Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit – A Review By Punam Mohandas
The Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit is on the tree-lined, shaded soi 26 and a couple of streets away from the more bustling soi 24, which means it really isn’t as noisy as one would imagine it to be.
The first welcoming touch at the hotel is a huge, warm cookie, although the Front Desk staff is so adept that the check in process is complete before you’ve taken more than a couple of bites.
The lobby is lovely and airy, a glass-enclosed space filled with natural light. The first object that faces you as you walk in through the doors is a large, hexagonal-shaped ball with open spaces, in the centre of which are placed flower vases with blood red lilies. Leading on from this is a huge lounge space much like a home living room, with black-and-white striped seating complemented by red-and-black striped cushions. The low ceiling with hexagonal angles has lamps that are also hexagonal-shaped; the hotel owner, who is Thai-Chinese, strongly believes in feng shui and therefore, the Doubletree by Hilton imbues a lot of feng shui characteristics in its design.
Before I get to describing the rooms, I would be remiss if I did not mention that just ambling leisurely around this property is a marvel of vintage art. Walking down the corridor leading from the lobby to the lifts, there is an entire wall covered with old transistor radios of yore. Following the classic theme, yet another wall is adorned by mounted music cassettes. The Studio meeting room has the most amazing collection of old cameras and flash bulbs; it’s a lovingly preserved collection and quite a history lesson in itself. Even the lifts have panels made of old timber wood.
The Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit has 177-keys on offer, comprising the following categories: Guestroom (28-sqm); Deluxe Room (28-sqm); Superior Room (32-sqm) and the Deluxe Suite (56-sqm). Added security measures include a keycard panel in the lifts, without which one cannot access the accommodation. Wide corridors lead to the rooms, all of which offer a colour scheme of neutral beige and only shower cubicles, no bathtubs. The hotel also has three rooms for the differently abled and I must say it appears a lot of attention to detail has gone in the design here, such as a wider doorway to facilitate wheelchair access, the bedding at the same height as the wheelchair and a larger bathroom with support rails. Additionally, there are audible as well as visual strobe alarms (for the hearing impaired) beside the bed; a lightbulb alert for accompanying assistants, and light switches, door peephole, washbasin and shelves at lower levels than usual.
I stayed in a Deluxe Suite and what a “sweet” welcome it was to find a platter of unexpected delights such as macaroons, chocolate covered strawberries, peanut brittle and diced fruits in syrup. The room is quite spacious, as one can gauge from the size. Streaked stone flooring in beige tones is accentuated by an L-shaped sofabed in front of a television in the living room, which also has a round table with work chair and a full-length mirror. The bedroom gives off a quiet, contained air and has an armchair, another television and round table with work chair. Additionally, there’s a walk-in closet space. It must be said though that despite all this space, the bathroom is rather cramped, so that one has to sidle between the WC and the washbasin to access the magnifying mirror. The shower cubicle sensibly has a towel hook right beside the door as well as two support rails inside, in case one slips on soapy suds. There’s also a cleverly cut out space for the water to flow directly into the drain hole.
I actually found the Guestroom type to be extremely compact and snug and the bedding is remarkably comfortable; the space size is just right, although of course, here too the bathrooms are very tight spaces.
All rooms use Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries and are kitted out with slippers; electric kettle; minibar (the suites have additional small fridges in the bedrooms); four complimentary bottles of drinking water; electronic safe; large-screen televisions; iron and ironing board. Only the suites have jet sprays (it’s rather odd to find that the lower room categories don’t have jet sprays!) weighing scales, magnifying mirrors and bathrobes. The hotel also offers a ‘Sweet Dreams’ bedding set with special duvet, mattress and pillows. Air conditioning and boiler systems are efficient, but pest control can be improved upon.
F&B outlets at the Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit include Dee-Lite, which serves buffet breakfast and has an a la carte menu focusing on Thai cuisine, for lunch and dinner. The restaurant has 120-covers and is also decorated with hexagonal ceiling lamps that are reminiscent of Chiang Mai’s Lantern Festival. One is faced with a long bar as soon as one enters; indeed, the entire restaurant covers quite a length of space. The Mosaic Bar that serves drinks and snacks has a stunningly artistic mosaic wall facing the bar and unusually designed seating. The area is really spacious, overlooking the swimming pool, and is often used for private gatherings of about a 100-pax cocktail style. Apart from this, there is an inner walkaway that connects the Doubletree to its sister hotel, the Hilton, which is on Sukhumvit soi 24 and, as I’ve had occasion to mention previously, the Hilton does some superlative food.
Recreation facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre that’s fully functional with all the usual exercise equipment. Enclosed by clear glass walls, it gives off an illusion of space. There’s also a small swimming pool that’s quite cosy, with a faux grass lawn that creates a shady nook, offset by unusually styled sun loungers. Pet owners will be delighted to learn that the Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit is a pet-friendly property. There is free wifi across the hotel.
Meeting and Convention outlets include the previously mentioned Studio room that can take 30-pax classroom style, and the Theatre room that can accommodate 200-pax classroom style and can also be partitioned into two, if required.
The Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit is strong on CSR measures and tries to do its bit for society. During the COVID, it was a hospitel; moreover, during the pandemic and since, it has been supporting the Klong Toei slum community by providing them food once a week. Furthermore, the hotel tries to calculate the carbon footprint gauging by how many hours a meeting room is booked for, with how many occupants. This calculation then results in cash being donated to the ClimeCo organization, which helps support the planet and its environment.
The Front Office and Marketing teams are extremely accommodating (pardon the double play on words). I remain deeply appreciative of the fact that they tried their best to work with my schedule and allowed me to have a late evening check-out. Housekeeping is unobtrusive and efficient. The F&B team are well-meaning and friendly, but speak limited English. Food is an area that needs major improvement. Also, although the hotel does not have an Indian chef on board, they try to serve Indian dishes at breakfast, but they don’t get it quite right; chicken butter masala is not a breakfast dish; paneer curry is not fat, white globules of apparent paneer floating unappetizingly in a red gravy; nor is “naan” thin, store-bought pita bread.
Barely a minute away from the Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit is the RungRueng Noodle shop, which has been a Michelin-starred outlet since 2020. Furthermore, it’s less than a five-minute walk to BTS Phrom Pong and luxury malls such as EM Quartier and Emporium. Coming out of the hotel, if you turn right and walk straight down, you’ll come to K Village which is quite popular for eateries and shopping and, right opposite it is A Square, with Yunimori Onsen, one of the most well-frequented Japanese onsens in town.
Phrom Pong is on the Sukhumvit line; the next station is Asoke, prime business district and also home to malls such as Terminal 21. A few more stops get you to Siam, with more malls, restaurants and roadside shopping and the MBK mall within the area. Heading away from Phrom Pong, the next station is Thonglor, full of exclusive and upbeat pubs and bars.
Apart from this, there is plenty to do in Bangkok; you can take in a day tour of the Grand Palace; visit Wats (temples) such as Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Arun and others; do a ferry cruise down the Chao Phraya river, stopping at China Town, Little India, or Khaosarn along the way; visit a Floating Market, the Flower Market and countless Night Markets. The Chatuchak Market is open only on the weekends, 6am-6pm. You can also do day trips to Ayutthaya; Suko Thai (both erstwhile capital cities of Thailand) Kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the River Kwai; Khao Yai with some Thai vineyards; or Pattaya and Koh Samet.
All major airlines fly into Bangkok and many low-cost ones. From Suvarnabhumi airport to the Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, a taxi should cost approximately THB 400 (plus the airport surcharge of THB 50.) Alternatively, you can reserve a hotel car. You can also reach the hotel via the BTS if you’re feeling adventurous and don’t have much luggage; take the Airport Rail Link till Phaya Thai station on the Sukhumvit line (THB 45) and from Phaya Thai, switch to the BTS to Phrom Pong station.
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON SUKHUMVIT BANGKOK
TEL: +66 2 6496666
Email: [email protected]
Website: Doubletree by Hilton Sukhumvit
Punam Mohandas
asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author.
