This post continues the series on the trip to Thailand in November 2021. just after Thailand began admitting vaccinated and tested foreigners without requiring a seven- or 10-day quarantine. Instead, at that time Thailand only required foreigners to spend one night at a government-approved hotel until they received a negative result on their arrival RT-PCR Covid test.

Other posts from this Covid-19 Thailand trip:

Greetings From Thailand 😃

Thailand Trip – Part 1

Thailand Trip Part 2 – American Airlines Concourse C Admirals Club Charlotte, NC

Thailand Trip Part 3 – A Trip Down Memory Lane And A Tale Of Potential Disaster Over Lake Michigan

Thailand Trip Part 4 – Japan Airlines 777-300ER First Class Chicago, IL To Tokyo, Japan

Thailand Trip Part 5 – Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita

Thailand Trip Part 6 – Japan Airlines 787-8 Business Class Tokyo, Japan (NRT) To Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)

Thailand Trip Part 7 – The Strange No Quarantine Quarantine, A Guide For Travelers To Thailand During Covid

Arrival and Check In

The taxi ride from Two Three Hotel (the Test & Go facility where I received a RT-PCR Covid test and waited for the results) to the Grand Hyatt Erawan was the first chance to see how Covid affected daily life in Bangkok. Street vendor carts and stands that usually line the road were absent. While even before Covid in Asia it wasn’t unusual to see some people wearing masks in public, it was a sharp contrast to conditions at home to see that everyone on the street was wearing them. In Bangkok, wearing masks was mandatory indoors and outdoors, and compliance was 100%.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan is located on Rajdamri Road adjacent to the Erawan Shrine and the Chit Lom BTS station. This hotel is only a 10-minute ride down Sukhumvit Road from Two Three Hotel.

20160115_185459_resized
Erawan Shrine on a previous visit to Bangkok.

I had booked a regular room with a king bed for about $75 per night. That is less than half of the normal price range the hotel charged for this room type pre Covid. As an Explorist (middle tier) member of the World of Hyatt frequent guest program, I was entitled to receive the best non-suite room available at check in. The clerk upgraded the room to a king view room on the 22nd floor.

IMG_5284 (2)
Grand Hyatt Erawan lobby decked out for Christmas.

The taxi dropped me off at the Grand Hyatt’s main entrance one level above the street. I needed no assistance with my backpack and Travelpro carry-on bag but a porter offered to help. A temperature scanner was located at every hotel entrance. The devices displayed your body temperature when you placed your hand under the sensor. I was always a little nervous about using the scanner for fear it would indicate a fever correctly or incorrectly. Thankfully, that never happened.

IMG_5283 (2)
Hotel lobby

Considering the room size and amenities, the included breakfast buffet, evening drinks and buffet in the lounge (curtesy of a lounge access award) and the location and overall appearance and features of the hotel, the Grand Hyatt Erawan was an excellent value for the price. Another reason for choosing a Hyatt hotel for this stay was reaching Hyatt Globalist (top tier) status for 2022. Because of Covid, Hyatt halved the number of nights needed in 2021 to qualify for elite status in its frequent guest program. Globalist benefits include automatic lounge access and free upgrades at check in to the best available room including standard suites. This year, Globalist status requires only 30 qualifying nights instead of 60.

Grand Club Room

This room occupies an area of 40 square meters. It is located on the 22nd floor. The room is centered on the king size bed.

IMG_5081 (2)
Super comfortable king bed.

Working is a pleasure at the workstation and sofa by the windows.

IMG_5082 (2)

A 55-inch TV is positioned at the foot of the bed.

IMG_5083 (2)

One of the features I appreciate most is the device by the bed that serves as an alarm clock and controls the ventilation and air conditioning system, lights, and room privacy.

IMG_5087 (2)

Tea and coffee service is provided as well as six glass bottles (not plastic) of water daily. Each room is also stocked with towelettes and hand sanitizer.

IMG_5085 (2)

A refrigerator and minibar are discreetly incorporated into the light stand next to the TV.

IMG_5084 (2)

IMG_5086 (2)

The bath includes a tub and separate shower, vanity, and an enclosed toilet.

IMG_5074 (2)
If desired, a panel in the wall opens to allow a view of the bedroom.

 

IMG_5076 (2)
Balmain bath amenities and dental and shaving kits are replenished daily or more frequently if requested.

The toilet is in a separate enclosure.  That is a nice feature as is the hose which functions as a bidet.

IMG_5077

IMG_5078 (2)
Shower

This room easily met my requirements for a basic room in a five-star hotel.  It didn’t knock my socks off though like the Grand Hyatt Erawan Spa Cottage I received a few years ago as a free upgrade when I was at the top tier in Hyatt’s frequent guest program.  A Spa Cottage is a 130 square meter (1,400 sq ft) suite with an outdoor terrace, a living room, bedroom, bath with an oversized tub and separate shower that doubles as a stream room, and an incorporated spa facility.  It is one of the nicest and most unique hotel accommodations I’ve been privileged to experience.   

Living room
Spa room
Bath
Bedroom
Shower/steam room

Other Features

The Grand Hyatt Erawan has 380 rooms and 44 suites.  In addition to rooms and suites the hotel offers:

  • Nine dining outlets
  • Spa with unique residential villas
  • Outdoor pool and whirlpool
  • Fitness center
  • Business Centre providing comprehensive services
  • 3,330 sqm of event space and 14 venue options
  • Free indoor parking with direct hotel access
  • Concierge service
  • Multilingual staff 
  • 24-hour in-room dining

The hotel also benefits from its central location close to some of Bangkok’s best malls, one of the most popular shrines, a variety of restaurants, and public transportation.

20160115_183809_resized
Erawan Shrine and Chit Lom BTS station (upper left) on a previous visit.

Final Thoughts

For the reasons previously stated, this stay was an outstanding value even though the upgraded room  was actually just one of the standard rooms in terms of size.  This stay will also help to secure top-tier Hyatt status for 2022.  Grand Hyatt and similar Hyatt hotels are usually priced above the maximum price I like to pay for a hotel room.   But when I find an affordable price for the cheapest room in a good Hyatt hotel, getting a free upgrade to a suite or maybe even an accommodation as luxurious as a spa cottage will supply the kind of value that makes being a member of a frequent guest program more than worth the effort and expense. 

The Grand Hyatt Erawan breakfast buffet and club lounge will be covered in the next post in this series.  Thanks for reading and I hope you are having a great week.