Sweet laziness in Bangkok?

The Millennium Hilton Hotel Bangkok is a great choice to really relax while you treat yourself to some luxury. It is one of the five star Bangkok hotels, which are built directly next to the Chao Praya River. Time and again, I am fascinated – not only with this hotel – by all the things that are hidden behind the façade of such a building, in order to offer the customer this variety of options.
Every one of the Millennium Hilton’s rooms has a direct view onto Bangkok’s Chao Praya River. This is one of the lifelines of this city of millions, and as such, it is great fun to just watch the kinds of things that go on down there for just a few minutes. The public transport system’s express boats alternate with boats that drop their passengers off at one of the hotels. Every now and then a convoy, consisting of four boats or rafts, filled with construction sand, pulled by a tugboat, comes past.

The hotel room

I was invited by the Millennium Hilton to stay a night with them in order to really put to the test what this hotel has to offer. I spend the night in a Double Executive Plus Suite. As mentioned above, the view from the big windows leaves one feeling like one is inside a live cinema right at the heart of Bangkok. The suite features a living room and bedroom as well as a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, shower cabin, toilet and two large wardrobes. The living room is divided into an executive area with a large desk and a comfortable seating area. Naturally there is also a minibar with a selection to which everything else I have seen pales in comparison. The living area also features a guest toilet.

There are a lot of details to be noticed in the room, which just make the stay more pleasant. There is, for example, a bowl of fruit on the table and the flowers, with which the room is decorated, are real and fresh.
The only drawback is that one has to pay for internet use inside the room, while it can be used for free by guests in the public areas of the hotel.

Executive lounge on the 32nd floor

After check-in we felt a little peckish. What now? No problem! We made our way to the rooftop of the hotel and ordered afternoon tea in the Executive Lounge. This came served elegantly on an etagère and quenched our hunger quite pleasantly. Besides the drinks there was a small sandwich and some sweet treats to choose from. Just the right amount.
The Executive Lounge has, by the way, – and how could it not – something to offer at any time of the day. Furthermore, it also has an outdoor terrace with a perfect view, which serves as a smoking area on the one hand, but is also great for those who want to enjoy their snack in the warm outdoors.

Pool and gym

I would have to think long and hard before I could comment on how the pool area of any five star hotel could be designed any more beautifully than here. I especially liked the deckchairs that were placed ankle-deep in water. What a nice feeling when one wades through the water, all relaxed, to the deckchair to enjoy a short nap or some sunbathing. The Millennium Hilton has spared no expense and has also created a beach on one side of the pool: Not bad that, having a beach on the fifth floor. 🙂

Especially great for couples are the large Jacuzzis with their phenomenal views. I have tested one with my girlfriend. We enjoyed it thoroughly. Very romantic indeed!

The hotel gym is huge and offers everything the heart desires in order to elevate your pulse into the workout zone!

Prime Restaurant

Fancy barbecue the upmarket way? Then Prime is just the place for you. We tested the classic three-course menu with “wine pairing”. I was not familiar with the term, but our waitress explained that it means that every course is served with a matching wine.
For starters we could choose between scallops or foie gras accompanied by a glass of Chardonnay.
For the main course there is a choice between sea bass and two differently prepared veal dishes. If none of these are to your taste you can also pick certain beef dishes from the menu. Accompanying those was, depending on the dish, a glass of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.
As for dessert, the options were crème brûlée or New York Cheesecake.
I would recommend you slow down your servers a bit, otherwise the courses are served a little briskly, one straight after the other.

This picture says it all. The aperitif drink was shaken and served by the friendly staff directly at our table. The view is fabulous.

To round it all off, we got a few tasty chocolate as a special treat!

Sunday brunch (Brunch on the River)

Brunch starts at 11am in the Three Sixty Lounge. During the evening the Lounge enriches the Bangkok nightlife with live jazz and a great view. During the day it is used for special occasions, or to impress the Sunday brunch guests with the view above the 33rd floor. There are amuse-bouche from the kitchen as well as a selection of cocktails and fruit juices.

After the leisurely start during the first hour, it is down to business from 12pm onwards at the “all you can eat” Sunday brunch at the Flow Restaurant on the ground floor. Brunch lasts from 11am to 4pm and costs 1,999 THB (includes service and surcharges) per person.
Besides the main buffet with warm and cold specialities, which already offers a lot of what the heart may desire, the other Millennium Hilton restaurants also offer up their characteristic specialities. So while enjoying brunch you can decide which of the other restaurants – such as the Prime Steakhouse, Maya Thai Restaurant or Yuan Chinese Restaurant – you may want to try on your next visit.

The Millennium Hilton features – according to their own information – the largest cheese room in Bangkok. Well, it is large. I can confirm that! The choice is especially opulent within the realm of Italian and French cheeses.

During meal breaks I urge you to visit the outer area of the Flow Restaurant. Where else can you sit on a sofa that is surrounded by water on three sides?

What I liked best, however, was that all Sunday brunch guests could choose among almost all the Lantern Restaurant specialities for their dessert.

The Lantern: The sweets paradise

I have an incurable weakness for sweets. The Lantern is my – and any person’s who suffers similarly – paradise. Without compromise to quality, top class specialities are made here. What a luxury! The Lantern offers six, if not more, varieties of cheesecake and at least three types of chocolate gateau.

But that is not all, by a long way. The two “signature” specialities are the Teppanyaki ice-cream, where the ice-cream is first divided into small blocks, enriched with small sweets, such as raisins or candied fruit, and then formed into a scoop.

The second, no lesser, speciality is the hot chocolate, which you deliciously get to make yourself by dunking a large hollow chocolate sphere into the hot milk and then watch it melt and sink. Afterwards all you need to do is stir once and the hot chocolate is ready. You can choose between milk, dark and white chocolate. The hot chocolate is not included in the Sunday brunch.

The Three Sixty rooftop bar,

open from 5pm, is reason enough in itself to visit the Millennium Hilton. It is certainly a bar that you should not miss on your tour of Bangkok’s nightlife.

Now you know what there is to know about the Millennium Hilton in Bangkok. I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit. Of course, all the restaurants and bars – with the exception of the Executive Lounge – can be visited without the need to book a room at the hotel.
But if you ask yourself, where to stay in Bangkok: Why not treat yourself to this ambience for two nights at the end of your trip before your flight home?

For your travel planning

Bangkok has two airports:

• Suvarnabhumi airport services mostly the international flights and is connected to the Skytrain and underground transport network.
• Don Muang airport is the hub for no-frills airlines and easiest to reach by taxi. In order to shorten the journey there and back allow the taxi driver to use the express motorways, which are subject to toll charges. The charges of 40 to 60 Baht should be handed directly to the driver. Those tollbooths are also the perfect opportunity, upon arrival, to change your first 1000 Baht note, minus the charges, into smaller change.

When is the best travel time?

You can visit Bangkok all year round. There is enough to do, even on a rainy day. During the last few years, the height of the rainy season in Bangkok was around mid-July until mid-October. During this time it can rain for hours on end. But even then the sun breaks through every now and then.

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This article was produced in cooperation with the Millennium Hilton Bangkok.