ASQ in Thailand – Avani Atrium Hotel Review
For our ASQ stay, we chose the Avani Atrium in Petchaburi Road. We spent the two-week quarantine in this hotel with beautiful views of Bangkok and – unexpectedly – really enjoyed our ASQ-experience. In case you are currently looking for ASQ hotel options, I would like to share my experience of the stay at the Avani in the following with you.
Update November and October 2021: As quarantine rules keep changing, I would like to give you more recent updates. I stayed the Avani Atrium in November 2021 for one night which was required after the most recent change of entry rules. You can find a brief summary at the end of this post. A good friend of mine stayed at the Avani Atrium Hotel for his second ASQ stay in October 2021. You can find his review also at the bottom of this post.
Check-In
Check-in was efficient and in typical ASQ-fashion: we arrived at the parking area in the basement and were checked-in by the nurse. The hotel has a partnership with Piyavate Hospital to carry out ASQ. We received an information package about the stay, the guidelines and all the contact details for the reception and F&B staff and the nurse station.
Service
Throughout our stay, the whole staff was extremely nice, quick to respond and tried to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Whenever we had questions or requirements, the Avani staff tried to solve them as soon as possible. I needed some tools for work, such as a ruler, and within a few minutes, the staff had organised them for me.
The Room
As we were two people, we decided to book a Corner Suite Room which came with two large rooms – one is a bedroom, the other one a living/dining area. We had a big bathroom with a tub and a shower and two big sink areas and two separate toilets. It was a bigger investment, but we both had to work and thought it would be easier if we had more space and separate rooms so that we could do our calls without disturbing each other. The maintenance and condition of the rooms was very nice and clean. The absolute plus of the Avani is the unobstructed views of the Bangkok skyline. Waking up to that view every day made it much easier for us to stay in the room for two weeks.
The suite came with two fridges and complimentary snacks and soft drinks in the mini bar. We also received plenty of water which was stocked up whenever needed. Complimentary masks and hand sanitisers were also supplied. There was plenty of storage with two closets and various cabinets. The usual hotel carpet floor in the room was covered with laminate giving the illusion of wood flooring. This is probably due to Covid-19 regulations. (I personally preferred that over a carpet floor.) The room did not have a balcony, but we did not see this as an issue. It is so hot in Bangkok, that we would have probably only spent little time on the balcony.
Housekeeping and Laundry
As housekeeping can only clean the room for the first time on Day 7 of the ASQ stay, we received plenty of towels and also an extra set of sheets if we wanted to change them before the first cleaning day. There was also plenty of complimentary soaps and bathroom accessories. If you need a strong hairdryer though, I would advise you to bring your own. In case we needed additional towels or sheets, we could have just called up the reception and they would have sent them.
The hotel has a discount of 20% on laundry. We used it twice during our stay and it was always very quick – we left it outside for pick-up in the morning and got our laundry back on the same day.
F&B
During ASQ, food times are set. However, we asked the hotel to deviate a bit from the schedule, as we are early risers. I really appreciated having the food served on actual plates with cutlery. From what I saw online, there are many ASQ hotels which serve the food in cardboard boxes – I am not sure if this is very enjoyable for two weeks.
The food is one of the biggest plus points of the Avani Atrium. Throughout the stay, they offered excellent food options. During ASQ, there is a set menu with options to choose from a day in advance. The Avani offered five breakfast options and five options for lunch and dinner. All the meals involved delicious fresh fruit. Lunch and dinner came with a small piece of cake (in a different colour each day) and a salad or soup. For us, the portions were too big and most of the time, we shared one meal. Some of the highlights of the meals were the Fish and Chips, the Korean Chicken, the Butter Chicken and the Palak Paneer and the Thai Khao Man Gai (aka Hainanese Chicken Rice) and Chicken with Cashew Nuts.
The room service menu is also available and the Avani Atrium offers a 20% discount for ASQ guests. The selection is very nice and we had the burgers and the Thai Chicken with Cashew Nuts. We treated ourselves with a dinner from Benihana, the Japanese restaurant of the hotel, on our last evening.
F&B ordering is done via telephone, the Line app or the tablet of the room.
“Relaxation Time” at the Recreation Area
After we received the negative Covid-test result on Day 6, we could use the recreation area by the pool for 45 minutes per day. It was safe and well-spaced and there were not more than five guests at the time to ensure social distancing. The beds and chairs came without cushions because they were regularly sanitised after each “relaxation time”-group. We were not allowed to swim in the pool. Masks had to be worn at all times.
Testing
Testing was done twice at an outdoor station on a terrace. It was really fast – it took us less than 10 minutes to be guided to and from the station and get tested.
Exercising
Another big plus was that the hotel provided us with a yoga mat and an exercise ball. Exercising was really important for me given the lack of movement during the two weeks. We also decided to invest THB 5,000 (about EUR 135, USD 160) in an exercise bike which was set up in our room.
Summary
We really enjoyed our ASQ at the Avani Atrium. The staff was extremely nice and tried everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. In addition, the biggest plus points of the Avani Atrium are the condition and layout of the room, the excellent food, the exercising options provided and the beautiful views of the Bangkok skyline. Hence, I highly recommend the Avani Atrium for the ASQ stay.
Update November 2021
I came back to stay at the Avani Atrium for one night which was required after the most recent change of entry rules into Thailand. I was picked up directly from the airport and taken to the Avani’s partner hospital for the PCR test. This was done in a “drive-through”-fashion. From touchdown at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport until the arrival in my room it took no longer than 90 minutes. I had to stay in my room until I got the negative PCR test result.
Check-in was done at the garage area like during the two-week-quarantine. The information and process was basically the same and also the contact persons and apps to download were the same. (Except for the newly introduced Thailand Pass.)
I had booked a standard room for THB 4,700 (about EUR 122, USD 140) and it was quite spacious and very clean. It also had a beautiful view of the skyline of the Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area. Meals were included and delivered in front of the door. As I had booked a standard room, the food was delivered in paper bags and boxes. Similar to the two-week-quarantine, I could choose from five different breakfast options and five for lunch and dinner. Room service is also available against additional charge but there currently is a 20% discount. (I admit, I indulged in a tasty Benihana meal.)
I ordered my breakfast very early for 6 am and received my negative test result at around 6.15 am. At 7 am, I was finished and on my way into “freedom”. Again, it was a lovely ASQ-stay at the Avani Atrium.
Update October 2021
A really good friend of mine traveled to Bangkok in October 2021 and did a stint at the Avani Atrium for his second time in ASQ. He was so kind to share his experience about his stay below.
“When I left the baggage reclaim and customs area at Bangkok Suvranabhumi International Airport, I was escorted to the hotel’s car by hotel staff. The car was clean, the driver was very pleasant and the trip was surprisingly short considering Bangkok traffic. Upon arrival at the Avani, I was met by the hotel staff in the basement, just like the first time I did ASQ to carry out the check-in formalities and give me a briefing about the hotel’s procedures and policies. As this was my second stay here, this part was very quick and easy. I was then escorted to my room. I had booked the corner suite room, but I was upgraded to a better room with more space and a fantastic view! I had also requested a treadmill be added to my room and it was there when I checked in. The room was stocked with complementary snacks, soft drinks, plenty of water, a microwave and a toaster. Furthermore, the hotel also provided some masks and hand sanitizer.
The rest of my stay closely mirrored my last one, except this time it was just me on my own. The hotel staff send you the menus for the following day during the afternoon and regularly ask for your temperature check twice a day. The food options provided with each meal service (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were amazing. I stand by what I said last time, “if you are going to lock someone in a room for 14 days, at least make sure the food is good!”. The hotel does not disappoint in this regard. However, that did not stop me from sampling some of the room service options available. (The bento boxes of Benihana, which is located at the Avani Atrium, are amazing!)
Unlike my last stay, this time I was tested the day after I landed, and then again on day 5. The day after the result came back negative, I was allowed to go outside to the pool area for some relaxation time (usually about 30-45 minutes) and this is when the housekeeping staff come into clean the room for the first time. The relaxation area is also where the testing is done, a slight difference from my last stay where they carried it out on a different terrace.
About a few days into my stay the Thai government changed the quarantine requirements, so I was eligible to check out a few days early. Overall, I would have to stay that my second stay at the Avani was really enjoyable. The staff were very pleasant, helpful and responsive to all my requests. Furthermore, I had a small emergency where I needed to call the hotel nurse on standby. The nurse in question quickly came up to my room and was able to sort out the incident very quickly. They even called a few hours later to check on me. If I had to suggest to anyone visiting Bangkok for quarantine, I’d strongly recommend the Avani Atrium!”
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Disclaimer:
Original article published 3/2021, updated 11/2021 and 10/2021. All information as of the date of publishing/updating and based on the information on the official website of the Avani Atrium Hotel and the information provided at the location. We cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or completeness of the data, or for ensuring that it is up to date. All recommendations are based on the personal experience of Elisabeth Steiger, no fees were received by the recommended places above.