As you can read in my other reviews, I’m a big fan of Club Carlson and their hotels. Having staid at the Park Plaza Sukhumvit Soi 18 before, I wanted to try another property on my recent trip to Bangkok and booked the Radisson Suites Bangkok on Soi 13. It didn’t hurt that Club Carlson was running another generous promotion and it turned out to be another very good option in Bangkok!
Location: The Radisson Suites is located on Soi 13, between BTS stations Nana and Asok, putting it into the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district and with easy access on public transportation anywhere you want to go. Unfortunately, it’s very far up the narrow street, making it a pretty long walk in the Bangkok heat to either station and less convenient than the two Park Plaza properties – or a number of other hotels in the neighborhood. They do have a Tuk Tuk that can take you to the main road on request, making it more convenient.
Service: I’ve recently noticed that service is not as generally friendly in Thailand as it used to be, the smiles have faded a little bit in many tourist places. Fortunately, that’s not the case at the Radisson Suites: The front desk staff was friendly, all smiles and very quick with the check-in. As Club Carlson Gold members (courtesy of the Club Carlson Visa card), we were upgraded to a large one-bedroom suite. The staff in the lobby, restaurant and the tuk tuk driver were equally friendly, the housekeeping team was quick and thorough, without any issues.
Room: Compared to the two Park Plaza properties and other hotels in the same price class, you get a much larger room for your money! We had a 1 bedroom suite, entering into a big living room with an open kitchen/dining area and a large work desk I’d be happy to have at home! You walk through to the bedroom of the same size with a large bathroom with separate shower and bathtub. The decor is modern, similar to the Park Plaza properties, with dark wood and carpets with a dash of orange. I liked to orange mood lighting lamps in both the bed room and living room, making it a more cozy place than most hotel rooms. The property is a little older and showed some signs of wear, but no big deal. It was very clean throughout and I liked the use of incense burners in the hallways. The suite had two TVs, a fridge, kettle and microwave and a big, laptop size safe. There was plenty of space for storage of luggage and closet space.
Amenities/Restaurant: The hotel has a nice rooftop pool. It’s narrow, but long, so you can actually swim some laps. There is also a jacuzzi at the end as well as a small gym overlooking the pool, good enough to get some cardio workout or light weights. There were enough loungers with comfortable pads and umbrellas to make this a nice place to relax after shopping (or going out). The restaurant and bar off the lobby was under renovations with quite a bit of noise, so we didn’t try it. We did order room service breakfast and it was average in quality, good in portions. There is a business center with two PCs and internet access, but the printer wasn’t working during our stay. The front desk offered to print boarding passes for us instead!
Overall, the Radisson Suites is another good option in Bangkok. With Club Carlson running generous promotions, they are a bargain to stay at (read more here). Compared to the Park Plaza, it is not quite as nice and convenient to BTS, but you get a much bigger room in the suites. If you are staying longer and want the space to eat or work, the Radisson is great. Otherwise, I’d prefer the Park Plaza or some of the other more conveniently located properties.