Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Bangkok — Hotel in Khlong Toei Nuea Subdistrict

I've always stayed at the Radisson Suites in Bangkok, but this time, I also gave the Radisson Blu a go. The price difference was only £4 a night here, but the Blu is much posher. Excellent service, nice breakfast (sorry... but I really didn't like the coffee though), and on the 30th floor, they have Brewski Rooftop Beer Bar, a rooftop bar with great views and craft beer (for about £10 a pint).

Even better, because I'd booked the Blu hotel directly through the Radisson app, they offered me a room upgrade, including access to the Executive Lounge for just £9 a night. Oh my God, yes !! That upgrade included small hot & cold snacks, tiny desserts and free alcohol in the Lounge from 5pm-7pm, plus 4 pieces of laundry done for you each day for free.

My only issues: on arrival, they told me I had to pay a deposit (which is quite normal), but at a cost of 1,000 THB (£25) per day. Huh ?! So, for a 5-day stay, I need to pay a 5,000 THB deposit ?! In the end, they just charged me 2,000 THB for my 5-day stay, but I've never seen a deposit depending on how long you're staying there. I don't quite understand that logic.

Oh, and I wasn't the only guest who noticed that the air conditioning panel in my Business Class room (2401) did nothing. You couldn't make the rooms hotter or colder, but had to ask reception to come and manually change the temperature for you...

I did like the fact that, next to the bed, was a master light switch for all of the lights. When I was at the Radisson Sites, I used to have to walk around the room each evening, to work out which switches I needed to turn off!

And a special mention to the staff. They are friendly, and they all smile. Working in a hotel and in a restaurant is long, hard work, yet somehow the Radisson staff never falter: they are always friendly, happy and super professional.

One last thing: you'll see on the hotel bedroom photos that the bathroom has a huge glass window facing the bed, so your partner could be lying in bed watching yon on the toilet. There IS a blind that comes down, to give you privacy!!

The Radisson Blu is a beautiful hotel. I do prefer the Radisson Suites for it's location, but neither will disappoint.

Just one huge tip when booking it: forget about the cashback sites (QuidoCo, TopCashBack, etc) and book direct - but using the Radisson App. Register for a Radisson account and make sure you turn Discount Booster on in the app settings. This'll give you the cheapest prices by far, even compared to Radisson's own website. You'll enable Discount Booster, but often see prices without this discount applied. If your quoted price doesn't show "Discount Booster applied" next to it, try again. Yeah, the app really isn't user-friendly.

And another big tip: there's a doctor's practice right next door, WellMed, and they are awesome. I got an appointment within 1 hour, paid about £20 for a 30-minute appointment, and the doctor spoke perfect English, and was...

All in all, we had a nice stay at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel! First off, this is not a 5-star hotel. Its more a 4-star hotel. You can read more about why further down.

But, first the highlights: As most reviewers mention, the location is right into the eye of Bangkok. Just 50 meters from the entrance of the hotel and you're right in the busy streets of Bangkok in all its glory. With the BTS train 5 minutes away that takes you anywhere. Kind and helpful staff Spacious rooms (We lived in 23rd) Comfortable beds Good shower, with good water pressure, and never an issue with things like lack of warm water Great restaurants, Attico with the italian food was very nice, authentic and tasty if you love italian cuisine! The rooftop was also a big highlight for us, great place for some cocktails and beers!

But, some other things that wasnt so great, which for us explains that this is more of a 4-star, and might be suggestions for improvement:

Radisson Blu Plaza, while it has most of the services, staff, restaurants and facilities for a 5-star hotel, the areas and rooms feel dated, and needs maintenance, refreshing, and updates to the interior. Why do the rooms still have old landline phones, and why 3 of them? Carpets, furniture, and bathroom, it all feels like it had its glory days two or three decades ago. But todays 5-star hotels have modern interior / color palettes, and iPads in the room for looking at menus, checking out fascilities, ordering room-service, or communication with the restaurants or reception. Normally the floor we've stayed on is quite quiet, but when there is noise in the hallway, we've heard it very well inside our room. Either the cleaners in the morning at 9, or a group of neighbouring guests that have chatted in amongst themselves in the hallway. Not a problem at night, but as a light sleeper, a bit irritating early in the mornings. The WiFi has been quite unstable with varying signal, to just on/off connection. We've tried to use it amongst 3 different devices at different times and places around the hotel areas / pool area, but they all struggle to keep stable connection, which makes it hard to get work done. We tried to mention it by the pool and was offered to try the staff-pool WiFi, but that shouldnt be the hacky fix. The WiFi must be improved. We had some issues with the A/C not cooling down the room at all, and the hotel helped us fix it quickly after two rounds of technicians (quick response, very good), but the A/C fan uses alot of time to cool down the room even on the 'high fan'-setting. It can take hours to get the temperature down a couple of degrees. It was confirmed that this was just how it was.

All in all, we have had a nice stay, at Radisson Blu Plaza, and have enjoyed our time in Bangkok for now. Maybe we will visit Radisson Blu Plaza again? Only...

Formal Complaint Regarding My Disappointing Stay from August 2nd to August 7th.

To the Management of Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Bangkok,

I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction and disappointment with my recent experience at your hotel. My stay was disastrous, marked by a series of failures and a lack of care from your staff, which turned my vacation into a very unpleasant experience. Details of the Complaint: Non-Compliance with Reservation: Upon arrival, I was surprised to find that the rooms prepared for me were not as requested. I had booked two connecting rooms with an extra bed and a crib for my children, but I was given two separate rooms far apart. When I asked to correct this error, I was met with refusal and disregard from the manager on duty, who simply told me that the hotel was full and nothing could be done. Unacceptable Solutions: As an alternative, I was moved to a suite on the 22nd floor, which was completely unsafe for my children due to an open balcony that could not be locked. The next day, I was promised the correct room configuration, but I was given only one room, with a promise to provide the second room later. When I returned in the evening, there was no extra bed or crib as requested. Negligence and Disregard: When I asked to speak to the manager, I was met with refusal and disregard from the employee in charge (Invy), who treated me as if I were the problem. She tried to convince me that a duvet was the extra bed, and in the end, I was given a duvet instead of the mattress on the floor, and I was left to set it up myself. Defective Room Keys: Every day, the room keys I was given did not work, forcing me to go back and forth to the reception desk multiple times a day. Unprofessional Staff: The head concierge was rude and arrogant, completely ignoring me when I asked him to wait a moment while my wife brought something from the room. Poor Facilities: The towels provided were old and torn, indicating a clear neglect of guest hygiene and comfort. In conclusion: This was my personal experience, and I can assure you that this is the last time I will book at a Radisson Blu anywhere in the world. My purpose for choosing a five-star hotel was solely for comfort and a comfortable sleep, as I spent most of my time outside with my family. However, from the moment I arrived until my departure, I encountered issues that prevented me from getting the comfortable sleep I needed, due to the lack of service provided by...