Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok

Bangkok offers a lot of great affordable lodging options so I have never felt the need to stay in a luxury hotel.  However, when I ended up booking a particularly long stay in Bangkok, I decided to stay at the Shangri-La for a day to see if there's anything that I've been missing.

Location

Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok is right by Chao Praya river and is a few steps away from a BTS station so the location, while not right in the city, is still convenient.

Check In / Out

Stepping into the lobby, I immediately felt a the difference from the other hotels that I've stayed in.  It was grand and felt worlds apart from the busy streets outside.

There are two hotel lobbies depending on the wing that you're staying in.  We booked a Horizon Club room and we were assisted at the Shangri-La Wing.

Room

The room is beautifully designed with Thai accents.  It is vastly different from the modern hotel rooms that I normally prefer.

Bathroom

The bathroom has a separate shower and bath and feels very luxurious.  It even has an actual orchid in it.  The amenities are from L'Occitane which appears to be the Shangri-La standard now.

Horizon Club Lounge

Unlike other lounges where it feels as if you're in a very big living room, Shangri-La Bangkok's Horizon Club Room offers a lot of privacy.  The area has a lot of nooks if you feel like staying away from harmless stares.

We also liked the fact that they provide you with a drink menu during cocktails so you're not left guessing as to what drink is available for you to order.

Breakfast

It was a very busy morning when we had our breakfast.  The restaurant was teeming with bodyguards, we later found that the hotel was housing very important politicians because of the ASEAN summit that was ongoing.

We were seated outside but the weather was cooperating so we it was fine.  They have quite a spread and I liked that they have tropical fruits available.

Hotel Amenities

Wifi is fast and as with any Shangri-La property, there's no pesky sign-in requirements.

The hotel has two pools and what I like about the pool area is that they have books that you can borrow while lounging.  If you happen to really like the book you're reading, you're free to take it up to your room.

The hotel also offers a free boat ride to and from Asiatique, one of Bangkok's shopping haven.

The hotel is huge and we enjoyed our time walking around the hotel grounds and exploring the property.

Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok is certainly worth the splurge. 

Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok

Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore

Location

The Oasia Hotel stands out in a sea of concrete and glass buildings in the middle of Singapore's business district.  It is what has drawn me to check it out when I was passing by it the last time I was in the country.

The hotel is a few steps away from Tanjong Pagar MRT station, exit left and you won't miss the hotel. Any property that is that close to the train station in Singapore is convenient.  For your late night craving, there is a 7-11, a 24-hour Fair Price and a 24-hour McDonald's and McCafe.

Check In / Out

Upon entering the hotel, the Marmalade Pantry greets you and a small concierge desk.

Front desk is located on the 12th floor.  If you booked a club room, the club lounge and the front desk is on the 21st floor.

We were given glasses of coconut water while they were checking us in.  The room wasn't ready at 1pm when we got there so we headed out to a nearby mall.

Room

I liked the sleek metallic doors.  I don't do justice to it on the photo below.

The room size is adequate.  The bathroom is to my right, the wardrobe to the left and then the main bedroom.  The A/C controls are also by the bedside table which was really convenient as you don't have to get up to adjust the temp.

Room View

From our window, we can see Sofitel hotel and rows of what appears to be shophouses and residences.  It looks so peaceful and organized.

Room Amenities

As with most hotels, they provide guests with a mobile phone to keep you connected.  You can't tether from it, though.  I tried.

It also has probably one of the biggest TVs that I have seen in a hotel room.  Best of all, it's internet TV so you can watch YouTube videos direct.  It would be great if they also had Netflix installed.  I'm asking for too much. :P

Refreshments on the minibar are free and are replaced daily.

It doesn't end there, coffee and tea provided are also top notch.

Apart from the usual robes, they also have a yoga mat if you feel like relaxing in the garden on the 21st floor.

To make your stay truly relaxing, there's a pillow mist provided.  How thoughtful is that?

Bathroom

The bathroom is small but there's a tub and a big enough shower area.  Three of the bathroom doors slide open so if you're staying alone and want to enjoy the TV, you can.

On our 2nd day, we received double the number of bathroom amenities.

Breakfast

We opted to have breakfast twice downstairs at the the Marmalade Pantry.  How can you not?  Look at how beautiful the space is.  Selection is limited but enough to keep you satisfied unless you're looking for rice, in which case, you'd be disappointed.

Hotel Amenities

There's a gym and a spacious garden on the 12th floor where the lobby is but I can't find the photo that I took of those.  There are two identical pools on the 27th floor, one shaded, one not.  Take your pick.

The floor has a beautiful open concept toilet.

Club Floor

Quite common if you book a club room, you get access to a club lounge with cocktails served in the afternoon before dinner.

What makes Oasia's unique is that apart from the lounge where refreshments and snacks are served all day, you also get access to a separate pool!

The entire club floor is very spacious with several lounge chairs scattered all over.  Quite surprisingly, the area is also very breezy so it's perfect for just relaxing and catching an afternoon nap.  It makes you feel that you're in a resort instead of a hotel in the middle of the city. 

The best part, you also get to enjoy the food and cocktails right by the pool.  

Perks:

We booked direct and received a couple of perks.  We get 2 pcs of clothes laundered daily plus a complimentary early check-in OR late check-out.  We opted for the late check-out of up to 4PM and it made a whole world of difference.  Our last day was not spent running around trying to get everything packed while getting ready. 

Finally, that's not all you get.  You actually also get a free lounge access at Changi Airport so you can enjoy a few drinks and snacks while waiting for boarding.   

Oasia Hotel Downtown

100 Peck Seah St., Singapore