An airport hotel is a necessity if you have an early morning flight or are arriving late in the night and have a flight later that day or the next day.
The Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel sets itself apart from other hotels. There are a couple of features at this Accorhotels-managed hotel that impressed me when I stayed there for a night recently enroute to Luang Prabang on Bangkok Airways.
Flexi benefits is the way to go and I always wondered why other hotels hasn’t already implemented this, if customer service and experience is key to return customers.
24 hours flexi at this hotel allows you to stay for 24 hours from the time you check in instead of the fixed check in and check out times hotels force on their guests. So if you checked in at 10pm, you can stay till 10pm the next day. It is offered to all guests.
Another flexi service that I find extremely thoughtful is the 24 hours flexi meal programme. Instead of having to force yourself to wake up for breakfast or completely missing breakfast, you have the option of deciding whether to have a buffet lunch or dinner at The Square. You decide which fits you better. Of course, that is if you book a room with breakfast.
If you are travelling with kids under 16, they may share your room and enjoy breakfast at no additional cost.
The hotel is located directly opposite the airport. You can take the air conditioned under pass at basement one that links the hotel to Suvarnabhumi Airport. It is the same walkway that gets you to the Airport Rail Link that brings you to the city. If you have too many baggage to handle, you can take the 24 hour complimentary shuttle van service from Suvarnabhumi Airport’s arrival hall at level two, gate four.
You wouldn’t have expected that this airport hotel has 612 guest rooms. It sure didn’t look that big from the outside. And the rooms are not small. The hotel complex also houses five food and beverage outlets within as well as 12 meeting and conference rooms.
The lobby was always buzzing with some activity. There was a photography and art exhibition on the ground floor which helped to add some colour to break the symmetry of the four storey hotel structure.
The Rooms at Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel
The hotel rooms here are spacious. Even for a hotel complex that houses over 600 rooms, five F&B outlets, a grand ballroom which can be converted into three smaller rooms, and nine meeting rooms, facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, a wellness spa, a fitness centre, a kids corner and some retail shops, the rooms here are not small. They come in comfortable square footage that can fit two easily. Bathrooms come with bathtubs and separate shower.
The entry level rooms here are fitted with a very comfortably soft king bed. My room on level two overlooks the pool garden area. However, walking from the main lift lobby to Room 2250 did take me quite a while.
The bathroom is well spaced out. Enjoy a bath with the bath salts provided. Novotel Hotels around the world provide a standard set of body and hair amenities as well as hand soap bars, toothbrushes, shower caps, cotton swabs and buds.
Not all Novotel Hotel properties offer guests the body scrub or combs but the Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is generous with its offerings.
Wifi is provided throughout the hotel.
Vous Spa
I had one of the better massage treatments at the Vous Spa located on level two. I opted for the 1 1/2 hour Muscle Release Massage which costs THB3,800 nett. Never seem to have the time to go for a massage when I am in Singapore. The seemingly petite massage therapist handled me with deep massage movements with focus on the trigger points. At some point during the massage, I remember she climbed onto my back and ‘elbowed’ and ‘kneed’ me releasing the tension areas on my back. It felt good. All those hours of carrying heavy camera equipment, my Macbook Air and frequent flying has had a toll on my back and shoulders.
The strong massage was perfect that I had to make sure my massage therapist got a handsome tip just because she did such a good job loosening me up. Despite the deep massage, I managed to fall asleep during the treatment and to me that is a sign of a good relaxing massage.
The treatment room I got was probably a couple room with two beds in the room as well as a jacuzzi tub which I didn’t get time to utilise. The clean aromatic room with soft piped music and dim lighting immediately put me to ease when I entered to change into my disposable shorts and robe.
If you prefer a massage that isn’t so strong, other therapies are available including a Jetlag Aroma Massage that uses natural hot aromatic oil combined with full palm and gliding strokes technique from top to toe. Priced at THB3,700 nett for 120 minutes, this treatment is recommended for people with jetlag or insomnia. A good selection of other treatments for the body, face are also available. The spa is open from 7.30am to midnight daily.
If you prefer an in-room treatment, that can be arranged. You can enjoy a 30 minute Honey Milk Bath, Swedish, Traditional Thai or Relaxing Foot Massage.
Swimming Pool
The pool is located next to Vous Spa and the fitness centre on the second floor. Flanked by palm trees and live greenery, the outdoor pool is perfect in this hot summer weather in Bangkok.
Get out of your room and get move that body. Go for a few laps and relax by the pool!
Authentic Thai Food at Sala Thai
We had dinner at Sala Thai for a taste of authentic Thai food. Visiting Bangkok is not complete without having good Thai food. That Tom Yum soup was excellent with its sweet flavours and succulent seafood. Think I may have overeaten. We had a spicy seafood salad, Kao Tung Na Tang (Crispy rice cracker with minced pork), Green Curry with Chicken, Stir-fried scallop with vegetables, Fried Chicken with Cashew with steamed rice.
24 hour in room dining is also available.
Perfect way to end the night, before we headed back to our rooms to turn in for our mid morning flight on Bangkok Airways to Luang Prabang the next day.
Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel is located at 999 Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel Building, Moo 1, Nongprue, Bang Phil, Samutprakarn, 10540 Thailand.Visit www.novotelairportbkk.comm for more information of to book.
This experience at Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel was hosted by the hotel.
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