The W brand has a special place in my heart. On a cool night in January at the W Doha, the idea for Room 702 came to me (of course, that was because I couldn’t sleep because we were placed over a DJ spinning nothing but bass, but if that’s what it takes to get an idea for a novel, I won’t complain). Thus, while there are an absolute ton of hotel options in Bangkok, I’m glad the decision to stay at the W Bangkok was more or less made for us (my travel partner was attending meetings and the awards ceremony in conjunction with the World’s Top 50 Restaurants Asia).
The standard room is relatively spacious and includes some of the most unequivocally comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in (and I’ve been sleeping in quite a few recently). I’m not sure why the bed was so out of control comfortable, perhaps it was the perfectly cushioned pillow top, or the cool sheets and soft pillows, but I will be comparing all future beds to those at the W. With a nod to Muy Thai boxing, beds include an oversize sequined stuffed boxing glove (which charmingly read, ‘Lights Out’). Bliss are some of my favorite toiletries, which I was happy to find and stock up on in the bathroom. I also loved the tablet next to the bed where everything could be controlled (no walking around trying to find a light switch or bother with the aircon). We also ended up using the bedside Bose docking station quite a bit. Finally, although sound usually ends up bothering me everywhere I go, I found the W Bangkok to be wonderfully and completely quiet — probably the most silent room I’ve been in during the past year.
Overall, my notes are minor — a lack of mirrors (of all things) seems a strange oversight, as does the awkward to use magnified mirror in the bathroom and the too honest reflection in the shower. There is almost no place to hang one’s towels, and an extra box of tissues in the room wouldn’t be out of place. Furthermore, the opaque quality of the doors to the bathroom do not lend themselves to 100% privacy. 🙂
For F&B options on property, guests are spoiled for choice, although we only ended up taking advantage of The Dining Room at the House on Sathorn (an absolute must and a well deserved #36 on the Asia’s 50 Best List, more on that in a later post). Drinks in the Courtyard or The Bar are also a plus.
I didn’t make it to the spa (although prices looked very affordable), but the gym included lots of natural light and a range of equipment.
A final tip — hit up the nearby 7 Eleven (located just across the driveway in the Sathorn Tower, also home to a Starbucks if you need a caffeine hit) to save a few Baht and buy your Red Bull at a cheaper than hotel price.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay at this hotel and wouldn’t hesitate to stay at the property again. If the W is in your wheelhouse/demographic, it’s a good stepping off point (Uber drivers had no trouble finding our location, which was more or less within 15-30 minutes of all of our dining reservations, and sometimes walking distance). If you do end up staying at this property, try for a room on one of the upper floors to get an overview of the beautiful chaos that is Bangkok.
Where’s your favorite place to stay in Bangkok?
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