Me and my wife are going to Thailand in October/November, we'll be staying in Bkk in Amari Watergate or Peninsula, and in Phuket we are considering Pearl Village or Le Meridien (Karon Noi Beach). I'll appreciate any information you may have about these hotels (good or bad). Thank you in advance

AThe two of us are also traveling to Bangkok; next month, in fact. We have chosen the Pensulia based on location and price. Check their website. Have a great trip!!

Nuno <BR>Peninsula would be my choice to get, if i have to decide. Both are in the heart of shopping district, and Penisula can be accessed by the new elevated train system. Watergate area is well-known for cheap clothes. <BR>Both hotels in Phuket seem to be quite big name from some ads i have read, but cannot help you on them. <BR>Welcome to the land of smiles

just returned from bkk --first-time visit--iw as very ahppy to hav stayed on the river--at the marriott--i would encourage you to stay by the river

Hi Nuno <BR> <BR>here my recommendation: Bangkok I prefer Royal Orchid Sheraton (on the river) and Phuket: Pearl Village (quiet in a national park). We ll stay also in midNovember in the Pearl Village. <BR>Have a good trip <BR>Bruno

Just returned from 3 weeks in Thailand. I stayed at the Peninsula for a total of 8 nights and I strongly recommend the hotel. In fact, with their current promo rates, I am sure there is no better hotel in Bkk. The hotel is not all that convenint to the Skytrain, though. There is a ferry/shuttle to take guests across the river and it can drop you at the Skytrain but not pick you up. If you do not have business elsewhere, the river is the best place to be and the Peninsula must be the best hotel, esp for the price at the moment. Our visits were spread over 3 stays and we had suites and rooms on different floors- Try it.

I'd suggest the Marina Cottages in Phuket. I stayed there last October and loved it. They have a website (I don't remember the address though). Very beautiful grounds and views and reasonably priced. I'd definitely stay there again.

Hi there, <BR> <BR>For Bangkok, The Amari Watergate is certainly a reasonable first class hotel, located right in the heart of the shopping districts. It is however, in a very built-up area. The Peninsula is currently the best quality-price proposition in Bangkok at introductory rates of around $75-$85 per night. Certainly you won't be able to find such prices at a famous-name hotel like this for much longer (the Oriental is 4 to 5 times the prices for a comparable product) and the river is the nicest part of Bangkok. <BR> <BR>For Phuket, the Meridien has the nicer location on a small bay of its own. It is quite a pleasant "get-away-from-it-all" type of place. Its one drawback is that it is a bit isolated since nowhere else is conveniently reached on foot. <BR> <BR>Pearl Village is ok, but does have more of the standard tourist hotel feel about it. <BR> <BR>One of the nicest beaches is Kata beach, as it is on a small palm fringed bay, surrounded by low-lying hills and tropical vegetation, with a focal point of a small island and coral reef just offshore in the bay. There is a large variety of hotel options there, including the CLub Mediteranean, The famous Boathouse hotel renowned for its restaurant and numerous others.

I highly recommend the Peninsula. We stayed 6 nights at the hotel (had originally only planned to stay 3 nights). The rooms are spacious, tastefully furnished, and have spectacular views of the Chao Phraya river. The rooms also are fitted with every amenity you can imagine (bedside control panel that controls curtains, A/C, lights, Do Not Disturb sign, etc, etc. etc.). The marble bathrooms are also well designed with 2 separate vanities, deep soaking tub with a TV and speakerphone, separate shower stall, etc. The $85 introductory rate also includes the complimentary American breakfast buffet that rivals many Thanksgiving Brunch Buffets here in the States. And to top it off, the rate also include a one-way airport transfer (no mini-van transfers here). The hotels has a fleet of approximately 20 late model Mercedes S-class sedans for this service. I recommend taking the car service to the Airport where they have Bellmen/Staff at the Airport to carry your bags, escort them through security, and even stand in line for you to pay the departure taxes at the Gov't kiosk. I dont even recall lifting any of my suitcases when we got to the airport...the Peninsula took care of everything.