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Bangkok Hotels - Yes, Even After Multiple Bangkok Stays, We Need Your Input

Bangkok Hotels - Yes, Even After Multiple Bangkok Stays, We Need Your Input

Old Nov 1st, 2009, 11:14 AM
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Bangkok Hotels - Yes, Even After Multiple Bangkok Stays, We Need Your Input

We will be in Bangkok for 3 nights in late February. All else being equal, we would stay at the Penn for its breakfast by the river, its stunning views from its Grand Deluxe rooms and its great service. However, the best rates that I can find are in the $450/nt range (all inclusive with breakfast and taxes). The Krungthep Wing of the Shangri La is half that price on Agoda and, of course includes evening cocktails and canapes in addition to breakfast. I have read reviews on tripadvisor that the rooms are getting kind of tired so I'm wondering if this is the way to go. The other 3 places on the river - Marriott, Sheraton and Oriental don't seem to offer much more but I am open to suggestions. Any feedback on recent experiences? Not trying to start a debate on which is best - only to get an update on which hotels have been recently renovated or are undergoing renovations (and are best avoided) and what hotel offers the best value when breakfast is included.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 11:19 AM
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Craig-have you given any thought to staying in town? Guenmai has raves about the Four Seasons.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 11:20 AM
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Check out the Plaza Athenee- its not on the river buts it a very nice property. We got a great deal on Hotels.com- book 3 nights get the fourth free. I think it came out to be about $170 night and that was factoring in the free nights and its a deluxe room (45 sq meters as I recall) on their club floor with breakfast and all club room access as well

Bob and the Panda are staying there in November so its thee place to stay these days!
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 11:22 AM
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If you opt for the Shangri-La Krungthep Wing, I'll be interested in your review.

The Royal Orchid is supposedly finished with their renovations. They had completed the new Towers Lounge when we were there last year. We always stay in a suite in the Towers, and are paying Baht 7700++ per night this year (SPG50 rate) which includes breakfast and evening canapes and drinks, etc. I'll let you know after our stay in November.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 12:32 PM
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Thanks, Kathie - I look forward to your report. We stayed at the Shangri-La Krungthep Wing prior to our Sri Lanka trip and it was pretty good. Gpanda and Bill, we really don't want to stay in town - we have stayed at the Plaza Athenee and the Intercontinental (both fine hotels) but they're just not "Bangkok" to us.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 12:54 PM
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Craig, I know what you mean about the in town hotels. I go and look at them and they are very nice, but not Bangkok.

It might be worth checking out the Chatrium... maybe there are some real reviews now on trip advisor. Also, the suites at the Hilton Millenium are supposed to be nice.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 01:38 PM
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Craig, imo, with your travel style you would enjoy the Oriental most of the ones you mentioned. We would have loved the place if that idiot at the doorway hadn't kept asking me if I stayed there
Thinking back though they really do have excellent service and some of the best rooms and restaurants in Bangkok that we have experienced......and it's on the river!

Aloha!
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 01:40 PM
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Craig,
I also now see comments that the rooms in the Krungthep Wing are getting a bit long in the tooth. They were great when we were there a couple of yrs ago. More classically styled but in very good condition. Our suite was huge. Great views. Free sodas, fruit drinks, etc. Supposedly, the main wing of the Shang is now being redone. It would be interesting to know if many rooms have yet been redone. If so, that is still a good option. Yes, the hotel is large but its very nice if you can get a good rate.

Looking for ourselves for next year, we see that the Chatrium generally gets good reviews on TA. On the river and large rooms. Is the Chatrium far out of the way, however? Has anyone been?

Also, is the Hilton in the league of the Penn, etc? We saw it from the River and thought it looked very nice and it too seems to get good reviews. Rates seem to be well less than half of the Penn for a large Executive Room with a view. Is the Hilton also on the "wrong side" of the River?

The Four Seasons is also running some good rates, but its not on the River. If they would only move that hotel . . .
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 02:17 PM
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Tengohambre, this is what I know about those two hotels:

The Chatrium flooded TA with "reviews" before it even opened, so read TA's reviews with caution. We visited it before it opened. It's a bit out of the way, but closer in than the Marriott. River shuttles run twice an hour. There is a school on the grounds of the hotel, so at some times of the day the place is absolutely overrun with school kids. We did not get to see the hotel rooms, as we wanted to see the condos. (We were not impressed with the condos.)

The Hilton is on the "wrong" side of the river. I understand that the rooms are quite small, but the suites are nice. There are some problems with the construction, so some of the bathrooms get very wet when you shower, as the floor was not property angled to drain well. So if you stay there, check the shower drainage immediately and have them move you if the shower doesn't drain properly. The people I know who have stayed there say it is nice, but not special.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 04:12 PM
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Thank you Kathie.
I think much will depend on any "specials" they are running. The Hilton has had some great pricing and I wonder if others will too. There is a newish spot, the Metropolitan, in town, that also seems great. But again, away from the river.
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Old Nov 1st, 2009, 05:43 PM
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The Metropolitan has been there for a while, I remember Guen stayed there a few years back (and had good things to say about it).

The Hilton seems to have consistently lower pricing than most of the other river hotels. I looked at pricing for a suite there soon after they opened. I'm guessing that once they develop a following they will increase their prices.

Keep your eyes open. Bangkok hotel prices have really escalated in the past few years. I also keep thinking there should be some real bargains coming up.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 11:43 AM
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Well if it must be on the river then my vote goes for the Marriott Resort and Spa- best value for the money IMHO. The boat ride is a plus not a negative- its a relazing journey each day! They have the best pool in BKK bar none- get their junior suite.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 11:57 AM
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Sure, as things now stand, Yankees fans can have their choice of accomodations. This is a grotesque injustice. I think you should stay at the Marriott. You won't be so snarky about my recent thread if you stay there.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 01:22 PM
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Nobody's given me a good reason to stay at the Marriott. It's no longer cheap, I could care less about the pool and it's too long a haul to the skytrain, especially if you do more than one "relaxing journey" each day. Are breakfast and evening snacks included in the rates?

In Bangkok, all are on a level playing field, even RS fans. I look forward to the Gpanda report from the Marriott - don't let Bob's presence influence your opinion.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 02:49 PM
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My report on the Marriott will be uninfluenced by my antipathy towards Bob ( I know it's unfair to use a word he doesn't understand, but he's offline and all bets are off). As always, my report will be faithful. Who else would have admitted getting the Shanghai airport wrong?
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 03:26 PM
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Well if its "too long a ride" then I think you have only a few options left- Shangla, Penn, Oriental- the Sheraton and Hilton may be "Too Long" a ride as well. You say the Marriott is no longer cheap but you don't give us the rates for comparison- I can't believe the rates are on a par with the Penn or Oriental thats why I say its the best value for the money among the river hotels.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 04:48 PM
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Have you tried asiareservations.net for the Penn? We were finding the rates for the Penn to be much higher than they were when we stayed there about 2 years ago, both through the hotel's own site and other sites like sawadee and agoda. But asiareservations had a significantly lower rate - not as good as what we paid in the past, but much better than $450/night!
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 06:24 PM
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You know, after all the nights that Bob has spent at the Marriott you would think there is an FOB rate. Friends of Bob.

If not, then isn't the Marriott practically next to Hua Hin in terms of proximity to the skytrain? We still wonder how it is that Bob keeps booking himself, and his traveling companions, there. Next thing you know poor NYWoman will land in BKK and find herself carried off to the Marriott.

If you stay way down there, isn't the Hilton better? The Lebua also has run some very good deals for suites. Not on the rive but, maybe from those high floors you can see the river?
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 07:03 PM
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Thanks, lily3 - I got a deal I can live with for a Penn Grand Deluxe room on asiareservations.net, which I can cancel up to 3 days prior - about $325/night w/breakfast and tax.
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Old Nov 2nd, 2009, 07:06 PM
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Great, Craig! I know you two love the Pen!
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