I recently shared about ITATOA’s FAM tour in Bangkok on September 25-29, 2022, and I’m glad I was part of it. I had so much fun, not only because of the ITATOA team’s company, but because I had a pleasant stay at the Grand China Bangkok, our home for 5 days and 4 nights. Forgive me for my delayed post, but here it is–my Grand China Bangkok review.
The Location
The 4-star hotel is situated perfectly in the heart of Chinatown, where authentic Thai street food and restaurants, bazaars and public transport are accessible.
My First Impression
Let us begin my Grand China Bangkok review with my first impression. Well, I never expected anything luxurious as the hotel name states it is, though it’s classified as a four-star hotel. Perhaps because the purpose of my stay is fairly clear. I wasn’t there on holiday, I was there on a business trip. The primary goal is therefore to have an acceptable and accessible place to stay throughout our fam tour.
As expected, there was no impressive façade, since the hotel is old enough, but there are rainy days theme decorations with colorful umbrellas when you enter the hotel premises.
They have enough seats in the reception area where the guests can hang out while waiting. The atmosphere is welcoming, we felt at home and we forgot how loud our voices were. The staff kindly reminded us every now and then to lower our voices 😁.
The Check-in Process
We never had any difficulty in registering, because our guide, Sir Yong, took care of it. He collected all our passports and coordinated with front desk staff for our room assignments.
The Hotel Amenities
Too bad, we were unable to explore the other facilities because we were busy with day-to-day activities. The only time we have is at night, but we were exhausted by then 😪😩
The 360 Sky View Restaurant
The 360 Sky View Restaurant is located on the 25th floor and offers breathtaking views of Bangkok. We had a chance to check it out before dinner at Baiyoke Sky.
The Swimming Pool
I really wanted to relax and have a quick dip in their pool, which is located on the 23rd floor. I even brought a swimsuit and we even thought about coming by and taking a few poses for my FB story and IG feed. Due to our tight schedule, we were unable to do that. 😥
The Grand China Shopping Mall
I was aware that Grand China Bangkok is connected to a shopping mall, and realizing how convenient it was, I could’ve opted to extend my stay for a day or two. Shopping 🛍️ is the exciting part of every trip. In fact, I even challenged myself for a P3.000 cash spend for our 5d4n trip.
The Fitness Center
There is a fitness center in the hotel which is open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm during weekdays and 7:00 am to 4:00 pm during weekends.
Room Tour (Superior room)
Of course, my Grand China Bangkok review won’t be complete without a room tour. Let me share that something hilarious happened as we moved into our room. My roommate Rhena and I were so excited about our room tour vlog. We really thought the spacious room was ours, and after a few snaps and short video shoots, we were about to unpack and change, so we could “recharge” ourselves. Just as we were about to get our beauty rest, we heard someone calling out, and when we checked, it was our guide, Sir Yong. He told us that we had to leave the room immediately because there was a mistake. The room we occupied was a triple room, so we were moved to the lowest room category, which is the superior room–awww! 😆🤣🤣
The Superior Room
We have occupied the superior room (the lowest room category). I think we were unlucky because the other TAs also occupied a superior room, but they enjoyed dipping in a hot and relaxing bathtub. 🛀
Desk/Work area
I have a favorite spot–the office space with a desk and chair, where I have my coffee first thing in the morning. During that time, I also upload photos on my social media accounts and do some work-related stuff.
Coffee-making facilities/freebies
This is one of the things that I check when having a room tour– because I’m a coffee addict ☕ They have provided an electric kettle, 2 coffee sachets and 2 tea bags.
Bathroom check 🛀🚿🚽
I also had the mandatory bathroom check and we had a clean small bathroom with vanity mirror, toiletries, toilet and shower area with hot and cold water. I’m a bit disappointed, though– the story would have been different if we had a bathtub in our room. ☹️😢😭
What I liked about Grand China Bangkok👍
Cleanliness 🧹🧽
I had to commend the Housekeeping Team because they clean, replenish the coffee,and replace the towels on a daily basis. 👏👏👏 The guests don’t have to call the concierge to do that and request for cleaning and changing the towels. It was also a great and relaxing feeling (especially when you were so exhausted) when your room is clean.
Freebies 🆓
- They have a coffee making facility in the room, so first thing in the morning, I get to have a taste of heaven. ☕and get fully recharged for the long day.
- I brought my own toiletries, but they have complimentary bath gel, shampoo, and conditioner. 🧴🧼
WIFI connection 📶
Being a businesswoman and a blogger requires connectivity (that’s why I have subscribed to a roaming plan while I was in Bangkok). It’s a good thing though that they have a stable internet connection. Aside from the mobile phone I was using, I also brought other devices like my iPad Pro and a laptop.
Food
I love the buffet breakfast at G Gallery & Cuisine. They serve a variety of delectable meals and as a picky eater, they have passed my standards. 😁
I am a coffee enthusiast, so it is nice to see that there is a coffee machine available in the restaurant– Americano, latte, cappuccino, espresso ☕You can also opt to have a glass of refreshing juice or a healthy glass of smoothie.
For a picky eater who doesn’t eat pork, beef, and seafoods, eggs, it’s always a problem for me. I was very relieved to have eggs, chicken and desserts, which saved my day 😆🤣 There is an egg station,🍳 where guests can select how they want their eggs to be cooked. Of course, the best part is having the mouth-watering desserts.
Sleep quality 🛌💤
The bedroom was pretty comfortable — with soft beds, a blanket, pillows, and air conditioning. If only we didn’t have to wake up at 4am, I could have extended my trip to dreamland.
Is this worth the price I paid for?
If we calculate and convert it into PHP, a night in a standard room with breakfast costs approximately P8,000. This amount is sufficient to get a standard room in five-star hotels here in the Philippines such as Marco Polo Manila, the Manila Hotel, and Edsa Shangri-la Hotel. It is acceptable given the convenience of guests with its strategic location; however, they might have offered better service.
Overall Impression & Recommendations
To sum up my Grand China Bangkok review, here’s my overall impression. It’s not that I dislike the hotel–in fact, I am still considering to stay there if ever I will go back for leisure trip in 2023. I just have a few recommendations that I think would be beneficial and drive more guests to them.
- The replenishment of freebies should be 2 sachets of coffee and tea everyday. Since my roommate doesn’t have coffee, they only give one daily.
- There’s no free bottled water in our room.
- Please consider providing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and lotion.
- Please consider having a spa in the hotel or offer in-room spa service. (That’s the one I missed during my stay–to have an authentic Thai massage 😭
- During checkout, please inform the guests, whether they have left anything in the room. I left my water container in the room and two bars of Cadbury chocolates 🍫, but it’s fine. I just thought it would be a good gesture to simply inform the guest.
- Also, if there will be a case as early check out due to a morning flight, packed breakfast should not be an ordinary sandwich and a juice in a pouch. I think it’s not a substitute for a buffet breakfast.
It was not an experience I should be proud of as I fully understood the purpose of the trip and we got the lowest room category. If you would like to have a better experience, I suggest upgrading to a higher room category. If you are on a tight budget, I think a superior room is perfect for you.
Although I was not completely happy and satisfied with my stay, I still see the Grand China Bangkok as a gem in the heart of Chinatown. For your next visit in Bangkok, you can book with them directly here.
📍215 Yaowarat Road Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100 Thailand
📞Tel : 02 224-9977
📧E-mail : reservation@grandchina.com
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