Staybridge Suites Bangkok Thonglor, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Khlong Tan Nuea Subdistrict

As a traveler from Taiwan, I did extensive research before deciding to visit Thailand and stay at Staybridge Thonglor, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group. I chose this hotel not only for its location and facilities but mainly for the expected service quality of an international hotel chain. However, the day before checking out, I experienced what was the worst day of my stay in Thailand.

On the afternoon of June 19, 2024, I was waiting for a taxi in the hotel's lobby lounge. I took my wallet out of my bag and placed it on the sofa. When I left, I accidentally left my wallet on the sofa. I realized it was missing around 3:30 PM. My friend and I immediately returned to the hotel at around 4:20 PM to inquire if anyone had found my wallet in the lobby. The staff informed us they had not found it and said reviewing the CCTV would take time. They left my phone number and promised to contact me with any updates.

After over an hour without any notification, we returned to the front desk to inquire again. This time, the staff showed us the CCTV, which clearly showed my wallet being left on the sofa and taken by a woman. However, the front desk could not confirm if this woman was a hotel guest, she might be a customer from the adjacent café. When we asked where she went after taking the wallet and how she entered the lobby, the staff refused to provide more CCTV and details. More concerning was that one of the female staff present at the time refused to communicate with us in any language other than English, which felt very unfriendly given that English is not the native language for us.

As travelers, we hoped to find comfort and assistance like to being at home when returning to the hotel. Instead, we encountered indifference and a lack of initiative.

I have two main concerns:

Is there a security lapse at the hotel lobby regarding the control of people entering and leaving? How could a non-guest enter the hotel lobby so easily?

Knowing the wallet was stolen in the lobby, why couldn’t the hotel assist us in contacting the police? Would it have been difficult for them to make a call to the police station and explain the situation, especially since we were present?

We had to anxiously search for assistance information ourselves at the hotel. Finally, upon the suggestion of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, we went to the nearest police station to file a report, which was already 7:30 PM.

After filing the report, we returned to the hotel and requested the CCTV showing where the woman who stole the wallet went after leaving. The staff informed us they had verified that the woman was not a hotel guest and that she drove away from the hotel parking lot. The issue was that the staff insisted that the CCTV was too distant to clearly see the license plate number, making it impossible to track the vehicle. I found it hard to understand why there was no other way to identify the car, especially since it was parked in the hotel’s parking lot. How should this be handled further? Throughout the incident, I felt a lack of proactive attitude from the hotel staff. Was it because we were just short-stay guests, and they assumed we would be deterred by the trouble and not pursue the matter further? Would they just wait for us to leave and let the issue go?

Only when we informed the staff that we were leaving Thailand the next day did they react, confirming our check-out and finally making a call to the police station on our behalf.

In the end, the police investigated and informed us at midnight that they had found the thief and recovered the wallet. We took a taxi to the police station late at night and returned to the hotel around 2 AM.

The process of retrieving the wallet was exhausting and unsettling. Whether it was communicating with the hotel staff or facing the thief at the police station, the experience left a less-than-pleasant memory of my trip in Thailand. Although the initial mistake was mine, had the hotel staff been more proactive in assisting us, the situation could have been less stressful.

This was my first time staying at a hotel under the InterContinental Hotels Group, and I will seriously reconsider whether it is worth choosing again in the future. The front desk staff must understand and attend to guests' needs. I don’t consider myself a particularly demanding traveler, but I believe those on the front lines of service should have better problem-solving...

Preliminary remark: There are two Staybridge Suites hotels in Bangkok. Both are quite close to each other, and if the traffic cooperates, it's less than 10 minutes by car. We have stayed in both, so we often refer to the other one in our review. Both hotels are very similar in terms of location and rooms. The Staybridge in Thonglor was the first hotel and probably the first Staybridge in Asia.

The hotel is very well located in the lively Thonglor district. Bars, restaurants, supermarkets, food stalls - everything is within walking distance and available in sufficient quantities. The nearest BTS station is about a 15-minute walk away, but there is also a free hotel shuttle that runs there every 30 or 60 minutes.

The rooms are fairly new, functional and modern. You have everything you need, even a small kitchenette with a washing machine that can also dry clothes.

There is a "patio" which serves as a smoking area for guests. In addition, the hotel has a pool, a gym, an onsen and a sauna (the latter two separated by gender).

The hotel does NOT have its own restaurant. There is a restaurant and bar on the top floor, but this is not part of the hotel. The same applies to the small tea shop next to the lobby and the restaurant, where the included breakfast is also served.

What makes this Staybridge different from the others in the Sukhumvit district?1. it is smaller. 2. it is worse. There is simply no other way to put it. The Staybridge in Sukhumvit is always 1-2 stars better in all respects.

Starting with the public areas: These are very small at the Thonglor. There are less than 2 handfuls of sun loungers at the pool - for 300 rooms. Incidentally, the pool is always very cold, too cold for us.

The restaurant, where breakfast is served, is also absolutely not equipped for the rush of guests. It is too small, the tables are close together, as are the chairs. The buffet area is angled and small. It would be nicer in any canteen than in this restaurant for breakfast.

The staff are somewhere between totally overwhelmed and well-intentioned helpfulness. Dishes are often out and are only replenished very hesitantly; certain things are not available for days on end. In general, the offer is rather limited - in terms of quantity and quality. In a word: breakfast is a disaster!

One of the worst breakfasts we've ever had in a hotel, and for us a reason to give it one star less (more on this at the end).

The room cleaning was okay, but is also better in Sukhumvit. The same applies to the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. At the other Staybridge, we were surrounded by extremely friendly and helpful people. Everyone here was nice and friendly, but not significantly above what you would expect.

Unfortunately, our IHG loyalty status was not really appreciated. There was a small welcome gift, but unfortunately we had to do without an upgrade. This was despite the fact that we had previously sent an email asking for a nice room for our almost 2-week stay. We then got exactly what we had booked, even without being told why. In Sukhumvit, we were delighted with a very nice upgrade.

Conclusion: If you don't necessarily have to be in Thonglor because of the location, we advise against this hotel and recommend the other Staybridge in Sukhumvit.

How we rate: Standard is 3* (if everything is as expected). Anything above that is 4. For an experience that we will remember for a long time, 5. Correspondingly less if it was a rather...

This was one of my great stays in Bangkok with IHG I must say. Not sure when was the hotel opened but it is new, modern and clean.

Room: The room is a bit stuffy but provides exactly what you need for a 4-night stay, everything is the same as the room photo from the hotel uploads. The cosy kitchen is equipped with basic pots and pans plus a microwave, an induction cooker, of course, dishwashing utensils, a washer-dryer, and a dining table - can be used as a working desk also if you want to work in the room. The bed is super comfy. They also have a modern Bluetooth speaker. A minus is the pillows were a bit hard for me and the hot water pressure was weak.

Public area: A co-working space on the M floor with free tea, coffee, and soft drinks is a plus. If you have a late flight, you can enjoy drinks in this place as well like I did. There is a garden on the 8th floor as I recall to have some fresh air, but mind the hot weather LOL. The lobby brings a cosy yet a bit luxurious ambience (to me) with its design & decoration, a small convenient corner that sells souvenirs, detergent, instant noodles, etc...

Recreation & Wellness: The pool & gym are quite small but there are plenty of sunbeds. I did not have time to try their onsen but it was a unique selling point for the hotel I believe. If I have a chance, will definitely try this out. A highlight of the Staybridge Suite brand is that they have a quarterly in-house event where the staff will dress up in a particular theme, for instant it was a high-school theme when I was there, while residents gather together and enjoy free finger food and drinks, get to know each other, the hotel also provides clothes if the guests want to try on too. I found this activity very interesting.

Restaurant: only 1 outlet but it is open 24/7. Breakfast was delicious, with variety like enough choices, not much not less, the danish is super delicious - the best I've eaten so far, for real. They use the coffee machine, so I'm uncertain whether ordering with the waiter will be charged or not as I was hesitant.

Staff: Everyone was so friendly, kind and welcoming. Especially the staff who checked me in - I did not get his name, the lady who granted me late check-out for 1 room. Not to mention, Khun Friend from the Concierge was super friendly and talkative, he entertained us during our waiting time for taxi and gave recommendations for sightseeing too. Another guy from the Concierge who helped me talked to the driver in Thai - pls excuse my 30s bad memory T.T

Location: The hotel is located in a very convenient street which is just a 5-10 mins walk to BTS Thonglor. You can get to the hotel either by walking from the BTS, grab/uber, or spending only 20 baht for a motorbike taxi from the BTS Thonglor if you are too lazy to walk. They also provide a shuttle bus from the hotel to BTS Thonglor, I attached the schedule here. As a unique thing in BKK, you will find several 7/11 around the hotel in just walking distance. There is a new mall called Marché just opposite the hotel, newly open so there are not many outlets yet, but there are a few Instagramable spots. Especially, the famous Mae Varee mango sticky rice shop is right under BTS Thonglor which is on the way to the hotel from the BTS.

Highly recommend this hotel with all of the given pros above I experienced. Can't wait to...