Sharon's trip report - 2nd installment - BKK
Apr 11th, 2006 | 06:17 AM
#1
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Sharon's trip report - 2nd installment - BKK
Hi, all - this is the 2nd installment of my trip report. I just wanted to again say to all of you that almost every piece of our trip was chosen because of your suggestions. I can’t thank you enough.
Bangkok - Arrived in BKK early in the morning and were picked up by AAC Limousine. We were taken to the BKK Marriot Resort and Spa where the welcome was so very gracious. We had arrived very early - way too early to check-in, but that was fine. They stored our luggage, pointed the way to the river dock, and we were on our way. Coincidentally, we had another friend who was in BKK, but leaving the day we arrived, so we had arranged to meet him for lunch. Prepared with the Nancy Chandler map - so much fun, so detailed, and so pretty - we set out to meet our friend, who had been staying at the Tarntawan Place Hotel on Surawong Rd. We followed the hotel’s directions from the Sala Daeng stop on the skytrain - made progress, but certainly not perfectly - and finally arrived at our destination. Busy, bustling area - we met our friend and had lunch at a nearby restaurant, the Mango Tree. It was a very pleasant place, and the food was good. I might have liked to try it for dinner, but we didn’t get there again. When we returned to the Tarntawan Place Hotel, I was curious to see what my friend’s room was like, since he was paying about $55 US per night, so I checked it out. The hotel is a small one, the entrance is set back from the street, but the room was actually quite large. He had a king-size bed, beautiful granite tiled bathroom - it was actually a lovely room. The hotel has no pool, however, and I’ve read some of the message threads that folks don’t consider this a preferred area to stay in, but I don’t know enough about BKK to have figured it out. It seemed fine to me. It was very near both the skytrain and the subway at Silom Road.
I’d like to say a big thank you to Bob, Guenmai, et.al., who suggested that we stay on the river. We had such a good time using the river boats as our main form of transportation. With the exception of the one day that we had hired Ratt’s service to guide us, we started every trip by river boat. The Marriot boat was so wonderful, and the crewmen so very gracious. On the way to the Saphan/Taksin Station/Pier, the boat left approximately every 15 minutes. We’d either transfer to another boat from a different hotel if it was closer to our destination, or take the skytrain to wherever we wanted to go. On the way back to the Marriot, day or evening, a boatman would serve us with an ice cold wet towel and a bottle of cold water. In the heat of our days in BKK, that towel and water felt like a luxury.
We had booked a deluxe room with river view, and upon return to the hotel, were shown to our room. It was really lovely and the view was wonderful. However, as I was unpacking, I realized that there was some very loud drilling going on right near our room. I called downstairs and was assured that the noise would only take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but they were doing some necessary renovations in the building. They were very apologetic, but that was the story. I have no problem speaking up for myself - I’m actually more confrontatious than my husband, but I must have been in full vacation mode, so I let it go. Well, we lived with the sound for about another half hour, and decided it just wasn’t acceptable. I’m not a napper, but my husband is, and this was not going to work. He went downstairs to talk to the manager, and he must have been very charming, because they not only moved us to the North wing (the racket was in the South wing), but upgraded us to a junior suite. Oh my, it was just a beautiful room, and we felt so well treated. In addition, we loved the look of the hotel, the location - it was a great choice for us.
If I’m being too detailed, I’m sorry - seems like there’s so much to tell about. That evening, we went to China House for dinner. I’d make reservations online while we were still in NY - didn’t want to miss out on the famed Peking Duck. It was a lovely experience, and the duck was delicious. I’d never had it presented to me that way before - the skin and pancakes served as a first course - the duck served later with a choice of sauce preparations. I’m not clear on what else we had, but the food was very good. I can’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had, but the combination of food, service, and ambiance was memorable. Also, we were able to go there directly by river boat. We changed to the Oriental Hotel’s river boat at the Taksin Pier, and it was a short walk through the Oriental Hotel to get to China House.
2nd day in BKK, we had reservations with Ratt’s service. I was annoyed that we had exchanged many e-mails and I had been assured that we had Miss Mint as our guide - I’d asked for her because she’d been so highly recommended in the message threads. Instead, Tony was there. I felt misled, but his greeting was so friendly and warm, I didn’t feel it was proper to say anything to him. At the end of the day, he mentioned that Miss Mint was supposed to have been our guide, but she’d had some family emergency and he’d been sent instead. I don’t know that I believe it, but it really didn’t matter - Tony was just fine. We let him plan the day for us, and a lovely day, it was. We started at the BKK flower market - just an amazing profusion of color, design, and aromas. He gave us a half-hour to look around, which was really a bit too much, considering we’d spent a fair amount of time at the flower market in Chiang Mai (it was right across the river from the Baan Orepin). However, able to amuse myself, we took a side street and found ourselves in a large produce market section. Being the chowhounds we are, this was fascinating, and I always come away from a place like that wishing for a stove and refrigerator. I can see why it would be fun to have a serviced apartment, if one loves to cook.
We then spent the morning exploring Wat Phra Kaeo, the Grand Palace, and Wat Pho, with time to admire the Emerald Buddha and Reclining Buddha. I made merit with Tony’s instructions, and prayed, but mostly felt an abundance of gratitude for being able to have this amazing experience. (I know I’m using the words fascinating and amazing a lot, but that’s what it was for me). By the way, Tony was a wonderful guide - helpful, his English is fine, informative, and he’s very pleasant. After Wat Pho, we were taken to Methavalai restaurant for lunch. It was really very good - I wanted to make a different suggestion, but we were so hot (and I like hot weather), I just wanted a comfortable place to have lunch, and I had no idea where we were - just decided to go with the flow. Ratt had suggested Methavalai in her e-mails to us, so I was skeptical about how touristy it might be, does she get a cut for bringing people there (the suspicious part of being a New Yorker), but with the exception of a lady singing with piano backup in the middle of the day (not very good), it was ok. It wasn’t “disneyfied”, and when asked to serve the food extra spicy for my husband, they were very accommodating. In the afternoon, Tony took us through the Vimanmek Palace (the Teak Mansion) - we loved it! What a beautiful place - not to be missed! A disappointment we might be to those who pack in the days with activity, but by that time, we were cooked. We’d had enough touring, and I wanted to go back to the hotel and relax by the pool. Because of this, we probably missed some of the other wonderful sights, and should we return, we have plenty of other places to explore - Jim Thompson House, Royal Barge Museum being two of the not-to-be-missed sites. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather, and therefore more sensitive than usual to the food and heat. We could have gone to these places on our third day, but I was wrung out from the heat and just couldn’t see myself doing a lot of touring that day.
The second night, our plan was to have a cocktail at the Skybar and then go on to dinner at Harmonique. When we arrived at the Skybar (took the river boat to the Oriental and then walked), they would not allow us in because David was wearing sandals. It was a surprise because he was well-dressed, in a pair of twill slacks and a button down long sleeve shirt. Oh, well...disappointing but we can leave that for another trip. From there we got lost looking for Harmonique (we just didn’t go far back enough along the main street), but when we asked directions, we were guided into a small north-south alleyway and told to take that to the end and turn right. Well, I wouldn’t have missed that alleyway for the world. Because the night was so hot and humid, a world we would never have seen was alive and out in that alleyway. There were families, all with their doors open, sitting inside and outside - a thriving community in this small alley - even a grocery store or two. Of course, what I’m calling an alleyway, is probably a soi, but it was so narrow, that I wondered whether we’d been sent on a wild goose chase. At first I felt as if I’d intruded on the privacy of this community, but people were cordial and said hello as we moved on to find Harmonique. The trip down that soi was one of the highlights of our time in BKK. We finally found the restaurant, just a few yards from the end of the soi, and it was just charming. I must say that I probably would have been happier with air conditioning, but we knew it wouldn’t be, and the many fans did keep the air moving. The food was just superb - probably one of the best meals we had in SEA, so thank you, Bob, for the recommendation. We loved the place.
Next morning, we booked a khlong tour for two hours (that was enough time) through the hotel, and again saw a part of BKK we’d never see otherwise.. We saw a floating market, fish feeding (what a frenzy), homes poor and splendid next to one another, kids swimming, beautiful wats, and on and on. It was a fascinating trip and we loved it, although I was very sad to see the amount of debris in the water. I wish they took better care of the waterways. The boatman let us off at the Saphan Taksin Pier and we went to Siam Ocean World to check it out. What a beautiful mall! Ocean World had many species of fish I’d never seen before, but honestly, I was underwhelmed. I’ve been to aquariums that I think are far more spectacular, but to be able to tour something that was air conditioned was a blessing.
We were leaving early the next morning for Hanoi, and so we decided to stay around the hotel for dinner and try their barbecue buffet served on a terrace overlooking the river. We asked to be away from the entertainment - even though it was traditional Thai dancing which I loved - and were seated right at the edge of the terrace, overlooking the river. It was just beautiful. (Throughout our time in BKK, we were loving the busy life on and along the river. One of the sites we loved to watch were the barges, 3 and 4 tied together, being pulled by tiny tugboats. They’d make their way slowly up and down the river, tie up for the night sometimes and we’d watch them, realizing that there were entire families living at the ends of each of the barges. At night, we’d see the living quarters with televisions flickering - we got a kick out of seeing these very sparse living arrangements, all with tv sets large enough to be able to see the screens flickering from the shore.) The food at the barbecue was actually very good, and the entertainment - what I saw of it - was fun and lovely to watch.
I know we could have seen a lot more had we stayed an extra day or so, and I’d probably have chopped off a day in Chiang Mai and added at least one to BKK, but we had a marvelous experience there, pacing ourselves the way we would in any city. We spent the mornings and afternoons exploring and site seeing - late afternoons would find us back at the hotel to swim and relax, and then we’d go out again in the evening for dinner. I can see why you all love BKK so much, and I hope that we can make the trip again soon. Our next stop, and my next installment will be Hanoi and Halong Bay. More to come. Have a great day, Sharon
Bangkok - Arrived in BKK early in the morning and were picked up by AAC Limousine. We were taken to the BKK Marriot Resort and Spa where the welcome was so very gracious. We had arrived very early - way too early to check-in, but that was fine. They stored our luggage, pointed the way to the river dock, and we were on our way. Coincidentally, we had another friend who was in BKK, but leaving the day we arrived, so we had arranged to meet him for lunch. Prepared with the Nancy Chandler map - so much fun, so detailed, and so pretty - we set out to meet our friend, who had been staying at the Tarntawan Place Hotel on Surawong Rd. We followed the hotel’s directions from the Sala Daeng stop on the skytrain - made progress, but certainly not perfectly - and finally arrived at our destination. Busy, bustling area - we met our friend and had lunch at a nearby restaurant, the Mango Tree. It was a very pleasant place, and the food was good. I might have liked to try it for dinner, but we didn’t get there again. When we returned to the Tarntawan Place Hotel, I was curious to see what my friend’s room was like, since he was paying about $55 US per night, so I checked it out. The hotel is a small one, the entrance is set back from the street, but the room was actually quite large. He had a king-size bed, beautiful granite tiled bathroom - it was actually a lovely room. The hotel has no pool, however, and I’ve read some of the message threads that folks don’t consider this a preferred area to stay in, but I don’t know enough about BKK to have figured it out. It seemed fine to me. It was very near both the skytrain and the subway at Silom Road.
I’d like to say a big thank you to Bob, Guenmai, et.al., who suggested that we stay on the river. We had such a good time using the river boats as our main form of transportation. With the exception of the one day that we had hired Ratt’s service to guide us, we started every trip by river boat. The Marriot boat was so wonderful, and the crewmen so very gracious. On the way to the Saphan/Taksin Station/Pier, the boat left approximately every 15 minutes. We’d either transfer to another boat from a different hotel if it was closer to our destination, or take the skytrain to wherever we wanted to go. On the way back to the Marriot, day or evening, a boatman would serve us with an ice cold wet towel and a bottle of cold water. In the heat of our days in BKK, that towel and water felt like a luxury.
We had booked a deluxe room with river view, and upon return to the hotel, were shown to our room. It was really lovely and the view was wonderful. However, as I was unpacking, I realized that there was some very loud drilling going on right near our room. I called downstairs and was assured that the noise would only take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but they were doing some necessary renovations in the building. They were very apologetic, but that was the story. I have no problem speaking up for myself - I’m actually more confrontatious than my husband, but I must have been in full vacation mode, so I let it go. Well, we lived with the sound for about another half hour, and decided it just wasn’t acceptable. I’m not a napper, but my husband is, and this was not going to work. He went downstairs to talk to the manager, and he must have been very charming, because they not only moved us to the North wing (the racket was in the South wing), but upgraded us to a junior suite. Oh my, it was just a beautiful room, and we felt so well treated. In addition, we loved the look of the hotel, the location - it was a great choice for us.
If I’m being too detailed, I’m sorry - seems like there’s so much to tell about. That evening, we went to China House for dinner. I’d make reservations online while we were still in NY - didn’t want to miss out on the famed Peking Duck. It was a lovely experience, and the duck was delicious. I’d never had it presented to me that way before - the skin and pancakes served as a first course - the duck served later with a choice of sauce preparations. I’m not clear on what else we had, but the food was very good. I can’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had, but the combination of food, service, and ambiance was memorable. Also, we were able to go there directly by river boat. We changed to the Oriental Hotel’s river boat at the Taksin Pier, and it was a short walk through the Oriental Hotel to get to China House.
2nd day in BKK, we had reservations with Ratt’s service. I was annoyed that we had exchanged many e-mails and I had been assured that we had Miss Mint as our guide - I’d asked for her because she’d been so highly recommended in the message threads. Instead, Tony was there. I felt misled, but his greeting was so friendly and warm, I didn’t feel it was proper to say anything to him. At the end of the day, he mentioned that Miss Mint was supposed to have been our guide, but she’d had some family emergency and he’d been sent instead. I don’t know that I believe it, but it really didn’t matter - Tony was just fine. We let him plan the day for us, and a lovely day, it was. We started at the BKK flower market - just an amazing profusion of color, design, and aromas. He gave us a half-hour to look around, which was really a bit too much, considering we’d spent a fair amount of time at the flower market in Chiang Mai (it was right across the river from the Baan Orepin). However, able to amuse myself, we took a side street and found ourselves in a large produce market section. Being the chowhounds we are, this was fascinating, and I always come away from a place like that wishing for a stove and refrigerator. I can see why it would be fun to have a serviced apartment, if one loves to cook.
We then spent the morning exploring Wat Phra Kaeo, the Grand Palace, and Wat Pho, with time to admire the Emerald Buddha and Reclining Buddha. I made merit with Tony’s instructions, and prayed, but mostly felt an abundance of gratitude for being able to have this amazing experience. (I know I’m using the words fascinating and amazing a lot, but that’s what it was for me). By the way, Tony was a wonderful guide - helpful, his English is fine, informative, and he’s very pleasant. After Wat Pho, we were taken to Methavalai restaurant for lunch. It was really very good - I wanted to make a different suggestion, but we were so hot (and I like hot weather), I just wanted a comfortable place to have lunch, and I had no idea where we were - just decided to go with the flow. Ratt had suggested Methavalai in her e-mails to us, so I was skeptical about how touristy it might be, does she get a cut for bringing people there (the suspicious part of being a New Yorker), but with the exception of a lady singing with piano backup in the middle of the day (not very good), it was ok. It wasn’t “disneyfied”, and when asked to serve the food extra spicy for my husband, they were very accommodating. In the afternoon, Tony took us through the Vimanmek Palace (the Teak Mansion) - we loved it! What a beautiful place - not to be missed! A disappointment we might be to those who pack in the days with activity, but by that time, we were cooked. We’d had enough touring, and I wanted to go back to the hotel and relax by the pool. Because of this, we probably missed some of the other wonderful sights, and should we return, we have plenty of other places to explore - Jim Thompson House, Royal Barge Museum being two of the not-to-be-missed sites. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather, and therefore more sensitive than usual to the food and heat. We could have gone to these places on our third day, but I was wrung out from the heat and just couldn’t see myself doing a lot of touring that day.
The second night, our plan was to have a cocktail at the Skybar and then go on to dinner at Harmonique. When we arrived at the Skybar (took the river boat to the Oriental and then walked), they would not allow us in because David was wearing sandals. It was a surprise because he was well-dressed, in a pair of twill slacks and a button down long sleeve shirt. Oh, well...disappointing but we can leave that for another trip. From there we got lost looking for Harmonique (we just didn’t go far back enough along the main street), but when we asked directions, we were guided into a small north-south alleyway and told to take that to the end and turn right. Well, I wouldn’t have missed that alleyway for the world. Because the night was so hot and humid, a world we would never have seen was alive and out in that alleyway. There were families, all with their doors open, sitting inside and outside - a thriving community in this small alley - even a grocery store or two. Of course, what I’m calling an alleyway, is probably a soi, but it was so narrow, that I wondered whether we’d been sent on a wild goose chase. At first I felt as if I’d intruded on the privacy of this community, but people were cordial and said hello as we moved on to find Harmonique. The trip down that soi was one of the highlights of our time in BKK. We finally found the restaurant, just a few yards from the end of the soi, and it was just charming. I must say that I probably would have been happier with air conditioning, but we knew it wouldn’t be, and the many fans did keep the air moving. The food was just superb - probably one of the best meals we had in SEA, so thank you, Bob, for the recommendation. We loved the place.
Next morning, we booked a khlong tour for two hours (that was enough time) through the hotel, and again saw a part of BKK we’d never see otherwise.. We saw a floating market, fish feeding (what a frenzy), homes poor and splendid next to one another, kids swimming, beautiful wats, and on and on. It was a fascinating trip and we loved it, although I was very sad to see the amount of debris in the water. I wish they took better care of the waterways. The boatman let us off at the Saphan Taksin Pier and we went to Siam Ocean World to check it out. What a beautiful mall! Ocean World had many species of fish I’d never seen before, but honestly, I was underwhelmed. I’ve been to aquariums that I think are far more spectacular, but to be able to tour something that was air conditioned was a blessing.
We were leaving early the next morning for Hanoi, and so we decided to stay around the hotel for dinner and try their barbecue buffet served on a terrace overlooking the river. We asked to be away from the entertainment - even though it was traditional Thai dancing which I loved - and were seated right at the edge of the terrace, overlooking the river. It was just beautiful. (Throughout our time in BKK, we were loving the busy life on and along the river. One of the sites we loved to watch were the barges, 3 and 4 tied together, being pulled by tiny tugboats. They’d make their way slowly up and down the river, tie up for the night sometimes and we’d watch them, realizing that there were entire families living at the ends of each of the barges. At night, we’d see the living quarters with televisions flickering - we got a kick out of seeing these very sparse living arrangements, all with tv sets large enough to be able to see the screens flickering from the shore.) The food at the barbecue was actually very good, and the entertainment - what I saw of it - was fun and lovely to watch.
I know we could have seen a lot more had we stayed an extra day or so, and I’d probably have chopped off a day in Chiang Mai and added at least one to BKK, but we had a marvelous experience there, pacing ourselves the way we would in any city. We spent the mornings and afternoons exploring and site seeing - late afternoons would find us back at the hotel to swim and relax, and then we’d go out again in the evening for dinner. I can see why you all love BKK so much, and I hope that we can make the trip again soon. Our next stop, and my next installment will be Hanoi and Halong Bay. More to come. Have a great day, Sharon
Apr 11th, 2006 | 09:11 AM
#4
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 88
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Thank you, Bella Bluebell. I appreciate hearing back from you, as you were one of the group whose information helped form our trip. I am just in awe of the small group of you who regularly share your experience and knowledge with the rest of us. I hope I have the opportunity to know SEA the way you all do. What a gift it is - I often wonder about each of you and how often you must travel there to know all this information.
Apr 11th, 2006 | 03:36 PM
#5
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 33
Sharon- we had the same experience at the Skybar - were refused admittance because of sandals. (You must have missed my trip report!) But they did allow us out on a deck on the other side from the skybar where we could also order drinks. So we had the same great view, but just not in the Skybar proper. There are signs in the lobby next to the elevator about the sandals, but I suspect most people who are dressed nicely don't really give it a thought. It's kind of an unusual rule. Enjoying your report - keep it coming!
Karen
Karen
Apr 11th, 2006 | 03:43 PM
#6
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 888
Likes: 0
Rumrita just posted her trip report (From Seahorses to Whalesharks, Two Weeks in Thailand - Siteseeing Relaxing and Diving) and they too had problems at Sky Bar due to footwear codes. We were planning on going there - what should I be wearing on my feet? Are all sandals a problem? - I will have a pair of hoity toity strappy sandals with me (for wedding) that I could wear but if these will not be good enough, guess I will have to think again!
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Apr 11th, 2006 | 06:24 PM
#9
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 88
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Karen, I did see your report - in fact, I’ve been enjoying your trip report a lot, but you posted it or I read it after we had returned, alas and alack. We may have even been there at the same time. We were in BKK on March 7-9. We've been back about two weeks, but I'm just now writing my report to the message board - not as efficient as you. I wish we had known there was another part of the bar that would have been all right. Also, David had regular shoes with him, so if we had known, it would have been easy for him to be dressed according to code - it’s just such an odd rule - who woulda thunk it. Oh, well - it's just another excuse to go back to Thailand. I bet the view was spectacular.
Apr 11th, 2006 | 07:35 PM
#10
Joined: Jan 2003
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great report....now i have something bad to tell you.....harmonique has two air conditioned rooms....you have to ask for them however...
the alleys you walked through are probably part of the muslim community there near harmonique....did you see the mosque??
you did miss a big bkk site by not seeing jim thompson house that that alone is a reason to return....
glad you liked the marriott...i think your husband really must have waxed nicely as they are not the nicest about making room changes...and an upgrade....were you paying full price through marriott or from a discount site??
the alleys you walked through are probably part of the muslim community there near harmonique....did you see the mosque??
you did miss a big bkk site by not seeing jim thompson house that that alone is a reason to return....
glad you liked the marriott...i think your husband really must have waxed nicely as they are not the nicest about making room changes...and an upgrade....were you paying full price through marriott or from a discount site??
Apr 12th, 2006 | 04:28 AM
#12
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Sharon,
Enjoying your report, as we just returned from Thailand as well. One of Ratt's drivers also steered us to lunch at Methavalai. We were skeptical too, but once we looked in and saw the variety of the crowd (didn't seem to be all tourists) we decided to stay too. We were also pleased that the food came spiced as per our request. My partner even managed to impress the waitftaff by being the first farang they had ever seen add noodles to her Tom Yam soup.
As noted, I had a similar experience at the Skybar with dress code. The staff at the door were really strict with some (like us) but then when we later were granted admittance (after dropping a fair amount of cash at the Distil bar around the corner) we saw plenty of people who were not dressed any better than we were.
Bella - for women fancy sandals were fine especially if they had even a slight a heel, but my "dress flip flops" did not make the grade.
Here's a copy of the dress code from Sirocco's website:
"Dress code strictly enforced: shorts, strapless tank top, sports sandals or flip-flops, athletic uniforms or shoes, sleeveless T-shirts and ripped clothing are not allowed."
Enjoying your report, as we just returned from Thailand as well. One of Ratt's drivers also steered us to lunch at Methavalai. We were skeptical too, but once we looked in and saw the variety of the crowd (didn't seem to be all tourists) we decided to stay too. We were also pleased that the food came spiced as per our request. My partner even managed to impress the waitftaff by being the first farang they had ever seen add noodles to her Tom Yam soup.
As noted, I had a similar experience at the Skybar with dress code. The staff at the door were really strict with some (like us) but then when we later were granted admittance (after dropping a fair amount of cash at the Distil bar around the corner) we saw plenty of people who were not dressed any better than we were.
Bella - for women fancy sandals were fine especially if they had even a slight a heel, but my "dress flip flops" did not make the grade.
Here's a copy of the dress code from Sirocco's website:
"Dress code strictly enforced: shorts, strapless tank top, sports sandals or flip-flops, athletic uniforms or shoes, sleeveless T-shirts and ripped clothing are not allowed."
Apr 12th, 2006 | 06:06 AM
#13
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 88
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Bob, I can't believe there's airconditioning at Harmonique!!! However, there are some dining experiences that are just so good - and this was one of them - that we chose to ignore any discomfort. We were sitting in the alleyway (all of a sudden I realized that's we were when I looked up and there was no ceiling - then I remembered your restaurant guide about what happens when it rains), and the diners around us were speaking all different languages, and the whole ambiance, including the different small rooms we peeked into later (were they the airconditioned ones?)were so interesting - the heat ALMOST didn't matter. Oh, well, next time - and there will be a next time.
As far as the Marriot is concerned, we used huahin.20m.com to book it. And to refresh your memory, we had a glitch with them in the last day before we left NY on our trip. I realized they'd booked us for 4 nights instead of 3, beginning the day before the actual day we'd arrive. I didn't pick it up until I saw the balance minus our deposit deducted from my AMEX card. I immediately was in touch with them, and even suggested a possible upgrade rather than a refund. End of story is they couldn't upgrade us - no rooms (hmmm) - but they did refund the cost of one night, so all's well that ends well. And yes, David has it in him to be very charming - don't know how he did it, but thank God he did. The noise was really awful. The renovations should be finished by now - they said a month.
As far as the Marriot is concerned, we used huahin.20m.com to book it. And to refresh your memory, we had a glitch with them in the last day before we left NY on our trip. I realized they'd booked us for 4 nights instead of 3, beginning the day before the actual day we'd arrive. I didn't pick it up until I saw the balance minus our deposit deducted from my AMEX card. I immediately was in touch with them, and even suggested a possible upgrade rather than a refund. End of story is they couldn't upgrade us - no rooms (hmmm) - but they did refund the cost of one night, so all's well that ends well. And yes, David has it in him to be very charming - don't know how he did it, but thank God he did. The noise was really awful. The renovations should be finished by now - they said a month.
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