CUSHIONED IN COMFORT

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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


FINIS

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