Editor’s Review
Accommodation
Based on the comments of former Chaophya Park Hotel guests, its accommodation is like a magnet attracting a steady flow of tourists. Guests overlook the importance of location, as the Chaophya Park is not situated in a central business district such as Sukhumvit or Silom, in favour of the enormous room sizes, standard facilities, stunning views of the city from the various hotel floors, unlimited free Internet access and classic marble bathrooms, which make them want to relax in the bath for days on end. The rooms are also very good value, enabling the significant savings on room rates to be used for travelling and dining out.
Location
Guests needn’t be concerned about travelling to other areas of Bangkok, as the hotel is located only around 5 minutes walk from the MRT underground station, from which the entire Ratchada route may be accessed. However, this hotel would not be the best destination for teenage party-goers, as it is located far from the entertainment, eating and tourism spots of the Ratchada area. On the other hand, the business, leisure, eco-adventure and family tourists who choose to stay in this hotel all have the same objective: peace and quiet far from the city’s hectic streets, and long-stay relaxation.
Hotel Facilities
Moreover, the hotel also offers a wealth of facilities, of which the driving range, swimming pool, free Internet access and fitness centre seem to be particularly popular.
Service and Breakfast
In terms of service, the hotel staff is both friendly and polite. A wide selection of breakfast dishes is available, and the fare is always tasty, thanks to the chef of the Park Café.
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More information on the Chaophya Park Hotel
Editor’s Visit
Based on the location of the Chaophya Park Hotel, the closest MRT underground station is Ratchada, only 2 or 3 minutes walk away.
The Hotel at a Glance
The hotel’s entrance features landscaped gardens surrounding a Thai-style pavilion. The large area in front of the hotel is used as a car park, and the outer appearance of the hotel is that of a large 17 storey building.
As we walk into the hotel’s exceptionally spacious lobby, we notice that its interior design may be compared to a spice that blends a variety of cultures, such as Thai, Chinese and Western, which when combined are both beautiful and classically stylish. The lobby area is grand, quiet and peaceful. After further exploring the lobby floor, we also find a restaurant and cafe serving food and drinks.
The spacious hotel lobby.
Front Reception Area
Free Internet Access
On one side of the lobby area is Big Gido’s Coffee Corner, which is linked to the Internet Corner, a fond favourite of guests, as here they are offered free, unlimited use of the Internet. They may use it for as long as they wish, free of charge.
Big Gido ’s Coffee Corner
Free Internet Corner
A Wine Connoisseur’s Heaven
As we walk towards the other side, there is a different, livelier atmosphere, perhaps due to its interior design. The first place we visit is the hotel’s Lobby Lounge, which offers various types of beverage, particularly imported wine from various locations such as Spain, Italy, Chile, California and France. Certainly not to be missed is the musical entertainment at 7pm, provided by a pianist for the enjoyment of guests.
Lobby Lounge
Introducing the Park Café
After walking inside, we see the Park Café, which is a very large restaurant, and seats 300 guests according to restaurant staff. Guests reserving rooms with breakfast included dine here, and are served an American-style buffet. The Park Cafe is usually open from 6am to 10am, but dishes are prepared at 5am in order to cater to guests who may wish to take breakfast a little earlier. An international buffet is served for lunch.
Park Cafe Restaurant
Accommodation
After fully exploring the lobby floor, it’s now time to investigate the accommodation. The Chaophya Park Hotel offers a very large number of rooms, 402 in total.
The Superior Room
The Superior rooms are located from the 4th to 7th floors, and are the least expensive in the hotel. Many rooms are available to guests, offering standard in-room amenities, such as a television, mini-bar, fruit set, marble work desk, living room set, personal safe and so on. Both Superior and Deluxe rooms feature the same interior design.
Deluxe Room
However, guests reserving the Deluxe are provided a few extra amenities; namely the flower basket, bathrobe, slippers and coffee-making facilities, as well as various bathroom accessories. In addition, Deluxe rooms are situated on higher floors, from the 8th to the 11th, affording better views of the city than Superior rooms. As a result, room rates are higher.
The Deluxe bathroom looks fine and elegant, as the hotel emphasizes the use of marble as a major component in the design. Even the shelves and tissue-holders are made of marble; only the wash-basin area is made of granite. The bathroom is spacious, divided into bath and shower areas, and should not fail to please guests. Bathroom amenities include a hair dryer and telephone.
Bathtub and Marble tissue-holders.
Shower Cubicle
The Business Deluxe, a Worthwhile Relaxation Experience
For guests who prefer accommodation with a panoramic city view, obviously the higher the floor, the more stunning the experience. It is therefore no surprise that the next room type we visit is of higher quality and more expensive than the Deluxe. This type of room is exclusive to the 12th and 14th floors, and is called the “Business Deluxe”. The attraction of this room lies in its location on the hotel’s highest floors, offering clear, panoramic views of the city. The atmosphere is especially romantic in the evenings. In-room amenities include dining table, coffee-making and bedding sets which seem to be of a higher quality, in keeping with the more expensive room rate. As many as six pillows are provided: bed pillows, cushions and bolsters. A DVD player is also supplied.
Business Deluxe Bathroom
The Suites
If guests require a luxurious room offering a view from the highest point in the hotel, we would recommend the Suite. With a total area of 74sq.m., the Suite is divided into a bedroom and living room, with extra coffee-making facilities on offer. The living room consists of a sofa, armchairs, dining set for four, and 32″ television.
Suite Room
The Suite features bathrooms in both the bedroom and the living room, the size of which is no different to those in other room types. They differ only in terms of the quality and design of their bathroom accessories and the large jacuzzi, which is exclusive to the Suite.
Suite Bathroom
The bathroom situated inside the bedroom.
Jacuzzi and The bathroom situated inside the living room, but without a shower area.
Facilities
We have tried to find out what most satisfies guests about the hotel apart from its accommodation, and have come to the conclusion that it must be the hotel’s wide variety of facilities, which are able to fulfil the needs of all types of guest.
Swimming Pool
Outdoor Swimming Pool
We now proceed to the hotel’s swimming pool. The pool-side area is very spacious, especially the ample surrounding walkway. The pool itself is quite large, and protrudes out of the building, so that it is bathed in sunlight, no doubt pleasing guests who enjoy sunbathing. Most guests prefer to swim in the afternoon, when the pool becomes gradually more crowded until the evening. We would advise guests who would like to experience a quieter environment to arrive in the morning.
Fitness Room
Inside the building on the same floor is the fitness room, which also provides a sauna for guests to relax in after their exercise. The fitness room is large and offers an exceptionally wide selection of equipment to choose from. Near the entrance to the fitness room, we also find yoga and aerobic dance rooms, which are only open on selected days.
Restaurants
Upon returning to the 1st floor, we find two restaurants: the Garden Court and the Mori Grill Japanese restaurant. The Garden Court is one of Bangkok’s most renowned restaurants, serving Cantonese cuisine. Recommended dishes include Dim Sum and Shark’s Fin Soup. The restaurant is open from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and from 6pm to 10.30pm. The 1st floor is also the venue of conference and seminar rooms for business travellers.
Travellers looking for a Bali-style spa need look no further than the Tranthip building opposite the hotel, which offers relaxation facilities such as a Bali-style spa and massage. In addition, there is also the Kao Tom Buffet, which serves a night buffet of Chinese-style soft-boiled rice, popular with Asian tourists. The restaurant is frequented by a regular clientele of hotel guests and the general public, and is open from 6pm to 2am.
Driving Range
However, if you feel bored and wish to relax in the hotel instead of exploring outside, why not find a different activity for a change of scenery? The hotel owns a driving range not far away, and also offers a taxi service from the hotel.
We must bring our visit to the Chaophya Park Hotel to a close; however, we sincerely hope that our review will be beneficial for tourists looking for a place to stay in the heart of Bangkok. Most importantly, we would like to thank the Chaophya Park Hotel and hotel staff for allowing us the opportunity to visit, assisting our tour, and providing much helpful information. If we have printed any erroneous information, we apologize in advance.