Hotel spas
 

I am traveling to Thailand and Angkor Wat in March and need some of your good advice on hotels in Bangkok, Phuket, and Siem Reap. Most important I am looking for hotels in these areas that offer the best spa services at the hotel. I'll be in Bangkok 3 days, Phuket 1 day and Siem Reap 2 days. I'm looking for 4-5 star accomodations around $250 or less if possible. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

siem reap is not know for spas but i am sure you will find something there...try looking at the sofitel and hotel de la paix....also there is a new meredien there i think...

all major bkk hotels have spas....try the peninsula for one....they have a brand new spa facility...

the oriental of course has a wonderful spa on the other side of the river from the hotel...

shangri-la has a newly redone spa as well...

why in the world are you going to phuket for one day....seems like a total waste to me....i would stay in bkk or actually add one day to SR....two is not enough....

the new Peninsula Spa is terrific...especially the "rest area" for post-treatment chilling out

If you can skip Phuket, I would add a day in SR. This will allow you to see all of the major temples at a relaxed pace.

For $250, you can get a very nice room at the Peninsula in BKK. Their spa is reputed to be excellent. You might also try the spa at Face. Kathie highly recommends it.

I have to agree that it makes no sense at all to spend one day at Phuket. Do add that time to Siem Reap - two days is not enough time there. Three full days is considered to be the minimum amount of time needed to see all the major temples. There will, of course, be dozens you won't see. Also, going to Phuket means you'll spend a disproportianate amount of your time in airports.

All the fine hotels in Bangkok have spas. Do you want a hotel spa expereince or a non-hotel spa expereince? You may want to try both. For a non-hotel spa, I do recommend Face - really delightful. Look at their spa menu at www.facebars.com

Thanks to all for your input. I am in Phuket only one night because I am catching a dive boat late the following day out of Phuket for 10 days of diving...sorry I should have mentioned that initially! Based on postings I will add an additional day in SR. I appreciate the non-hotel spa recommendations in Bangkok as well.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. That makes much more sense. I'm glad you can add a day to Siem Reap.

Face in Bangkok and Islands Traditional Khmer massage in Sienm Reap were both wonderful. Islands is just for massage; not a "spa' in the facials and soaking tubs sort of way.

lcuy,

hahaha.....so you even got your spaing(is that a word)done in SR. How was it? I know, wait for the trip report. :)

Aloha!

I stayed at the fabulous Hotel De La Paix in Siem Reap recently but didn't try their spa. The Oriental in BKK has a very nice spa, another favourite of mine is Banyan Tree Spa.

I know, I'm seriously delinquent! I came home sick, then had a ton of work to attend to, and am in bed again this week... ARgh

I have started my report and got the skimpy version 1/2 done, but need to get out my notes/receipts to put in the details....

Hopefully I'll be able to post this weekend.

In Siem Reap Hotel de la Paix, Shinta Mani (both by the same management), and Pansea have spas and should fit in your budget. Amansara also has a spa but is about double that. In Bangkok The Peninsula, Oriental, Four Seasons, Sukhothai, Comrad, Banyan Tree all have spas.

i tried the signature lymphatic massage in sofitel angkor of siem reap and it couldn't be better. it's only a half hour session but the draining is very effective - i even have a little problem finding washroom during my afternoon sightseeing session.

Just saw this post, and would like to mention that I think you have to check the prices at the Penn as I don’t think you will find them as cheap as they used to be, and moreover not in high season (now). It has become a very popular hotel. Their smallest rooms are at about US$250, but that does not include the 17% tax; I am not sure if you had figured this into your preferred budget. This assumes you can get a room, I have tried twice over the last month and they were fully booked and so went (happily as it turns out) to the Oriental for 10 nights over the last 3 weeks.

The Oriental runs a bit more, but I have to say I have now become a committed “fan” again after probably 15 years away, and I love their spa, most especially their Aryuvedic penthouse, which is outstanding and has treatments which are better than many Aruyvedic treatments I have had in India. I am not crazy about going over by boat, as I prefer to go down and back from treatments in my robe, but the boat does have a certain charm. (Also not crazy about going back and forth to the gym by boat). The hotel packs a lot into a very small footprint, but their service is outstanding I have to say, and the rooms are very comfortable and well appointed. I have been a big supporter of the Penn on this board, but have not been able to get a room there lately so have not tried their spa which opened only a few months ago...however the service, ambience, spa and most especially the bales at the Oriental’s small pool have kind of won me over so I am not sure I can ever again go elsewhere....

Both Marriotts in Bangkok have good spa, esp the Riverside Marriott. the JW Marriott’s spa is smaller and does not offer the same range of treatments. The Phuket Marriott has a very good spa. The Banyan Tree Phuket has a very good spa, as does the Sheraton in Laguna, although the hotel has some very average rooms and some good ones, so be careful choosing here. In Bangkok again, the Sheraton on the river has a Mandara spa (which also operates the Riverside Marriott and Phuket spas) which is supposed to be good.

In Siem Reap my Luxe Guide (which is never wrong about these things) recommends the Aman hotel as the #1 spa (it has opened since I was last there many years ago so I have no personnel recco), and the one in the de la Paix as #2, but I know the Aman is significantly above your rate and I suspect the de la Paix will be as well, but check the website. It also reccos the spa at the Raffles. It has some stand-alone reccos, let me know if you are interested in those. (It has some stand-alone reccos for Bangkok as well.)

You do not have to be a guest at the Oriental to use the spa (not sure about the Penn or other hotels), so if it is not in the price range as a hotel, you might consider it for treatments. Try the Manal Kizhi.

Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate your insights!

The Face spa looks great! What hotels are close to that spa? I am trying to pick one out that will be central for shopping/spas and still a good business hotel.

Any hotel that is close the a skytrain station will be convenient to Face Spa, as it is close to a skytrain station.

The Sheraton Grand Sukumvit is a really nice hotel on the skytrain line and it's only a few stops away from Face Spa.

The Four Seasons Spa is spectacular. The Chi spa at the Shangri La is also very good. The Mandara Spa at the Mariott Resort is fabulous also. All three have large treatment rooms and all the accouterments needed.

Out of all mentioned in Bangkok we love the Face Spa the best.....simple yet wonderfully relaxing.

Aloha!

My hsb and I had the best foot massage of our lives at the Four Seasons -- probably helped by our expectations that all they would massage was our feet. It was the beginning of his transformation from "nah, I don't want anyone touching me" to total spa junkie.
If you want a business hotel in that price range which is centrally located for shopping and the sky train, the 4S might suit you very well. Most people prefer to stay at the river hotels for ambiance(and they do sound marvelous, so I can see why).

I appreciate all of your comments...thank you!