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The Grande Centre Point Hotel and Residence in central Bangkok is philosophically opposed to alcohol. That's a key thing that tired travelers should know about this palatial highrise with its humongous swimming pool, and a sweeping staircase out of the dreams of a Thai princess on her wedding day. Provided that the guests are prepared to toast the bride with fruit juice, everyone will be happy. It should be a hotel's first mission to make a tired traveler comfortable who has just been shaken (not stirred) over the always turbulent Gulf of Thailand. And in terms of accommodation, I'm delighted with the Grande Centre Point Hotel. It does the job.
The room is spacious and well lit. As an apartment-hotel, it has a well-appointed kitchenette, which curiously includes a front-loading washing machine. You'll need to pack up your clothing wet, however, since the dry feature after three hours could not be coaxed to work. Nothing's perfect. Which brings me back to the no-alcohol policy.
Arriving exhausted, frazzled, and hungry, we hit the restaurant for a late bite. The menu is no less than a leather-bound novella, a chapter for each international cuisine. Too tired to give it serious study, I chose something off page one believing that gin and tonic can compliment anything. You can imagine my disappointment on hearing that the restaurant was dry. Or more to the point, underscored by the front desk, the entire hotel was "pure" in being alcohol free. No club bar. No mini-bar. No pool bar. No likey!
I'm feeling cold in the restaurant. The air conditioning is set at a comfortable level for a full house, yet there are no crowds. While the food is good and the light jazz background music is pleasant, I'm wondering if the chef isn't bored. And there's no one to appreciate either of the two muted televisions mounted on the walls, one set to gong-show wrestling, the other to football. I'm getting mixed messages from this tomb.
I checked out the spa thinking that a relaxation treatment could help my jangled nerves. Closed. After all, it's past 8 pm. I reviewed the packages for future reference noting that various one- to two-hour massage treatments range between $30 and $100.
I'm told that five star hotels are doing poorly these days in Bangkok. These properties have been overbuilt for one thing and too few clients are arriving in a listless economy. This lovely hotel/apartment is an illustration of the trend. One booking site lists several pages of 5-star hotels that can be had for under $100 these days. Our Grande Centre Points can be found at $99 depending in the site. As a long-term stay option, I can recommend the Grande Centre Point at that price. After all, you can stock the kitchenette with all the impurities you wish.
It would appear however that it's Bangkok's tourist economy that really needs a good shot.
