Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok

Minor Group’s third Avani property on Bangkok's east side is a 382-room contemporary, upbeat offering with many lifestyle options for the corporate traveller.

Rooms
Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok is located adjacent to On Nut BTS and situated atop lifestyle complex Century The Movie Plaza 2. It also is a mere four BTS stations from the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

The property offers four room categories, starting with the 26m² Avani and Avani Skyline rooms to the 37m² Avani Deluxe and Avani Skyline Deluxe rooms.

The lobby’s aerial feel pleasantly surprised me, along with canvases of modern grey marble floor and wall tilings, offset with curated splashes of playfully-coloured furniture – think safflower red, saffron yellow, minty turquoise and purple bordering on fuchsia.

Entering my Avani room for an overnight stay on one of the hotel’s higher floors, I felt the smart, playful vibes. Small wooden magnets had been arranged into a welcome message on a blackboard above the tea and coffee station stating: “Check-in time is now, check-out time is never.” Small quirky messages printed on the toiletries and laundry bag made me feel welcome.

The powerful vibrance of Avani Sukhumvit’s rejuvenating colour scheme, seen in the lobby and repeated inside the room, continued to win me over, as did the unrivalled panoramic view of Upper Sukhumvit’s neighbourhoods – with not another skyscraper in view – from the window.

More fun messages greeted me via small square pillows on the bed. I also received a whimsical edible garden concoction as a welcome treat.

I appreciated the large selection of lights – though I found the switches mildly confusing – and multiple USB ports near the desk and the bed.

The comfy mattress was furnished with two soft pillows and two hard pillows, though I felt the pillows could have smelt fresher. A miniature daybed by the window and an open closet setup made the room seem more homey and relaxed; the latter was also helpfully stocked with one of the largest ironing boards I’ve seen in a hotel room.

Although my room was in the lead-in category, the bathroom is by no means meagre and did not skimp on space, with Malin+Goetz sensitive skin toiletries adding a nice empathetic touch.

MICE facilities
Avani Sukhumvit’s meeting facilities total 1,267m² and are located on the seventh floor, the same floor as its Greenhouse Restaurant & Terrace.

Spaces include the 500m² Grand Chambray Ballroom, 365m² Cashmere Room which can be split into smaller rooms, and 187m² Cotton Room. Both the Cashmere and Cotton rooms offers direct access to the Greenhouse restaurant, making it easy to serve coffee breaks with minimal disruptions. The pre-function area also has escalators that exit directly and conveniently into the lifestyle plaza below.

The 55m² outdoor Terrace is an alternate function space that runs the length of the Greenhouse and can host up to 160 guests, perfect for networking or post-event mixers.

Other facilities
One of the most enjoyable experiences throughout the entire stay was the AvaniSpa; its clean, relaxing interior scented with hints of lavender and lemongrass gave city-weary me a nice reprieve from the outside world.

The Deck – Pool & Bar area and AvaniFit gym are also located on the ninth floor along with AvaniSpa.

The Greenhouse Restaurant is one of my favourite spaces on the property. A quarter of the restaurant is cordoned off, catering to corporate travellers with faux-leather seating and plenty of plugs and USB ports. The other part of the restaurant sports lots of plants, while floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural sunlight.

I found the breakfast buffet spread very pleasing, with gluten-free options – the bar with which I measure hotel buffets, due to my gluten sensitivity – and also the selection of dried fruits which included guava and pomelo skin. I also learnt that these were made in house and helps to reduce food waste.

I also enjoyed all-you-can-eat ala carte buffet (899 baht nett; US$27.50) at dinner; with a nice selection of seafood dishes and 150-day-aged beef tenderloin on the menu, it seems well worth the price.

In recent years, the neighbourhood of On Nut which the hotel stands in has blossomed, loved by expats and locals for its more subdued vibe and convenience and access to malls (W District, Summer Hill (Phra Khanong) and Tesco Lotus On Nut), street shopping, and indie vibe from a sprinkling of cafes and art galleries. A hidden gem nearby is Soi Sukhumvit 71/1, which contains a small street market, affordable massage shops, and Better Moon x Refill Station cafe, Thailand’s first bulk store that sells zero-waste lifestyle items.

Service
All staff were constantly smiling, polite and cordial; and I was always greeted with a smile, particularly from the ladies at the spa who made my spa experience especially relaxing.

Verdict
As Avani Sukhumvit is the first five-star hotel on Bangkok’s east side, Minor’s first venture into Upper Sukhumvit will be a boon for event planners, delegations and business travellers alike.

No. of rooms 382
Contact details
Tel: (66) 2 079 7555
Email: sukhumvit.bangkok@avanihotels.com

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