Our home during our 4-day Holy Week stay in Bangkok was to be the Grand Diamond Plaza Suites Hotel in Pratunam. It had a small and unprepossessing lobby flanked by a Starbucks outlet and baratillo stores but we particularly liked our apartment-like 2-bedroom executive suite, one of the hotel’s 172 suites aside from 4 penthouse suites, ranging from 45 to 220 sq. m. in size. Each had its own cable TV, phone and bathroom (the master bedroom had a bathtub)
Our suite also had its own stocked kitchen with refrigerator, microwave oven and a water heater plus a separate dining (with a round table for 5) and living area (with another cable TV set).
From its balcony, I had great views of the city’s skyline (beautifully lit at night), the setting sun, the traffic-clogged Petchburi Road and boats traversing a nearby khlong (part of the city’s elaborate network of canals).
Our breakfast here, at the 8th floor Ploy Restaurant, overlooking the small swimming pool, consisted of an international buffet of Western and Asian cuisine: sushi, misoshiru, congee, noodles, dimsum, etc.. There is even a halal section for Muslim guests. There was also a MacDonalds and KFC fastfood outlet near the hotel.
The hotel is probably the best place to stay if you are a shopaholic, being conveniently sandwiched between the Platinum Mall and Panthip Plaza. Across the street is the Pratunam Market. Other shopping malls area include the Siam Paragon, MBK, Central World Plaza, and Siam Square. The hotel is a 15-20-min. walk to the Ratchathewi BTS sky train line. The hotel’s other facilities include another restaurant (Tae Chew Shark Fin Restaurant), a bar, business center, meeting rooms, swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and a fully-equipped gym. It also offers the famous Thai House Massage.
Grand Diamond Plaza Suites Hotel: 888 Petchburi Road, Petchburi, Rajthevi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel : (662) 656-6888-98. Fax : (662) 656-6899. Website: http://www.granddiamondbkk.com.