an effervescent mix of vodka, apple juice, lime wedge, lychee syrup, berries, and ginger ale finished with la pour smoke and a frozen lychee dipped in strawberry pop rocks.
After drinks, we chilled at the awesome re:mix lounge, a hip hangout space furnished with iMacs, large LED TVs, a billiards table, a small library, PS3 Move, and even a foosball table—all of which we don’t see in typical hotels. And complementing the lounge is re:fuel, a 24/7 cafeteria that offers grab-and-go gourmet meals, munchies, and drinks.
On my free time, I was able to check out three more facilities: splash, its infinity pool with a full view of the skyline; tactic, its reimagined meeting spaces that can sit 12 to 70 people; and re:charge, its fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment from Life Fitness.
Service was commendable during our entire stay. Polite attendants hurried to whisk our luggage and bring them up to our room, and the elegantly-dressed front office and concierge staff were efficient and friendly in dealing with us each time.
In all, Aloft Bangkok is the most ideal place to stay at for those who, like me, love to paint the town red. Its proximity to nightlife, dining, and shopping makes it a top choice for young urbanites who also prefer everything hip and cool. I must say I absolutely loved the place.
ALOFT BANGKOK – SUKHUMVIT 11
Sukhumvit Soi 11, Klongtoey-nua, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: +66 2 207 7000
Email: reservations.aloftbkk@alofthotels.com
Website: www.aloftbangkoksukhumvit11.com
Social Media: Facebook and Twitter
