Review: Okura Prestige, Bangkok
Part of the Okura Hotel Group, based in Japan, Okura Prestige in Bangkok embraces both its Japanese roots alongside elements of its Thai surroundings. Often highly rated by publications and guests alike, just how good is this slice of Japanese pleasure in Bangkok? Very good and you will see why.
Location
Okura Prestige is right in the centre of buzzing Bangkok and close to the Sukhumvit Road district, unlike the Four Seasons reviewed recently. Competition is fierce in this area with other properties including Kimpton Maa-Lai, The Athenee, Conrad, Grand Hyatt and Rosewood. For those who want a bit of luxury shopping, the Okura is just 5 minutes walk from the grand Central Embassy shopping mall with premium brands like Chanel. The nearest BTS Skytrain station, Phloen Chit, couldn’t be located closer thanks to it being almost exactly outside the property. If you want access to lots of the main parts of Bangkok, you won’t go wrong at the Okura Prestige.
Communal areas
Like many high rise hotels in Bangkok, the lobby is located towards the top of the building on the 24th Floor. I find this strange in high rise hotels in Thailand because in the UK and Europe most hotels have a large lobby presence on the ground floor - as opposed to higher up. I did find that signage wasn’t entirely clear on how to get to the lobby itself. When it comes to the design, I love it. Personally, I am not a big fan of design that is over the top, gold covered and ostentatious - which is why you’ll find I have a thing for both Scandinavian and Japanese design with their focus on minimalism. This type of design is carried throughout the hotel will cool greys, creams and browns - without looking like your grandparent’s furniture colour scheme. This is further complemented by the large floor to (very high) ceiling windows that let in plenty of natural light to illuminate this area alongside a narrow balcony to sit outside. We visited at Christmas time which made way for an impressive Christmas tree and interesting reindeer decorations.
Located one floor above is the signature pool which you will likely see on every post about this hotel - and it is truly impressive. From the ground, it is a golden aspect jutting out of the building but from the 25th floor it provides panoramic city centre views. During our visit, there were very few users of the pool or the sunbeds surrounding it but I could imagine in high season this would be far more popular for people looking to get a few sunrays and time in the pool.
Hotel room
Now onto the bedroom where the action happens - sleeping 😉. We opted for a standard room whilst at the property although note that this standard is far better than what you’ll find in any Western city centre hotel. Starting with the queen sized bed featuring cotton sheets, the mattress itself is a little harder than in the other hotels we stayed in during our expedition to Thailand. That being said, I still slept really well and it will give your back more support than a softer mattress on offer at other hotels.
We were lucky enough to be situated on the corner of the building which gave us excellent views in two directions.
If you do need to get to sleep, there are excellent black out curtains and electric blinds which can be controlled by a dated control panel next to the bedside. This setup was probably very advanced during installation; this capability is now surpassed by hotels, such as the Four Seasons Bangkok, that have far more responsive iPads in the room to control the lights, blinds and more.
Towards the far window is a lounger with many cushions, which need to be put on the floor, but that can be used to watch the television - which like the control panel was also pretty dated and seemed to only have standard definition channels. What it lacked in quality, the hotel television network featured a plethora of channels including English, Thai and Japanese options. There is also a large circular table here with just one chair at it which made for a decent space to work from. This is a little strange to only have one chair since there would be more than enough room for an extra one - although there was a stool that could be used as a makeshift area for another person to sit on.
Alongside the television features an excellent minibar selection at the usual rates as well as a Nespresso machine and selection of Japanese tealeaf alongside a pot as well as regular tea bags.
I had contacted the hotel about our engagement, and they had arranged beautiful fresh roses as well as a tasty matcha green tea cake - which was enough to feed several people. This was a fantastic gesture and the best engagement gift a hotel had arranged during our stay - the flavour and texture was beautiful.
Wardrobe space was also excellent in this room including proper hangers, iron and the signature yukata - though do not take this as you will be charged a fair amount of money. If you want one, then you can purchase a new one from the hotel.
Bathroom, amenities, and Japanese Toilets
The bathroom is split into three distinct sections in a rather elongated manner which makes better use of the available room space. The first area was the wetroom featuring a bath, with excellent views across the city skyline, dual rainfall, and handheld shower. It’s a large space with plenty of space to move around whilst in the wetroom - although you will want to close the blind if you don’t want the people in the bank building opposite to see you naked.
The next section connecting from the main room is the washbasin with an illuminated mirror. Dividing the wetroom and this section ensures that the mirror does not get fogged up when you used it, which is always an annoyance even if said mirror has an in-built heater. Next to this is a separate close-up mirror with stool underneath which may be useful for guests who need to do their make up in comfort. Traditional amenities are also provided including razors, soap, toothbrush and paste as well as shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturiser from Elemis - which is commonplace at many high-end properties.
Finally moving on to the toilet. I wouldn’t usually devote a whole paragraph to a toilet room, but this is certainly a little different. Firstly, this small room features a small washbasin to clean your hands which is nice, so you do not touch the door with your germy hands. More interesting is the decision to install a Toto Washlet - the makers of the famed and advanced Japanese toilets. I won’t go into detail, but this is the future and wish that they would take off in other parts of the world - a heated toilet would go down equally well in the middle of winter in Sapporo or Southend-on-Sea. Equally, the blower and washing function is equally appreciated… I say no more! It goes without saying this little feature makes it just that little bit more Japanese and different than competing hotels.
Breakfast
Providing you book a rate that is inclusive of breakfast, you have the option of two brilliant breakfasts with a Japanese or buffet option. Despite staying just one night and one breakfast time, I tried both! Naturally, with this being a Japanese hotel and Japan being off limits for a while longer, we first went for the ‘native’ option for this property - and it seemed nobody else wanted to with us being the only guests eating there in the hour here. Located within the impressive Japanese restaurant Yamazato, located on the left hand side of the lobby, the hotel expertly serves traditional dishes inspired by Nippon. The setting is beautiful with private booths for guests or window side tables with the Bangkok sun beating down on you during the meal. We both went for the Grilled Salmon which was served alongside pickled vegetables, miso soup, steamed rice and tofu. It tasted beautiful alongside an excellent pot of green tea - but the portions are not big which made a good excuse to head towards the buffet breakfast.
I didn’t eat so much at the buffet option but the options were far more extensive and self-serving (with mandatory use of masks and encouraged use of gloves). The buffet is situated within the Up & Above restaurant bar located on the right of the lobby and definitely seemed to be the go to option for guests of the hotel. Food options included:
Thai curries and rice dishes
Soups with poached egg
Dumplings, Siomai and Siopao
Freshly baked pastries and cakes
Egg cooking station
Continental-style dishes such as cheese and cured meats
Selection of savoury breads
I specifically tried the soup with poached egg as well as siomai which were of pretty good quality - but not the best I have tried. Whilst you’re sitting down, take a look up and you’ll notice some impressive art installations in the form of traditional Japanese-style kites hanging from the ceiling.
The buffet is good but the quality of Yamazato is far better and has a more premium and curated offering - it is just a shame that few guests seem to want to give it a go.
Conclusion
Okura Prestige Bangkok offers an excellent experience when you look at the entire offering - from the beautiful high rise pool, to the stunning Japanese breakfast and beautiful decor. I love the room design and its minimalism, not too mention the infinitely modern toilet, but there are some shortcomings. Sections of the room, namely the control panel and television, could do with some updating with them feeling like they are getting a bit long in the tooth. That aside, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this property for people seeking a slice of Japan in the middle of Bangkok - it made me want to go to Japan even more after staying the solitary night.
