Within walking distance of Phloen Chit BTS and nestled among
Bangkok’s opulent Embassy row surrounds on Wireless road, the greenery is
captivating and makes you feel like you are in a suburban luxury enclave,
rather than in the heart of bustling central Bangkok. In general, we like small
boutique design hotels as they are more to the point with character, warmth and
intimacy that makes you feel very comfortable and a little more special. A
residence stay is another alternative that offers a more personalized hospitality
with luxury amenities that could mean you are being looked after more thoughtfully.
The Oriental Residence has its eclectic and flamboyant touch towards among many
other up and coming luxury residences in Bangkok.
More often than not, walking into a hotel is a functional
task that simply gets you through the door and up to the reception desk to
check in with a rather robotic member of staff. But sometimes in a truly
special hotel (or rather a residence hotel), walking though the door can be a
magical experience. When crossing the threshold of the Oriental Residence
Bangkok, you sense a frisson of excitement.
Without a conscious thought, we were effortlessly led to
a beautiful pastel white counter – Oriental Bangkok is too regal to have
something as pedestrian as a reception desk – to be met with a smile and a
natural warm welcome that the “Land of Smiles” is celebrated for. With that
warm welcome, you may begin to wonder if you’ve met before. The hotel language
here is not stiff or robotic, but instead a relaxed conversation that makes you
feel right at home in this most exclusive of Bangkok’s addresses.
The lobby is an integral part of the luxury touches,
being of a triple height and creating an airy space, even though it does not
cover that much in square metres, but impressive nevertheless, with a flow of
natural light and an interior design ethic that references European
sensibilities with chandeliered elegance and just the right touches of
inspiration in all corners. This modern contemporary decorative style, with a
Colonial touch, redefines the elegance of residence living in Bangkok.
Our Grand Deluxe accommodation was located on the 16th floor looking back onto the residence of the Netherlands Ambassador and overlooking lush gardens directly in front of us with newly built condominiums at the back and it was rather picturesque. One has to put oneself into the mindset of a residential guest, as it were. The TV wall was wrapped with built-in “Trunk” effect to create a voyage motif and each room comes with a kitchenette to allow cooking.
The colour scheme is composed of whites and creams contrasting the dark wood floors. It is simply chic to negate any confusion in taste despite the bed quality was not as comfortable as we have enjoyed elsewhere but pleasant enough, the linens were perfectly pressed and of a very high quality. Despite some serious dusting and cleaning need to be done in the bathroom’s glass shelves and doors area as well as the kitchen cabinets that had been left with some marks and stains, the overall space and comfort in this Grand Deluxe room is still well laid out with design comfort.
The bathroom had all the amenities one comes to expect with such exclusive addresses, although the bathtub seemed on the small side, but the shower bay was very large with two options – a rain shower and a hand held shower. There is ample space to spread yourself out with an open wardrobe space, but it is a little disconcerting to have all of this in the bathroom itself. The toiletries are pleasant but a little under-whelming for such a luxury brand. Since the shaving mirror that mounted on the wall had been broken, a standing one was replaced, but it seemed rather incongruous under the circumstances.
Our room with a view
The pool deck is an open affair under cover which gives one great vistas out and beyond to enjoy while sitting poolside. It is not the biggest pool, but more than adequate, although the design did not grab us as some other boutique hotels and residences do.
Cabana lounges and cocoon chair adds charm to the half covered swimming pool.
Comfortable sun lounges at the pool deck overlooking Bangkok city skyline.
Food and beverage outlet offerings are limited and not as expected for a residence stay, but they keep to what they do well and the Café Claire for breakfast is just right to compliment all that one expects. You order your main dishes a-la-carte and continue to graze on the buffet with a wide variety every day, ranging from traditional Thai dishes, to high quality pastries and a great selection of fresh seasonal fruits such as Rambutans and Logan fruits. Every morning our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, but how could one refuse. Having said that, the devil is in the details, so we were wondering why tea didn’t come in teapots and milk wasn’t served with breakfast tea, but these are minor quibbles.
The best service is all about the people and the Oriental Residence Bangkok has a great team from the reception to the Café Claire. We could not fault them and always received the most polite and informed answers and recommendations, and with the brightest smile.
Tried
& Tested:
Location:
4.5/5
Design &
Decor: 4/5
Room
Amenities: 3.5/5
Housekeeping: 2.5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For
Money: 4/5
Experience:
4.5/5
Highlights:
Service
110 Wireless Road, Lumpini,
Pathumwan Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2125 9000
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