We will be arriving late in BKK and leave the next day for Chaing Mai. Is it worth staying at the airport hotel to store excess luggage(and do they still do that after 9/11)? How safe is the airport storage system? Also, we are contemplating the private residences at the 4 Seasons in Chaing Mai (1/2 the price of the hotel but on the grounds.) Anybody stay there? Not much info on it. Thanks.
Over the past few months, I have asked a few other questions on different threads, but regulars have leapfrogged to other issues/questions. Hope I haven't offended anybody along the forum-way.

jod, I must start my saying that I really dislike the Amari airport hotel. My experiences there have been not good (poor service, rooms rather dirty, prices very, very high for what you are getting), so I would always recommend that you not stay there. A regular here, Craig, has stayed at the hotel on the executive floor and had a good experience, but you have to consider whether it is worth the money to you.

I don't know whether the Amari offers luggage storage, but there is luggage storage in the airport (a location in each terminal) that is run by Chubb. I have stored luggage there a number of times. It is staffed 24 hours a day and last I left luggage there it was 80 baht per day per piece of luggage.

I have read a few reviews of the private residences at the Four Seasons in CM on asiahotels.com You might check there for info. I do know you must reserve FAR in advance for these residences as there are only a few.

(jodo, it often hyappens that a thread gets started ans someone else asks a question and the thread gets divereted. If your original question hasn't been answered and your thread has been "hijacked" try asking again on the same thread. I don't think you've offened anyone,,, you haven't offended me!)

PS I forgot to mention that the least expensive way to store luggage is to go into Bangkok for your first night and have your hotel store it for you until you return to the same hotel in Bangkok later in your trip. I've done this many times, in many different places, and I've never been charged for it.

We stayed one night at the Amari Hotel. We were upgraded to the Executive floor and the room was very nice. We didn't store luggage there, but stored it at the terminal. No problems except when we returned to the airport we came back to the domestic terminal and had to go back to terminal 1 to get the luggage.

If you can afford it, I'd recommend the Amari. It depends on how much you want to pay for a few hours sleep. I can't spend the night in the terminal and didn't want to leave the airport for another hotel such a short time. As it was, by time we checked in and got settled we only got about 3 hours sleep before it was time to go back to the terminal for our next flight. Some other people on our same flights stayed in town and with the travel time only got a shower and one hour sleep.

Not trying to hijack your original post at all, but how does one go about finding and booking the private residences at the FS?

Depending on how much time you have, if you can go into town, I recommend that. If you want a closeby hotel that is cheaper than the Amari, there are many. I've stayed in the deluxe rooms at the Rama Gardens, and they were nice (much nicer than the Amari, and less than half the price). Ther are also some others recently recommended on this site like the Millenium Grand. All will take maybe 20 minutes from the airport.

Has anyone left luggage at a bkk hotel to come back into bkk and stay at another hotel? Would any hotel do this? We are thinking of doing this at the Oriental and the Sheraton Grand Suk. Wonder if anyone has done this before?
Aloha!

Agree with Kathie the Amari Airport is very over priced for what you get. You are paying for the convenience of being able to walk to it. If you have only a few hours then you could get a day room at the airport (called Louis Tavern Dayrooms Transit Hotel for 1400 baht for 4 hours, 2100 for 6. These are available in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The rooms are well furnished, comfortable, clean, air-conditioned with private bath. Still expensive but much cheaper than getting a room at the Amari.
If you have more time get a hotel in the city or closer to the airport.
Luggage storage is available in both international and domestic terminals

ttt

HT, I think Bob has done this (left luggage at a hotel, but stayed in a different one when they returned). Hopefully, he'll respond.

ht, why don't you just take you luggage to the next hotel the day before you leave. this way, you can go directly to your new hotel when you return to bangkok. i did this on my last trip. no prob.

thanks ken...why didn't i think of that

very good, kuranosuke! You get extra points for that!

c'mon you two. don't pull my peking duck leg. easy solution. lol.

ht, you going with kathie's home town team? skins offense can't score more that a field goal, but 9? no respect.

k
home team is the play

Thanks, Kathie, Carl, and all others, for the responses. We are coming into BKK late at night, and leaving for CM the next morning, so we need to find some place to stay close to the airport (and hopefully store some of our luggage...)We return to BKK the day we leave for the States. Gotta figure out the domestic vs. international airport stuff. Might have to eat it and stay and the Amari. This is the kind of problem I hope I have the rest of my life!!
This trip marks our 37th anniversary and my 58th birthday. I can think of no better place to spend it than Thailand.

Have a wonderful trip!

Most trips I leave luggage at a Bangkok hotel - usually we stay at a cheaper hotel for the first few nights and then take the luggage to the hotel we are coming back to. As they have a booking in their system there is no trouble at all. Have done this many times with the Peninsula and other river hotels. Note that last year when we got to the Pen, our booking wasn't showing in the computer of the bell captain and he was reluctant to take luggage without us checking at reception. Needless to say we were also keen to make sure the booking was corrected. Once that was done no problem.

The advantage of leaving it at the last hotel is that its there when you get back and you don't have to go out of your way to pick it up. I also just feel that when they know you are booked to come back then it will be safe - also because it is usually a much better hotel for us I also feel they may be more responsible.