annmcd

Hello all:
First off, I'd like to give kudos to all of you for creating an amazing forum and for being so generous with your time and knowledge. Since reading this forum, I have decided to start our trip to Thailand in December (myself, husband and three boys ages 16,14 and 11) at the Marriott Resort but I have two questions:
First, I wonder if you have any advice on which types of rooms or suites to get and what might be the best locations within the hotel?
Second, we are returning to Bangkok for the 30th and 31st of December at the end of our trip. I was planning on staying at the Peninsula to get a good view of the fireworks - does this sound reasonable or is there somewhere better to stay and or do for New Years Eve?Thanks for any input you might have.

Anna

rhkkmk

anna---excellent choices on hotels...you have read and heard our boasts..

the marriott is perfect...i asked for two fodorites in may as to what is appropriate for families...the hotel, including the new manager, informed me that they really do not have "family" rooms, but that two adjoining rooms work best...they also offer suites, but we looked at one and it wasn't that great for the extra money....get tow adjoining rooms with king beds (its a giant king, not a regular king) and one room with an extra bed or a sofa day bed...

the peninsula is probably the same...i do not know about their adjoining rooms however...e-mail them and ask...

the kids will like the marriott much more, i can tell you....better pool, and the mini mall with usa restaurants and things to do...also bigger area to wander around.... the penn is fabulous but unless the kids are more used to formal situations they will like the marriott better...

rhkkmk

there will be no hotel bargains for the end of year stay...it may also require the purchase of expensive hotel meals...booking is tight...book now...

rhkkmk

i ment also to say that the fireworks will not be nearly as visable from the marriott as it is further down river...

annmcd

Thanks for your reply. I'm interested to hear that you don't think the suites are worth the money - I remember someone else here writing that they are the thing to get! When I called for a reservation, they said the suites all have garden views and it seems that in Bangkok the river view would be better anyway. So that would be another vote for a room. Does that sound right? And yes, thanks, I have already put in a request for New Year's night at the Penn on the terrace. And it is only August! Anna

rhkkmk

Anna--i think there may be a misunderstanding about the garden and the suites...many of the suites are in the corners of the buildings...they may not all be but the ones i have seen are both river facing and garden facing.... except for the corners which face away from the river...you may not understand the actual lay-out of the place....picture this....
you have a straight line, that is the river...from it, draw a large "U" shape...so on one side you have the river and on the other 3 sides are the 3 hotel buildings, all of which are joined together at the corners...in the center of the "U" is the garden and pool areas, which are all intertwined... so any suite that faces in to the center of the "U" faces both the river and the garden and pool area...to me this is preferable...

so if you want to look up river (in the direction of the fireworks, you want to be in the left building as you look from the lobby to the river in the far corner out nearest to the river...sort of up above the outdoor restaurant/buffet...

my least preferred building is the right hand building for no particular reason and i prefer what they call a river view that also overlooks the pool....i can tell you that you will never use the balcony...its just too damn hot!!! we use it to dry our bathing suits...

another thing about adjoining rooms is that you get two full bathrooms and you can close the door between rooms if someone wants the TV on and others want quiet....teenagers!!!!!

one more thing...there are lots of trees on the paninsula terrace, so i am not sure how good the view will be for the fireworks....your room will be better if it faces in the direction of the fireworks....i assume that that may be towards the grand palace, but it may not be...others may know that here???

you might consider a boat cruise for the fireworks so you will have an unobstructed view from the roof top deck of a boat????

annmcd

You are so great! Thank you for taking so much time to educate me. I see exactly what you mean about the views. I really appreciate your insight (maybe we'll pass on the expensive terrace dinner) and ideas (the boat cruise). Thanks again. Anna

Cicerone

I have stayed many times in the 1-bedroom suites at the Marriott and have recommend them on this board. However, I see you have three children, and I think you would be cramped with 3 kids. One child could sleep on the sofa and you could have two roll-aways (or put one in the bedroom as it is large enough), but there is only one full bath in the suites and that may be an issue. Adjoining rooms would work be better, perhaps a junior suite and a regular/standard double. (I believe rhkkmk is referring to a junior suite when he says "giant king", the hotel uses the term junior suite to describe these rooms as far as I know.)

With regard to fireworks, if you are on an upper floor at the Penn, that is a great place to watch fireworks. I disagree with rhkkmk about the trees at the river level of the Penn, IMO they won't interfere with your viewing of fireworks, I have watched fireworks from their terrace with no problem. Also, you don't need to book dinner on the terrace to come out at midnight and watch the fireworks, you could eat elsewhere earlier if you wanted. You can also watch the fireworks from the pool area.

No matter where you stay, if you can work it out, it might be fun to watch the fireworks from a long tail boat on the river (get the driver to take down the canopy.) If you stay toward the middle of the river, you should be able to see fireworks going off up and down the river. You would need to find a longboat driver and arrange this a day or so before hand I would think (assuming they will work that night), your hotel may be able to help you.

For the Penn, again I think their 1-bedroom suites may be too small for 3 kids. The bedroom could not take a roll away and putting two in the living room would be a tight fit. Adjoining rooms are probably a better option.

annmcd

Thanks Cicerone. I love the idea of watching the fireworks from the long tail boat. I will see if I can make that work. And I agree that the suites would be too small. We'll go for adjoining rooms. Is there consensus on the forum that the balcony rooms are actually worse for views than the floor to ceiling windows in the "regular" rooms at the Peninsula?

rhkkmk

there is always the possibility of the room facing in the wrong direction for the fireworks...

i vote for a boat....

the king beds we have in the marriott have always been 1/3 bigger than the king bed we have at home and that is always a regular room not a suite...