Returning to Bangkok for our last day/night mid-April. Staying at Peninsula earlier in trip, but want to stay on other side of river to save time with traffic to the airport the next morning.

So many on this forum like the ROS, but I've also heard good things about others. A bit overwhelmed. Ideally looking for something different than the Pen. Does this exist? (not sure if we want to spend the money for the Oriental or just go there to see it)

Is the Shangri-La similar to the ROS? If not, how do they differ?

The ROS and the Shangri-La are quite different.

I would only stay at the ROS if I were staying in the Towers (which I always do). In the Towers, you get breakfast in the Club, drinks and canapes each evening in the club and free laundry (6 pieces per person per day). They are currently in the process of renovating all of the Towers rooms, and they told me that should be complete by January (so April should be safe). In the Club, there is a sort of a "family" feel, as many of the staff have been there for years and many of the guests are regulars (one couple is "in residence" while their condo is being completed; they will live thre for something like 3 years in total; many people come each year for months at a time).

The Shang is much glitzier in appearance. The ROS has no huge impressive lobby. I can't comment on the atmosphere, as I haven't stayed there, but many others have. If you do a search on the Shangri-La, Bangkok you should find reviews. The Shang is more convenient, as you are right next to the Skytrain. For any other river hotels, you have to take the hotel's boat to the central pier and the Skytrain.

most know i do not like the ROS...i have stayed at both....the sh-la is a lovely hotel....its lobby is opulent as kathie suggests....the rooms are decent...the pool is good but sort of in the middle of a traffic area right outside the main everyday restaurant....services are good...sh-la has best breakfast i town, imo...

how about the marriott resort and spa...its very different from the others....not a hi-rise....thai style decor in pulic areas...great beds...nice boat ride to skytrain...best pool in town...easy access to freeway...nice breakfast..

Since you want to stay on the "right" side of the river, the Marriott is out.

Bob doesn't like the ROS.

My problem with the shangrila is that it is a HUGE commerical hotel which is used by a lot of tour companies as well as cruises. So it could be anywhere in the world and has a very commercial feel to it. Not my style of hotel at all.

Take a look at the Krungthep Wing of the Shangri-La. It is a "hotel within a hotel," more or less. You can look at it on the Shang's website.

It has a private entrance, lobby, breakfast area and pool. The pool is devoted only to Krungthep Wing guests and is large with great service and abuts the river. You can easily walk back and forth between the two wings of the hotel, either inside or outside.

Every room has a balcony and there is free internet in the lobby. We stayed there in a very large suite last year (upgraded for a nominal charge) and loved it; we thought it was certainly as nice/nicer than the facilities at the Penn, and had a more BKK feel. The rooms are larger than those in the regular Shang wing, you get your own butler, who can't do enough for you, your mini bar is stocked with gratis soft-drinks and water (which were also gratis at the pool) and there is a separate concierge. Service was great. When we departed for the airport at least five people lined up, bowed and thanked us - by name - for visiting.

The breakfast area, in a soaring space with huge windows and an expansive view of the river is beautiful, as was the service. It is even closer to the skytrain than the Shang, by about a half block. The prices for the KW may be a bit more but are well worth it. It did not feel like a large hotel at all, yet we had the option of walking right next door to the bigger Shang wing.
Have fun.

Thanks to all! Kathie-welcome back. Hope you had a wonderful trip.

It seems that most riverfront hotels are huge high-rises. Kind of a turn-off that the Shang is used by tour companies, but I have heard that about the ROS too.

Free breakfast might not matter since we have to leave around 5:15am for 8am flight. Do they even serve breakfast that early??

We prefer boutique hotels, however, we really want to stay on the river. Although it's on the "other" side, the Marriott looks AMAZING! Really like that it is thai style and not a big highrise. It's our last night there, so is there a noticeable difference in location/traffic to airport for an early morning departure? Do they have river view rooms? I am very tempted....

The ROS and Marriott are less $$, but I think our arrival date is considered low season at the Shang.

I realize that everyone has their preferences, but never having been before makes it more difficult to decide.

All three of those hotels do have tour groups that stay there. It's a fact of life in large hotels.

The Shangri-La has the Krungthep Wing which is a "hotel within a hotel" concept, and the ROS has the Towers which is also a "hotel within a hotel" concept. (By the way, they will serve you a room service breakfast at that hour.) I don't think the Marriott has such a "hotel within a hotel"option (but Bob will correct me if I'm wrong).

Everyone has different preferences. Bob hates the ROS. I didn't like the Mariott. From the boat, you walk through sun-bathing guests by the pool. While low-rise, it didn't seem very Thai to me in the decor. And it's so far from things. So the Marriott (which many people love) is not for me, just as the ROS is not for Bob.

Unfortunately, I can't predict which of the options you would like best.

so that answers it...stay at the sh-la...haha

marriott has no hotel within a hotel...it is far more democratic than that...

Thanks Kathie and rhkkmk. I guess the only way for us to know which one we like is to try one and hope for the best. I need to sleep on it and look at rates/availability before I decide.

Good to know that the ROS will offer room service breakfast that early and that they will be done with the renovations by April.

Kathie -what is the club? Is that a dining/lounge area in the Towers?

You don't see tour groups at the Oriental. There are sometimes 4 or 6 people traveling with A & K but never the large groups and you never see stacks of luggage in the lobby. That's why I prefer it so much over the other hotels. I too much prefer boutique hotels and the Oriental feels like one in many respects -- not that it isn't busy. In fact it's busier than many of the other hotels but the lobby is filled with thai people meeting for a drink or before they go to an event; other people just socializing. But not guides with signs telling people to line up or get in a bus.

There is a very small hotel on the river -- Changrabose Villa (not at all sure of the spelling) which has gotten some good reviews and might be more to your liking.

I agree with kathie that the Marriott feels just as commercial as the Shangrila and ROS. If I had to pick among the three I'd go with the Tower wing at the ROS but what I'd really do is splurge and stay at the Oriental or go to a boutique hotel.

Kimberly, The Club is a lounge area where they serve breakfast in teh morning and drinks and canapes in the evening, plus coffee and tea and soft drinks all day. It's on the 26th floor, in the midst of the tower rooms, which are all on the top 3-4 floors.

We stayed in the Krungthep wing at the Shangri-La during our honeymoon. We loved it! And, they will serve breakfast as early as you want, as long as you call in advance...we had a 4:30 a.m. breakfast delivered to our room one morning, and it was still included in our rate. We really liked the hotel's convenience to the Skytrain.