The Marriott Sukhumvit is located a little out of the center in the hip & trendy Tong Lo neighborhood of Bangkok, The City of Angels! It offers nice rooms, a nice pool & gym, a nice lounge and friendly service – but it is overpriced against the tough Bangkok competition – you can get comparable hotels with nicer lounges for 30% less. I can’t recommend it for regular travelers and are unlikely to head back!
Location: The Marriott Sukhumvit Soi 57 is located near the Skytrain BTS station Thong Lor, along Sukhumvit Road. It’s six stops from the Central Station at Siam Square, about 10 minutes by train, putting you at the end of a several miles of malls. The Suvarnabhumi (BKK) airport is about 30-45 minutes by taxi and 1h 20 minutes by train. The Don Mueang (DMK) airport is about 40-60 minutes by taxi or 1h20 minutes by train and bus. Sukhumvit Road is probably the most congested road in all of Bangkok and a taxi to Siam Square can take 1h in rush hour, so it’s best to take the train!
Thong Lor is a hip & trendy part of Bangkok that’s developing quickly with new bars and restaurants. While this area is not ideal for first time visitors, due to the distance to the attractions along the Chao Phraya River and the most popular mall, it’s a good spot for return visitors who want to explore some new areas of ever-growing Bangkok!
Service & Rewards: The welcome at the Marriott Sukhumvit was warm and friendly. The front desk had us checked in quickly and all the necessary information about the hotel was provided. As a Marriott Rewards Gold member, we received a one-category upgrade to a Premier Deluxe Room as well as access to the Executive Lounge.
Housekeeping did a thorough job cleaning the room each day, replacing towels as requested and refilling amenities appropriately.
The lounge staff was equally friendly, but appeared stretched thin during breakfast and happy hour time. They responded to requests in a timely manner, but were not as proactive and attentive as at other executive lounges in Bangkok.
The bell staff seemed disorganized and disinterested, often chatting among themselves rather than holding the door open or offering a greeting. I did manage to borrow an umbrella (of a handful they seemed to have) during a downpour after signing for it!
Room: Our Premier Deluxe Room has a rather compact bedroom with a queen-size bed, a padded chair & side table in the corner and a small work desk with task chair. The flatscreen TV is built in and there is a small closet near the entrance area. You also get a laptop size safe and coffee/tea facilities. The room has light carpets, dark wood furniture and some Asian-inspired artwork as the headboard. I’d call that contemporary and inoffensive, as I’d expect from Marriott. It certainly one of the less flashy rooms in Bangkok’s fast-developing hotel scene!
The bathroom was a pleasant surprise and almost as big as the bedroom. Past the bathroom door on the left are a sink-in-countertop with wooden cabinet and a toilet in the back. Unfortunately, the toilet doesn’t have a bidet-seat, nowadays common even at midscale hotels in Asia. To the right are a large, free standing deep, soaking tub and shower, behind a full glass wall and door. You have a big window above the tub, so you can take a relaxing bath with a view! Having the shower in the same area is convenient, as you can go from tub to shower without flooding the rest of the bathroom! And you have lots of space under the rainfall shower. This is my favorite layout and one of the nicest bathrooms I’ve seen in upscale hotels in Bangkok!
Restaurant & Amenities: The Marriott Sukhumvit has a nice rooftop pool with an infinity edge and glass walls, giving you a great view over the city. There are lots of loungers with soft pads to relax and we had no problem finding empty seats, despite being busy. Towels are available at the pool, even though not obvious, and you are able to order drinks or snacks.
There is also a gym with a good selection of cardio and weight equipment for a basic workout. If you want to be pampered instead, you can head to the hotel’s Anne Semonin spa – we didn’t try it as it is rather pricey for Bangkok.
One of the highlights of the hotel is the Octave rooftop lounge (I reviewed separately) – it’s open to non-hotel guests and worth a visit, regardless of where you stay!
The Executive Lounge was the main reason for booking the Marriott Sukhumvit on this trip and it was ok. The lounge is fairly small and mainly equipped with bistro-style seating along the window and the buffet on the side.
There wasn’t as much lounge style seating as for example at the pullman King Power or the Hilton Sukhumvit and not much separation. It was very busy during breakfast and happy hour, making it feel crowded and much less luxurious as the other lounges.
The breakfast was very good, with a large selection of fruit, pastries, yogurt and several hot dishes as well as made-to-order egg dishes from the cook. You can also get fresh juices and good espresso drinks.
During happy hour, the Marriott Sukhumvit lounge serves wine, beer and soft drinks, as well as a good selection of snacks and hot food, all of good quality and tasty. The buffet is substantial enough to serve as a light dinner, if you are so inclined.
Bottomline: The Marriott Sukhumvit offers nice rooms, a nice pool & gym, a nice lounge and friendly service. While that puts it ahead any Marriott I’ve ever stayed at in the US, it’s barely competitive in Bangkok, especially if you consider the price of $147/night. You can find current prices for Bangkok Hotels here! The Hilton Sukhumvit and pullman King Power offer comparable rooms and lounges for 30% less! Unless you are on a business trip and a Marriott-only kinda traveler, I’d consider the Marriott Sukhumvit overpriced, similar to most Marriott hotels in South East Asia and would pass myself. There are so many reliable and equally good hotels for less, I can’t recommend the Marriott Sukhumvit!