The 298-room Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 — located on Sukhumvit Soi 11 –exists in a very crowded sea of hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. With so much choice — and more options being built month after month in one of the world’s most visited cities — how does this property stand out?
For a more literal response, take a look at the façade:
With such an artsy exterior, at first glance I’d suspect they’re trying to appeal to the millennial crowd. Indeed, that’s a big market for the hotel … during the weekend. During the week, they attract a lot of business travelers, too; it helps that the property is part of the Marriott Bonvoy rewards network, through which its 31 brands cover more than 8500 hotels in 138 countries and territories.
The Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 has a good location, too. Not only is it near a number of different cuisines, supermarkets, convenience stores, discotheques, and shopping options, but it’s also well-connected to the BTS Skytrain, the MRT metro system, and even the Airport Express train at Makkasan station. And if Bangkok’s muggy weather is too much to handle, the hotel offers a free first-come, first-serve tuk tuk to the BTS, MRT, and the Terminal 21 shopping center!
Check-In
After a short but very humid walk from Sukhumvit MRT station, it was nice to be hit with a cool blast from the lobby’s air conditioner.
I made it a bit too early for check-in, but once the time came, the process took all-in two minutes. Khun Prinphet, one of the women working at reception, was helpful, jotting down my early wake-up call, and telling me a little about the property. And Khun Pae in the marketing department was quite nice, too. She gave me a tour of the hotel, because I sometimes forget to see what else is available (and she’s from the city, so she was able to recommend some places to eat).
In the lobby, there was also a small café in the back, as well as a 24-hour grab-and-go place called RE:FUEL BY ALOFT. They have pastries, sandwiches, water, and carbonated beverages.
Room
Before getting to the room, you have to swipe your room key on the elevator sensor. I didn’t have too much luck with this sensor. Not to mention, as the Crave Restaurant (which is on the 8th floor) only opens at 06:00, I couldn’t even successfully press the 8th floor button at 05:55.
Anyway, when I first walked into my king room, I was pleased with the room size; rooms at the Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 start at 32 square meters (~344 square feet). Particularly for one person, there’s plenty of space to stretch out, whether on the couch by the window, at the large worktable, or on the giant bed.
I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels (yet never an Aloft), but I’ve got to admit– this pillow was wonderful. This was one of the most comfortable beds in recent memory.
Furthermore, the shower, although a bit awkward in trying to change the height and direction, had very good water pressure.
And if you’re a city person, that Bangkok view doesn’t disappoint!
If you’re looking for another room type, the hotel has everything from queen rooms to suites with balconies and whirlpools. Plus, for smokers, there are two floors for you, on a lower level and a higher level.
Hotel Facilities
If you’re a swimmer, good news: the Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 has an outdoor pool with a bar, as well as a children’s pool. The pools are open from 06:00 – 23:00, although no one is on duty after 20:00.
Right next door to the pools, there’s a 24-hour gym. It’s pretty well-equipped, with bikes, treadmills, free weights, and more:
Plus, there are weekly music events, and monthly larger-scale themed events; you can enjoy some live music and cocktails at the W XYZ® BAR:
Moreover, if you’ve got a large party, or want to shoot some pool, both can be accommodated at the RE:MIX LOUNGE!
For a hint more nuance, there’s even a Berlin-influenced currywurst food truck right outside the hotel. Open from 18:00 until 27:00 (o.k., 3am), they’ve got both the original, and a Thai version of the popular German street food.
Speaking of which, you’re probably a bit hungry by this point.
Let’s check out the hotel’s breakfast buffet…
Breakfast Buffet at Crave restaurant
Bangkok is certainly a place for you if you enjoy hotel buffets. But how does Crave restaurant at the Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 stack up with the rest?
Firstly, the hours are quite generous. From Monday to Friday, it’s open from 06:00 until 10:30, and on the weekends, from 06:00 to 11:00.
And the food???
Take a look:
It may not have been the largest buffet out there, but quality is always more important, isn’t it?
Still, there were options influenced by the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Thailand, Thailand, and India. You could even combine a couple of them, such as ordering an omelette stuffed with krapow gai — that’s minced chicken with basil. Or, avocado toast topped with eggs Benedict.
Hoping to eat cereal, or pastries, or youtiao, the oily fried dough popular in southern China? They’re all available at Crave. Halal and vegetarian selections are also available.
As usual, I went crazy at the buffet:
For smokers, they’ve got an outdoor terrace with a few tables.
Conclusion
Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 was a pretty good stay overall. My room was very cozy, made even more tranquil when the tropical rainstorms were passing by. Staff was overall eager to help, and weren’t obsessed with staring at their mobile phones like at many other properties in Bangkok.
The location is also good if you want to be in the thick of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, yet also close to public transit.
Finally, it’s a bonus that they’re a part of Marriott Bonvoy; I easily forget this, as the Aloft brand isn’t one of the bigger members of the Marriott hotels group.
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