Novotel Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit 34 in Bangkok

This is my second time staying at this hotel. My first stay was absolutely perfect and very comfortable. This second visit, however, was an incredibly terrible experience. Firstly, the room I checked into was a 'room within a room' with a connecting door that offered zero soundproofing. I could hear every word spoken from the room next door perfectly clear. When I complained to the front desk the next day, they handled it so swiftly and expertly, it was obvious they've dealt with this issue many times before, and immediately arranged a room change for us. Secondly, after we used up our toothpaste and left the empty tube on the sink, we came back from shopping to find it – incredibly – placed INSIDE the toothbrush cup! Inside the toothbrush cup!!! It was beyond words, and they didn't even replenish it. I called to request more toothpaste, but after waiting a long time with no delivery, I had to go down to the front desk myself to inform them, and only then did I get two new tubes. My good impression was instantly gone. The air conditioning also blew directly onto the bed and couldn't be adjusted, so I woke up the next day with a terrible headache and a dry throat. Thirdly, I have a serious complaint about the tall, blonde female front desk staff member. When I asked her to charge the beer from the mini-fridge to my room, she questioned me like I was a criminal, even asking for my passport! It was only after I told her to check her records, explaining I'd taken drinks several times before, that she reluctantly helped, all while wearing a scowl as if I owed her money. Seriously, isn't that 'Chinese Courtesy Hotel' sign at your front desk just for show? I suggest you remove it; your service might actually improve then. Overall, this hotel is now blacklisted for me. For anyone considering staying here in the future, open your eyes! There are plenty of hotels in Sukhumvit at this price point. Listen to my advice, listen to me, listen!

As a former hotelier who rarely complains, I usually let things slide if they're acceptable, and minor service shortcomings don't bother me much. After all, it's better to be forgiving, and my time is more valuable. However, the front desk lady at this hotel this year is utterly bizarre, lacking any service awareness and even discriminating against Chinese people.

Since its opening, I've stayed at this hotel for six consecutive nights every Chinese New Year, for three years in a row. Of course, the hotel can't be expected to remember me, and there's no guest history noted, as it's not a luxury hotel – I won't comment on that.

Leaving the first two years aside, let me tell you about this year's outrageous incident: On February 21st, I checked out around 5 AM to catch a flight to Singapore. When I left, the driver was already waiting outside. As usual, I placed my room card at the reception (note: the front desk was completely empty at this time). Upholding my responsible principle, I loudly called out twice: "Anybody here? 708 check out." A moment later, a terse "Yes?" came from the room next to the front desk. Since my stay was guaranteed by credit card, the normal procedure is that I can leave after dropping off the card, and the hotel can charge me for any issues. This is true: 1. As a guest, whether in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam), or Phuket, Thailand, where I stayed last year, the process is the same, unless a cash deposit is involved, which requires a room inspection. 2. As a former hotelier, it's perfectly normal; with a credit card deposit, leaving the card means checking out. As I got into the taxi, this front desk lady came out and stopped the car, telling the driver in Thai not to leave until they had checked the room. I kindly reminded her: "I used a credit card guarantee, if there are any issues, charge my card. I'm rushing to catch a flight." This front desk employee ignored me, waving her hand and saying, "No, 5 mins." I waited in the car for about 3 minutes, and no one came out to tell me I could leave, so I got out and went back to the front desk to ask what was going on. This lady said, "I'm just following the procedure; you can only leave after we've checked the room." I reiterated: "I used a credit card guarantee; if there are any issues, charge my credit card. I used to work in a hotel group, I know this is a reasonable request, and all hotel operating procedures are already like this." Only then did she start checking the bill (yes, she hadn't done anything before, only checking the bill after I got out of the car), and informed me: "You charged a bottle of drink to your room a few days ago. If you want to put it on deposit, I need to process the statement now" (she would certainly deliberately drag her feet, and I'll explain why I think so later). After hearing this, I directly took out cash: "Keep the change, can I check out and leave now? Haven't you finished checking?" Then she said, "It hasn't been five minutes yet, please wait a little longer. You're always in such a hurry, what if something goes wrong..." (Note: it wasn't her the past two years; the entire front desk team has changed this time). Don't rush to pin that on me, I pressed her: "When exactly was going last time? What happened last time?" She couldn't answer.

It was then that I remembered what happened on February 15th, my check-in day: I arrived around 12 PM, and I naturally understood that I couldn't check in immediately. So I went out and returned to find I had been given the wrong room type (Figure 3-4 is the wrong room, Figure 1-2 is what I booked. I was given the wrong room last year too, so this year I was extra careful and took screenshots). When I saw the same wrong room as last year, I went downstairs with my luggage to change rooms. At that time, it was this lady who said she needed to communicate with the front office manager. After communication, I carried my luggage upstairs again, only to be given the wrong room type on the same floor, diagonally opposite. I'm usually good-tempered, and even then, I didn't get angry. I took my booking screenshots corresponding to the room type to the front desk to resolve the issue. After the front desk manager arrived, they repeatedly confirmed with my screenshots and Trip.com's screenshots that I hadn't booked incorrectly before assigning me the correct room. I received the third room card and was about to go see the room around 6 PM, at which point she told me: "Leave your luggage downstairs, we'll arrange someone to send it up." (It's funny, the reception here has no hotel hospitality to speak of; they are all cold and worse each year). I had a dinner appointment that evening. After waiting in the room for over half an hour for my luggage (is this unusually long waiting time standard?), worried that my luggage might be sent to the wrong place, I went downstairs to retrieve it myself. It took a total of three minutes to see my suitcase sitting forlornly in the original corner, with no one at the front desk. I don't know how they organize their work.

I guess maybe I picked up my luggage proactively, and when they realized and wanted to deliver it, they found it missing, so they checked surveillance and saw the guest took it themselves, which is why they said I was in a hurry, huh? 😄 It seems the seeds of resentment were sown on check-in day.

Here's the most bizarre point: if the first year was just a clogged bathroom drain that engineering couldn't fix for three days, then these three years have been: a busy signal on the front desk hotline for 6 nights out of 7, deliberately pulled. I observed all guests in the entire hotel directly going to the front desk to voice their requests (amazing, how primitive!). My room had no water or coffee packets for two consecutive days. When it was forgotten again on the third day, I went directly to the front desk and sternly addressed the issue, only then were normal water and coffee packets provided. However, after amenities were provided, the conditioner in the bathroom was not proactively refilled. For 6 consecutive nights, I left out empty bottles, but HSKP acted as if they didn't see them. The trash can in the wardrobe was also never cleaned. Just let it be dirty.

By the way, this place is quite enthusiastic towards Western faces. Even if there's a queue for inquiries, Western faces can cut in line. 😄

Back to the lady who was the flashpoint: if she's incompetent at her job, unable to understand what role a hotel's operations department or even the front desk plays, and what services they provide, then I suggest the hotel gives her more training, or she resigns to pursue her life's ideals. Because, as a guest, I don't know if we're here to convenience her, make her happy, or if the hotel is here to serve our travel plans.

Summary: She wasn't wearing a hotel uniform, nor an ID badge. Is this Banyan Tree Group's standard? When I asked for her name, she refused to tell me, saying, "I did nothing wrong." Strange, if you did nothing wrong, what are you afraid of? And as a hotel employee, you have an obligation to provide your name when a guest asks. I really hope the hotel investigates the name and position of this lady with the ponytail who was on the early shift at 5 AM on February 21st? How dare she treat guests like this?

This hotel has completely ruined my nine consecutive years of fondness for spending Chinese New Year in Bangkok. Not only will I never stay at this hotel again, but I probably won't return to Bangkok for Chinese New Year. As an avid traveler and travel blogger on other platforms, I will also stop promoting how great Thailand is; this is purely wishful thinking.