[Hotel Review] - Hansar Hotel (Urban Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (4 - 7 Jun 15)

Location

Hansar Hotel Bangkok is conveniently located in downtown Bangkok. The location of the hotel is within 3 mins walk from the nearest BTS Station (Ratchadamri Station), which is one stop away from the central Siam Interchange and one stop away from Sala Daeng Station, where the famous Patpong Night Market is located. The Hotel is also within 5 mins walk from the famous Four Face Buddha Erawan Shrine and about 7 mins walk from Central World Shopping Mall. The location of the hotel is very convenient for visitors as it is rather central to most of the shopping malls around the area. 

Hotel Signage

Hotel Facade from the Street

Main Entrance to the Hotel

Stairs leading to the reception 

Check-in counters

Artwork around the hotel

Lobby on ground floor

Hotel Facade

The Room

Hansar Hotel Bangkok is touted as a all suites hotel, where even the most basic room is a suite. The suite that I checked into is the Urban Suite, a complementary upgrade when booked through the Small Luxury Hotels website. The contemporary Urban Suite has a total floor area of 71 Sq m and has three sections to it. Upon entering the main door, the hotel's signature green wall greets one on the right side. Further into the suite is the living area. There is a study desk with a marble bench right at the edge of this part of the suite. The marble bench is a great addition to the suite as it offered more space for guests to stowaway their belongings, be it stuffs that one buys from their trip or their luggage. The study desk faces the TV, which allows guests to watch the TV even while working. The study desk is rather sizeable and stretches about 3/4 of the width of the suite. There are ample powerpoints, with international sockets, at the study desk for one to charge their electronic gadgets. The hotel is rather generous in terms of powerpoints as one can easily find one around this suite.

Main entrance to the suite 

The signature green wall

Overview of the living room

Bench for extra storage. The safe is located behind the wooden panel

Nice sized work desk

Powerpoints neatly hidden when not in use

Sky garden outside my suite. Unfortunately it is inaccessible

Right in front of the desk is where one can find a comfortable two-seater couch, where one can simple laze onto while watching the TV. The couch is so comfortable that I fell asleep on it while watching TV. There is also a coffee table and a stool in this part of the suite. The TV is mounted on the wall facing the couch and the work desk. The 40 inch LCD TV has no lack of options for guests to choose to watch. As mentioned, the wall where the TV is mounted serves as a partition between the living room and the bedroom of this suite. Several cabinets are built into the wall where one can find more storage space beneath the TV mounting . To the right of the TV is where one can find the minibar. This is where one can find the electric kettle as well as coffee and tea. The fridge is nice tucked under the storage space for the kettle. The architects of the suite cleverly hide the fridge in the cabinet under the open storage for kettle. This small feature makes the whole suite look tidy. One thing worth mentioning is that all items in the minibar, both drinks and snacks, are complementary from the hotel and it gets topped up on a daily basis.

Two-Seater Couch in the living room

Minibar and the sliding door to the bedroom

Snacks are complementary and replenished daily

40 inch TV in the living room with storage underneath it. There are no lack of storage in the suite

Magazines and stationeries in the cabinet beneath the wall mounted TV

Contents of the complementary minibar

Welcome fruit plating. The fruits was delivered shortly after I checked in. Fruits are replenished daily during housekeeping 

View of the living room from the study desk

View from the suite in the bedroom

View from the suite in the living room

There is a sliding door built into this wall serving as a partition between the living room and the suite. Rather than merely provide a wooden door, the designers has a full size mirror mounted on the door, which is functional yet does not occupy space. The decor of the bedroom is minimalistic. Upon enter to this part of the suite, one king bed attracted my attention. In fact the bedroom comprises only of the bed, a TV and a couple of bedside tables. It does seem that the designers has functionality in mind when designing the bedroom. There is another 40 inch LCD TV facing the bed mounted on the wall that separates the living room from the bedroom. Again there are ample powerpoints in the bedroom so that one does not have to leave their phone charging in the living room. The kind bed is very comfortable and I had no problems going to sleep shortly after lying on the bed. The pillows are however too soft for my liking, but the hotel provides foam pillows that gave me a good night sleep. As with other hotels, switches for the lightings can also be found on both sides of the bed. Again the designers did a fantastic job by building ledges for guests to hide all the wirings. This feature make the suite look very tidy.

Comfortable king bed. The head board is an art piece which is manually strung up using beads. The headboard is very comfortable to rest one's head on

Another 40 inch TV in the bedroom

Items on the bedside table

Access to the bathroom is through the bedroom, separated by 2 panels of wooden doors with full length mirror mounted on the bedroom side of the door. The large bathroom occupies approximately 3/4 of the length of the suite. The dry areas of the bathroom is decked out with wood whilst the wet areas are laid with marble. At one end of the bathroom is where one can find the open wardrobe, which is very convenient and provides easy access to guests clothings. The wardrobe spans across the width of the bathroom, providing ample space for guests to hang up their clothings. There are two panels to the wardrobe, where one can find a 2 tier cabinet on the left panel. The top of the cabinet also serves as storage space for guests to stow their luggage. On top of the cabinet is where the hotel make full use of space by providing hanging racks for one to hang their clothings such as shirts and berms. On the right panel is where one can find a full length hanger for longer garments. On the wall side of the wardrobe in this panel is where one can find four open tiered ledges for putting away of small items. One can also find the hair dryer and plugs for shavers nicely tucked onto the wall. Along Stretching across the length of the bathroom, facing the door is where one can find the counter top with his and hers sinks. The dual sink allows both guests to brush their teeth without the need to queue up. The expansive counter top also means there are ample space for guests to store their toiletries. The hotel is also very thoughtful in placing two bottles of drinking water here for guests to utilise. Opposite the wardrobe is where one can find two cubicles. The use of glass as partitions for these cubicles makes the bathroom feel spacious. On the left cubicle is where the bathtub and the shower is co-located. The bathtub is very large for 2 to soak in to comfortably. Incorporating the shower area together with the bathtub in this cubicle is very convenient for guests whom prefer to shower after soaking in the tub. The bathroom features both a rain shower and a shower head. Water pressure on both shower heads are strong. The other cubicle in the bathroom is where the toilet is located. 

Wardrobe with ample space for storage in the bathroom

Countertop with his and hers sinks

Amenities on the countertop

A couple bottles of water is being placed in the bathroom

The quality of the bath amenities are excellent.

Bathtub cum walk-in shower cubicle

Toilet cubicle next to the bathing cubicle

Breakfast at Eve Restaurant

Breakfast is served at the Eve Restaurant located on the ground floor. Guests are given the choice to choose indoor or outdoor dinning. Despite the limited choices for food on display, guests can order additional food, with its listing in the menu that is found on every table. The hotel made a couple of changes to the food on offer daily.

Additional items on the menu for breakfast

Honey is dripped directly from the source during breakfast

The high ceiling in the restaurant makes it look big

Menu for additional items not on the buffet table

The Pool

The swimming pool in the hotel is located on the 8th floor. The roof top infinite pool stretches across the entire floor. The water in the large swimming pool is rather chilling, however it does provide a great cool dip amidst the hot weather in Bangkok during my visit. Most of the sun chairs are under shelter, hence guests wanting to do some tanning will find it challenging. There is a jacuzzi located in one end of the pool, just outside the changing rooms on this floor. Inside the changing room, other than shower cum toilet cubicles, one can also find a steam room here.

Swimming pool area

Infinite roof top swimming pool. The pool stretches across the entire floor

Gym

The hotel has a small gym. Despite its size, one can find the standard gym equipment such as treadmills, weights and stationary cycle here. The gym is both clean and uncluttered.

Small but well equipped gym

Some of the gym equipment

Luxsa Spa

The in house spa occupies the entire 10th floor of the hotel. Upon exiting the lift, a friendly staff greets guests stopping at the spa. The wooden decor of the spa gives one a zen feel. There is a waiting area at the spa when one exits the lift. The spa provides hair cut and hair care treatment, pedicure and manicure on top of the spa services.

Signage of Luxsa Spa

Waiting area in Luxsa

Reception in Luxsa

Service

The services in the Hansar is generally very good, except for one of the Duty Managers. The other staffs in the hotel understood what it meant to be customer centric. The impeccable services starts when I requested for a change of room when showed to my room. My room was changed immediately and the staff even offered to bring the keycard to my new room. Moments later when I was settling into my room, the doorbell to my room rang. The staffs knew my request for firm pillows and brought over the pillows from the other room as well as some welcome fruits. 

The housekeeping staffs are friendly and detailed in their work. My room is always neat and tidy whenever I returned to my room at the end of the day. The housekeeping staffs ensured that all amenities are promptly topped up. There was this instance I requested for extra bath amenities late at night, one of the housekeeping staff brought the stuff to my room. I commented on the hot weather in Bangkok, the next thing was a ring on my door bell. The staff brought a bucket of ice and 2 bottles of water for me to quench my thirst. Such thoughtful behaviour attests to the fact that even the housekeeping staff knew what it meant to be customer centric. Every time I walked past the housekeeping staffs, there is always no lack of smiles and greetings from them.

The bell boys at the front of the hotel are excellent in their service as well. They are always seen with a smile and did not allow me to open the front door to the hotel myself, even late at night. They are always seen running up to the door before me when they saw me approaching afar so that I can transit into the hotel without having to open the door. Several times I told them it's okay, I can open the door myself, they still wouldn't allow me to, saying that it is their job to do so. I met Golf a few times and he is always with a big welcoming smile on his face. Golf even helped to hail a cab for my trip to the airport and helped me with my luggage.

The staffs at Eve Restaurant are very attentive and welcoming. I did not have to wait for long to be shown to a table for breakfast. Service is fast and there is no instance where I found plates uncleared from my table. I had the opportunity to speak with Han, the Operations Manager of the hotel during breakfast, whom is seen walking from table to table to chat with guests. I learnt a little more about the hotel and its operations from Han. It is very seldom where one would see the manager walking around chatting with guests. 

My stay in Hansar would be perfect if not for one of the Duty Managers who was on night duty. During my check in I enquired about late check out and I conveyed to the duty manager that my flight is at 9 pm. The manager told me to check with the reception again on the day on my check out to see if a late check out is possible. I returned to the hotel around 1am on the day of my checking out, I met the duty manager again. When I asked about late check out, he gave me a bunch of dodgy excuses. The conversation soon became heated and the manager became defensive. I told the manager that I would want to check with the Operations Manager later in the day and checked if he will be in the hotel (being a Sunday). The duty manager told me that he will be in the hotel. Later during my check out, I learnt that the Operations Manager is not working on the day of my checking-out. At this moment, I realised that the Duty Manager actually lied to me. It is ironical that the rest of the staff understood what it meant to be customer centric, and a manager does not.

The rest of the staff provides great service and are very attentive, however not so for this duty manager. I was served by another duty manager and related my experience to her. The duty manager processing my checking out was empathetic and listened attentively without being defensive. 

Overall

My stay in Hansar is comfortable. The size of the suite is large and the sleep quality on the bed is excellent. The Hotel clearly has the hardware, designing around convenience to guests. The service around the hotel is impeccable, less for the duty manager whom spoke to in a defensive manner. If not for this particular personnel, my experience in Hansar would have been perfect. It is unlikely that I will return to this hotel, if they can condone a managerial level staff to lie to their guests.