New hotels added in Bangkok

BANGKOK – While cities such as Yangon, Jakarta or Manila suffer from a lack of hotel rooms, there is no shortage of hotel rooms in Bangkok. A positive element for Thailand’s capital city which might then attract during the high season some of the travellers being rebuked by the difficulty to find a place somewhere else in Southeast Asia.

A report of Jones Lang LaSalle published earlier this year pointed out that Bangkok’s hotel supply was set to increase in 2012 by 5,865 additional rooms. The majority of new hotel supply is concentrated in the upscale and luxury hotel sectors. Among the major hotel openings in the first half of the year were the Sofitel So, the Okura Prestige, the Sofitel Sukhumvit, the Grand Eastin and the Holiday Inn Express. They are some 31,000 rooms available in Bangkok in the four- and five-star segment. In total, the Thai Hotels Association said that the number of Bangkok hotels reached at the end of May 329 offering 64,450 rooms in all categories.

And now come two more properties. W Bangkok, opening on December 7, 2012, is located on the bustling commercial district of North Sathorn Road. It combines a modern glass tower with a century-old, European-inspired heritage building which used to be until a decade ago the Russian Embassy in Thailand. The 100-year old building was carefully restored under the

The 407 guestrooms and suites are designed with the international jet-setter in mind, with state-of-the-art in-room technology, including high-speed wired and wireless Internet access, flat-screen 40 or 46-inch LED televisions and jack pack stations with a sound bar system and a docking station for MP3 players. Facilities in W Bangkok include the WOOBAR designed along the signature W bar concept, WET DECK pool bar and an all-day dining restaurant. The hotel also features the W brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, SWEAT state-of-the-art fitness centre, AWAY Spa, WIRED Business Centre and W Hotels The Store.

A three-star property will have its soft opening on with Centara Hotels & Resorts new Centra Central Station Bangkok. Featuring a modern oriental design, the hotel has 150 standard rooms and suites, with guestroom sizes varying  between 26.6 sqm and 64.5 sqm. All offer a choice of king or twin beds, making them suitable for couples, families, and individual travelers, while the Family Suites are suitable for larger families or groups. The new Centra Central Station Bangkok is located opposite to Bangkok’s Hua Lampong mainline railway station and MRT subway, and within easy walking distance of Chinatown.

Photo caption: The Russian embassy prior to the restoration.