Asia - Bangkok/phuket hotels

Can anyone voice an opinion on these 2 hotels.....Montien, or Montien riverside in Bangkok.....and..... Merlin beach resort in Phuket.
I'm narrowing my options down for a visit to Thailand in Oct/Nov this year.

Your views would be welcome...good or bad.... :rolleyes:

Can anyone voice an opinion on these 2 hotels.....Montien, or Montien riverside in Bangkok.....and..... Merlin beach resort in Phuket.
I'm narrowing my options down for a visit to Thailand in Oct/Nov this year.

Your views would be welcome...good or bad.... :rolleyes:

The Montien on Surawongse Rd is IMHO quite bad value for the money. It used to be fancy when built 40 years ago, but they haven't changed a thing since and it looks the part. Most rooms look out on Patpong, literally right below your window and quite noisy if on the lower floors. As you might expect half the clientele are whoremongers, the other half being mostly on cheap package tours. Access to public transportation is also slightly inconvenient although Skytrain & Subway are within 10 mins walk.

You can get a room at the Amari Boulevard on Sukhumvit for the same price, it's not *5 luxury either but they generally do a better job than the Montien. Alternatively, Priceline yourself into the Shangri-La, I gather the going rate is around $55.

You can get a room at the Amari Boulevard on Sukhumvit for the same price, it's not *5 luxury either but they generally do a better job than the Montien. Alternatively, Priceline yourself into the Shangri-La, I gather the going rate is around $55.

Thanks for the info
I take your point about the montien, will take a look at the amari boulevard.
I've never used priceline, so don't know what to do on there, wherever I book it has to be for three adults in the same room, me, the boss (the wife) and my son.

Any other hotel/resort suggestions would be welcome...

The best value for should be Arnoma Hotel opposite World Trade Center. It used to run as Swissotel chain. The location is very convenient comparing to the Amari Boulevard located in the small street off Sukhumvit rd. Novotel Siam Square and Patumwan Princess are also in the very convenient location for shopping and easy access to the sky train.

For Phuket, let me do some homework before recommending anything. :D

Just stayed at the Sofitel on Silom road. Snagged a room for 2450 baht all in (tax, breakfast, service). When I went to check in they had no rooms so they gave me a club room on the 27th floor for 4 nights.......great deal. Found this rate at www.latestays.com which is run by Diethelm Travel a reputable Thai agent. The Narai hotel next door which was just re-done has rooms at 1200 baht all in. I also stayed at the Swiss Lodge on Convent road for 1900 baht all in. It is a boutique hotel clean and well run. The competition is fierce in BKK so shop around.

just splash out the $160 to stay 1 night at the peninsula - you won't regret it ^
i doubt you can stay in one of the best hotels in the world for much less

the trick in asia is not to book at the hotel sites, but to use the consolidators.

They include:

http://www.thailand-hotels.net/

http://www.bangkok.thaihoteldiscount.com/

http://www.hotelthai.com/

On several of the sites, watch that you page down to the bottom to see the specials

In addition biddingfortravel.com tracks what people are paying for hotel rooms on priceline and it has a section on asian hotels. I doubt you would have much trouble in any of the 4 of 5 star hotels listed with 3 people staying there. but if you go to the hotel list on the top of the thai list, it offers reviews of some of the hotels

Very helpful info for an upcoming trip, thanks.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, she who must be obeyed has made some choices so a report will follow in due course... :)

Anyone have info on Merlin beach resort in Phuket. Good or bad ? I'm going there for Christmas. Any suggestion or comment appreciated. Thanks

Stayed at the Merlin last year. It's perfectly nice 3/4 star, but gets tour groups, so sometimes feels swamped out. But the position is fine for town and beach.

But if you are looking for upmarket, this isn't it.

I'll have to pimp my new favorite The Davis Bangkok (http://www.davisbangkok.net/), which is a brand-new self-proclaimed "boutique" 5-star hotel and has rates barely above $50 every day. How do they do it? The owner is Bangkok's biggest massage parlour tycoon and wants to go legit (and no worries, there are a lot more go-go girls and ladyboys in the JW Marriott than here).

Only downside is the somewhat inconvenient location down Sukhumvit Soi 24, it's a (short) taxi/motosai ride to get anywhere.

(and no worries, there are a lot more go-go girls and ladyboys in the JW Marriott than here).

I do not see any of those girls and boys as you mentioned in most of the 5 star hotels in Bangkok. And that's the policy of international operator. The only go-go girls or ladyboys I can see in any of 5 star hotels is when the guest just brought someone from outside the hotel and tell the hotel that they are friends. And I don't think most of the guest accept that kind of behavior !!!!!!:td:

I'll have to pimp my new favorite The Davis Bangkok (http://www.davisbangkok.net/), which is a brand-new self-proclaimed "boutique" 5-star hotel and has rates barely above $50 every day.

I have not seen rates that low. Would you mind sharing where you are getting this rate?

Thank you for the update on Merlin Beach Hotel. I don't mind 3/4 * as long they are clean and not sleasy.

(and no worries, there are a lot more go-go girls and ladyboys in the JW Marriott than here).

I do not see any of those girls and boys as you mentioned in most of the 5 star hotels in Bangkok.
My comment above was specific to the JW Marriott, which is right next to Nana Plaza (second only to Patpong in notoriety) and well known for its lax "guest" policy. I've even been accosted by a transvestite in the hallway of one of the guest floors...! Not that I really minded, it's just one of those only-in-Bangkok things, like getting stuck in a traffic jam next to an elephant :D

And that's the policy of international operator. The only go-go girls or ladyboys I can see in any of 5 star hotels is when the guest just brought someone from outside the hotel and tell the hotel that they are friends. And I don't think most of the guest accept that kind of behavior !!!!!!:td:
That would be why I mentioned that, despite its dubious ownership, the Davis is a perfectly legit hotel.

The little bakery cafe at the JW Marriott is notorious for its 7am stream of "overnight guests" buying take-away goodies and charging to their "host's" room :D

The Davis is very nice - especially their "themed" rooms, but the lowest rate I've seen is 2900 baht. I didn't know that the massage parlour king owned it though - I actually met the bugger while he was campaigning for the Mayor of Bangkok and stopping to chat with people on their lunch break.

Savage25:
How would you compare the Davis to the SGS at 5200?
Thanks Scho.

The only go-go girls or ladyboys I can see in any of 5 star hotels is when the guest just brought someone from outside the hotel and tell the hotel that they are friends. And I don't think most of the guest accept that kind of behavior !!!!!!:td:

I'm not that judgemental: live and let live. After all, the more friends the better ;)

Fact of the matter is I've stayed at the JW quite a bit and I certainly think it is an exaggeration to say there are a lot of go-go girls flowing through its doors. But when it does happen (breakfast on the Exec Floor can be such a good experience when it does-I am an incorrigible people watcher), the hotel is rightly discreet: guests are adults and nobody is being forced to do anything they do not want to here.

Having also stayed quite a bit at the Conrad, SGS, the Shangri-la and the other Marriott, the JW does get above average "traffic" compared to the rest but certainly the rest do get some (especially SGS). But certainly nothing can be noticed if you are not looking, and with dress codes the way they are these days, people can be understandably mistaken :D

I think that each of the hotels above has its plusses and minuses. SGS has got such a nice deep tub though, great location especially at the confluence of the BTS and the new Asoke MRT.

The little bakery cafe at the JW Marriott is notorious for its 7am stream of "overnight guests" buying take-away goodies and charging to their "host's" room :D

Tarts for Tarts??