Editor’s Review
Sometimes, we can’t judge a book by its cover, and the Narai Hotel exemplifies this. From the outside, it looks plain, but its beauty is hidden inside the many different parts of the hotel. In fact, this hotel boasts a wealth of features which will not fail to impress resident guests.
Accommodation
Each hotel room features a unique design, and the hotel’s refurbishment means that the rooms are in a new, appealing and spotless condition. In-room amenities are also provided to cater to guests’ needs, such as the free Hi-speed Internet access. Some room types which have yet to be renovated retain the original interior design, which may not seem so modern, but their facilities are also comprehensive, and lower room rates are offered.
Hotel Facilities
The hotel provides a wide variety of good-quality facilities to choose from, especially in terms of recreation, such as the swimming pool and fitness centre, which are free of charge and very popular with guests.
Service & Location
The hotel’s service is generally acknowledged as professional and of high quality. Finally, the hotel’s location, albeit distant from nightlife spots such as Patpong, but it’s still in a walking distance. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the Chong Nonsi BTS sky-train station, the nearest to the hotel, and only a five minute sky-train ride to Sathorn Port. Eating and shopping venues, pubs, bars and massage parlours are also easy to find, as they appear along the entire length of Silom road.
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More information on The Narai Hotel
Editor’s Visit
Getting to the hotel
The ModernThailand.com team’s visit to the Narai Hotel in Silom marks the first time that we have had the opportunity to travel to Chong Nonsi station, and we were baffled for a moment as to which exit to choose. So we tried to figure it out by consulting the station map.
Based on the hotel’s location on the map, we should take Exit 3.
Take Exit 3, and descend the stairs on the right.
Walk straight on until you reach the windmill crossroads. Turn left at this intersection, and now we are on Silom Road.
The Tourist Information Centre is located a little beyond the corner.
A noticeable landmark on this road is the Sofitel Silom Hotel, situated on the opposite side of the road. The closer we get to this hotel, the nearer we are to the Narai Hotel.
This area up towards the end of Silom and Surawong roads is renowned for its precious stones, so both tourists and businesspeople enjoy browsing the various jewellery shops.
The Hotel at a Glance
The Narai Hotel, viewed from afar.
A side-view of the hotel.
In summary, it takes us approximately 10 minutes to walk to the Narai Hotel.
Considering the hotel’s outer appearance at a glance (the front of which looks narrow, and is only 12 storeys high), we wouldn’t believe that it would offer as many as 477 rooms, but from the side, where the building looks wide and long, it is evident that this is in fact a very large-scale hotel.
The Lobby
As we step inside, we are astonished by the lobby’s unique interior design.
From the door front, walk down the long pathway to the front reception area, situated on the left-hand side.
The rest area sports a circular design, similar to the head of the letter ‘P’.
Overview of the lobby, with its beautiful interior design and elegant atmosphere.
Accommodation
The hotel’s accommodation is located on the 2nd to the 12th floors, and every room type that we visit is popular with guests. Both economy rooms and medium-budget rooms are available. Standard Room is the most budget room type, however, if guestes pay a little extra, they will be compensated with a room in a newer and better condition, with a modern interior design which greatly enriches the atmosphere of relaxation, such as the Superior and Deluxe. All three types of accommodation, however, seem to be equal in terms of room size, offering an area of 28sq.m., and also feature free Hi-speed Internet access. For a hotel in a central business district, this fulfils the needs of business travellers perfectly.
The Standard Room
Another one of the hotel’s strengths is the unique interior design of each room type. The Standard, for example, offers interior decor with a touch of the olden days and a classic style, and is also the only type of room which is still carpeted. However, it won’t be too long before this room type is also renovated so that it looks more modern, replacing the carpet with parquet wooden flooring. The Standard features both double and twin beds to choose from, and its windows afford a view over the city which will vary in beauty depending on the floor. The Standard rooms are located on the lower and mid-level floors, the highest being the 11th. If travellers happen to reserve a connecting room, the hotel will locate you on this floor, but the 11th floor contains smoking rooms, and may thereby not be suitable for families with children.
Standard room and available facilities within the room.
Twin Room
City view from the window.
The bedroom looks quite satisfactory, in terms of its reasonable size, interior decor and cleanliness. The bathroom offers a bath and hair-dryer.
Standard bath room
The Superior Room
From the Standard room, let’s continue to the Superior, the interior design of which is noticeably different. It’s as if we’ve stepped into a totally different hotel. The Superior is designed in a modern style, blended with Japanese art, which makes its interior colourful and lively. The room’s parquet flooring makes the room look spotlessly clean. Perhaps it is because this room type has recently been refurbished that everything looks so good. The window offers a clear city view, as most rooms are situated on the upper floors. For this room type, both double and twin beds are offered for guests to choose from. Connecting rooms are also available on the 3rd, 4th and 8th floors, the smoking and non-smoking rooms being located on different floors. This is the most common room type.
Let’s move on to the bathroom, which features an interior design unique to the Superior room. The bathroom provides a bath and hair-dryer.
Superior bath room
The Deluxe Room
The Deluxe offers many other attractions apart from its modern interior. For example, it offers a city view from the hotel’s highest point, and also provides a very private atmosphere of relaxation, as the Deluxe is located on the 12th floor, the hotel’s top floor. Accommodation on this floor is exclusively non-smoking, and rooms are prepared with double beds and LCD Plasma televisions, also exclusive to the Deluxe room.
Double room
Plasma TV and other facilities.
The glass window displayed enables the bedroom to be seen from the bathroom.
City View
The Deluxe room’s bathroom seems to offer guests more space than the previous two types of bathroom; this is because it only contains a shower.
The Sexy Window, offering a view to the bedroom.
shower cubicle
Facilities
The accommodation alone should be enough to greatly impress guests, but after visiting the hotel facilities, we must say that they are the most impressive feature of the hotel, and represent great value for money. On the hotel’s 2nd floor, we discover a variety of facilities provided free of charge.
The Fitness Room
We start with the fitness room, which we can’t help wondering why is so brightly-coloured. It looks quite different to fitness rooms in other hotels we’ve visited. In fact, the colour scheme creates a lively atmosphere which seems to encourage us to exercise, and a trainer is also made available to provide guests with close supervision and advice. The fitness room has a capacity of around 20 guests.
The Fitness Centre
The Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is situated not far from the fitness centre. Just open the door and step outside on the 2nd floor, and you will discover the sizable outdoor pool, which will not fail to please guests who enjoy swimming.
The Swimming Pool
Sunbathers may choose a place to enjoy the sun at their own convenience, either around the open-air pool……or in a private area surrounded by lush vegetation. Availability of sunbeds is not an issue at this hotel, as they are certainly sufficient in number to cater to the demand from guests.
The pool also features a pool-side bar serving beverages and ice-cream.
The Business Centre
Business Centre (includes a small meeting room and free internet access)
Now we think we have found the answer as to why the Narai is so popular.
We will end our trip to the Narai Hotel by visiting its various restaurants. We would also like you to notice the unique and stylish interior design of each restaurant.
Rabiang Thong
The Rabiang Thong serves an international buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and seats around 330 guests. Guests reserving rooms with breakfast will dine here from 6.30am to 10.00am.
The Rabieng Tong Restaurant
The seating on the balcony outside the restaurant is surely the source of its name, the ‘Rabiang Thong’, or ‘Golden Terrace’.
Laksmi Suki Buffet
The Laksmi Suki Buffet serves a sukiyaki buffet using selected fresh and clean ingredients. Salad bar, desserts and beverages are also available, and this restaurant has a capacity of approximately 160 guests.
Peperoni
The Peperoni is an Italian restaurant serving pizza and pasta, and seats around 112 guests.
Scenery Lounge
Relax in comfort with a selection of international wine. The Scenery Lounge has a capacity of around 80 guests, and is open from 11am to 1am.
We must bring our visit to the Narai 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 Narai 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.