Location

In Bangkok I’m staying at the SO/ Bangkok Hotel, mainly due to its proximity to the Prince Chulalongkorn University where I’m attending a conference. The hotel sits across the road from Lumpini Park, in the heart of the city. Lumpini metro station is just on the other side of a busy road junction.

Traffic in Bangkok can be very bad, especially in the centre, so it’s always worth considering rail based public transportation. To access the hotel from Suvarnabhumi Airport, I take the airport express to Makkasan/Petchaburi and transfer there to the blue metro line to Lumpini.

Reception

I arrive at the hotel at around 11h30. The concierge checks my passport for my name and escorts me to check-in – which is a good thing, because I don’t think I would have found it without his help.

It’s all a bit confusing, you see. The main reception is located on the ninth floor, by the windows overlooking Lumpini Park. However, as a All Accor Diamond Member, I’m supposed to use the Club Signature check-in on the 25th floor. But my room is on the 18th floor.

As soon as I enter the lounge, the receptionist invites me to take a seat on one of the sofas while she proceeds to check me in. She explains that I’ve been upgraded to a larger room. While I wait to be checked in, another receptionist brings me a refreshing lemongrass tea to drink.

The Service & Staff

The service at the SO/ Bangkok is excellent. Everyone I interact with is helpful and friendly, asking how my day has been, what my plans are for my stay, and how I like Bangkok. Their English is generally quite good, which makes interactions easy. Especially considering that my functional Thai is non-existent.

The Room – SO/ One Bedroom Suite Lumpini Park View

To refer to my dwellings at the SO/ Bangkok as “a room”, is perhaps just a slight understatement. I’ve been upgraded to a one bedroom suite overlooking the park. The door opens into a large space with a high ceiling that is the living room.

The room is dominated by an enormous and rather comfortable sofa. Up by the window there is a small dining table for two.

The Bedroom

The bedroom is accessible from either side of the living room. Right by the window is another twin sofa and a small desk, which is ideal to watch the world go by outside while getting some work done on your laptop.

The bathroom is enormous and features a separate toilet, a large round bath in the middle of it, a walk-in shower and twin sinks. As far as the Knight of Malta flood test is concerned, this shower is right up there with some of the best I’ve sampled! The pressure is stupendous and there is literally not a single drop in front of the shower by the time I’m done.

The wardrobe on the side of the bathroom offers a decent amount of storage space.

The bed is simply divine. I want one of these at home. It’s large, firm, and very comfortable.

The room has a spectacular view overlooking Lumpini Park. During the day, the park is mostly deserted. Honestly, it’s too hot and humid to do anything anyway. But come nightfall, the park comes to life as city dwellers of all ages flock to the park to exercise. The small circuit around the park is about 2 km long, while the long circuit is about 5 km.

Amenities

There’s a kettle and coffee machine as well as the minibar in the living room. The contents of the minibar are complimentary with this room type. In addition, there are slippers and a bathrobe, and there’s a nightly turn down service.

Dining

There are several food options at the SO/ Bangkok. There is a bar in the main lobby that primarily serves light snacks, creamy cakes, and even afternoon tea.

However, the main restaurant is the Red Oven on the seventh floor, which has all day à la carte dining and a buffet in the evening from 18h00 onwards on some days. It’s basically a daily changing menu and theme. The Red Oven is also where breakfast is served, which is quite a spectacular, extensive buffet with a choice of continental, Japanese, Korean, and Thai dishes that change daily.

Rather conveniently, the One Bangkok mall recently opened on the other side of the junction. The mall has a large variety of different eateries from across the globe. One of my favourites is an Indian restaurant by the name Zafran, which is very good, very clean and has really lovely staff. I can highly recommend the vegetarian thali!

Club Signature Lounge

The Club Signature Lounge on the 28th floor is open from six in the morning until late in the evening. From 06h30 to 10h30 they serve breakfast. However, it’s only an à la carte breakfast with a smaller selection than the main restaurant.

From 13h30 to 15h30 they serve a light version of afternoon tea, which is quite nice and includes a popcorn machine.

Conclusion

I rather liked the SO/ Bangkok. First, it’s location is excellent – not just because it’s in the heart of the city, but also because the proximity to Lumpini metro station means that most places are easily accessible. Of course, the view of Lunpini park is also quite stunning.

Other than that, this has to be one of the best upgrades I’ve ever received. In the Asian ALL Accor hotels breakfast is complimentary throughout my stay as a Diamond member, and not just on weekends.