Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Spacious Suites, Great Breakfast, Helpful Concierge — But Not Central We stayed in a suite which was very spacious, well equipped, and had good amenities and minibar. Breakfast was excellent with plenty of variety. The concierge team was genuinely helpful, especially with restaurant, massage and Chinese New Year recommendations. The hotel boat every 30 minutes to the BTS was convenient, but the location overall feels far from the main attractions. One downside was the tour desk — it felt more sales-driven than advisory. Overall, a comfortable stay with strong service and facilities, but slightly removed from the city centre.

a month ago

There were some clear positives during our stay. The service was fast and efficient, and the employees paid extra attention to requests and responded quickly. Breakfast offered a good variety, and the free water delivery to the room was honestly a lifesaver. Another small but thoughtful touch was the afternoon room service, where staff would come by to tidy up again after the morning cleaning — closing curtains, arranging slippers, and organizing a bit. It was a nice gesture, though a bit unnecessary since the room had just been made up a few hours earlier. The first day we were a little confused about who was entering the room, but we later understood the process. That said, there were several issues that affected our overall experience. We had two rooms, and during our 5-day stay the safe didn’t work, the shower head was leaking and weak, and the door key device ran out of battery. To be fair, the hotel sent in-house technicians immediately each time, but the repairs took a while. It felt like the hotel focuses on fixing problems as they arise rather than properly checking or renovating rooms in advance, as some elements felt outdated. The hotel was extremely full, which made common areas stressful rather than enjoyable. Breakfast and the pool were often overcrowded. Breakfast in particular was very chaotic — it took a long time to get food due to the crowds, yet at exactly 10:30 an army of employees started removing everything. It became a race just to grab a coffee, with guests almost bumping into each other. The pool was also overcrowded on one day to the point that guests went down with towels only to turn back because there were no available sunbeds. I understand it was high season, but I visit Bangkok every January and have seen how medium and large hotels manage logistics and guests much more efficiently. Perhaps this hotel should take a step back from trying to “have it all” and operate every room at full capacity at all times — otherwise, they risk losing regular customers over time. The hotel was also hosting external events. On one occasion, we took our coffee to the outdoor terrace after breakfast, and the breakfast manager told us we had to leave because they were preparing for an event. This really added to the feeling that guests were secondary to logistics. Overall, we missed a personal, customer-focused touch. With so many people and events, the hotel felt more like an airport than a relaxing holiday destination. Considering it wasn’t cheap, I was unfortunately not pleased overall and wouldn’t choose to stay here again. Smaller hotels offer a much better experience in this sense.

a month ago

The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and very clean, with a nice view of the river, which we really enjoyed. However, our overall experience was mixed. We were disappointed that the hotel boat does not go to ICONSIAM as advertised, which was one of the reasons we chose this hotel. In addition, the boat crew were not particularly friendly, which stood out given the generally high service standards in Thailand. Service within the hotel itself was inconsistent for a property in this price range. Many staff members had limited English ability, and each time we wanted our room to be tidied, we had to call and request housekeeping, rather than it being done proactively. Overall, the hotel is good, but not great. While the rooms and river view are definite positives, the service level did not quite match expectations for the price. For this budget, there are likely better options in Bangkok.

a month ago