61 Langsuan Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand | (618) 248-8274
Walkable and chic Lumphini location near embassies and upscale shopping centers
Lovely, polished apartment-style rooms with kitchenettes or kitchens
Stone House restaurant with long hours, live entertainment, and room service
Outdoor pool with built-in jets and fountain feature
Large fitness center with sauna and a good selection of cardio and weight-training equipment
Free Wi-Fi throughout and free underground parking
Coin-operated laundry facilities, plus valet laundry and dry cleaning
Business center offers printing capabilities, plus a meeting room for rent
Pool area lacks sunlight
Breakfast is expensive
Away from nightlife (a pro for some)
Situated in the chic Lumphini neighborhood of Western Bangkok, The Duchess Hotel and Residences is a four-pearl apartment hotel that's conveniently close to upscale shopping and the United States Embassy. The 165 rooms are chic and well-maintained. All feature apartment-style amenities, though those with a studio configuration have kitchenettes rather than full kitchens. For guests who don't want to cook, there's a full restaurant with long hours and room service, along with regular evening entertainment on the weekends. Other hotel amenities include a huge gym with a sauna, a pool with whirlpool jets, and meeting space for rent, plus ample free on-site parking in the hotel's underground lot. Travelers looking to party may find the area boring. Those who want to be closer to nightlife (and who don't need self-catering facilities) should consider Sukhumvit's Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok instead.
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Scene
Upscale apartment hotel with mid-century modern interiors
The Duchess Hotel and Residences is an upscale apartment hotel housed in a 28-story tower, with a large parking and drop-off area out front and the terrace seating area of the hotel's Stone House restaurant off to one side. Guests enter into a low-key, but chic, lobby with mid-century modern-style brushed-velvet chairs in hues of gold and purple matched with low dark-wood furniture. Low ceilings with recessed lighting and light-wood wall paneling add to the contemporary look. The hotel attracts international and domestic guests alike, with a good number of Chinese, Japanese, Western European, and North American visitors in town for work or leisure.
Location
In the snazzy Lumphini neighborhood, near upscale shopping and embassies
The Duchess is located in the chic Lumphini neighborhood, on a broad boulevard filled with upscale residences, hotels, and a handful of restaurants and mini-marts -- but none of the seediness of nearby Sukhumvit to the east. The area is popular with expats, and many of Bangkok's major embassies are concentrated here: both the United States and United Kingdom embassies are within 10 minutes of The Duchess on foot. It's a seven-minute walk to the Ratchadamri BTS station (via a back road), while the Phloen Chit BTS takes closer to 12 minutes to reach by foot. Nearby shopping and dining here is concentrated in the numerous malls in the area, including the upscale Central Embassy, full of designer shops with a food court on the ground floor. Mercury Ville has all sorts of bars and cafes serving everything from Thai fast food to vegan pastries. Sprawling Lumphini Park is an eight-minute walk south of the hotel. Bangkok's most famous tourist attractions are concentrated to the east of the hotel. Both Wat Arun and the Grand Palace take around 15 to 20 minutes to reach by taxi, traffic permitting.
Rooms
Spacious studio and one-bedroom apartment-style rooms with kitchens or kitchenettes and chic decor
The Duchess offers three types of room: Studios, which measure 31 square meters (334 square feet), One-Bedroom Superiors, which range from 52 to 59 square meters (560 to 635 square feet), and 75-square-meter (807-square-foot) One-Bedroom Deluxe units. Decor is similar across room types, with lovely multi-toned wood floors, classic dark-wood furniture, and soft lighting, plus beige accent walls. All rooms feature similar amenities: robes, slippers, safes, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with cable. Note that they automatically turn on to a channel that shows guests the front desk security camera, which some might find unsettling. Studios have small kitchenettes with toasters, microwaves, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and full-sized refrigerators. The other room types feature full kitchens with cutlery, cookware, and four-burner stoves. Bathrooms feature walk-in rainfall showers or separate showers and tubs, and violet-scented toiletries are provided, as are hairdryers. Many units have excellent views out over the city, but some face a construction sight or neighboring buildings.
Features
Lovely amenities, including restaurant with long hours, pool with jets, fitness center, sauna, and business facilities
The Duchess offers great amenities, starting with the Stone House that opens early for breakfast and stays open late through the night, with live music on weekend evenings. Breakfast is served buffet style, with a mix of noodle dishes and continental items (think breads and cereals) along with congee and decent coffee. It's included in some rates, but it's overpriced for those who have to pay separately. Lunch and dinner are served a la carte, with room service available.There's an enormous fitness center with a great range of cardio equipment, plus free weights and cross-training machines. There's also a roomy cedar sauna for guest use along with a lovely outdoor pool with a fountain feature and built-in whirlpool jets. While there are a few lounge chairs, the pool area is blocked by nearby buildings and thus doesn't get much sunlight. For business travelers, there's a small business center with a computer and printer, plus free hotel-wide Wi-Fi. Meeting space is available for rent and there's plenty of free on-site parking in a secure underground lot. Coin-operated laundry facilities are available for guests who don't want to pay hefty fees for the hotel's valet laundry and dry cleaning service.
