Mercure Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

We stayed four nights with my wife and our six-year-old son, and the hotel was extremely clean and well maintained. The ambience was lovely throughout, and it’s in a prime spot on Soi 11, Sukhumvit, around a 7-8 minute walk from Nana BTS. Check-in took about 30 minutes, but a woman at the front desk made up for the wait by offering complimentary drinks at the poolside bar. Breakfast was very good, though I’d have liked more bakery variety from day to day. The fruit options were limited and the same every morning. There was a strong spirit-like smell in the fourth-floor corridor outside our room, and sometimes it came into the room too. I’m not sure whether it was cleaning chemicals. We were uncomfortable and reported it to the front desk, but got no explanation. By the third day we’d got used to it. Still, our stay was very comfortable and we enjoyed it.

The room itself feels luxurious for $95 US dollars, but the service made the stay a struggle. When I arrived, they said my room wouldn't be ready for another eight hours, even though I was paying for two days. Check-in was confusing, the room wasn't ready or explained when I got in, and reservation add-ons seemed to throw the staff off. They had trouble honoring them too. I was heading over to Aria to try for a last-minute reservation when someone at Pipa stopped me and said they had a room for me. My flights to Bangkok had been canceled because of the war in the Middle East, and the hotel wasn't willing to work with me on that. I also couldn't arrange an airport shuttle, so I paid $2000bht for a ride that should have cost $300bht. The staff didn't help me with any of it. Food was poor quality, very expensive, and everything I ordered arrived cold. Staff need to catch up with the rooms. Like in the US, cell phones seemed to take priority over customer service.

I booked on the same day I needed an early check-in, after the hotel had been sold out the night before. They still got me into my room five hours before the standard 15:00 check-in time. Smile and Penelope at reception were especially helpful, and their upbeat, pleasant manner made a real difference. The concierge and bell hop, whose names I didn't get, kept my bags and helped me log into wifi so I could work in the lobby while my room was being prepared. TEN OUT OF TEN!

The prepaid breakfast was the biggest letdown for me. I didn't like either the quality or the selection, and it felt like I'd wasted my money. I'd wait until you're at the property and have tried it before paying for breakfast. The location on Sukhumvit 11 is lively at every hour. There was motorbike and street noise through the night, but I personally enjoyed the atmosphere and still slept well. The bed and pillows were very comfortable, and the hotel has a pleasant smell and modern design. Some of the interior finishing felt poorly done, though, and pulled down the overall quality a bit. It's a good fit if you like a busy area and don't mind city noise.