PUBLISHED March 6th, 2017 07:00 am | UPDATED July 12th, 2017 05:19 am
In a city like Bangkok when a traffic snarl can be incredibly torturous and time-consuming, location is a huge factor in picking accommodation in the Thai capital. Incidentally, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok is easily accessible via the sky train system (BTS, Asok Station) and the subway (MRT, Sukhumvit Station), making it really easy to get around the city, be it seeing the cultural sights in the Old City, picking up bargains in Pratunam, or bar hopping up in the Sukhumvit neighbourhood.
Upon entering the ground floor lobby, we were ushered up to the reception on the seventh floor to check in. The Westin shares the building with Robinsons’ Department Store, a supermarket in the basement, and a 24-hour MacDonald’s. The five-star property sees seven categories spread over 362 rooms and suites, and we checked into the Premium Deluxe Room, one up from the entry Deluxe Room.
As with the lobby lounge, the room was decked out in classic, neutral hues of ivory, beige, and browns with a tinge of quirk in the retro printed sofa. Situated on the upper floors of the hotel, these sanctuaries boast views of the Sukhumvit cityscape and signature Westin amenities like the Heavenly® Bed (that plush, pillow top construction provides a really restorative sleep!), a Nespresso coffee machine, a 37-inch telly, and a Bluetooth® audio dock to play your favourite music.
At 42 square metres (452 square feet), the bathroom of the Premium Deluxe Room is spacious enough to accommodate separate bathtub and Heavenly® Shower, though we wished the sink area was bigger for two ladies’ worth of toiletries.
The Westin Grande Sukhumvit is also a perfect abode for fitness junkies. Although we didn’t get to use their small but gorgeous outdoor pool due to thunderstorms, we did pop by the WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio. Open 24/7, the 405-square-metre gym is staffed from 6am-10pm and features cardio machines like treadmills, cross-trainers, and bikes alongside free weights and an array of strength machines such as shoulder pulls and leg presses. What’s more, complimentary headphones and 19-inch integrated touch screens on cardio machines mean you can run, hike, or bike through famous locations around the world by matching your workout to the featured terrain.
Don’t have athletic wear with you? Westin has teamed up with New Balance® to provide athletic shoes and apparel during your stay. For a fee of B150, clean gym clothes, fresh socks, and shoes will be delivered to your room. All the better to take advantage of the complimentary fitness classes (Mon-Fri 6.30pm, reservations to be made at least an hour in advance) offered, which ranges from Hatha yoga to Muay Thai boxing. Also, if you prefer to trade the treadmill for some fresh air and local scenery, Westin also has pocket-sized maps feature 3-mile and 5-mile jogging/walking routes from the hotel!
Dining-wise, the daily buffet breakfast happens at the Westin’s contemporary all-day dining restaurant Seasonal Tastes. Their signature restaurant, however, is Japanese restaurant Kisso, a crowd favourite of the Japanese expatriate community in Bangkok. While you’ll find things like Hokkaido oysters and Kyushu tuna on their seasonal menu, the a la carte dinner menu is an extensive collection of classic and contemporary Japanese dishes.
Start with a well-fried and well-battered Shirauo Karaage (deep-fried silverfish, B250) and a cold appetizer of Satsuma Wagyu Tataki (B880), seared, rare wagyu beef served with a ponzu sauce. Kisso has all kinds of fancy rolls but in light of the carbs we already ordered, we opted for the Sashimi 3 Kinds (B980). It might seem a little pricy for eight slices, but we got really fresh hon-maguro (fatty tuna that can be sold as chutoro or otoro) alongside salmon and hamachi that day.
It was a particularly rainy day so we also went with a heart-warming pot of Shabu Shabu with Japanese Wagyu Beef (B1950 for 150g of meat and a side platter of veggies). The broth is more flavourful than regular dashi – alas, they didn’t tell us the secret ingredient – and the well-marbled beef imparted a delicious beefy influence by the time we were done.
Out of curiosity, I tried the Mentaiko Kurimu Udon (B350), which is exactly what it sounds like, mentaiko cream udon. Served hot in a bowl of cream soup, the wheat noodles were topped with a dollop of preserved cod roe. Unfortunately, the cod roe disappeared rather insignificantly into the soup, so there’s no burst of salty roe on your palate with the al dente noodles. Luckily, a dessert of Umeshu Jelly (B200) saved the day. Served with sake sorbet, the plum wine jelly is light and refreshing – a perfect end to a heavy meal like this one.
Kisso also recently launched their Unlimited a la Carte Sunday Lunch. Priced at B2,100++ per person, it’s available every Sunday 12pm-2.30pm and includes a glass of sparkling wine (though we think they should also offer a free-flow boozy option). For the lunch menu, the folks at Kisso have created new dishes as well as cherry picked from the a la carte menu. We highly recommend the Buta Chawan, Japanese egg custard with a piece of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and the Mutsu Sumibi Yaki Kinoko Butter, charcoal grilled cod fish with mushroom butter sauce. Plus, if you look at the a la carte prices, I’m sure you’ll agree that their Sunday lunch is offering great value for money.
The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok is located at 259 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110.