Awarded as a top choice of Agoda travelers in 2018, Maduzi is a luxurious boutique hotel near Asok BTS and Sukhumvit MRT stations. Hidden behind Exchange Tower (linked by the sky walk from the BTS), its main entrance is along Ratchadaphisek Road, not within the alley as what the address says. The reception and lounge were all fancy, and honestly not to my liking. Thankfully the Maduzi Classic room I stayed in was inviting, spacious and comfortable.
A Warm Welcome at Maduzi
Upon check-in, the receptionist handed me a welcome letter and helped me with luggage. Unlike the usual G for Ground Floor and M for Mezzanine, here you would find each level of the 6-storey building named an alphabet of M-A-D-U-Z-I. I stayed at the Maduzi Classic room on U floor for 5 wonderful nights.
While Maduzi seemed to appeal to couples seeking a romantic getaway in Bangkok (at least that was my impression when the restaurant staff was surprised I was here for work, and by myself), I thought the flexible check-in and check-out time was perfect for business folks. If I chose to check-out in the evenings, I could return from work to the hotel, have a nice soak in the bathtub before leaving the premises.
And I was thankful for the 24-hour housekeeping services as I needed to borrow an iron and ironing board in the middle of the night. Apparently wrinkle-free clothes don't maintain crease-free after hours in the suitcase. And I was happily shopping and eating and returning much later in the night to notice this and I had to be dressed smartly for work the next morning.
The long breakfast menu hours (breakfast was inclusive in the rates) meant I slept in during the weekend and could still wake up at noon, take the elevator down and be served brunch. Room service is also available for 24-hour at a fee.
The 24-hour bar allowed me to enjoy a warm cup of caffeine-free Dilmah tea before I sleep. You can ask for the coffee or tea to be delivered to your room. Of course you could make your own beverages in your room (coffee machine and tea sachets provided), but nothing beats a warm cup of hospitality. You would also find a selection of cold drinks and snacks - which are free of charge in the in-room mini-bar.
Maduzi Classic room
You would see the minibar once you enter the room. As mentioned above, the minibar items are free of charge for your enjoyment. There's also a coffee machine, with the instructions drawn out in comics.
I like that there is a full-length mirror by the doorway, for you to check your appearance before you head out.
The minibar area is separated from the bedroom with a screen door. You would find the screen door so important due to the sensitive sensor of the doorway light. I did freaked out a few times when the light automatically switch on when I was no where near it.
Sliding open the screen door, you would be introduced to a HUGE room at 49 m²/527 ft². When the hotel staff introduced me to each section of the room, it felt like an endless walk. The room is in a U-shape (maybe because it's on U floor?), from the entrance showcasing the minibar area, to the bedroom, to the glass windows and loo area, to the vanity area, and finally to the jacuzzi tub and wardrobe area.
Nothing spells more inviting than the huge bed. My husband and I sleep in a king size bed back in Singapore, but somehow it felt that this bed was so much more spacious (perhaps without him by my side hogging the bed LOL). There are 5 comfortable pillows, and I love the longer ones which can be used as bolsters. In fact, I built a pillow fortress around me each night and fall to sleep in the middle while watching cable TV.
I wanted to make my presence felt in each corner of this room and initially left a few books to read by the end table in the corner. The padded chair is actually very comfortable but I ended up not sitting there much, and yes, not doing much reading either. If you do not draw the curtains (for privacy reasons), the left side of the TV area is quite dark and I pulled the lamp closer to the TV for additional lighting.
The huge floor-to-ceiling window at the side of the room was responsible for all the natural lighting you would get. Unfortunately there was some construction going on below, and I pretty much kept the black-out curtains closed for most of my stay. Except when I needed some natural light when putting on makeup... or risk scaring folks with my ghastly ghostly-white look.
The long wooden bench was supposedly for you to sit and enjoy the outdoor view. But with the windows closed most times, it supported my open luggage and eased my back from bending over each time I need to dig something out. The height of the bench was also just right for me to put on my shoes - but that means I did walked in dirty shoes across the bedroom to get to the exit.
The vanity area and the mirror were HUGE! Unlike most times I travel and would keep my little bottles hidden in my toiletries pouch, I enjoyed displaying each skincare and cosmetics on the table top. I never could recall how much sh*t we women can carry into our handy toiletries pouch.
I guess this was the first time I ever seen a wash basin that shallow. I usually prefer deeper basins as I tend to splash water on my face while washing. Even though this basin was relatively wide, I did had some water splashed outside. And it felt like an eternity trying to wash the basin or wipe it dry.
The jacuzzi tub was so huge that I think three of me would have fitted perfectly in there! Being on the shorter side, I could literally lie down flat like it was a bed. I sometimes dread filling it up - the longer time taken, and the more water wasted compared to regular tubs. It was a pity though that the jacuzzi function was not working.
There was a rain shower beside the tub, and you would have to wait for some time to get warm water. As the floor is all marble in the bathroom, it gets pretty cold and slippery - so do be careful and get ready a towel. Personally I didn't enjoy the provided toiletries as much since I wasn't into very herbal smells.
I could never understand why a wardrobe meant for dry clothing is found within the wet bathroom. It's the same issue in my current residence, not sure if it's a trend here in Bangkok. I grew tired of buying 'thirsty hippos' (dehumidifiers) and just pray hard there's no mold growing on my clothing.
Oh, I managed to put a laptop, A4 document file and many other things in the wide safe.
And if you're the kind who likes paper/cloth room slippers, you may want to bring your own. Maduzi provided these rubber flip flops instead, and I like the thick soles. It was very comfortable to walk in, and I wore these instead of my own Havianas.
Breakfast at Maduzi Hotel
There are a few pages in the menu, but my eyes never go past the first page.
My first breakfast meal was the freshly cooked English breakfast, with two sunny-side up, sausage, bacon, tomato and hash brown potatoes. I was half expecting the McDonald's kind of hash brown, and was delighted when I saw this work of art... that was until I put it into my mouth. The rosti was.. very hard! Perhaps it was deep fried for a long period, rather than steamed and then browned in the pan. The other food items were great though and the staff asked if I wanted more serving of pastries. I had to politely declined as I was so full and had to be on my way to work. I guess these were the few days I had great breakfasts before I start my day.
As most folks know, I'm terrible with spicy food (that's why no Kao Thom for me). For the remaining of my stay at Maduzi, I fell in love with their 'stir fried noodles of the day'. The restaurant staff taught me this dish is called Pad See Ew, and I learnt later from Pai of Hot Thai Kitchen that Pad means to stir fry, while See Ew means soy sauce. It's like a sinful dish of char kway teow but with fatter noodles, a little greasy and packed with flavor. I like that there's some greens that make me feel less bad for consuming such foods at the start of the day. When I shared this new knowledge with Hubby, he said it sounded like 'beat you to death' in dialect. Opps...
Why I stayed at Maduzi
There are many affordable options to stay in Bangkok. Like many tourists, I had stayed mostly in Siam and Pratunam area. And the furthest I've traveled within Bangkok was Chatuchak/Mo Chit to the north, and Phrom Phong to the south. With my office location being further south on the BTS map, I preferred staying in Asok where traveling time to work was reasonable. With the BTS and MRT interchange here, traveling is a breeze when I have to venture to several areas to choose an ideal new home.Besides, I was pretty familiar with Asok area (or so I thought). Terminal 21 has many great food options. Hubby recommends Pier 21 food court. If you had Ootoya in Singapore, try it here at Terminal 21 - much cheaper than back home. This branch is not bad, but the service is a bit slow especially for rice refills. Do look for the Cha Tra Mue kiosk outside Gourmet supermarket, I enjoy their Thai Ice Tea icecream cone. I also bought a lot of household items at Daiso and Miniso for my new residence (nylon kitchen tongs are a really useful tool).
Just at the alley beside Maduzi Hotel, you would find a 24/7 convenience store and a few street vendors that appear in the evenings. I particularly love the crispy fried chicken wings and moo ping (pork skewers). Within Exchange Tower itself, there's Starbucks, Chu Chocolate Bar, Boots pharmacy, etc.
Would I stay at Maduzi again?
The answer is Yes! For the price point around SGD 180 per night, I would definitely stay in Maduzi Hotel for the affordable luxury, enormous room, comfortable bed with 5 pillows and of course the good location. No doubt, there are some things that they would still need to work on, such as ensuring the jacuzzi (or whatever equipment etc) is in working order before a guest check in.
Hmm.. maybe I should plan a staycation there during one of the long weekends where I can't fly home...
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Maduzi Hotel
9/1 Thanon Ratchadaphisek, Khwaeng Khlong Toei, Klongtoey, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110
