The Twin Towers Hotel

The Twin
Towers Hotel feels like it had its heyday decades ago -- the enormous lobby is
impressive in scale but dated, with multiple escalators, green marble and gray
granite flooring, plenty of dark wood, and glass windows facing an enclosed courtyard. Reviews
accurately portray the property as lacking character, and feeling more like an
anonymous convention venue than a hotel. Black stone pillar desks at reception add
to the dated look, while corridors -- though well lit -- have garish blue-and-gold patterned carpets. The Rimraya Thai restaurant and Tower Lounge lobby bar have the most
modern decor of a collection of dark and tired venues, the former benefiting
from natural light through large windows from the pool area, and the latter with a lengthy bar lined with comfy stools. The hotel is geared
toward large tour groups, and appears to target Chinese tourists in
particular. Those seeking a more intimate ambience or more up-to-date decor should look
elsewhere.

On a busy
street bordered by a noisy elevated highway, The Twin Towers Hotel is around 15 minutes on foot, or a short taxi ride, to the popular MBK mall and adjoining
National Stadium Skytrain station. But there is little to see in the hotel’s
immediate vicinity, and the neighborhood is relatively unattractive and less
than inviting. While Chinatown is just a 15-minute taxi ride away, other
downtown attractions can be more difficult to reach. Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi
airport is around 30 to 45 minutes away by taxi.

Guest rooms,
though large, appear tired and in need of renovation -- particularly the Deluxe
and Executive Rooms, while suites offer more modern comforts, and Superior Rooms sit between the two. Deluxe and Executive Rooms have old-fashioned leather headboards, drab walls (which can be moldy), lots of wood paneling, and gray curtains, along with tube-style TVs. More
expensive rooms have light laminate flooring, and suites include separate living rooms with dining tables -- complete with fresh fruit and tacky flower displays -- as well as dated
sofas improved by bright cushions, and flat-screen TVs. All rooms have minibars stocked with spirits and local beers, pricier rooms have safes and bathrobes. Suite bathrooms are bright and modern with white tiling and both walk-in showers and bathtubs; infinitely more pleasant than the
granite-floored Deluxe, Executive, and Superior Double Twin bathrooms with tired
marble-effect counters, wood-paneled mirrors, and showerheads over the baths --
these get particularly bad reviews for their size and cleanliness. Balconies
are large and without any furniture whatsoever. Views, whether
from balconies or the rooms themselves, are uninspiring -- either of the
hotel’s other dull-looking tower opposite and the pool below, or of the street
at the front of the property. There are reports of some non-smoking rooms suffering
from the smell of cigarette smoke, while rooms away from the elevators and with
pool views are quieter.

The hotel
makes additional charges for use of the Wi-Fi and gym, and a number of reviews
indicate that these charges are not always made clear when booking. There are
mixed reviews as to Wi-Fi speed and reliability, while the gym is well equipped
but still dark and with dated decor, and the gray-tiled floor and white-tiled
walls around the hot tub make it look clinical, old, and not particularly well-maintained or cleaned. There are a few token artificial plants and pebbles scattered
around, but overall it looks miserable; reviews also suggest it only switches
on at set times, and for short periods, rather than on demand.The relatively
long pool -- including a smaller children’s pool -- gets positive reviews; it's sandwiched between the hotel’s eponymous two towers, with outdoor restaurant
seating on one side and a fair number of loungers on the other. A sparsely decorated spa offers massages
and other treatments, while an old-fashioned business center provides two Internet terminals, fax machines, dated phone booths, and plenty of out-of-place
padded armchair seating. The Twin Towers is geared toward hosting large
functions, and it can accommodate up to 1,000 people at a time, including within its meeting rooms and banquet hall. The property's numerous eateries get mixed reviews, including a number of reports of
limited choice and lukewarm dishes at Gold Teak, which hosts both the included
buffet breakfast and a Thai and international buffet throughout the day. There
are also consistent reviews of unhelpful and impolite service at reception, and
the hotel unusually requires a refundable cash deposit at check-in.