Bangkok-ShangriLa
 

Thanks to all the stalwarts of this board-(-Kathie,Gpanda,Walter,Hobbes,Guenmai...and you all know who you are!) I have narrowed down the list to 2 hotels for my twentyfifth anniverary --ShangriLa Krungthep wing vs Peninsula. I hear only a few wax eloquent about the Krungthep wing. Is it less popular with us Americans than the Peninsula? Seems you get free laundry etc just like the Orchid with nicer rooms. Any thoughts pro or con will be appreciated

There are endless comparisons on the river hotels on this forum. Ok - here is my two cents- we stayed at the Penn.
It was fab, it won many awards, the chineses restaurant had great dim sum and reasonably priced, the breakfast buffet was killer. We loved taking the boats across to the skytrain. The rooms were spacious and elegant. Do not get the balcony rooms but do go for the grand deluxe. The wife really loved the ride on the boats to the skytrain.
Ok there let the games begin!

Well, haven't stayed at the Shangrila-Krungthep wing yet...plan to do so on the Dec2005/Jan2006 trip when I'll have three weeks in BK (although I might do it on the August trip)...but have stayed at the Pen...Aug 2004. I'm not a big fan of the Pen...ok...yes,it's got huge rooms and it does have an incredible bathroom...and it's high tech with a lot of push button stuff which I found a real pain...but for me....I just personally found it a bit"cold".For me the "feel" of a place is very important...more important than all the gadgets. I'm just a die-hard Four Seasons fan which has a great"feel". So, now you're probably more confused...sorry.But, wherever you stay you'll have a great time in Bangkok.So don't stress out about it. Happy Travels!

Ok need to weigh in the hospitality factor- we did not pick the Penn for the high tech gear. The staff was very friendly, we even ran into them in our travels to the shops and they greeted us. We were very happy with the service provided.

Boblax:
My wife and I stayed at both hotels this spring Feb 23 thru March 2nd. We stayed 4 nights in the Shangri La and 3 nights at the Penn. Both hotels are fabulous but the Pen IMO is the more modern of the two as it is a newer hotel with all the 21 st century gadjets installed. The workers and the service I found to be equal between the two with the Shangri La having the more "comfortable" atmosphere while the Pen has a more upscale, elegant feel to it. Why don't you split your time between the two hotels. You can't go wrong with either hotel. Happy Anniversary and Aloha!

i have only stayed in the sh-la wing...it is a large hotel...the krung wing seems more like a private lux apartment complex---in fact several floors have recently been converted to serviced hi priced lux apartments....the pool was closed last june and i think rebuilt...that wing is right next to the skytrain which is a convenience....it also overlooks the bridge, which i would not find appealing...
i think it is very lux overall with lots of personal attention...the regular part of the hotel is grand in every way and beautiful but a bit impersonal....i do not like that the pool is next to three restaurants...if you are coming out in your bathing suit some people all dressed up can be going to dinner....not so nice...
the food is great at sh-la

we did love the penn in every way...the pool is not deep, which i did not like and is in 3 levels one cascading down for the next....it is comfortable however....the rest. at penn are fabulous...the staff are all very nice....you hardly ever see anyone on your floor....i think staff disappears if you are about, unless you need something...the rooms are simply the nicest i have ever stayed in...we usually stay in a grand deluxe room...its one step up from standard...i think it just puts you on a higher floor....all rooms face the river, which i think may not be the case at the sh-la

in short you would be happy at either but if i had a choice then it would be the penn....i think it is a hair more expensive, but not much...

I like the kt wing because it is close to public transportation. Not only the skytrain, but the pier is just "around the corner" and will get you on the river, which is still the fastest way to get to some key locations.

I have stayed at the Penn and found it very deluxe with every modern convenience but, for me, it was cold. I have not stayed at the Shangrila but have been in the hotel and it seems very commercial to me with lost of tour groups. I always stay at the Oriental which I much prefer to the Penn but given the option between it and the Shangrila, I would definitely stay at the Peninsula.

To Hawaiiantraveler...I understand exactly what you mean when you say a "comfortable"...which is what I was talking about.The "feels" are different at the various 5-star hotels in town and although the Four Seasons is 5-star it's very comfortable.I could live there. I couldn't live at the Pen. I would feel like a guest in someone else's home.It's like wearing a pair of shoes that are a half size too small...that...not totally comfortable..ness feel. Happy Travels!

Ok I'll buy that distinction- if you want upscale and elegant choose the Penn. If you want "comfortable" maybe the Shang La is your cup of tea.

I've stayed at both the Pen and the Sh-La, though not in the Krungthep Wing. The Sh-La is a great hotel and can hardly qualify as slumming but it doesn't hold a candle to the Pen. As for feeling comfortable, I felt the service and friendliness at the Pen was of a much higher caliber. The staff are wonderful and always greet you with a "hello madame, sir, welcome back" even when just coming off their boat. Ever since we stayed at the Pen, my husband and I refuse to stay anywhere else in BKK. It is our favorite hotel in the world and whenever I go to BKK and walk through those doors, I feel like I'm coming home. It doesn't get more comfortable than that. The rooms are large, the bathrooms amazing with mood lighting and a TV sunken into the wall above the bath, perfect for taking a bubble bath with a glass of bubbly in hand. The restaurants are all top notch (check out Jesters) and the pool, the pool is gorgeous, with salas that have ceiling fans in them and lights if you want to sit out at night a read. I would also go for a grand deluxe room, they are on higher floors and most are a little bigger than the deluxe. I agree that a balcony is not worth it, too hot to sit out and enjoy it.

You know, I expect you would be happy with either hotel. They are different from each other, as others have noted.

I will say that being in a "Club" room (as it appears you would be at the Shangri-La) makes a huge difference in the service and the experience of a hotel, in my opinion. As you know from my previous posts, I always stay in a Towers Suite at the Royal Orchid and have always been treated exceptionally well. The regular rooms are ok, but other than the location, nothing special. But the Towers rooms with the extra amenities and such are really wonderful. I expect the same distinctions apply at the Sh-La. I think the decision may come down to whther you want a very modern hotel like the Pen or not. Some people love all those gadgets, others find them off-putting.

I am just back from Bkk and stayed at the Oriental which I thoroughly enjoyed much as Gloria does. Between the Shang and the Pen I would vote for the Pen any day - I am not a huge fan of the Shang location as it is too much on a busy road for me even tho it is near the BTS. Incidentally, the Pen river shuttles and the best frequency at the Saphan Thakshin pier from what I could see - my only grouse against the Oriental. Back to your dielmma - IMO the Shang is just not special enough for a silver anniv - congrats by the way! I agree with Guenmai re the Four Seasons - if you are open to a non river location consider that above the Shang.