bit.ly/sagarinbaiyoke .
Yes, this was my 5th Trip to Thailand (Bangkok). It's a shame that there were still so many places that I hadn't seen in Bangkok - for whatever reason. I wasn't particularly looking for this Nana area, but came across the name of this hotel, where a list of hotels were mentioned. I had never stayed in this part of this city, so I decided to try - only to my dismay.
Although I respect everyone's opinion, it is Unfair to call this hotel Average, because of the many good facilities it provides. However, I also believe that if the hotel takes care of a few nitty gritties, they can really rise to success.
I've stayed at a variety of places in Bangkok - from Lub d Hostel to the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, and I would say that even though my stay at Sawasdee @ Sukhumvit Soi 8 was not bad, I've had more pleasant experiences at all other places.
P.S. I did NOT go there for hook-ups and I did not hookup with anybody. This isn't a justification, but writing this, because some people blatantly conjecture (and spread) rumors without knowing the person deeply.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND STAYING AT THIS HOTEL.
** I ALWAYS CONSIDER MY HOTEL ROOM AS MY HOME, AND TREAT IT RESPONSIBLY.
** I AM A TEETOTALER & A NON-SMOKER.
Check-In: 8:30 am, 13-Aug-2019
Check-Out: 10:30 pm, 19-Aug-2019
ROOM INCONVENIENCE ON THE FIRST DAY [rating: 1 / 5]:
I was unsure about my arrival at the hotel, so I had only the 11 Nights booking starting 2 pm of the 13th August. However, as recommended or advised (whichever is the best word) by the hotel itself, I booked an additional night (starting 2 pm of the 12th August).
Was to arrive on the 13th of August anyway, so, lost half a day already while booking. Arrived at 8:30 am at the hotel.
For until 12 noon, I was given a temporary room on the 6th floor (without balcony - despite me having paid for a room with balcony), as Tone said that the AC wasn't working. He said "Sorry", and I humbly said, "Oh, that's okay, I understand." The second day I received an email from booking dot com saying that the Hotel informed them that I never arrived on the 12th (No Show). So, can you guess what they did here for that first night's booking? :) Not appreciated at all.
Later, when I went to the reception, and asked if they could refund the difference at least as courtesy (they should've done that without me asking for it [#Karma], but still...) Pu (the lady) BLATANTLY said, "We already said Sorry, and you also agreed in the beginning." (that's all I could catch from all that she muttered), which was an unexpected answer to me. She was like (her exact words), "If you 'need' money, you tell me, I ask my manager.", which is a very bad thing to hear. I did not want to confront more, so I let go. Not appreciated at all.
NOTE: For the rest of my stay, I did NOT face any room-related inconvenience. It was all good.
ROOMS [rating: 4 / 5]:
- Stayed in the Lovely Room # 307, at the deep end of the floor, near the staircase.
- Old-styled, Clean, and Well-maintained. Special appreciation for the Room Service Old Lady. She's one of those few very sweet & kind Thai people. Happily tipped her before checking out.
- Two complimentary water bottles (small sized) provided daily, along with Tea & Coffee supplies. There wasn't sugar provided to me on two days, though. It doesn't feel right to me to "ask" for complimentary things. The hotel should be scrupulous about these things.
- Enough Plug Points for your Mobiles / Laptop / Camera charging. Indian Adaptors can be directly fit into them. No converter needed. That was helpful.
- One bulb (above the TV) was not working, but that's okay. There are so many bulb points at my house that don't work!
- Believe me: Not everybody comes to Thailand for S*x. Therefore, in my honest opinion, Condoms needn't be pre-provided in the room - no matter how thoughtful that gesture is.
- Balcony view: None - what do you expect to see from the 3rd floor!? It felt like I stayed at my aunt's home. No regrets there. Felt like there was neighbourhood.
- Elevator was always available.
BATHROOM [rating: 5 / 5]:
- Immensely loved their compact bathrooms with double-door entrance. I really want such doors in my own bathroom now 😁
- Shower always had Hot Water.
- Water Outlet got blocked / choked once, but the Room Service Lady resolved it immediately.
- Liked their Olive Shampoo 😊
Wi-Fi [rating: 5 / 5]
- Very good. Always worked. No downtime during my stay.
- Worked throughout the hotel, including their restaurant area.
- However, faster than the hotel's Wi-Fi was a dtac's 25 GB 4G card (that I bought at the airport for 549 THB). Helpful while moving around, going LIVE, and I used it to upload my YouTube videos as well.
CLEANLINESS: [rating: 2 / 5]
Even though the room was cleaned daily (and the bedding reset), some things needed improvement:
- The blanket had stains on one day.
- The towels (small and large) had stains on quite a few days.**
- One of the bathrobes was tattered.
- The dustbin plastic wasn't changed daily. Some food stains from my first day were there until my last day. She changed the plastic on the last day only. Such cost-cutting is not done even at Hostels. Saving the earth does not mean keeping dustbins dirty!
NOTE: This is not me cribbing. Just noting down for improvement. I expect them to take this constructively.
** ASKING FOR COMPLIMENTARY THINGS:
- I do NOT feel right to call the reception every now and then to complain about things or ask for cleaner towels, new bathrobe, etc. That not only feels wrong, but also it is the hotel's responsibility to be scrupulous about it. They can certainly have QA practices in place.
** MY TRAVEL TIP ON TOWELS:
It is NOT good to use towels with stains. Always carry your own. You can just mindfully use the hotel's towels for wiping your legs and other non-sensitive areas. You never know what diseases people - who may have stained those towels - carry. Didn't even touch their stained towels. I carried my own towel during this trip as well, and because I shopped A LOT, my bag was literally overflowing, so I could not carry mine back.
STAFF: [rating: 3 / 5]
- They speak very basic English, but it is more than enough for conveying your thoughts.
- They're doing their jobs, however, there was no warmth (that which I've seen at other hotels). They often don't even look at you while saying Swadee Kha, when you enter.
- Some of them need to behave a bit more professionally. I wouldn't mention the name, but when I asked her for the Shuttle Drop in the morning at around 11 am (17th Aug), she and the Cook started laughing. When I asked, "What happened?", she said, "Between us."
- Another Staff Member (read below) who dropped me was extremely rude.
COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST [rating: 4 / 5]:
- I'm a Pure Vegetarian, and this was helpful.
- I always recommend people to stay at places that offer Complimentary Breakfast, so that you don't begin your day with Food Hunt.
- What I had daily: Two Fruit Chops, Corn Flakes, Bread, Butter, Jam, Tea.
- Everything else was non-vegetarian. There was rice, but we generally don't eat rice for breakfast.
FREE SHUTTLE [rating: 4 / 5]:
- Oh, this was very helpful, because Bangkok / Thailand sight-seeing is more fun to do on foot. The main road is 450 m from the hotel (my biggest turn-off), however, they do have a Free Cute-little Shuttle that you can ask for at the reception. I asked it only once each day. That's how I planned my days. It saved my half a KM walk one way at least.
- Leam, and the Old Uncle who dropped me were very warm and friendly.
- Once Aoy, and once another lady (both reception staff) dropped me. They did that courteously.
- However, one guy (staff member) who dropped me on 18th and 19th August (at around 11 / 11:30'ish am) came with an extremely rude and unfriendly vibe - don't know his name. He was not very happy about dropping me on both the days. It did not adversely affect me, but it may affect someone else. He needs to be trained to realize how important treating your guests with friendliness, courtesy, and respect is. NOTE: From my side, I was only kind and polite to him.
LOCATION [rating: 2 / 5]:
- Deep inside Sukhumvit Soi 8, 450 m from the main road / BTS Nana Station.
- They do have a Free Shuttle always available for you, but, still, it's a bit of an inconvenient location, IMO.
- I've always stayed closer to Metro Stations in Bangkok, and this experience confirms my preference.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS [rating: 4 /5]:
Two wonderful places around the Sukhumvit Road, like:
- Terminal 21 (reviewed separately)
- Benjakitti Park (reviewed separately)
- Tattoo Studios
- Other shopping places
MISCELLANEOUS [rating: 1 / 5]:
- They charge 20 THB for a Print Out. Seriously!? My suggestion: They should offer at least 2 Prints FREE for Guests.
- The smoking area is right at the entrance, next to Lord Ganesha's Idol. An absolutely unwelcoming sight.
WHY I CUT-SHORT MY TRIP...:
- I'd brought a huge list of around 10-12 unseen places to visit, which I ended up visiting within the first four days only. So, instead of elongating the stay and wasting my precious time, I decided to return on the 20th, instead of the 24th. With that, being a shopaholic, I ended up with a lot of cash-in-hand... and on the last day, I bought some high quality branded stuff from Terminal 21 ;)
- The hotel, however, was not at all concerned. Pu (who I informed) neither asked me WHY I was checking out sooner, and also simply did not even try for a refund. These small things show where the hotel's focus lies.
NOTE: I did not NEED money, but it would've been a good and kind gesture, if they could be guest-friendly. I know that it was technically a "non-refundable booking", but still. Any additional benefit would have been much appreciated. We make Policies. Policies don't make us :)
However, I DID NOT follow-up about that at all.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL TO MY ACQUAINTANCES / FAMILY?
No. In terms of convenience and overall vibe, I would recommend other hotels.
This (August 2019) was technically the Off Season, which is when businesses are more money-centric, and less customer-centric. Understandable, however, this was not my observation during my past Bangkok / Thailand trips, which were mostly around these months. Be it Lub d (budget hostel) or Baiyoke Sky Hotel (luxury hotel), or all the other hotels I've stayed at, they are more about trying to do things in the customer's favor than one's own.
But hey, this behavior is observed during Off Seasons throughout the World, so, everything is good :) Overall, I am satisfied with what I got.