Check in to Bangkok’s Largest Hotel

This hotel behemoth still delivers a personal touch – as well as daiquiris to your poolside lounger.

The hotel

Like the megalopolis in which it sits, the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park is on a gargantuan scale. Two 37-storey towers housing 1360 rooms make it Bangkok’s largest hotel. It is unashamedly anti-boutique and thoroughly high-tech but holds to the best of five-star tradition – the service and attention to detail is impeccable. Opened in late 2016 following a two-and-a-half year, THB5 billion ($189 million) renovation of what was previously the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel on Sukhumvit Road, downtown Bangkok, this gleaming edifice is built for business and leisure. There is so much to keep you fed, watered and entertained – restaurants, bars, pools, kids’ club, gym, high-end spa – that you may need to shake yourself to get out and explore.

The room

The muted shades of the modern one-bedroom M Suite give it a neutral chic, with the busiest part of the design being the views of Bangkok out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Hints of Thailand are evident in a swirling motif inspired by the Kinnaree (the half-woman, half-bird creature of Thai mythology) that’s emblazoned on the bathroom mirror and bedroom wall. There’s a sliding door between the lounge and bedroom, which both have flat-screen TVs and entry to the oversized marble bathroom. The spacious, air-conditioned, well-provisioned suite is an inviting place for downtime – you can have that siesta on the king bed or the couch – and room service is a telephone button away.

The lowdown

Number of rooms 1360. There are 1026 deluxe rooms, 233 M Club rooms and 101 suites.

Check-in/out 2pm/12pm

Food and drink This hotel is clearly serious about serving authentic food, with a level of choice that reminds one of a mega cruise-liner: the Goji Kitchen is an all-day buffet featuring live-cooking stations and cuisines from across Asia and the West (fried rice with crab for breakfast? Bring it on). At Siam Tea Room, you can dine on Thai recipes passed down through the generations of chef Anukul Pulpipat’s family, while at Soba Factory, the eponymous buckwheat noodles are made in-house by the team under Japanese chef Mizuho Nagao. The Cantonese-style cuisine at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant is by Hong Kong native Oscar Pun, whose signature dish is a deceptively simple crisp roasted pork with mustard sauce. Drinks-wise, depending on your mood, you might have a mango daiquiri on a sun-lounger by the pool, Thai craft beers on the Goji Terrace or a G&T in a quiet corner of the Lobby Lounge.

Water Complimentary bottles of Marriott-labelled water are replenished regularly in your room. There is also Evian (THB158, about $6, for 500 millilitre bottles) and San Pellegrino (THB168) available, although you’re unlikely to run out of the free stuff; room service will even deliver it iced.

Minibar Snacks including chips, nuts, cookies and chocolate range in price from THB58 ($2.20) for a pumpkin kernel bar to THB118 for dehydrated mango ($4.50 and delicious!). In the fridge is an international sampling of beer, spirits and wine (the chardonnay is Penfolds Koonunga Hill for THB1088/$41.50) while Thai beverages get a look-in via Chang beer and Mekhong Rum.

Room service The comprehensive 24-hour in-room dining menu is another trot around Asia and the West – snack on spring rolls and samosas; feast on the likes of beef-cheek massaman curry and steak and fries. A Thai fruit platter of dragonfruit, papaya, pineapple and melon arrives in 13 minutes, well under the 25-to-30-minute wait I’d been told to expect.

TV and movies There are 39 TV channels reflecting the hotel’s international clientele with a limited selection for English speakers including CNN, BBC and two Fox movie channels. There are no movies on-demand; Samsung smartphone users only can watch content from their phone via screen mirroring on the 122-centimetre flat-screen TVs.

Bath Deep and freestanding, with bath salts and a loofah pad tap-side.

Amenities Aromatic Wood Aromatherapy products by Thailand’s Thann natural skincare company.

Bathrobe Made of white waffle-cotton, they are knee-length and lightweight – just the thing for Bangkok’s tropical climate.

Wellness There are two pools on levels four and nine open 6am to 10pm; a 24-hour gym with a squash court and fitness classes (book ahead for these) and the Quan spa, open from 10am to 10pm – try a 60-minute aroma fusion massage, in a fragrant room with lights dimmed and a classical guitar soundtrack tinkling in the background.

Wi-fi Complimentary in public areas, M Club rooms and suites and for Marriott Rewards members (it’s free to join). In Deluxe rooms, the charge for non-members is THB499 (about $20) a night.

Business facilities The Marriott Marquis was designed to be a player in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) market, assisting Thailand’s big ambitions in that regard. Thirty-five meeting rooms cover 6411 square metres and the grand ballroom fits 1100 people. The 27th-floor M Club Lounge has computer stations and printers.

The concierge test Step outside the hotel and Sukhamvit Soi 22 is lined with massage spas. How on earth to choose? The concierge desk supplies a recommendation and easy directions.

The housekeeping test The down pillows are super-soft and despite the absence of a pillow menu, a firm version arrives at my door 12 minutes after I request one.

Parking Complimentary on-site and valet parking.

Price Rack rates are from THB10,000 baht ($381) a night for a deluxe room to THB22,000 ($838) for a grand suite. M Suites are THB14,000 ($534) a night.

Ask for A room that qualifies you for access to the M Club Lounge, especially if you’re in town on business. The many benefits include evening hors d’oeuvres and drinks and 2pm checkout. 

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