Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit = Nice Suite but Soft Product Lacking

100   Recommended
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August 27, 2022 by

 Map | 4 Reviews | 100% Recommended
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Pullman Bangkok Grande Sukhumvit
 Map | 4 Reviews | 100% Recommended

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Liked:
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Suite

I had a reservation at the newly rebranded Novotel Suites Sukhumvit 39 (it used to be independent and recently joined Accor) and when I arrived at noon I was told that the standard check-in time was 2pm and that no room was available because they were full the night before.  They were also oversold for that night and they had to send guests to other hotels, when they saw my Diamond status they offered me to wait a couple of hours for a room or be transferred for the same price at Pullman Grande Sukhumvit and they would drive me there with the hotel tuk-tuk.  Since that Pullman was the last remaining of the 9 full-service Accor hotels in Bangkok I had not tried before (BanyanTree, Sofitel, SO, Swissotel, 2 MGallery, and 3 Pullman), I took the offer.  Pullman is more expensive than Novotel 39 so it was not a case of a stingy hotel trying to downgrade me; it was a generous offer.

Upon arrival at Pullman I was told I was upgraded as Accor Diamond to an executive room which are the same size as entry level but are on the hotel’s highest floors.  I asked what upgrades do Platinums receive and it’s the same.  My response to them was that it makes this Pullman somewhat of a poor fit for Diamond guests because an upgrade to simply a higher floor is not much to write home about.  Without me pushing much, they then changed my room assignment to a suite which was appreciated.  

Room

The suite reminded me the most of Pullman King Power in terms of layout, the fact that it was entirely hardwood floors which was great, there was 1.5 bath which is convenient and had some Japanese toilet features in both bathrooms.  If I could reliably receive suite upgrades at this Pullman upon availability, I might stay more often because it was a very solid suite for what is normally the price tag of this hotel.  One minor surprise was for bathroom toiletries they used the same cheap unbranded stuff as what I noticed at Novotel Ploenchit a couple of weeks prior.  I find it less appropriate for a Pullman to do so than a Novotel, and in the suites no less.  

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For the rest of the hardware I do not have negative comments in fact I also liked the hotel design in the hallways leading to the rooms, although one minor downside of such open-air concept was that it felt quite hot as soon as I stepped out of the room.  

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Dining

This Pullman has a lounge but it was closed during the mornings and afternoons.  For me a lounge is not only somewhere to have happy hour, it’s also a venue which can be used for work or for a more relaxed version of breakfast when the restaurant is busy.

Happy hour was ok, it was not memorable but I would not say it was poor.  Regarding drinks I wish they had more cocktails but at least they offered Mojitos unlike some lounges which have none.

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Breakfast was quite weak for Pullman standards in a city like Bangkok – I have been to Novotels with better breakfasts.  For example there was no hot dish with protein such as chicken or shrimps and the fried rice was vegetarian only.  The only positive about breakfast was that they had coconut water available but for food it was not impressive and the restaurant itself was fairly crowded and not particularly enjoyable.

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The Accor welcome drink voucher could be used in the hotel bar, but the bar did not open until 5pm which is the start time of happy hour in the lounge.  That combined with the lounge being closed in the afternoon, I found the timing to be inconvenient; I sometimes like to use the voucher early but it was not possible at Pullman.

Service

Service was mixed; in the lounge the service was good in part because it was not very crowded, but during breakfast there was nobody at the entrance of the restaurant.  I waited a while but because nobody came, I eventually simply took one of the few tables available rather than wait for them to confirm that my breakfast was included.  Also during the stay I called to ask for a shaving kit to be brought to my room but nobody ever came.

Wifi

Another problem with the soft product at this hotel: wifi was unstable.  At times it worked well with speeds of about 50 Mbps but other times the download speed was less than 2 Mpbs and upload barely usable below 1 Mbps.

Overall

Overall my stay had some good points and some weak points.  I will not be against returning but in this price range it’s a very crowded competitive landscape in Bangkok so it takes a lot to stand out.  The room itself set Pullman apart but I would need more confidence in the reliability of suite upgrades if I became a return guest in order for me to find value at this hotel to make up for the other points which are not up to par.

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