karenmike

Hello, thanks for your help.
Has anyone stayed at or have information on The Royal River Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand?

http://www.royalriverhotel.com/royalriver/
GPS 13°46'58.58" 100°30'5.43"

For us, it's a bit out of the way from where we like to stay around China Town, but, the amenities seem GREAT for the 2,700 Bhat tax included price for a balcony river view room.

Picture No. 2 on this page:
http://www.royalriverhotel.com/royalriver/room/

filmwill

GPS coordinates?

karenmike

EXTRA NOTE:

http://www.royalriverhotel.com/royalriver/

There is a SPECIAL PACKAGE HOTEL PROMOTION RATE OF 5,400 BAHT for 3 consecutive nights.

That's "ONLY" 1,800 Baht ($57. USD)per night for the Deluxe River View Room pictured in the above post.

That has to be a great deal.

karenmike

Oh my @$3#%!! Are we being flamed for posted GPS Coordinates?

Is not Google Earth a part of everyone's trip planning? Why mess around with website maps when you can simply "fly there" in GE and get the full picture of the location?

maryanne1

I stayed here on 2 different trips. I found the room to be nice and the desk people very helpful. It is away from some of the places you might want to be,but when I was there a boat provided by the hotel took you on the river. I am not sure how often the boat runs,but I used it several times. The breakfast was good.
That is a good price for the Deluxe river view.

karenmike

This is the map provided by the hotel:
http://www.royalriverhotel.com/royalriver/map/

This is the Google Maps (not as good as Google Earth) that you get when you enter the GPS Coordinates.
The GREEN ARROW marks the GPS Coordinates.

We hope this suggestion helps all of us here on Fodors, because many travel forums are already using GPS #, because it's fast and easy.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...03884&t=h&z=18

NOTE:
Google Earth is much better for mapping.

karenmike

Thanks maryanne1. The river view room for $60. USD seems almost too good to be true.

Have you stayed in the river view rooms? Is that picture accurate?

Thanks for your reply.

karenmike

MORE about the GPS stuff:

At Google Maps, you can also GET DIRECTIONS from anywhere to your location.

For example, I did a BKK (airport) to the hotel thingy.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...=UTF8&t=h&z=11

Kathie

Whether you'll like the Royal River depends on what you are looking for. It's a 3 star hotel, so in spite of the photos, adjust your expectations. It is not located on the river, but relatively close. The location is not very convenient. It's on the "wrong" side of the river, and isn't near a skytrain station, though since the skytrain has crossed the river, perhaps they have a shuttle.

Note that there are usually "specials" on this property. I'd check agoda.com and sawasdee.com Most prices on both of those websites include tax and service (14%) and usually breakfast as well.

Karen, what made you think you were being flamed?

Kathie

oops - typo above, tax and service in Thailand is 17%

karenmike

Thanks Kathie. Your cautionary words are are well advised. Trip Advisor comments have The Royal River Hotel at best, a very beat up property, but, probally not as bad as our favorite: The Riverview Guest House with its GREAT location and FANTISTIC river views (booked up)

Are you sure the Royal River Hotel is not on exactly on the river? GE has it smack dab on the water's edge and some comments in Trip Advisor mention a dock and river side restaurant.

If you check out this link of the hotel in GE, you'll see what I mean (Green Arrow):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...03884&t=h&z=18


Anyway, it's on the "wrong" side of the river and far from the "fun" spots, but I guess we can't pass up that river view and the price. Oh my!

We appreciate the comments and figure we'll try it for one night.

Regarding the flaming

filmwill on Aug 2, 09 at 01:27 PM
GPS coordinates?

Posted above, I took it as a bit of ridiculing because of the question mark and no additional explanatory comments.

I was surprised after typing so many careful words and providing links, all that filmwill could get out of my post was a crypic comment that seemed to be... Well... anyway.. I've been away from forums and sort of forgot how they "work". Next time I'll let it go.. or maybe I should have simply asked what filmwill ment by the comments. Huh? That would have worked. Communciation, Yeah!

I was jealous that filmwill could spell "coordinates" correctly, I always spell that word wrong.

Anyway, it turned out for the best, 'cause we were able to talk about the useful GE features for trip planning and that might be a good tip for someone.

You can also look at a city/location in GE (no gps coordinates necessary) and locate where the photographs are clustered together. Then check out the photographs and see if that's something you'd like to see.

stitchintime

I don't know when you are going, but I just got about the same rate for Centre Point Silom for Sept. It is for a studio, which is much larger than most hotel rooms, and very close to skytrain and river taxi. I used Agoda.

karenmike

Sorry, My mistake... for us.. it's all about the RIVER VIEW.
Being exactly ON the river.

Our "go to" place is booked. Actually, after we reserved the best river view room at our go to place more than two months ago, they switched us out to a less desirable room. Naughty, naughty.

So, I began scrambling for lodging (August 5th arrival) with a stunning view of the Chao Praya River.

Kathie

Oops, Karen, you are right, I'm confusing the Royal River with another place with river in the name that is, in fact a block or two from the river. My apologies. But the comments about it being "worn" are the kinds of comments I've heard. A German friend of ours who stayed there said he'd never stay there again. But people are looking for different things.

stitch's recommendation of the Centre Point Silom is a nice suggestion. It is virtually next door to the Skytrain, so it's very convenient. It has gotten very good review here. Because it's a serviced apartment, the rooms are larger and have a kitchenette. Some rooms have a washer/dryer. Also, it's on the "right" side of the river.

karenmike

Hey, stitchintime.. thanks for the suggestion. The location is good there, good to know.

karenmike

NOTE about Agoda.

The Shangri-La Hotel web site has much, much cheaper prices than what Agoda is offering for the same property.

karenmike

Having said that about Agoda, the website has a GREAT mapping system and finding lodging is super easy.

simpsonc510

karen
I'm arriving in BKK on the 7th, for about 12 days. If you are planning to visit the Sukhumvit area, we might meet up for a cold one somewhere...
Carol

Kathie

Karen, when I'm booking a hotel I always check at least two hotel booking sites as well as the hotel's own site. In my experience, there is no consistency in terms of where I'll find the best rate. Sometimes it's the hotel's own site, sometimes it's a booking site. Sometimes if you approach a hotel to match the booking site's price they will match it, though usually not, in my experience. Also, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. As you know, tax and service add 17% to the cost of a hotel room in Thailand. Most booking sites include that in their rate, and most include breakfast (which is often $16 - 20 per person at the hotel), but the hotel's own site doesn't include tax and service. Sometimes hotel's sites have specials that include breakfast.

maryanne1

Where I stayed was on the river because the hotel had a boat service. It was a package deal with Northwest Air. I enjoyed the hotel You are right saying it is away from some of the places you mentioned,but that did not matter to me. There is also a riverside restaurant. Where I stayed was The Royal River Hotel. The first time I suggested this hotel others who had not stayed there had negative remarks, but I liked it. Yes, there are riverview rooms. I have stayed in both types of rooms.