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Home  >  Hotel Reviews • Hyatt  >  Review: Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
Hotel ReviewsHyatt

Review: Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 14, 2021November 14, 2023 26 Comments

a sign on a wall

The Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is a Bangkok institution that offers incredible amenities and a very comfortable guest room. I greatly enjoyed my stay and consider this resort one that has aged very well.

Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok Review

I booked my room for less than $75/night. Prices have now gone up a bit, but this remains a reasonable option in Bangkok. 

Location 

I find this hotel in a great location on 494 Rajdmari Road, off of Rama Road, within walking distance of Central World and Central Embassy, a giant shopping center, and well-situated to get to many parts of the city. If you are using BTS, it is the Chit Lom stop and there is an upper entrance to the hotel from the station.

This hotel puts the “grand” in Grand Hyatt, with a soaring colonial façade and a vast atrium filled with natural light, trees, and running water.

a building with trees and a street under a bridge

a building with columns and a sign

a sign on a building

cars parked cars on a street

a picture of a man in a gold frame on a white wall

a statue of elephants in front of a building

a large building with trees and a glass roof

a large building with plants and a balcony

a large building with trees in it

a large building with trees and a sign

a hallway with trees and a light fixture

a room with tables and chairs and plants

a large room with a staircase and a table and chairs

a walkway with trees and plants in front of a building

a building with columns and trees

a clock on a table

a large building with white pillars and trees

a staircase with a tree in it

a tree with lights in a pond

Check-In

I booked a standard king bed room and did not expect a suite upgrade, as none showed available on the hotel’s website. However, during check-in I was thanked for my Globalist status and offered an upgrade to a suite…on a smoking level.

a lobby with a staircase and a reception desk 

In my experience, smoking rooms are generally cleaned so well you cannot smell the smoke, so I accepted the upgrade. Even so, the check-in agent encouraged me to come back down if the smell was unpleasant.

Stepping off the elevator, the entire 20th floor certainly reeked of cigarette smoke, but the room was clean and I did not smell any lingering smoke.

a hallway with a bench and a carpet

a hallway with a carpeted floor

a black door with a silver handle

a close up of a door

Guest Room (Grand Suite King)

My corner suite included a living room with couch, desk, bar, and a guest bathroom.

a room with a glass partition

a room with a television and a glass wall

a living room with a television and a table

a living room with a couch and a table

a bathroom with a black door and a black sink

The room certainly did not look modern, but was very classy and well-preserved.

The mini-bar contained alcoholic beverages and soft drinks for purchase plus a QR code to scan for a broader menu. Complimentary coffee, tea, and water were also provided, including a Nespresso machine with capsules.

a table with a variety of objects on it

a tea set on a red tray

a shelf with bottles and glasses

a refrigerator with bottles of soda and cans of different brands

a shelf with different types of condiments

a card with qr code on it

The desk included a pair of universal power ports and air conditioning was controlled through a module on the wall.

a row of electrical outlets on a wood surface

a two black rectangular objects with buttons on a white wall

A Bose Bluetooth audio player was available as well as a TV in each room.

a speaker on a table

The bedroom included windows overlooking a park below (as well as the Waldorf=Astoria hotel next door) and a sliding door to the bathroom.

a bed in a room

a bed with pillows and a mirror on the wall

a tv on a table in a room

a alarm clock on a glass table

a room with a bed and a glass door

a construction site with a train and a city in the background

Inside the bathroom was a closet to the left, a dual sink, and separate water closet with Toto washlet toilet, bathtub, and shower.

a bathroom with a white robe and shelves

a bathroom with a bathtub and sink

a bathroom with a large mirror and sinks

a close up of a faucet

a shower with a round ceiling light

a bathroom with a mirror and toilet

Shower amenities, like at most Grand Hyatt properties, were provisioned by Blamain Paris.

a group of white and black bottles

Grand Club

Lounge guests and Globalist members had access to the Grand Club for “hors d’oeuvres and drinks” each night. I put that in quotes because it really was dinner…a full dinner.

a room with a counter and a wood floor

a room with a couch and tables

a table with chairs in a room

Think multiple salads, freshly-baked bread, soup, Thai dishes, carved meat with sauce, fruit and sweets for dessert, and free-flowing alcohol (beer wine, and cocktails).

a person in a white uniform and mask standing behind a table with food

a person in a chef's uniform cutting bread

a chef wearing a face mask standing in front of a table with food

two chefs cooking in a kitchen

a chef wearing a mask and gloves holding food in a display case

a bar with bottles and glasses

I’m not going to lie…I came upstairs expecting a snack and walked away having eaten dinner (though I did have Taco Bell a bit later, just a couple blocks away). It’s tough to turn down free food, but it’s even tougher to turn down delicious food.

a table with plates of food and a glass of water

a bowl of soup with croutons on top of a plate of food

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a table

a plate of meat and vegetables

a plate of food on a table

a bowl of salad with vegetables

a watermelon on a plate

The lounge staff were also exceedingly kind, attentive, and made a fuss over every guest. It was great to see such a high level of service.

Breakfast was served downstairs, so I did not return to the lounge.

Breakfast In The Dining Room

My biggest surprise and biggest delight about this hotel was the breakfast. It blew me away. Of course I expected a buffet with a large selection of food items from around the world. But I did not expect such a high quality of food.

a fountain with a plant in it

a room with tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a room with a table and chairs

a buffet room with a chandelier and food

a buffet in a restaurant

a buffet with food on it

a basket of bread and rolls

a person in a white hat baking croissants in a oven

a group of people in a kitchen

a group of food in pans

a group of pans with food in them

a counter with a glass container filled with orange juice

a group of people cooking in a kitchen

a chef in a white uniform behind a counter with trays of meat

a chef in a kitchen

a kitchen with many pots of food

a buffet table with fruit on it

a woman standing behind a display of fruit

a fruit on a plate

a buffet with food on it

a glass display case with food on it

The coffee was superb and the barista knew how to make excellent latte art in my cappuccino.

a cup of coffee with a heart in the foam

Croissants were warm and flaky.

a plate of croissants and butter on a table

Fresh-squeezed juice went beyond orange juice to just about any juice you wanted. Smoothies were also available.

two glasses of milk and a yellow drink

Fruit was ripe and sweet.

a plate of watermelon and pineapple

a table with food on it

Thai food was delicious – I asked one of the chef’s to make me a plate of what she considered best and she presented me with this:

a plate of food with sauce

…and it was good.

The western breakfast was also good, with high marks for the omelet.

a plate of food on a table

And there was more I was just too full to eat…pancakes, waffles, French Toast, and fresh salads too.

Breakfast is truly a treat here and if breakfast is important, know that you’ll enjoy a great breakfast here each morning.

Fitness Center

I did a couple pretty intense workouts here, in part to work off all the calories from breakfast. The fitness center is located on the fifth level and includes brand new TechnoGym equipment, including several elipicals, bikes, and treadmills separated by plexiglass barriers.

a table with a parking meter on it

a table with vases and plants on it

a group of exercise machines in a room

a group of exercise machines in a room

a gym with weights and exercise equipment

a gym with exercise equipment

a gym with exercise equipment

a gym with exercise equipment

a room with exercise equipment

Pool

Stepping outside, I admired the beautiful pool, which was empty in the early morning hours, but soon was filled with laughing children. Yes, this is more family-friendly than other Bangkok hotels, but it never got to be a pain.

a pool in a building

a pool with trees and buildings in the background

a pool with chairs and trees in front of a building

a deck with chairs and umbrellas

There’s a nifty path leading from the pool to the fitness center:

a stone path with a statue in the middle of a garden

a stone path between bushes

Spa

A spa is available (though much more expensive than most massage parlors in Bangkok), as well as locker rooms that contain a sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi. Due to health protocols when I was there, only one person could be in the sauna and steam at a time and reservations were required. 

a room with a white wall and a statue

a room with wooden tables and lockers

a room with a table and stools

a hallway with a door and a rug

a sign on a glass wall

a wooden sauna with bucket and shovel

a sign on a glass door

a pool with water in a room

a room with a hot tub and a brick wall

I will note that another couple guys decided to sit down in the sauna while I was in there and the locker room attendant did not say anything.

Other Food + Drink

The hotel offers a lower lobby with a number of food and drink choices, including:

  • Salvia (Italian)
  • You&Mee (noodle house)
  • Erawan Bakery
  • Erawan Tea Room
  • Bar @494

a staircase with railings and a couple of people in the background

a room with a large glass wall and a large glass wall

a food counter in a restaurant

a sign on a wall

a room with a table and chairs

a display case of food in a bakery

CONCLUSION

I greatly enjoyed the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok: it truly beat all expectations. For that price, I would have spent a month here with my entire family – maybe one day. In the meantime, I look forward to returning.

a woman standing in front of a building

a building with columns and a sign

a group of figurines on a cardboard box in front of a sign

a group of small figurines on a box

a group of statues on a table

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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26 Comments

  1. Gene Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 3:51 pm

    @ Matthew — Why doesn’t anyone clean and/or paint the exterior of anything, ever in SE Asia? I swear one could make a killing running a painting business.

    Anyway, looks like steal for $75/night!

  2. Vinod Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    @ Gene – they do regular painting. However, with the humid conditions, even after 1 year, a structure looks as if it has not been painted recently. Same issue with most of the 5*+ hotels in India.

  3. James Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    I’m baffled by your enthusiasm from this older property, which is still stuck somewhere in the 1990’s.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 14, 2021 at 4:22 pm

      I prefer it to the Park.

      • Gene Reply
        December 14, 2021 at 4:39 pm

        @ Matthew — Me, too. Something about the Park Hyatt is meh, especially considering the (pre-COVID) price. I like the IC as well. Maybe it’s because I like nice Club lounges and both the GH BKK and IC BKK have very nice lounges.

        • Mike Reply
          December 16, 2021 at 1:17 pm

          Thanks for the memories Matthew. I have stayed at the Erawan for many years and it is indeed special. I did try the Park, which is nice, but doesn’t have the same soul as the Erawan. The Park also does not have a club lounge

          For the readers, the Erawan also has a exit to the SkyTrain level which makes for an easy walk to the train or over to the other hotels and Central. Great location.

          Can’t wait to get back to BKK

      • MFK Reply
        December 14, 2021 at 4:46 pm

        I’ve not stayed at the PH, but see no reason to do so when the Erawan offers such great value, quality and location, plus earning points in the most valuable program.

  4. Boardingareaflukie Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    Matthew, you are on fire with these reviews. While others have shut down over the year, you have been brave enough to venture where most of us don’t. Great pictures! Looks like an appealing place.

  5. Corwin Low Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    I haven’t stayed at the Grand Hyatt since the 90s. I’m glad that their service offerings haven’t gone downhill.

  6. doublejade Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    I stayed at this hotel 4 years ago. It’s definitely not new or modern but its decor is very classy and it’s well maintained. The breakfast buffet was massive. And at the lounge, the food they served in the afternoon was extremely high quality. The hotel is also very centrally located. You are right by several big malls. I did not use the pool or spa. There are so many good massage places nearby so why get an over priced massage at the hotel.

  7. Nick Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    A nice review Matthew that does highlight both the difference in quality and experience, especially price wise in Hyatts around the world. Few hotel breakfasts compare to the ones you can get in good Asian hotels.

  8. Mike1977 Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 6:57 pm

    Thanks so much for this review and like others said ,it’s nice to see a travel blogger actually blogging about current travel.

  9. PM Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 7:51 pm

    Great review. I would almost certainly be happier in a place like this than a top-notch luxury hotel where the plant is brand new but the service can be somewhat too proactive/personalised for my liking (I really don’t need hotel staff remembering what I had for breakfast yesterday) and/or geared to people who prefer to stay in a bit of a bubble as opposed to mixing with locals and immersing themselves in the destination.

  10. SINJim Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    I held a multi-day conference in this hotel in 2015. Everyone loved the hotel. One person even said that it is the best business hotel that he has ever stayed in. I am not sure if it remains true today but in 2015 during the late evening, the Italian restaurant transforms into more of a night club where the unsuspecting might benefit from re-listening to the song “One Night in Bangkok.”

  11. Christian Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 9:44 pm

    I’d be a bit cautious on bringing the family. The outside and Italian restaurant area becomes rife with prostitutes and sleazeball men in the evening. On our last stay there my wife was seriously harassed by men when she was outside one night wearing sweats at the age of 40. She managed to escape to the elevator but it was a harsh experience for a fereng. That pretty much wiped our love for the hotel.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 14, 2021 at 10:03 pm

      That’s horrible. I didn’t see any of that. Did the men think your wife was a prostitute?

      • Christian Reply
        December 14, 2021 at 10:15 pm

        Yes. If she had been dressed nicely I might understand the mistake but sweat pants and shirt? Anyway, just a free warning to others. Now we stay at the Royal Orchid and like it much better although the club lounge in the Hyatt is better. The Sheraton does better breakfast though and has peacocks.

  12. Markj Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    As I have made three long trips to Thailand this year I can say I have spent many nights at both the Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency. Rooms are nicer at the Hyatt Regency but service and food is better at the Grand Hyatt.

    I also have spent a number of nights at the new Hyatt Regency on Koh Samui…terrific!

    As hotels have been cheap Bangkok has seemed like a place to spend money and earn points. Surprisingly IHG offers pretty good value on points if you have their credit card. I did 12 nights (three four night stays) at the Intercontinental Bangkok for about 11,000 points a night when the room rates were $100+

    I am currently at the Kimpton Maa-Lai which is one of the best new hotels in Bangkok (worthy of a review) using free nights from my IHG credit cards. I have also used IHG points this year at the new Intercontinental in Phuket.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 15, 2021 at 12:05 am

      I also stayed at the Hyatt Regency and I’ll be comparing the two shortly and agree with your assessment.

  13. Amy Fischer Reply
    December 14, 2021 at 11:25 pm

    Basically, Hyatt hotels start with the best (lobby) and it gets worse as you go up. The lobby looks unique and is the highlight. The hallways on the guest floor is what you’d expect for a chain with no character. The room has basic carpeting and unexciting furniture. The room is just so plain which is the common thread of all upscale Hyatt hotels outside of Vienna. The only thing that isn’t plain is the horrible local tile design in the bathrooms. Yikes. The food looks good, I’m sure the service is ok, and the lobby is cool.

  14. Fathiss Reply
    December 15, 2021 at 5:47 am

    I stayed there last month as well. I had the corner executive suite just down from the club lounge. Same corner side as your view. This is an awesome hotel for the price. It is a big bonus this is part of the Amex hotel’s collection so no need to use valuable Hyatt points for an inexpensive stay.
    Plus, if you use your Amex benefit you get a double upgrade. One for using a Hyatt suite upgrade and a second one for the Amex benefit (they gave me my Hyatt globalist benefits using the Amex credit even though they didn’t have to).

  15. klrsmith@yaho0.com Reply
    December 15, 2021 at 8:26 am

    Thanks for the write up – I’ve missed my favorite hotel in BKK for the last 2 years. I spent a year working in BKK a few years ago and stayed in most of the 5 star hotels (Landmark, JW Marriot, Renaissance, Intercontinental, Sheraton, MO, Shangri-La, etc) Grand Hyatt Erawan beats them all. Breakfast downstairs is fantastic, and while the hotel is certainly not “modern”, that’s part of the appeal.

  16. Jerry Reply
    December 15, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    Looks great. Can’t wait to stay there. I would like to pose a question… why on Earth does this hotel still offer smoking rooms? I’m not trying to be ugly or ignorant, but is that something that travelers from Mainland China demand? It just seems like a shame for a hotel like this to ruin a few floors with smoking rooms.

  17. Erik Det Reply
    December 15, 2021 at 9:50 pm

    Nice review Matthew, the Grand Hyatt Bangkok is indeed a great hotel.
    But please use the spelling check next time:
    It’s Balmain, hors d’oeuvres, and conclusion.
    Great article and review nevertheless. Thank you

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 16, 2021 at 1:47 am

      Thank you Erik.

  18. John Reply
    February 4, 2022 at 5:01 am

    It’s a great hotel when there isn’t civil unrest in Bangkok and bombs are exploding just up the block at the Erawan Shrine.

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