After months of being at home because of COVID, my family thought it was a good idea to take a trip. With numbers down but still weary of provincial travel, we decided on a staycation for 1 night at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok hotel.

Yup, we were just going to hop on to the Chao Phraya riverside for a different view and perspective. All of us needed this in our own way.

Here’s what I did.

Steps for checking in (COVID safety)

It was a seamless experience to check-in. First, we were allowed to park directly in front of the lobby. Special perks for our package, I think. It could also be that they aren’t doing Valet service for the time being.

The staff took our bags and directed us to the lobby. Here we had to a mandatory check-in required by the government using the Thai Chana QR code/app/website. It is as simple as taking a photo of the QR code and then clicking on language and then check-in.

For first-time users, however, you have to add your phone number and other details. Yes, privacy concerns have been raised but I am not so concerned.

Then a staff checks our temperature, followed by a dose of hand sanitizer. All good here. Finally, we were taken to the 31st floor to get the room keys. All this took a matter of minutes.

Lunch and a nap

Since we checked in early (around 12 pm) we ordered room service. We all had A la carte dishes ranging from a club sandwich to beef green curry.

While we waited for lunch, we spent some time getting acquainted with our rooms. Oh, yea and of course, took some pictures of the riverside city view.

Chilling by the pool

Up until recently, all swimming pools were closed. Even at our condo. We were excited to go swim or laze by the Millennium Hilton Bangkok pool. While not great for swimming, it’s definitely perfect for relaxation and sun tanning.

It kind of feels like you are at the beach with the loungers and the river mimicking the ocean. All it is missing is the sand.

The pool itself is shaped in a semi-circle that revolves around the hotel, facing the Chao Phraya river.

I didn’t take any photos from the middle/front side as there were a lot of kids swimming with their parents. It didn’t feel right to take pictures.

Always time for a workout

I also like to work out. While not consistently motivated, when it comes to hotels, I am always inclined to try out their gyms.

It was a pretty decent gym. It has all the basics you need as well as an aerobics room with a Muay Thai punching bag.

Rooftop views

At sunset I made a visit to the hotels’ rooftop bar and restaurant – Three Sixty Lounge. If you don’t know yet, I am obsessed with rooftop bars. It’s mainly because I want to try out their best cocktails and also check out the view from up there.

View-wise, Three Sixty did not disappoint as it looks out in an almost 360-degree panorama of the riverside Bangkok and beyond.

I had just made it for sunset and due to COVID, it wasn’t busy up here. It was surely a calming and surreal scene as I walked out onto the open-air rooftop bar.

What really caught my eye was a second floor to the rooftop bar. I walked towards and realized it was actually a helipad of sorts. A small stairway on either side led up to it. I took the one on the left and was mesmerized by the calm and beauty from up here.

Now, I live on the 37th floor in Sukhumvit but there are many tall buildings around my apartment. This rooftop bar is only on the 31st floor but the surrounding buildings aren’t very high. That’s obviously why you can see so far.

I did not try any cocktails though. They were really expensive! I know you’re thinking:

But wait, you can afford to stay here but not the drinks!?

Well, my dad paid for the rooms (which were almost half off). Also, lately, I’m used to not spending so much on drinks. $18 for a single drink??? No, thank you. I spend that much on a bottle at home.

Anyways, as it got darker, I headed back down to have dinner with family at D’ARK, Icon Siam (which is right next to the hotel).

Nothing much after

After dinner, we went back to our room. We watched TV, had some drinks from 7/11 and just went to bed.

The next morning we got up at 9:30. Ordered our inclusive Bento-style breakfast and lunch.

I thought I could get in another gym session or hang out by the pool. That did not happen. Not enough time, sadly.