The few minute boat ride is easy even in the rain. The boats are all covered. If they hesitate about the boat ride, I'd recommend another one of the river hotels, as Gloria says, the Oriental, the Shangri-La or the Royal Orchid. I always stay in a suite in the Towers of the Royal Orchid - you get full breakfast, drinks and canapes every evening and free laundry included in your room price. And it's right next door to River City, a wonderful shopping center for Arts and Antiques.

the CONRAD s actually a 5+ minute strll from PHLONCHIT BTS station.. and shopping is no big deal. the hotel is locatied in the EMBASEY "district"

if you want something more modoern and with direct acces too the bts (CHITLOM) try the inter continental or grand hyett.. both are expensive thus good, I guess. both are in the midle of the shopping district..

Intercontinental (formerly Royal Meridien) is a very nice hotel. I've stayed there and found it to be an excellent choice. The location is right beside Chitlom station and next door to Gaysorn Plaza (very upscale shopping). Nari Phand and Central World Plaza are just around the corner. You can't get a much better location for shopping!

The Grand Hyatt is right across the street from Intercontinental, and has a walkway to the skytrain. Have not stayed there, but it looks very nice.

Shopping next to Conrad is not one of the malls you read about on this forum. I assume that All Seasons Place has more shops there now, as I saw it when both it and the Conrad were new. The mall was very quiet and not filled yet. There is a great burger joint at All Seasons, if you long for such eats, called the Garage.

New does not necessarily mean better, Just because the Four Seasons is old does not mean it is shabby.

Well, Peninsula is definitely being ruled out, my parents are not impressed by the river view. For Intercontinental, I stayed there all times when I visited Bangkok, so we all want something new. So here's left for my decision (wow, they leave the decision to me, a bit heavy! he he!):

1. Four Seasons: (the hotel say they may be able to offer free upgrade depending on availability)

2. Conrad (we will have to pay an extra for upgradae)

Basically, the package for the 2 hotels are just the same and includes round trip flight, 2 nights stay, but for Four Seasons, it includes breakfast as well. So, if assume you are me, which would u pick?

Thx for your help.

Daisy

I would pick the 4 Seasons hands down.

The Four Seasons hands down. It's my home away from home. Happy Travels!

The Rajadamri sky train station is right across the street from the Four Seasons.The location is excellent.As for its age, the place still looks fabulous... however they are going to do some renovation...new carpets...I was told back in August.They've probably already finished. Most of the rooms are in an atrium setting so when you step outside you're in a covered area but with plenty of sunlight and greenery....not entering a dark corridor. Or you can get one of the few rooms inside the building.I've stayed in both. As for the Pen...I find it sterile and on the wrong side of the river and as for the Sheraton...hated it...although it was the Royal Orchid Sheraton not the Grande.Haven't stayed at the Sheraton Grande. As for being on the river, I'm personally not a river type and use the river only for transportation purposes. I don't like looking out my window at brown,murky water...it's not Barbados. It's a river of industrial brown. So, I can do without the whole river thing. Have fun wherever you stay, though. Happy Travels!

Glorialf...as for the backpack situation at the Oriental...some years ago my best friend and her young teen daughter met me in Bangkok. We went over to the Oriental to what we had planned...to have a drink and maybe even lunch. Well, her daughter was dressed very nicely wearing long peddle pusher pants and had a TINY purse that she was wearing on her back. Well, the guard,who was very rude, hollered at us and refused us entry onto the property saying that she was wearing shorts and carrying a backpack...which she was not. Then as he was refusing us entry onto the grounds, a man dressed in the whole colonial-style, safari style of clothing with the bermuda type shorts comes out of the hotel and gets into a cab... really making us furious....no short rule? Anyhow, last August while in BK a Thai friend and I got off the boat and went to the Oriental. A tall, 20-something,model-looking, European girl was standing in front of us with a HUGE BACKPACKER backpack on her back and strolled onto the property with no problem at all.The guard didn't lift a brow. She looked like a backpacker. We stood and watched her. I commented to my Thai friend of the situation. Well the girl walked around and looked at things and then came back to where we were standing and then left the area and walked on down the street away from the river. By then I was steaming.So much for no backpacks for security reasons... The guard didn't say one word to her.Happy Travels!

Guenmai-- All I can say is I've never had a problem nor have any of my friends who have stayed there. You did, and, understandably, you'll never stay there. But, then I wouldn't stay at the 4 Seasons after seeing it (unless it was a choice between it and the Conrad). But you feel about it the way I feel about the Oriental, Kathie feels about Royal Orchid and Bob feels about Marriott. That's what makes this forum fun and informative because there's no one right answer to anything.

Glorialf...I'm not saying that there's any one right answer to anything. It's all opinion and personal experiences in this forum. I'm simply stating my personal experiences with the Oriental. Who knows maybe one night I will stay there, out of curiosity, to see what all the talk is about.I have to first be allowed on the property before I can stay there, however. Happy Travels!

Guenmai-- LOL! Actually, since you have stayed at so many different hotels I'm wondering if you've tried any of the "boutique" ones like Ibrik or Changba something (can't remember the name). I don't mean the modern trendy hotels like the Metropolitan but the "thai" style ones that seem to be popping up.

Guenmai,

Thanks for telling us about that interesting encounter at the Oriental. Now, I know where NOT to stay next time I'm in town!

I heard they have an attitude problem, but jeez.

To Guenami and glorialf:

Could u pls give me the reasons for choosing Four Seasons, if the choice is between it and the Conrad?

To all others:

Conrad and 4 Seasons, which one you would opt for?

Thanks

Location, location, location! Four Seasons, hands down. You indicated that it is important to be near shopping. The Conrad is NOT near the shopping that is reported on all the time here on the forums. All Seasons Place is nothing to write home about. That is all the Conrad has in its favor, IMHO.

flip a coin.

as it is only a week or two away you may not have all that many choices...have you contacted the hotels to see if they even have room for you??????????????????

the conrad is very close to the 4 seasons so i do not see either as having a leg up over the other one, except that the 4 seasons has the skytrain almost across the street...if a pool is a concern, then i think the 4 seasons is not good in this area...we were very disappointed with it when we looked last summer...it made our decision never to stay there because of the pool.. have not looked at conrad pool...i did love the very friendly staff at the conrad in the lobby...4 seasons is sort of cold in the lobby, albeit beautiful...

the canrad and four seasona (on a map are not that close) and if ya wanted too walk from one hotel too the other it seems there is no way since a couple of huge embasy grounds (USA) are in the way .. sou you would have too take a verry long walk maybe even tuk tuk ride..

As i've stated before the conrad is about 5 minut walk too the BTS station but all seasons place including the Conrad offers a free shutle bus to the station...
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it's about location location and trying to listen to what the person that originaly posted is asking for and wants..

Haven't stayed at the Conrad, but did go there for dim sum lunch as Bob recommended. As Orgy says, the hotel is about a 5 - 10 min walk to the sky train, without much to see on the way except construction. We also thought the hotel was "cold" including the service at the dim sum restaurant. They rushed us and the attitude was very un-Thai. Haven't been to the Four Seasons but from what everyone says, that seems a better choice.

i walked down the side street next to 4 seasons and cut through some other properties and came out by the conrad after a few minutes...it is walkable.. roughly speaking it is in the same general neighborhood...its a great place to stay...

i found the staff to be very busy at the conrad dim sum lunch as you would expect in that kind of venue...i did not find them either warm or cold, just basically correct and probably overworked....four seasons staff are friendly enough but they do not ooze friendship like some thai places...this is exactly what i would expect from a world class hotel...polite, friendly but not oozing friendship...
i found the staff in the conrad lobby to be very friendly and helpful...several people greeted us and offered assistance....

again i will say that i think you would be equally happy at either hotel----NOW MAKE THOSE RESERVTATIONS or you are going to be staying at the YMCA!!!!!