Jacqui-The most convenient is the S-la. It's right by both the Skytrain and the River ferry. The Royal Orchid Sheraton is the next most convenient. It's right by a different river ferry stop, but you have to take a river ferry, taxi or walk to the skytrain. The Marriott requires a ferry to both the River ferry and Skytrain. Everyone with multiple visits to Thailand who is a regular poster on this forum has a favorite hotel. I do note that the S-la is almost nobody's favorite, but that could be a factor of randomness generated by the personality of the posters. If you have nothing else to do, you can read the myriad posts and attempt to divine the inner meaning. Good luck. I would just choose one and not sweat. The good news is that if you choose either the M (Bob) or the ROS (Kathie)and you don't likr it, you will definitely have someone to blame. Often the best result.

Haven't stayed at the Shangri-la, but have stayed at the RO Sheraton and everyone knows I'm not a RO Sheraton fan. Happy Travels!

ok, i have to ask--why are you not an ROS fan? I'm guessing you prefered the Marriott or the Penn/Oriental? Are any of these hotels (ROS, Shangri La) particularly close to the Oriental? Once I'm back, I'll have to take a side once and for all :)
GPANDA-loved your post! And which are you a fan of?

I have to say that we have stayed at the Shangri La 9 times and have never had a bad experience with the staff - and we were well treated from our very first stay when we arrived 9 years ago as students with backpacks!

We like it for its convenience - we are out and about when in Bangkok, so previously we have never considered it worth paying to stay in the Oriental or the Peninsula. Also, we rarely eat within the hotel we are staying in - preferring the variety. The Shangri La is next to the Express boat stop and the Sky train so suited us perfectly. In answer to your question as regards proximity to the Oriental, the Shangri La is the closest but the Marriott is only a short boat ride away.

I think as Gpanda says - just choose a hotel and go with it. If you are planning on spending a lot of time in your hotel during your visit, then perhaps you might wish to take more time choosing where to stay. But otherwise I wouldn't worry - if you take a look at Tripadvisor, all of the hotels you mention have had mostly good reviews but you are going to find negative reviews of every hotel - even the Oriental...also on this website you will be able to see 'candid photos' of the rooms of the hotels, public areas etc.

We always stay at the ROS, BUT we use Starwood points and stay there for FREE. Therefore, my opinion is skewed by cost. None, as opposed to $100-120 for the M or S-la. We've always enjoyed our stays at the ROS immensely, but we're not very demanding (Bob, please note this as a quality to be desired in gracious guests). The service and food are good, but not exquisite. I love being able to watch the river traffic from our room. It's enchanting. Also, there are a number of good restaurants within walking distance, e.g., Gallery Cafe, Harmonique, Tongue Thai. You can walk to the Oriental. The garden pool is very relaxing and the fitness center opens at 6:00 a.m.. The fitness center has a sauna. There's an ATM next door at River City. The downside is that it is not very Thai in decor and feel. As Bob so frequently notes, the physical plant could be anywhere.

BTW, by using Starwood points for rooms, they are worth approximately 3.5-4 cents each. If I were to use them for miles on Frequent Flyer programs, they would be worth 1 cent. If you're a Starwood member, just call the 800 number and you can make a reservation. Deluxe rooms are 3000-4000 points. The Towers cost an extra 1500 points.

I do note that the people that are not ROS fans, Bob and Guenmai among them, are REALLY not fans. They are not neutral. They are very negative. In the interest of full disclosure, I don't recall any very negative posts about the Marriott. The one thing about the Marriott is that when taking a taxi, you have to cross one of the bridges, which can be massively jammed with traffic. On our return from Hua Hin at about 4:00 p.m., it took an hour to drive from the Marriott to the Oriental. Generally, this is not as bad at night.

Both the shangrila and ros are in walking distance of the Oriental.

I agree that there are some people who really dislike the ROS and some who really dislike the shangrila but I don't recall anyone having anything but positive (or at worst, neutral) things to say about the marriott.

For each of the hotels mentioned here, there a few downsides mentioned on reviews on sawadee and tripadvisor - or do these not count because not posted on fodors :)

From recent experience, most places will have some negative comments unless they are particularly new and there are not many reviews available yet.

I actually find the trip advisor reviews pretty detailed. Always check them out and suggest that others do the same. But it's true that even the best hotels will get some negative reviews -- I think what you need to do is read between the lines to figure out what kind of hotel it is, what kind of atmosphere etc and decide if it's what meets your needs. Hotels like the Metropolitan get fabulous reviews but since I don't like ultra modern hip hotels I know it isn't for me. On the other hand I think Old Bangkok Inn might be for me. But based on what I've read Ibrik probably isn't. I really dislike the shangrila but that doesn't mean that someone else won't love it. Bob hates ROS and yet Kathie loves it. There's no right or wrong. So, read everything and then make up your own mind not based on how many yay or nays you read but on what kind of hotel experience you want.

maybe its a gender thing??? haha

bottom line....you would not be unhappy with any of the major riverside hotels....they are all just fine (even the ROS)...its just that some of us prefer one over the other...we liked the shangri-la and would stay there in a flash again....it is very large however....the physical plant that is...

may i make one other suggestion...not sure if it would work for you....would you consider oriental for your 1st of the 3 days at the end of your holiday...that way you could really relax and enjoy it fully without all the fuss and bother of getting ready to go home and any problem with late check out....the best you could do at most of these hotels would be 4 or 6 PM for late check out without a charge...

sh-la, for their club members, does allow a 6 pm check out i believe....

most allow you to use the health club up until your departure....the sh-la actually gives you a room in the health club....this allows for evening showers, etc...the hotel of course will store your luggage for as long as you wish...

My last two trips I've checked out at 10PM at the Oriental for no charge. Again, one of the reasons I like to be a "regular". I think it's true at all the good hotels -- the more you stay there the better you are treated. Loyalty gets rewarded in the thai hotel world. I also think the Oriental is better at this than most because it has such a huge staff so rooms are made up within the hour. I've often checked in before 9AM and have never had to wait for my room.

thanks all!! We don't plan on being in the hotel much (and will have just come from relaxing in phuket/phi phi village)--so will probably opt for the most convenient/reasonable hotel (with a river view). I really appreciate all the feedback--you guys are great! :)

rhkkmk, I've got to be pedantic here. Royal Garden Resorts is not publicly traded, however its parent company, Minor International Inc, is publicly traded. One of the largest shareholders of Minor is a Thai citizen named Bill Heinecke, he came to Thailand with his parents, who were Peace Corp Volunteers, when he was about 12 and he gave up his US citizenship many years ago. He is more Thai than in his outlook than many Thais who have been educated abroad and returned home. Mr. Heinicke's companies only manage 2 Marriott hotels in Thailand, both in Hua Hin. The JW Marriott Phuket is owned by Royal Garden, but is managed directly by Marriott as is the Bangkok hotel. Minor owns the two Four Seasons hotels in Chiang Mai but does not manage them, they are managed by Four Seasons. His company has only a small stake in the Four Seasons Bangkok. Minor does however own and manage the "Anantara" brand of hotels in Thailand, which might be considered a local Thai brand, but which by your definition might have to be re-classified as a US brand. I have done a good deal of work with Heinecke and know him and his network of companies fairly well.

Four Seasons is of course Canadian-owned. My point in all this is that you cannot judge a hotel merely by the nationality of its majority shareholders.

I was the one who raised the point initially - my interest in who the shareholders were stems from wondering who the ultimate beneficiary of my hard earned money is. Of course, no money may reach the shareholders if hefty management fees are charged by the managing company.

Money only reaches the shareholders if the company pays dividends; many companies choose to reinvest profits rather than pay dividends, and shareholders buy shares knowing this and buy shares for the appreciation of the shares, not for the dividends. This of course is the subject of another board. Also, with a listed company company, you don't know for the most part who the shareholders are. as shares could be held in a steet name. Not to put too fine a point on it, but your hard earned money could be going to Osama Bin Laden holding a majority stake through a shell company in the Caymans or Switzeraland, and it would be very hard to know this. With a private company, you may know but your money isn't benefiting anyone.

Believe me, the owners are doing fine, don't worry too much about management company fees.

cicerone....thanks for the clarification....from my limited research of the company, and as a frequent guest in many of the properties, and past contacts with skip H. i guess i did not fully understand the ownership issues...like many ownership issues they are complex....i had taken a look at the corportate website a couple of years ago and briefly thought i might invest but decided not to...
my whole point was that just because a hotel name is on a property, it does not mean that that company owns it....

in fact i have been told that the king owns the property in bkk....this may or may not be true...

We just returned from a week stay at the Shangri La and have nothing but good things to say about it. You can walk out the door and be on a boat or the sky train in a matter of minutes which was important to us. The staff was wonderful, the bed comfortable and the shower had a powerful spray. The breakfast was delicious and the wait staff was extremely friendly and kind. I fell flat on my face my first night in BKK and had two very sore wrists which a waiter noticed. Every morning he would bring me a bag of ice to help the bruising and beg me to see the hotel Dr. The pool was nice and very few people used it which gave me the opportunity to swim laps with no problem of running into people. We also had a great dinner in the italian restaurant in the hotel. We looked at the Marriott and although the grounds were pretty and lush, I thought the interior looked austere. It was very quiet and relaxing and if I was going to BKK for that purpose I would consider staying there. But we were in the city for the first time and spent very little time other than sleeping in the hotel. I would not hesitate to stay there again.

Just remember that the hotels you are trying to choose between are all 4 1/2-5 star properties. It is not like you are trying to determine which one won't be run down and unpleasant. Those on this board that have strong views about their favorites and least favorites have those opinions because they have made many, many trips to the area and have had the opportunity to decide what suits them best.

If convenience is what you are looking for the most, you should't be scared away from a place like the Sha-La because some people don't like it. It is still a first rate facility. You have picked three great hotels that most people would love to stay at. Just because you may not pick the "best" one of the group does not mean you will not be disappointed with your choice.

Just returned from Bangkok. Love the Mandarin and wonderful for the first two nights we were in town. (The ShangriLa is pretty much next door and has a great frequent guest program and are in many cities around Asia.)

This was a our big splurge. Great beginning to the holiday. We had their car meet us at airport that evening upon arrival-again other options are cheaper but after that 17 hour flight...
First day, we pre-arranged a half day private guided tour thru the hotel tour company--worth the money for orientation and was charged to room. Enjoyed the pool in the pm (a must) and hubby had traditional thai massage at the spa in the pm before dinner. Second morning we went on non-private klong trip, including the Royal Barges Museum, leaving from dock of hotel. Returned at 11:30 am and enjoyed the pool until we left that afternoon for airport.

For our return to Bangkok prior to departure, we decided to stay elsewhere as didn't wish to spend quite as much despite the strong possiblity of late checkout, however, not guaranteed. We stayed instead at the Davis Hotel. From here, although in a more remote area, we visited the Royal Palace early in the morning. Took the hotel's complimentary 8:15 am tuktuk to the Skytrain, otherwise 10 min. walk. Changed at Siam Station (new mall called Paragon with aquarium) where we changed for the Taksim skytrain to ferry. Took ferry to Palace (took 45minutes but was a pleasant experience)-did in reverse when returning but stopped in shopping malls en route back to hotel. Lovely small rooftop pool and great spa. Had 90 minute relaxation massage before dinner, then off to airport for that flight. We were also given a huge complimentary upgrade which was great. Room included a separate private jacuzzi room! Possibly because we'd opted to pay for the extra night at the hotel although were were leaving at 9:30 pm. Got a great rate and the reservationist worked with me so that a called a couple of times, levelled with him re: pricing and he was able to reduce the rate when I called back the next time. Two nights were still less than one at Mandarin.
Staff were wonderful. We did not explore the neighborhood as we really didn't have time. But as we'd already experience the river at the beginning it was fine.
Our other option would have been the Chakrabongse Villas.Tel 662 622 1900
>www.thaivillas.com; email; [email protected]. You must check out by 12:00 noon and then they charge you approx. $10 per hour that you keep the room after that. So you need to do the maths. If you checkout then have dinner before aiport you will save. They were very responsive also and we will try them if we ever go back.

One note on the flight, you mentioned the 17 hour flight so assume you are doing the non-stop Bangkok-JFK flight. Thai airways is doing a promotion (check if still on) where if you pay in the US. you pay $200 per person per segment to be upgraded to economy plus. Believe me - WORTH EVERY PENNY! Also, double-check, but believe the flight always leaves from Terminal 2 (the exception as all other Thai airways flights leave from Terminal 1). If you get dropped off at Terminal 1, only a short walk to 2. Really try to get there 3 hours ahead-I kid you not.

Agree with the person who suggests you stay at Mandarin for your first of the three nights (unless you are basing your choice on the late checkout they offer at certain times).