Recommendation for a hotel on the river in bangkok
 

We are going to Bangkok in February and have been told that we must stay on the river. What recommendations do you have for a first timer to Thailand?

The experts will want to know your budget...

Top choices in order up river to down river are Royal Orchid Sheraton, Hilton Millenium, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La and Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa. My personal favorite is the Peninsula.

We vote for the marriott!!! We have stayed there a few times and always love it!!!!!!!! At first my wife said she didnt want to stay at a marriott when we go all the way to BKK, but check out the pictures online and you can tell its not a "normal" marriott!

The two most deluxe are the Oriental and the Peninsula althought they have VERY different feels/atmosphere. If you want to spend the money to stay at either you will quickly learn that each have strong supporters. I'm an Oriental girl. others love the Pen. It depends what type of hotel you like and what you look for.The biggest and to my mind most commercial albeit deluxe is the Shangrila. The Royal Orchid and Marriott are a step down in terms of "deluxe" but the tower rooms at the Royal orchid are excellent value. marriott is the least convenient location but it has more of a resort feel and is a lot less expensive. So the real question is what kind of hotel do you like and what is your budget?

If price is important the Menam Riverside costs less than the places on KimJapan's list and still offers river views with considerable comfort, although not luxury.

marriott is no longer "much" cheaper....prices have crept up...

for a first timer the marriott is perfect however....its our hotel of choice...

the peninsula is our splurge hotel...i see nothing to not clasify it as #1 or 2 in bkk...

i also like the shangri-la and it is right next door to the skytrain...a huge plus...

i find the hilton and sheraton the least convenient....the hilton is nicer than the sheraton also and much newer....newer generally means more up to date....

If price is no object, stay at either the Oriental or the Peninsula. A step down is the Shangri-la. This is the most coveniently located. It is right by the skytrain and river ferry. Slightly less luxurious are the Royal Orchid Sheraton and the Marriott Resort. We always stay at the ROS. It's not very Thai, but well-located. There are a number of very good restaurants within walking distance.

Take a look at Sawadee.com and the hotel section for BKK to get an idea of price differential.

The Oriental. Happy Travels!

for value, the best view and great service the Peninsula... take a balcony room and spend ages just watching the little boats go backwards and forwrds.....

The Pen is the best
For rooms, grub, and drinks;
It's known all 'round Bangkok,
The Oriental stinks.

I'd choose the Peninsula for luxury and views, or the Centre Point Silom for a huge lovely apartment with a kitchen at a very reasonable price.

Rizzuto..."The Oreintal stinks?". I mean...really. Happy Travels!

The Oriental is stuffy,
Its decor is from hades;
Selected primarily
By fusty old ladies.

Nothing could ever be sicker
Than a poet from Billerica.
His forays into twisted verse
Should only travel in a hearse.

The Marriott sucks,
The Royal Orchid gypped us;
Pandas should be quiet,
And munch eucalyptus.

<i>Is it poetic license or sheer stupidity to confuse pandas with koalas?</i>

Both are outside my area of expertise. perthaps, we should ask the POB?

LOL! If it's known all around Bangkok that the Oriental &quot;stinks&quot; I wonder how come when royalty comes or when the rich and famous need a place to stay or when local Bangkok bigwigs have an event it is at the Oriental and not the Peninsula. I guess they're all &quot;deluded.&quot;

My opinion - Pen is super deluxe and has huge rooms with lots of high technology. It is on the &quot;wrong&quot; side of the river and to my mind is impersonal, cold and generic,

Oriental is less high tech, has smaller rooms, more personal service and is very busy with all the delusional thais who use the lobby and restaurants. It does not have tour groups, feels more intimate and oozes history and charm.

Both are among the top hotels in the world. I stayed at the Pen once and will never stay there again but that's not because it &quot;stinks&quot;.

I cannot disagree that the Peninsula is a bit impersonal. But the pools are nicer/larger and possibly less crowded than the one(s) at the Oriental. I suppose there are more places accessible on foot from the Oriental.

Gloria-ignore Don, he's merely an instigator. He's read your numerous posts on the Oriental and no doubt decided that he would needle you through &quot;poetry&quot;. When you meet him at the GTG, you'll find that he's mostly harmless. (Don, I am specifically not interjecting a cheap comment at your expense. I'm sure you can guess.)

Just stayed at the Arun Residence. On the river across from Wat Arun. Next to the water bus stop. Fabulous private deck for watching the world sail by.

No question that the pool at the Pen is larger. Forgot to mention that. I keep forgetting about pools because I never go near them (allergic to the chemicals) so they are irrelevant in my decision making.

One other note -- the Oriental has many many restaurants of different types and all very good to outstanding. I found the meals at the Pen to be fair and a bit depressing as the restaurants were virtually empty -- same with the bar. Not that may appeal to some but I like some &quot;life&quot; in a hotel -- especially when the life is a mix of locals and independent travelers rather than tour groups or conventioneers. The Oriental is 98% independent travelers and there is always a large number of locals in the hotel or in the restaurants celebrating special occassions or just enjoying themselves.

How did I not know that a thread asking about river hotels in Bangkok would lead to THIS... lol

Here's my own simple reply:

The Pen is exceptional for sure,
The Oriental's reputation secure.
Either one is just fine...
In its own type of design...
It's just that, one's older, one's newer.



My vote goes to the Pen (and I've stayed at both) but, gosh Don, I wouldn't go so far as to say that one stinks...

Now let this debate continue... (as I know it will)

Carol

I can't rhyme superbly
Thus I used hyperbole.
The big O's ok,
You'll do well either way;
'Stinks' was a wind-up,
So just make your mind up.

Hi

You should not feel that it is a must to stay by the river. You can also stay e.g. on Sukhumwit road. Most likely you will not spend that much time at the hotel as there is a lot to see and do in Bangkok :d I stayed at Lebua the last time I went to Bangkok. I had a great view of the river from my large room on the 55th floor.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Gard is absolutely right that you do not have to stay on the river. The Sukhumvit area offers countless numbers of hotels, serviced apartments, etc. and are conveniently located to shopping and dining venues.

However, if it is your first trip to Bangkok, then you will want to be able to watch the river traffic and enjoy eating breakfast at a table by the river. It's such a great way to wake up in the morning!

any comments on the Centre Point Silom, apartment suites on the river?

There are several people on this forum who have stayed there. I haven't, but had a walk-through of the place last summer. They were renovating. Those who've actually stayed there have given it quite good reviews on this forum. Happy Travels!

We have stayed at Centre Point Silom before - the rooms are very spacious. A one bed room has a full kitchen with washing machine etc. We had a river view room, and were very happy with it - but do note these are &quot;perfect&quot; river views - its not like from a hotel on the river, you are a little way back. However, we were there the year before last at Loy Krathong and could easily see krathongs bobbing along the river and the crowds alongside. These rooms are very good, a good price and we were very pleased with our stay there.

For somewhere a little less expensive, check out New Road Guest House where we are staying at the moment for 800 bht p/n (i.e. about the same as breakfast at the Penn!
http://www.jysk-rejsebureau.dk/trave...t/nrgh_eur.php

For a really cheap deal they even have free hammocks on the roof!!
(I kid you not!)

It is just behing the Oriental.

We had two apts at Centre Pointe last May, during their renovation. Very nice furnishings and common areas, huge bathroom, dressing room, kitchen, dining area and living room. Washer/dryer, and all kitchen stuff, plus CD and DVD palayers and TVs in both LR and BD. Nice pool, not huge, but big enough to do laps, and good restaurant.

Very convenient to the ferries and Skytrain, and you have Robinsons Dept store, plus grocery, food stalls and shopping all downstairs.

can't beat CP silom for the price...under $100