The Heritage Bangkok

This hotel draws couples,
solo travelers, and a few families looking for bargain rates in a truly superb
location. The hotel has three-pearl features like a pool and an on-site spa,
but they feel like an afterthought and most of the hotel’s common areas aren’t
inviting. Guests enter the glass-box style building through a small lobby with
black speckled floors, contemporary chairs clustered around small round tables, and oak paneled walls lined with blaring advertisements
for the on-site restaurant, which gives the space a cheap vibe. Most of the common
areas here are underutilized as there are so many dining and drinking options
in the neighborhood, but H Restaurant does have a decent bar and a nice outdoor terrace to enjoy during Bangkok’s cooler months.

The Sathorn/Silom area of
Bangkok is one of the city’s most central and busy neighborhoods, and there are
many attractions within walking distance of the hotel. The highlight of staying
here is the Chong Nonsi Skytrain station, a two-minute walk to the end of the
block. From here, the Chao Phraya River ferries can be accessed in just two
stops (or six minutes), at Saphan Taksin, and trips to the Grand Palace area in
Old Bangkok should take about 35 minutes total. The skytrain also leads to the
famous Chatuchak Weekend Market, making trips in 40 minutes. There is street
food and stores in almost every direction from the hotel, including the upscale
Silom Complex shopping mall (a 10-minute walk), the notorious Patpong Night
Markets (a 10-minute walk), and the trendy restaurants lining Convent Road (a
six-minute walk). Suvarnabhumi Airport can be reached in a little over an hour
by taking the skytrain to the Airport Rail Link. The trip can take almost as
long in a cab at a much higher price tag, and a cab to the city’s other
airport, Don Mueang, takes 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic.

The old adage of “you get what you pay for” applies here, and whether rooms live up to the price or fall far short of
expectations is a matter of perspective. For the frequent
bargain rates advertised, rooms are clean and moderately spacious (starting at
24 square meters, or 258 square feet). Room colors vary from floor to floor,
however the peach walls we saw did nothing in the way of ambience, and the
painted-over exposed beams along the walls give rooms a cheap, unfinished
quality. Striped carpets run across the floors and beds are comfortable and
topped with white duvets. Rooms are simply furnished, with little else besides beds -- there are glass
end tables and generic leather desk chairs tucked under built-in desks composed of long shelves mounted to the walls. Rooms have no wall art, contributing to their
dark and austere quality. All rooms include safes, mini-fridges, electric kettles, telephones, and
individually controlled air-conditioning, as well as 32-inch flat-screen TVs,
blackout curtains, and two free bottles of water per day. Some rooms also
include balconies with city views. Bathrooms are modern, with spacious
bathtub/shower combos, raised sinks on decent-size vanities, and a line of
generic toiletries. We noticed a bit of dirty caulking between the walls and
floors in some spots, but overall they are clean.

This hotel offers several
features that technically put it in a three-pearl category, but overall the quality
on offer isn’t great. On-site Senses Spa features a pink, purple, and black color theme that feels a bit gaudy and won't suit all tastes, and black furnishings and candelabras create an almost goth vibe. There is an outdoor infinity pool tiled in retro looking terra-cotta tiles, as well as a small
wooden sundeck lined with orange lounge chairs, though views are nothing special. A tiny fitness center with
two cardio machines and a limited selection of free weights also sits just off
the pool area. H Restaurant serves a
decent breakfast buffet with mostly western options that is included with most
bookings, but not all. The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner buffets
as well, and sometimes features all-you-can-eat specials. The restaurant also
provides rooms service for guests, and there is a bar on-site as well as
outdoor seating.Wi-Fi is free throughout
the hotel and there is an outdated-looking business center in the lobby as well
as a meeting space for up to 200 people. The 24-hour front desk can provide
concierge services and arrange car services as well, while the hotel can
provide laundry or dry cleaning and there is limited on-site parking available.