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Bangkok may be a fascinating
town, but it's also chaotic, crowded and claustrophobic. So if you are in
Krunthep on business or pleasure, and you don't want to spend a ton of money on
a tiny room, well, you are in luck, because the Grand Pacific Hotel located in
the heart of Sukhumvit Road next to Soi 17 offers you just that - a feeling of
space. The rooms aren't huge, but they are designed to make sure you don't feel
cramped.
The hotel truly has some of the
best views of the downtown core. Let's divide the vistas into two parts: the one
overlooking the Sukhumvit/Asoke area (of which the hotel's Signature Floor on
the 24th floor provides an excellent vantage point), and the one overlooking the
Sukhumvit - Ploenchit area.
The latter view is particularly
spectacular and if you happen to be staying in any of the rooms on the Signature
floors (23, 24 and 25) you simply have the best seat in town when the sun goes
down. You don't have to go out or watch TV to be entertained, just watch the
sky. At dusk, Lord Buddha really puts on a show with a swirl of purple hue here,
a tint of orange there, truly a magnificent celestial canvas.
It's one of the most magnificent
views of any downtown core, and if concrete ever had a charm, well this would be
it. With the kinetic city in microcosm before your eyes - the Skytrain, the
expressway, the traffic, the multitudes - you almost have a sense that a
buzzmobile from Blade Runner will come barreling out of the sky and zip past
your room.
The hotel is just so comfy from
the plush carpetry on down to the ultra smooth elevator rides: you have entered
a comfort zone which will take away all your worries and cares and give them
back to you once you check-out, unfortunately.
The hotel boasts that it is
located in the "heart of Sukhumvit" and it is. Situated half-way
in-between those fun centers of Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy, it's a stone's throw
away from dozens of superb restaurants and cafes.
Catching a flight couldn't be
easier either, since the on-ramp to the expressway is only a few minutes away
and once you are on the tang-duan, it's only about twenty minutes to the
airport, barring a serious traffic jam.
And if you want to zip around
town, the Asok Skytrain stop is literally right aside the front door. It's a
terrific and fun way to traverse the downtown core.
The hotel has a state-of-the-art
fitness center on the eighth floor, and a nice swimming area on the seventh,
which is a great place to relax and forget all your worries for awhile. Make
sure you check out the view leading down the stairs from the Fitness Center to
the pool as this is also a great
spot to scan the downtown horizon.
The Grand Pacific also has a
wonderful Sunday buffet, where one set price of Bt480 allows guests to partake
in any of the culinary delights offered up by the International, Thai and
Japanese restaurants. You can eat as much as you like at the three different
outlets, all located next to each other on the seventh and eighth floor.
The Captain's Table is filled to
the brim with international cuisine. This restaurant is shaped in the form of a
ship, with pillars seemingly being replaced by boat masts, so you feel as if you
are sitting on an ocean liner overlooking a sea of traffic. It's a nice touch,
and very spacious. Then there's authentic Thai cuisine from the four regions of
Thailand at Hot Chillies and a range of Japanese specialties just upstairs in
Kisso. This makes for a grand total of over 500 dishes. Also, the first child is
free, the rest are Bt270.
Danai Wansom, the hotel GM, and
one of the few Thais to hold that position in Thailand adds, "It's a real
dine around. We also focus on children's activities with our kid's club, games,
magic shows, clowns, toys and giveaways. And the first Sunday in every month, we
have a musical talent show where children perform live on stage."
Many of you might remember the
hotel being called the Delta Grand Pacific, but the Canadian Group Delta sold
the property to the Furama chain last August. Other Furama Hotels & Resorts
include: the Furama Hotel, Hong Kong (the flagship); the Majestic Hotel, Kowloon;
the Century Court, Shanghai; the Paradise Lagoon Hotel, Port Dickens, the
Caravel Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City; the Furama Resort, Danang; and the Philippine
Dream & Entertainment Center, Cebu (The Furama Shenyang is scheduled to open
next year).
Contact Info:
Tel: (662) 651-1000
Fax: (662) 254-4431
E-mail: rsvn@grandpacifichotel.com
Website: www.grandpacifichotel.com
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