Ad Lib Hotel Bangkok in Bangkok

Got tricked by a review on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform). This is actually a very small hotel. Only the public areas are decent, and the outdoor space feels more like an atrium. The room itself was a huge disappointment. Since I arrived in the early hours, the hotel gave me a room on the second floor facing outwards, directly opposite a corrugated iron wall. There was no sunlight, and the view was terrible. After breakfast, I requested a room change. It was still the same orientation, but on the fourth floor, which was just barely acceptable. The room amenities were even worse than an Atour (a Chinese hotel chain). The bathroom had a foul smell, and the whole room felt damp. The location is alright, but the alley is quite deep, and it's a bit of a walk to the subway. There's a hospital nearby, so it would be convenient if you were going there. In Bangkok, it's really more reliable to stay at a branded hotel. These niche hotels are too easy to 'step on a landmine' (a Chinese idiom meaning to encounter something bad or disappointing).

I was drawn to the lush green design of the hotel's public areas, and perhaps swayed by overwhelmingly positive reviews that might have been faked, so I booked two nights. My current regret stems from several reasons:

1. The promotional photos of the room's spaciousness are completely misleading. The pictures don't show the large pillar directly facing the bed, which is bad feng shui and oppressive.

The greenery outside the window is minimal, and you can clearly see and hear the parking lot directly below, making the noise and "view" so unappealing that you never want to open the curtains for natural light.

2. I arrived in the evening, directly from the airport, and the front desk staff told me there was only one room left on the first floor, with no other options. If I wanted to switch rooms, I'd have to wait until the next day.

I mentioned that I had requested a quiet room away from the elevator when I booked, and it was confirmed. So how could there only be one room left on the first floor, with no suitable room reserved for me? She said the hotel was full and there were no other choices.

I asked why guests often encounter such "no choice" treatment abroad. She was silent for a moment, then "produced" a room on the second floor. If the hotel was full, how could a second room suddenly appear? Clearly, it was a lie.

Furthermore, this front desk staff member had a noticeable speech impediment; I couldn't understand her English at all (and I've interacted with many people with different English accents, but never encountered such unclear pronunciation). It seems inappropriate to have someone with a speech impediment working at the front desk of a tourist destination.

3. The room's simplicity is best proven by the photos. The materials, amenities, and overall feel were inferior to a business hotel in a second-tier city. The toiletries didn't even include conditioner, and there was no full-length mirror or counter space and mirror for skincare and makeup. Ultimately, the only good thing I can say is that the shower water pressure was decent.

Moreover, the lighting design was all top-down, leading to uneven makeup application and difficulty controlling product concentration.

4. The breakfast selection was average, and the fruit quality was not good. Service was extremely slow, especially from the plump lady who only served white guests and ignored Asian guests. I stood behind her for twenty seconds waiting to check in, but she wouldn't turn around, pretending not to see me. It was ridiculous.

Other staff members habitually covered for her, making me wonder if she's some manager's relative to behave this way.

5. The room's soundproofing was very, very poor: you'll have a fully immersive, 3D experience of people upstairs unplugging chargers, the movements and conversations of guests next door, and children's screams.

6. On the day I was leaving Bangkok, I requested a one-hour late checkout. The front desk staff was nice, and the porter was very enthusiastic. However, unfortunately, the hotel's location is hard to find, tucked away in a small alley. On the Grab ride-hailing app, it only showed the "back entrance" as a pickup point, and I couldn't correct it.

The back entrance was closed, so I had to cancel my ride twice while rushing to the airport, and I was fined 62 Thai Baht because the driver couldn't find the main entrance and wouldn't answer calls. The porter actively took my phone to the front desk, but the front desk seemed unresponsive, and the porter couldn't solve the driver's problem of not finding the place or being unreachable.

After 15-20 minutes wasted, I became anxious—Bangkok traffic is unpredictable—and dragged my large suitcase out of the alley to the opposite side of the hospital, finally finding a usable pickup point. The taxi that picked me up was more expensive, older, and the driver smelled bad, which was a perfect end to my two-day experience at Ad Lib. (To be fair: the driver was very skilled and got me to the airport early; he was an experienced pro.)

All in all, I feel that Ad Lib uses superficial beauty to attract guests, but the actual experience is very basic and rough. What's most disgusting is how the front desk and dining area staff happily greet white guests but ignore Asian guests. They are also East Asian, couldn't they show a little more backbone?