Donna

Hi, will be visiting in the near future and am wanting a good quality hotel in Bankok near the shopping district. We will be looking for bargains not top notch shopping. Has anyone got any suggestions?<BR>In Phuket, we want to be on the beach but within walking distance to the shopping and restaurants. Somewhere with a balcony and a big pool would be great.<BR>Thanks in advance<BR>PS Any other tips and hints would be appreciated.

jens

Hi Donna<BR>i was just in bangkok last month and we stayed at Hotel Pinnacle...the price for the hotel was very reasonable and it was close to the markets for shopping. The grandpalace and other site seeing places were less than 20 mins from the hotel...<BR><BR><BR>

lynnrath

Donna -<BR><BR>Pathumwan Princess is a great hotel for shopping. It's a basic place although they have some nice Executive Suites for about $110 a night.<BR><BR>The hotel is hooked up to MBK which is a multi-level shopping building. It's a mall sort of but not nice like you think of a mall being. Very good deals.<BR><BR>It's also across the street from Siam Center and Siam Square; lots of shopping around the whole area.<BR><BR>Through MBK you can get directly on the Skytrain which is really nice. Skytrain doesn't always go where you want but when it does, it's much better than traffic.<BR><BR>Lynn<BR><BR

Donna

Dear Lynn, thanks for your reply. I did email you directly to get your report. Did you receive the email. Thanks Donna

amy

Donna -<BR><BR>We stayed at the "Novotel" in Phuket. It was very nice,I would highly recommend it, it was about 45-50 minutes from the airport. We were able to walk to the markets and restaurants. Although I think we took tuk tuks half the time. It is on a hill/mountain overlooking the Andaman sea and across the street from the beach. We had a balcony in our hotel room with an amazing view and it had a gorgeous pool on two (or three) different levels. Would highly recommend it! We also got a free Tradiational Thai Massage as part of our deal. There are also great restaurants very close (I think we walked)..such as Baan Ma Rim (sp?). The food was fantastic. The food at the hotel was also good.

Kathie

In Bangkok, I stay at the Royal Orchid Sheraton, which is right on the river and next door to River City shopping center. All rooms have a view of the river. You can get good deals on rooms right now. If you want pampering, stay in the Towers section. It's more $$, but you get breakfast and drinks and appetizers in the evening, plus 24-hour butler service (!).<BR><BR>It's been a long time since I was in Phuket. I stayed at the Phuket Yacht Club, which was lovely. All rooms had balconies overlooking the sea. They had a lovely swimming pool and a nice beach. However, it is a looooong way from town.

mj

In April and in October/99, in Bangkok we stayed at the Sheraton right on the river, great views. An easy, cheap cab ride to shopping. Another time we also stayed at the Siam Inter-Continental, which we also liked. We both had clothes made at Siam Square, the shopping complex attached to the hotel. I had two cashmere winter coats made very cheaply, and in April, I had three sleeveless dresses made--all at Siam Emporium, run by an Indian gentleman whose name escapes me. Good work in silk and linen. He has even since shipped me two dresses to Toronto, that he made from the same pattern.<BR><BR>In Phuket, we once stayed at the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club--true, a long way from Patong Beach and the strip, but we counted that as a bonus! The service and food were amazing, and we had a stunning room with this huge terra cotta balcony where they would come to give massages.<BR><BR>Food in Thailand is wonderful and inexpensive.<BR><BR>We've been back three times in the past three years, and I have always used: www.asiatravel.com. When we went to Vietnam and Cambodia in April, they handled our Hong Kong and Thailand bookings, except the Yacht Club.<BR><BR>Fee free to e-mail me personally if you want any more info.<BR><BR>Make sure to leave yourself two nights in Bangkok or a stop on the way back through in order to be able to take your clothes home with you, otherwise you'll have to ship them.<BR><BR>My husband also bought some beautiful knock-off Breitling watches at the Patpong Road market--they still work, three years later--if you're there close to closing time, all the better, the prices start to drop....<BR><BR>MJD