julien

Which would u choose for a 8 days stay in Bangkok - too many choices

John G

I would stay at the Oriental, although it is far more expensive than the other three. The Peninsula is a fantastic hotel, but it is new and doesn't have the charm nor the history of the Oriental. Afterall, the Duchess of Windsor never sat in the lobby of the Peninsula drinking vodka out of teacup in a flaming-red qipao.

kristina

The Peninsula all the way! It's a fabulous hotel and I just stayed there in a suite for three nights in July. I think the Oriental is overpriced and over-rated.We had a gorgeous suite for about the same $$ as a room at the Oriental.<BR>The service, rooms, food, were all excellent at the Peninsula. It's a much better value.

bob

i agree with khristina...the penn is fabulous...my wife is still telling people about the silk lined drawers for your special ladies things...the rooms are large, well equipted, huge baths (ours had 3 telephones), electric everything (i love to wake up in the morning and push the button to open the drapes to look out at the river from the bed....oriental is stuffy...jackets ties, etc.....the only thing we didn't like about the penn was the pool...it is on three levels and seemed to lack something if you went in the water, but it was great to sit around and the staff were very attentive...our favorite, although not of the quality is the bangkok marriott resort and spa---the best pool area in the world---we have stayed there 5 times and will be back in november as well as a couple of days at the peninsula---look at their specials on the internet....enjoy

Kathie

There are lots of wonderful places to stay in Bangkok. My recommendation is to stay on the River. The Oriental, The Peninsula, The Shangri-La and the Sheraton Royal Orchid are all on the river. Think about what is important to you in a hotel. All of these hotels are excellent, but they are all different. People who read this board regularly know that JohnG loves the Oriental and that I prefer the Towers section of the Royal Orchid. I've made my reservations for a stay in December - a 70 sq. m. suite in the Towers with full breakfast, cocktails and hors d'ouvres, some laundry service, and 24-hour butler service included in the rate of US$190 a night. Ah, paradise!

John G

&lt;the oriental is stuffy..jackets, ties, etc.&gt; Bob has obviously never set foot in the Oriental. The only place in the hotel you have to wear a jacket and tie is in the restaurant, Le Normandie.<BR><BR>Julien can stay wherever he wants, that is his choice. But, Bob, don't lie about a place you've never been to.

Kristina

I have to admit that I dislike the Oriental because of their snobishness. A few years back, my husband and I tried to go in to have a drink and walk around and they wouldn't let us in because we were wearing shorts and had a small daypack/backpack. We weren't dressed like hippie backpackers either, and they were very rude. They lost us at that point for ever being a future guest.<BR>A year later, I walked in with my mother just to see the lobby area and wasn't impressed.<BR>Last month we stayed in a suite across the river at the Penninsula and thumbed our noses at the Oriental.<BR>BTW, I liked the pool at the Peninsula. We had a great lunch lounging under one of the cabanas one day.

John G

My, my, what liars there are on this board. I wore shorts in the lobby of the Oriental and also wore them on the veranda overlooking the Chao Phraya when I had breakfast.<BR><BR>And I saw many people with backpacks, although most were Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Coach.<BR><BR>I don't know why you would not be impressed with the lobby of the Oriental--it is understated and elegant, a far cry from the overdone lobbies of some of the other luxury hotels in Bangkok (like the Shangri-la).<BR><BR>But, I suppose I am casting pearls before swine.

Kristina

John-<BR>I am extremely offended that you have called me and others here liars.<BR>This DID happen to me and to other people I met. I'm sure if you are a guest at the hotel, they will allow shorts. We were not allowed in because we were not guests are we were not dressed "properly" in their opinion. <BR>Yes, I wasn't impressed by the lobby. I just don't see what all the fuss is about at the Oriental. <BR>My feeling is that the Peninsula offers better "value" for similar or better service and rooms. Everyone has their preferences. This is a matter of personal taste and just because someone prefers one hotel over another does not make them "swine".<BR>You are a very rude man.

Chakri

John G:<BR><BR>You sound very knowledgeable. The members of this forum could use your suggestions. I know this is not a moderated group, but IMHO there is no need to be rude. I agree with KJ. Take it easy man. All of us have one thing in common; we love to travel. The presumption in there forums is that nobody is lying and people are just expressing their opinions.

John G

And my dear, how would they know if you were a guest or not????????? Do guests have the number 666 stamped on their foreheads????????????????<BR><BR>I am not rude. I honestly feel that many of the postings here are done by trolls, and trolls don't deserve courtesies.

Kristina

Mark-<BR>I don't know why am am wasting my time explaining this to you since you obviously don't want to hear what I'm saying, but here goes...<BR>My husband and I walked down the street/alley leading to the Oriental Pier. We saw the hotel and decided to check it out, maybe have a drink. We walked up the driveway to the door. The doorman stopped us and asked us if we were guests. We said no, but we just wanted to go in and have a drink and look around. He told us we could not enter, given our attire, and directed s to the shopping area across from the Oriental. Offended, we left.<BR>I am not a troll. I do not post trolls.<BR>In fact, I wrote about this experience in my journal from my around the world trip in 1998-99 which is posted on my website. Please have a look.<BR>http://www.wired2theworld.com/thailand3.htm<BR>See the entry for dec 26-30, second paragraph.<BR>I am still offened by your persistant rudeness.

John G

Kristina, I find it hard to believe, as a former guest of the Oriental, that anyone was RUDE to you, as you stated above. I have a hard time believing ANYONE in Thailand was rude to you, finding that most Thais never raise their voices and are always smiling and accomodating.<BR><BR>My mother and I too disembarked from the Oriental Pier after getting off the ferry from Chinatown. We too walked down the little soi next to the Oriental and entered the grounds of the hotel (you must pass a guard stationed in a guardhouse). No one stopped us and asked if we were guests. All we received was a, "Good afternoon, sir, madame." I was not wearing shorts, but, after a hot day in Chinatown, I certainly did not look well-groomed.<BR><BR>I just find you statement of rudeness on the part of the Oriental hard to swallow.

John G

I also don't understand, Kristina, why a hotel guest would be allowed to wear shorts in the hotel, and a non-guest would not. This doesn't make any sense.<BR><BR>The reason I am so adamant about this is because I think the Oriental is a wonderful experience and I don't want others who visit this forum to say, "Gee, maybe we shouldn't stay at the Oriental, it sounds like a terrible hotel."

Kristina

John-<BR>Well, whether or not you believe it, it happened, unfortunate as it may be.<BR>I'm aware the Oriental is a beautiful hotel that has wonderful service. <BR>I agree that in general, the Thai people are very friendly, but I've spent more than 5 months in the last 4 years traveling all over Thailand, and I have encountered my fair share of rude Thai people. It does happen, even if you can't believe it or choose not to believe it.<BR>Do you think that I woudl have written about this experince way back in 1998 just for a lark or a lie? <BR>I never said the Oriental was a horrible hotel, I only recounted my experience there and my favorable experience at the Peninsula. Just because I disagree with you does not justify your attack on my character.

Kathie

John G, I'm rather mystified as to why you feel the need to defend the Oriental so vehemently on this board. It's considered one of the best hotels in the world, that should speak for itself. <BR><BR>I'm glad you had a wonderful experience there, but even at the best hotel in the world, not everyone has a great experience. The Oriental has a reputation (and not just on this board) of treating people, uh, differientially, shall we say. I reported some time back on the experience of my friends who are Phillipino-American being treated badly at times while they were staying at the Oriental. Someone else cited the recent story of the Chinese couple who checked out after being discriminated against. And a Chinese-American on this board said she was well-treated. People have had different experiences, and it's reasonable to report them all. <BR><BR>On another thread, you reported that on one of your trans-Pacific flights on United, you were not treated well. I have no doubt that is true, even though I have had uniformly excellent service flying in Business Class internationally on United over the many years I have done so. Part of the value of a board like this is that we can read the range of experiences people have had in different places.

John G

Kathie, you are comparing apples and oranges. Imagine if I said, "I was not allowed to board my United Airlines flight to Bangkok because I was wearing shorts. My flight attendant stated that everyone was allowed to wear shorts on the plane except for people with blue eyes." <BR><BR>I also noted that people wearing orange were treated better than people wearing green. And people wearing pink were punched in the face.<BR><BR>This is what Kristina's post sounds to me.<BR><BR>And Kathie, you still haven't answered my question: WHY ARE GUESTS ALLOWED TO WEAR SHORTS AT THE ORIENTAL, BUT NON-GUESTS ARE NOT? AND HOW WOULD THEY KNOW IF YOU WERE A GUEST OR NOT?

John G

And Kathie, I never said I was mistreated by United. I stated that some of the flight attendants were surly. I never stated not to ever, ever fly United Airlines because they had a couple of surly sky muffins.<BR><BR>

Kristina

John-<BR>I NEVER told people NOT to stay at the Oriental, I just recounted my experiences. <BR>I have no idea why they would allow paying guests to do one thing and non-paying guests another, but the fact is, it happened. Accept it. <BR>I'm sure we could find plenty of other people who have been paying guests of the Oriental that have had bad experiences there. Will you call them liars as well? <BR>I'm sure I could find bad experiences at the Peninsula, but I wouldn't call those people liars. I would just say that it's too bad they had an unfortunate experience. Sometimes things go wrong.<BR>Do you really think that I would have posted my experience online back in 1998 just to irritate you today?<BR>Get off your high horse. <BR>The fact that we can have free exchange of information and opinion is what makes democratic society beautiful. To bash someone for their option is ugly.

John G

I give up. The Oriental is a horrible hotel and I must have been drunk and on drugs while I was staying there. <BR><BR>The Peninsula Bangkok is the best hotel in the world, and I was too stupid to see it. <BR><BR>Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa.