Mercure Bangkok Makkasan — Hotel in Makkasan Subdistrict

I recently stayed at the Mercure Bangkok Makkasan and have mixed feelings about my experience, resulting in a 3-star review. There were some positive aspects, but several concerning issues left me feeling not able to recommend this hotel.

On the positive side, the check-in process was quick and efficient, which is always a relief after a long journey. Additionally, the hotel had a nice swimming pool, which provided a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

However, I cannot ignore the deceptive practices I encountered during my stay. One major concern was the hotel's promotion of a scheme offering free drinks in exchange for showing a 5-star review of the property. This felt manipulative and left me questioning the authenticity of their online reviews.

Moreover, I paid extra for a 'Privilege room,' which was supposed to come with various benefits, such as being located on the uppermost floor, having a BOSE Bluetooth speaker, and access to the Executive lounge with all-day refreshments, evening cocktails, and a private breakfast. To my dismay, the room I was assigned was on a lower floor, and when I inquired about this, the staff claimed that the labels on the elevators had not been updated, and rooms on floor 21 were considered 'Privilege rooms.' This lack of transparency was disappointing.

Additionally, my 'Privilege room' did not come with the promised Bluetooth speaker (but they brought one to the room a day later), and it lacked a bottle opener to open bottles of coke in the mini bar, which was inconvenient. (They provided one after another call.) Furthermore, the hotel advertised a private breakfast in the Executive Club, but it turned out that this service had been suspended more than a year ago due to Covid, yet it was still being promoted (even on the paper they hand to you when you are checking in.)

The room amenities were also subpar, as they provided a single 'top-to-toe' wash instead of separate shampoo, conditioner, and body gel. Moreover, there was no body lotion, and the quality of the provided razor was terrible.

The location of the hotel has received criticism from several other reviewers, and I share their sentiments. It's situated in a weird location making it feel really isolated. There are no shops, 7-11s or anything of interest to tourists anywhere near this hotel that you can easily walk to. Traveling to and from the hotel was definitely less convenient than I had hoped. However, Opad, one of the bell boys on the ground floor is super-helpful and friendly and great at helping you get a taxi. We also made good use of the hotel's shuttle service that runs twice a day at 11am and 2pm to Palladium World Shopping. Return metered taxis cost between 50-100 baht depending on traffic.

On a positive note, I found the staff at the hotel to be extremely friendly and accommodating. Their warm and welcoming attitude made interactions with them a pleasant experience. If I was ever to return to this hotel, it would because of the way the staff treated us. They truly are exceptional.

Another positive was the wine bar, also known as the Executive Club. This was a good place to unwind and relax. They provided soft drinks throughout the day, and during a 90-minute window from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, they offered complimentary gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, Singh beer, soft drinks, fruit juice or house red and white wine, along with canapés. This definitely added to the overall experience and helped make up for the isolated location.

In conclusion, while the Mercure Bangkok Makkasan had some positive elements like a nice swimming pool and excellent staff, the deceptive practices, discrepancies in the advertised 'Privilege room' benefits, the isolated location and subpar room amenities left me feeling sorry for the staff (as they really seem to be...

First and foremost, this is a great hotel, but there is definitely room for improvement in organization. Initially, I considered a 3-star rating, but after some thought, I’m giving it 4 stars. Here’s why:

Staff (5 stars): The staff are exceptional—friendly, helpful, and kind. Truly amazing service. However, while the main reception staff speak English well, communication with cleaning and support staff can be challenging. A translator may be necessary in these situations.

Suggested improvement: Ensure that all staff, especially those in guest-facing roles, have at least basic English language skills to improve communication.

Rules (1 star): Although there are rules in place, it seems that they are not being enforced consistently. We encountered an intoxicated guest behaving inappropriately toward others, a loud soccer team at the pool, and guests drinking and smoking by the pool. There was excessive noise at night, giving the impression that guests were not adhering to the hotel's rules, and unfortunately, staff did not seem to intervene.

Suggested improvement: Provide clearer guidelines to guests regarding behavior, and enforce these rules strictly. This is not a place for unruly behavior, and guests should be made aware that they will face consequences for not respecting the rules.

Pool (5 stars): The pool itself is wonderful, especially during the off-season when it’s not crowded. Although the pool officially closes at 8 PM, it’s nice that staff sometimes allow guests to stay a little longer. The pool is clean, but this seems to be due to the heavy use of chlorine, which can irritate the eyes.

Suggested improvement: Prohibit smoking and drinking around the pool area, and ensure that new guests are monitored to avoid disruptive or disrespectful behavior. Staff should be more vigilant in enforcing the rules here as well.

Service (5 stars): The service was excellent. Whatever we needed, the staff were happy to provide. Fantastic support.

Utensils (3 stars): If you forget essential items like a toothbrush or hairdryer, the hotel will provide them, but only if you ask. A 4-star hotel should ideally include these amenities without guests having to request them.

Suggested improvement: Offer essential supplies, such as hygiene kits or sleep sets, as part of the standard room offerings, or give guests the option to add them during booking for a small fee.

Internet (1 star): The Wi-Fi is more reliable than the LAN connection, but watching YouTube or streaming on the TV is nearly impossible due to the poor internet speed. The LAN connection was unstable, and we resorted to using roaming, which worked better. However, this is something guests need to clarify with their service provider, or consider purchasing a local mobile data plan.

Suggested improvement: Invest in better internet infrastructure with higher bandwidth to improve the guest experience.

Fridge (2 stars): The room comes with a small fridge, but it’s poorly placed, causing the cooler to generate heat without proper ventilation. Additionally, the storage capacity is limited to about four bottles.

Parking (4 stars): If you rent a car, the hotel offers parking, though the number of spaces is limited. However, it’s generally adequate.

Final thoughts: Overall, this is a good hotel, but we were disappointed by the behavior of some of the other guests, as they did not adhere to common courtesies. Would we choose to stay at this Mercure again? It depends. If the hotel improves in certain areas, we’d consider it. If not, we might look elsewhere, as there are other hotels near the metro station that may be more suitable. Most guests probably don’t report these issues, but we did confront some guests directly about their behavior, and they were...

i read the reviews and checked the location before deciding on this hotel. to my surprise the Makkasan station is not even close at all. referring to the last picture, i walked under the MRT track and on the train track and then crossed the 4-laned 2 way traffic to get to the hotel. it wasn't a smooth 10-15min walk as i was walking on all stones. maybe there's other way to walk there from the station but i couldn't see any as the other way is to walk along the road that has no proper pathway.

it could be my bad that I didn't notice they actually have a shuttle service between the station and the hotel. they will pick u anytime as long their tuk tuk is available. during my stay, i didn't have prob with that. i called them when I'm about 5 min away and they got there pretty quick (also depends on traffic).

Point taker: as i was on solo, i took Grabbike most of the time. they have another app called Bolt which is relatively cheaper but i chose Grab if I'm going from or to the hotel because Bolt will lead the driver to the back of the hotel which has no access to the hotel itself. so i only use Bolt when I'm outside.

I'm not sure why reviews say their breakfast menu is good as i see it as ordinary? subjective i guess? they change 2 or 3 dishes and maintain the rest everyday on my 4 night stay. restaurant servers are not very attentive in terms of table setting and clearing the dishes. i always walked in with empty seats but tables are often not cleared and set with the cutlery. after sitting down i notice the servers took more than 10 min to clear the tables beside me with patrons walking around finding empty tables. oh and the servers don't lead u to a clean table. they just check u in and u make ur own way to find a perfect table. so if u are solo, make sure u "reserve" your own table before getting your food else u might find someone occupying it. one funny little encounter was, even though i was on solo, the breakfast party will still put as 2 and they will mark with a tick or 2 when they check u in depending on ur party size. on my last day, i saw my room number has 1 tick before i came. its either a mistake...or someone tried to sneak in. so here's the issue, u don't need to show proof of your room number, the staff only base on what u tell them. no breakfast voucher, no proof needed. if anyone knows any room number, they can just try their luck.

it was rainy season during my stay so their lobby has a lot of mosquitoes. if they can provide an electric insect zapper will be perfect.

i personally didn't pass their room cleanliness. look at the pictures of the kettle and the wardrobe and you'll know why. i thought i could make some coffee but looking at the kettle... i skipped. quite disappointed with these for a global brand hotel.

another point taker: washing area is outside the bathroom. some reviews say it's noisy if ur companion is sleeping and u washing up there. water will splash all over too. bathroom has no hooks so u will hang your towel either outside or on the door's handbar. people say privacy is discounted. they provide 2 in 1 shampoo and body wash and a soap bar. didn't like it personally but i always bring my own.

other than these, bed and pillows are soft and comfy and i had 4 pillows to myself!

at the end of my stay, my take is, I'll not stay here again because of the accessibility, breakfast and room cleanliness.

all of the above is solely base on my own experience. you may encounter a different or...