I recently spent a week at The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit while in Bangkok for work. I hadn’t stayed at a StandardX before, so it seemed like a good opportunity to check off another brand for World of Hyatt’s Brand Explorer promotion. The fact that there was also a Muay Thai gym directly across the street sealed it. A new Hyatt brand and an easy side quest between meetings felt like a sufficiently productive use of a week in Bangkok.

StandardX Brand Basics

Hyatt seems to have the goal of having more brands than Marriott at this point, despite a substantively smaller footprint. It’s really quite a bit of brand inflation that’s difficult to keep track of and has little consumer benefit except the ability to collect more badges in the Brand Explorer promotion.

One bright spot for Hyatt recently is its penetration into the lifestyle space. To be honest, I’m not sure I understand what the difference is between Dream Hotels, The Standard, The StandardX, Bunkhouse Hotels, me and all hotels, Caption by Hyatt, and Unscripted by Hyatt. (Of course, Hyatt categorizes the last two as “essential” rather than “lifestyle” which to me only underlines the confusion – I didn’t feel much difference between my stay at Dream Miami and Caption by Hyatt Osaka).

The StandardX is described as “a new breed of distinctive hotels from The Standard brand, designed to be exactly what you want, where you want it.” It has a total of two locations, the first in Melbourne and now a new outpost in Bangkok’s Phra Arthit area.

Booking The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit

As I often do, I made my booking last minute and the cash rate was approximately $80 a night for the week. On the higher end for a limited service property in Thailand but low for a Hyatt. I checked for points availability but there was none available.

However, the hotel is a World of Hyatt Category 2 hotel so award bookings start at 6,000 points per night and can go as high as 15,000 points per night. Even with the recent devaluation, Hyatt points are probably worth at least 1.3¢ so cash was clearly going to be the better deal in any case.

I’ve found a similar dynamic at other limited service properties in Southeast Asia such as the Alila Bangasar in Kuala Lumpur. In contrast, the Cape Fahn Hotel in Koh Samui was a great value with points as part of Hyatt’s former SLH partnership.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit: Check-in

After clearing security at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, I headed to level 1 and called a Grab car to take me to the hotel which took about an hour in Bangkok traffic. The hotel is located an easy 15-minute walk north from the Grand Palace and a similar distance west from the infamous Khaosan Road area. However, the Phra Arthit neighborhood itself is a relaxed riverside area with lots of cafes and hipster bars.

I arrived around 2 pm. Checking in was straightforward. While check-in officially starts at 3 pm, earlier room access is a World of Hyatt elite benefit.

After handing over my passport, I was thanked for being a Globalist member, and the friendly agent noted my complimentary room upgrade at check-in from a basic king bed with city view to a deluxe king riverview (I did not use a suite upgrade award). Somewhat impressively, despite my having made the booking a scant hour or so before, they already had my keys made and all the check-in documents printed in a folder.

After taking a deposit, they provided a quick roundup of the hotel’s offerings including the guests-only rooftop pool and bar on the sixth floor, the ground floor restaurant where breakfast is served, and the lobby coffee shop and boutique.

Notice something missing? I did too. The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit, doesn’t have a gym.

I’d spotted this while booking, but didn’t think much of it: there’s a Muay Thai gym literally across the street that also sells regular gym passes. So when I briefly confirmed with the hotel that there was no fitness center, I said something along the lines of, “No worries, I saw there’s one across the street,” and assumed that was that.

It wasn’t, as you’ll see in the Service section.

I was assigned room 305, a Deluxe King Riverview Room which are advertised as 39 square meters (~420 square feet). From the hotel’s description:

Located on level 2 to 6 with river views, this retreat is a treat from top-to-bottom. It’s got a signature king bed, 300-thread count sheets, a bathrobe, slippers and a private balcony with outdoor furniture. For anything else you might want or need, there’s an ensuite bathroom with custom Davines bathroom amenities, a 43” LG Smart TV, goose-neck kettle for drip coffee from Nan, handmade coffee mugs from Khon Kaen, a Bluetooth speaker, in-room Wifi, a working desk made with recycled materials, and art by Bangkok-based artist, Mr.Kreme & Gongkan.

While I was offered assistance bringing my bags up to the room, I declined. So I was given my keys, along with two vouchers for drinks at either the rooftop bar or riverside restaurant, and headed up myself.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit: Deluxe King Riverview Room

Room 305 is located at the end of the hallway. From the balcony, it has a direct view of the river with some glimpses of the Rama 8 Bridge to the right.

A short tiled entrance leads into the bedroom. Built-in shelving sits to the left of the entrance. Beyond it, the television, luggage bench, and desk run along the left-hand wall. The bathroom is on the right.

The king bed sits along the right-hand wall, opposite the television and luggage bench, with the balcony straight ahead.

White walls, wood-look flooring, and dark furniture keep things restrained alongside the neutral artwork. The blue-gray curtains and upholstery add some color, while a large gray rug sits beneath the bed.

The bed has a dark upholstered headboard, two small bedside tables, and circular wall lights. A telephone and pillow menu sit on one bedside table, while the right-hand table holds a compact speaker.

Rooms are equipped with standard pillows by default. Firm, latex contour, and microfiber options are available upon request.

Opposite the bed, a low chrome-framed bench beneath the wall-mounted television provides somewhere to put a suitcase.

Closer to the balcony, a simple desk doubles as a separate drinks station from the minibar, which is in the closet. Here, there’s complimentary bottled water, a kettle, and cups sharing the surface. Tea and drip coffee were provided.

The drip coffee is proper ground coffee from BEANS downstairs rather than instant. Not quite espresso, but it’s a meaningful upgrade from instant coffee.

There was a welcome note and a welcome amenity. The welcome amenity consisted of savory, slightly spicy crackers, which were actually pretty good. And I guess additional water, but in cans rather than bottles?

There’s a folder with hotel information here. There’s 10% off at BEANS, the coffee shop downstairs, and at the lobby shop with a minimum spend of THB 5,000, should you want to spring for a hotel gift shop souvenir rather than a store on the street or airport shop. There’s also wifi information and instructions for setting up the AirPlay on the TV (hint: just scan the QR code).

Across from it, a blue-gray armchair, upholstered stool and small round table form a separate sitting area.

Balcony

At the far end of the room, full-height glass doors open onto the balcony, furnished with two cushioned chairs and a small round table.

The view takes in the Chao Phraya River, with Phra Arthit Pier below and boats passing in front.

The view is not an uninterrupted river panorama, but still sets a nice scene and creates a sense of place. The roof of the restaurant downstairs occupies some of the foreground, and a neighboring building borders the right side.

AirPlay and TV

I’m very much in favor of hotels adding AirPlay to their TVs, though I still don’t encounter it nearly often enough. Luckily, that’s not an issue at the StandardX.

I promptly used it to stream Kimi Antonelli’s come-from-behind victory at Monza. While I join my fellow Italians in celebrating our compatriot, my tifoso heart just hopes we’ll eventually have a red world champion again.

Thermostat and Air Conditioning

The thermostat is located in the entranceway to your right (facing the room) on the wall after the door to the bathroom. The controls are straightforward with the lowest temperature at 15ºC.

It’s powerful and the room quickly cools down. I was easily able to get the room to a perfect sleeping temperature and, with the blackout curtains drawn, slept soundly.

Closet

Back to the closet, it’s an open built-in unit beside the entrance, with hanging space on the left and shelving on the right.

Two lightweight blue-and-white bathrobes, rather than the usual thick terry-cloth variety, hang from the rail, with a spare pillow stored on the shelf above. There were also a couple of pairs of slippers.

The minibar fridge and snacks occupy the right-hand section. The minibar contained sodas, juices, snacks, and a couple of beers. Beer was the only alcoholic option listed on the menu but, oddly enough, I didn’t actually see it stocked.

Below are three drawers and a safe behind a separate cabinet door.

Laundry service is available with information and laundry bag in one of the closet drawers, though the prices struck me as steep for Bangkok. Convenient, certainly; compelling value, no. I personally send my laundry out through mylaundrythai.com when I’m in Bangkok.

There’s a hair dryer in one of the other drawers. The third drawer is empty.

Bathroom

The bathroom sits immediately to the right of the entrance across from the closet. There’s a single sink with a decently sized countertop. Large towels are stored under the sink, washcloths over the amenity box, and hand towels are hung up ahead of you.

The walk-in shower has a partial glass screen rather than a proper door. That said, the amount of water that made its way outside the shower was quite minimal thanks to the raised threshold.

There’s a handheld showerhead with an adjustable mount but no overhead rainfall shower. Not my preferred setup, but hardly shocking at this level of hotel.

The amenities covered the basics well, with dental kits, shaving kits, vanity kits, and shower caps all provided and refilled daily.

Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel came in refillable pump bottles mounted in the shower, with a bottle of body lotion on the vanity.

There was no liquid hand wash, just a bar of soap that housekeeping replaced daily.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit Point of View Rooftop Bar and Pool

The pool and Point of View rooftop bar are on the sixth floor. To get there, take the elevator to the fifth and walk up the stairs. The bar is open from noon to midnight and offers a buy-one-get-one-free happy hour from 2–5 pm and 7–9 pm daily. The pool itself (swimming – not the surrounding loungers) is supposed to close at 7 pm although I saw people swimming later than this and they were not stopped.

When you arrive, the pool will be on your left and the bar to the right.

I went up for several swims during my stay. With views over the Chao Phraya River and the bridge, it’s a very pleasant setting. The rectangular, blue-tiled pool is surrounded by loungers, small tables and umbrellas, with glass railings keeping the views open.

There are two open showers in the corner and towels are provided.

The evening atmosphere is particularly nice, with the bridge lit up and the rooftop lighting adding a little atmosphere.

The covered bar has counter seating and small tables. I went up for drinks one night with friends. The rooftop is advertised as guest-only, but my friends arrived before me and weren’t questioned in any way.

Given the hotel’s proximity to Khaosan Road, I suspect the aim is to discourage a party crowd and non-guests are actually allowed as long as they behave with a certain level of decorum.

I used both drink vouchers provided at check-in here. The voucher menu was fairly limited, with no option to upgrade to something else. The drinks themselves were decent, though, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit Breakfast at SILPA

Breakfast is served at SILPA, the hotel’s riverside restaurant, with indoor seating and a terrace overlooking the Chao Phraya and the Phra Arthit pier for Bangkok’s extensive river ferry system. This includes for Globalists enjoying the breakfast benefit.

You choose one main dish from a picture menu and make a coffee order. The pages are below.

As you can see, there’s an extensive selection ranging from Western breakfast plates, sourdough and bagels to Thai rice and noodle dishes. This is supplemented by a limited buffet with toast, fruit plates, and juices which you can grab from a counter. When you’ve decided your selection, mark it down on an order sheet.

There’s also a vegetarian breakfast with eggs and a plant-based patty, plus a vegan hummus bowl. Meat-free needn’t mean just removing the bacon.

I ordered the vegetarian breakfast with an almond milk cappuccino. Nothing over the top, but it’s a solid foundation for the day.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit BEANS Coffee Shop and Lobby Shop

The StandardX has a coffee shop, BEANS, and a small retail shop in the lobby across from the check-in desk.

In addition to the seating in the hotel lobby, there’s some outdoor seating.

The cafe offers all the usual espresso based drinks with a selection of beans. In addition, there are a number of signature coffees and related non-coffee drinks to choose from.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit Art

The hotel has a pretty interesting art collection throughout the lobby, stairwells, and other common areas.

The StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit Service

I didn’t interact a ton with the staff at the StandardX Bangkok, but all of the staff were friendly and helpful when I did, including check-in, check-out, and the staff at all of the F&B outlets.

One particular interaction stood out. Remember how I asked about gym access while checking in, then mentioned that I saw the muay thai gym across the street?

Later that same day, I received an envelope with the following note enclosed under my door. When I asked the staff about it, they informed me that I would have access to the gym without additional cost.

The hotel also had various events happening. During the first part of my stay, a coffee workshop was being advertised (which I never got the chance to attend).

Bottom line

Bangkok has a crowded hotel market but the StandardX, Bangkok Phra Arthit is a strong addition. The rooms are comfortable, the riverside setting gives the property real character, and the rooftop pool is an excellent place to decompress after a day in the city.

Breakfast at SILPA is okay if below average for the city. BEANS is nice for a caffeine fix, and service was consistently friendly. There are compromises. The hotel has no gym of its own, breakfast is à la carte rather than a full buffet, and the property is more limited-service than full luxury.

Still, for around $80 a night, it offers a lot of personality and a good location. I’d happily stay again, particularly when I want to be near the river and take Muay Thai lessons.