Baiyoke Sky – An Experience at the Tallest Hotel in Thailand

As I scanned through a list of interesting hotels in  Bangkok, I came across this unique listing called Baiyoke Sky Hotel. It proclaimed itself to be the tallest hotel in the entire country and offered some amazing experience to its guests. I instantly knew, I wanted to try this Baiyoke Sky Hotel Experience.

Having visited Burj Khalifa (the tallest tower in the world), naturally my instinct was to check this out at the earliest. I searched through various online travel agencies and found an excellent deal for 3000 Rs/Night including breakfast. I found a good deal in Agoda for Baiyoke.

Reaching the Baiyoke Sky Hotel

My Thailand trip involved visiting Pattaya and while coming back stay in Bangkok for 3-4 days. So while heading back I took a bus to Ekamai station and proceeded to go to the hotel via Metro Rail.

Minutes after the Metro train pulled away from the station and launched on to a glistening view of the Bangkok city, I saw a beautiful, lean, towering structure at a distance. I nudged a local and asked him, “What’s that gigantic building over there?” . His reply came quietly “Baiyoke” (Pronounced as “Buy Yoke”). I, for once, had absolutely no inkling that this gigantic building,  visible even miles away, would be the place where I was going to stay.

How to Reach Baiyoke Sky Hotel

I got down at Ratchaprop Metro Station and it turned out to be a very short walk of less than 400 metres.Even more than the hotel itself, the location blew me away. It was right in the exact centre of Bangkok’s busiest shopping area, Pratunam.
Surrounded by Indira Market, Platinum Fashion Mall, Pantip IT Plaza and even Central World, you couldn’t find a happening place anywhereHere’s a map I found in the hotels’ official site for more info :

This mammoth 84 floor hotel had its reception at the 19th floor ( while the first 18 was occupied by shopping markets and parking floors) . It has a whopping 673 rooms. This was the first time where there were several queues just for checkin and it took nearly 15-20 mins for meto reach the front of the line.
Other downside of the checkin process was that they required you to pay 3000 Baht (INR : 6000) as security deposit, though refunded fully while checking out.

They had charges for early check-ins ranging from 25%-100% of room tariff, depending on the time of the day . The standard check in time was 2PM and check out at 12 noon.

Services offered by Baiyoke Sky Hotel

Baiyoke Sky offers complimentary shuttles to every major market and malls in the city . These include the famous weekend market at Chatuchak, Central World , MBK etc

Other facilities include a swimming pool designed in the shape of a courtyard, fitness centres and luxury Thai spas.

I happened to try  the complimentary breakfast which offered a multitude of cuisines including American, Indian, Chinese, Japanese etc. Being a staunch vegetarian, there were plenty of wonderful vegetarian options on the menu. They had vegetarian food in both Indian and Chinese sections and taste was excellent too.

Rooms

The Baiyoke Sky hotel experience begins with a panoramic view from the rooms. The 84 floors of the hotel were divided into three zones ( Standard Zone, Space Zone and Sky Zone). Though I had a late check-in at around 7PM, I was upgraded from Standard Zone to the Space Zone in the 55th floor.  The super fast lift went up from 19 to 55th in almost less than a minute. Though the room had a slightly old look, it was perfectly maintained and the view from the large window by the bed was a thing to remember. The whole of Bangkok’s city lit up beautifully at night was a moment to cherish. ( I really wonder what would it be, for the guys staying even higher in the Sky Zone).

84 Floors of Baiyoke Sky Hotel

The Top 3 Floors include the Observatory Deck (75 and 84th), Roof Top Bar(83) and Restaurants (from 76 to 82) .The 84th floor in particular turns 360 degrees in this observatory in 5 minutes. 24-69 comprise of Rooms, 18th – Lobby , 19-23 – Guest Facilities

 

Observatory Deck

The trip to the observatory deck is generally around 350 Baht(700INR), along with a complimentary drink for outsiders. However hotel guests like me were given free access to all the top 6 floors any no of times. Here are some of the pictures I took from there.