Hilton HHonors - Conrad Bangkok Trip Reports and Reviews

Stayed at this property 8th January (1 week opening anniversary). The hotel is located in the All Seasons Place development (GE is one of the businesses located here) on Wireless Road (off Sukumvit Road - Hilton is on Telegraph which is on the opposite side of Sukumvit Road).

Upon arriving at the reception (lots of staff downstairs), the front desk noted the Gold VIP membership and extended an insuite check-in, with a front desk agent escort to the room.

The room was on the 25th floor (the unit has about 31 floors but the upper floors may not be complete). Most of the rooms are identical in size (and quite small) except for the corner and point rooms (4 of each per floor). The deluxe room upgrade is in the corner which is a wedge/pie slice-shaped room. The entry was is a long mirrored corridor with a small closet just next to the door way. Turning the corner at the end led into the main area. A desk is in the inside with a walk-in closet with inroom safe.

The interior decoration was very nice with what could be described as contemporary Thai. Printed drawings of Thai houses decorated the walls as did a rain drum coffee table.

The highlight was probably the bathroom: behind the opaque sliding door was a nice large bathtub by the screened window. The shower unit had a handheld as well as a rainfall shower head. The bathroom does not have an A/C duct so it gets hot quickly if the door to the room is closed. Seagrass (brand?) toiletries were provided as was a rubber toy elephant.

A nice touch was the kettle (so one can boil water to make tea properly) and a Bodum coffee presse (but the supplied coffee was of the instant variety).

The mattresses were very firm. Pillows were thick but compressed nicely. There was a master switch for all the lights.,

One minor quibble is that the a/c (worked well with 3-speed fan and thermostat) blew right on your head.

Standard rooms had the traditional hotel layout though the bathroom partition was a glass wall (those not intimate with each other can't use the bathroom while the other(s) are in the room!

The point rooms were like standard room but with a wedge-shaped bathroom.

The executive lounge is not complete and breakfast at the 2nd floor cafe was provided (didn't eat this at I left at 4 am the next day) as an interim Gold amenity.

Turndown service provided a toy elephant (no bears or ducks).

There's a shuttle bus service to the Ploenchit BTS station.

Most of the restaurants were not open. However, the Cafe@ 2 has a very nice buffet (THB 450 for lunch or dinner) which comes with a salad bar, 3 kinds of seafood, sushi/sashimi bar (chef on hand) with very fresh fish, prime rib (with bone), dim sum, thai, asian and other warm food, and Indian bar, and dessert. Presentation and freshness looked excellent (didn't have the buffet as I had the lunch buffet (this was excellent except for the sweet tom yum soup) at the J.W. Marriott's White Elephant).

The sashimi/sushi combo one companion has was fresh and excellent (came from the sushi bar). The pan-fried snapper, Thai-style, I had was similarly fresh and excellent.

Links to a photo site will be posted as soon as I upload them.

Hunted around for consolidated rates but the hotel seems to be holding firm on rates. Lowest was the USD 125 rate (booked a 112.50 AAA rate - not that they asked for the card).

Post any questions you have and I'll be glad to answer.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 01-12-2003).]

Huh?

Last I read was that opening was pushed back to March 1. Glad you got in. Thanks for the report.

Interesting & detailled report. Thanks for sharing it. I'm looking forward to see the pics.

great report!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
Turndown service provided a toy elephant (no bears or ducks).
</font>

Awwww, now I wish we'd stayed at the Conrad when we were in BKK! I guess I'll have to go back.

As we rode into town, I saw the Conrad from the highway. I had the impression that for a single night stay - in one night, out the next morning - that this might be a relatively convenient place to stay. What do you think, Terenz? How long a drive is it to the Conrad from the airport?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by SanDiego1K:
How long a drive is it to the Conrad from the airport?
</font>

I wouldn't stay at the Conrad if I was flying into or out of BKK on a U.S. airline (departure too early/arrival too late) unless I got it cheap or had money to burn.

At any rate, it didn't take 20 minutes for the driver to get me to the terminal, and this was without using the expressway (virtually no traffic at 4 a.m.). Doubt a late arrival from the U.S. would take much longer, and would probably take less.

I always adjust the louvers on the A/C vents, if they are blowing cold air on me, especially if in bed. Turn them toward the ceiling and to the opposite side of the room for REAL circulation. Usually use a low fan setting also.

Had problems with getting the temperature just right at the hotels on my Get Away From the Holidays trip last month.
The Bangkok Marriott resort was renovating the rooms hardwood floors and NEW baths. Bu the Control Panel for the lights, clock and A/C was not working well. They had just finished the room I got and were working on the adjacent rooms down the hall facing the pool. It was either too hot or too cold. One nite the lights kept going on.
Also couldn't stand the CNBC TV feed with the India market. The Satelite company changed it from the nitely American feed.

Went to the JWMarriott for the last week of the year, since I never stayed in that part of town. Closer to the airport for a faster less costly get away. Similiar Hot or Cold A/C adjustment only. Funny, I liked the cosy feeling of the two Marriotts more then the Suite at the Dusit Thani, which had the same temperature setting problems, as well as, TOO hot water for the shower/bath.

All 3 hotels had great breakfast bufffets, as well as, dinner buffets. With the drinks and appetizers in the Executive Lounges, passed on the evening dinner buffets. Just can't eat all that food. The fruits and vegetable look and taste so perfect, I thought that they must be artificial! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Much shopping near the 3 hotels. Dept stores have more goods then any I see around here. Alway find the best bed pillows for firm, but comfortable support to bring home as the 'great find'!

Well i've finally got around to posting up my trip report for the new Conrad Bangkok Hotel.

It was strange how I ended up getting this hotel, I ended up originally planning to spend 5 nights at the Hilton in BKK, but due to the Hilton being completely full, I had to revert to the Conrad. I originally was more than happy to stay at the Hilton as it was around 30% cheaper (A$140 v. A$195/night through my travel agent) but in hindsight, i'm very glad I stayed at the Conrad.

I stayed in late January, the hotel had only been open for 3 weeks, the official opening is not until March I believe. They have already run a number of activities pre-launch, including spiderman climbing up the building, they have one BTS train with conrad all over it, various print ads, etc.

Upon arriving at BKK airport, I proceeded down to the taxi stand, mentioned my hotel, I don't think they knew the hotel, so I said 'wireless road' / all season place, she wrote it down. The taxi driver really didn't have a clue either, so I said, it's near the hilton. The taxi driver proceeded to drive in the direction, taking the toll way. The fare cost about 300 THB including the 50 THB airport surcharge and 70 THB in tolls. It took around 20 mins to get to the hotel, I arrived around 10pm on a SYD-BKK TG 743 flight.

I was aware of what the hotel logo looks like so as we drove near the area, I spotted the hotel building and pointed the driver to head there. He quickly arrived. Upon arrival, the bellboys, quickly opened my door, collected my bags.

- note - if you do decide to stay here, make sure you keep the address (ideally written in thai if possible), as many taxi drivers are still unaware of the conrad. The nearest place they may know is the Plaza Athenee, Sum Lom Night Bazaar, Hilton, Ploen Chit BTS train station. It's towards the Sukhumvit part of BKK so if they aren't going in that direction, they're going the wrong way.

Checkin now!

Well, they had all my papers there, as I had organised this through a travel agent, they had an envelope there for me, with my coupon and receipt. I promptly provided this to them. I gave them my f/flyer card and HH gold card. They proceeded to check me in as ususal. They put me into a corner room on the 25th Floor. Not the executive floor but they would give me executive floor access. They advised rooms on the executive floor were still being renovated (this is true).

The lobby - I think guy betsy or someone else has mentioned this, whilst it's not overthetop, it is discreet and very very nice. the roof goes up 3 levels and the restaurants overlook the void in the lobby area. The bathrooms in the lobby are beautiful with round, base mounted bowl.

They have 6 lifts which take you to one of the 392 rooms. The decor is very brown! but very beautiful. I can see this aging. When I arrived the reception and everyone was very proud of their hotel, they said they had a french singer in the bar, if i'd like to come down later for a drink.

The room - they gave me a corner room, which I could tell was larger than most, there was a hallway to walk into the room, outside the room they had fresh plants throughout, beautiful prints. There were two double beds in the room, a walk in robe enough if you removed the cupboards and hanging areas, to lay down and sleep in!, there was a safe as ususal, 2 robes, 2 slippers, shoe polish, lint remover, etc. The walk in robe had 2 glass doors. There is a work desk which is large, and spacious. They have broadband internet modem or 10 base-t, price - about US$15/day. They do not have PCMCIA 10base-t lan cards (unlike the hilton tokyo), so make sure you bring this. There are a number of drawers next to the study desk and 2 under the desk. They have plenty of mirrors in the hallway as you enter. Before you get to the room, there is a concealed bar fridge, coffee, tea, etc. They had 4 bottles of complimentary water when I arrived, along with ice and glasses and napkins (cloth, with conrad printed on them).

The beds had beautiful fabric (thai silk, etc) on them, beautiful pillows, throw pillows plus what 2 dutch wives (i'll let you figure out what those are!), there is an alarm clock (seperate not integrated), and a superb lighting system for throughout the room. There are 2 windows in the corner room, one larger one with magnets for the curtains to ensure they lock together so as not to allow in any light in the morning, the have a table to eat on with 2 beautiful chairs (complete with fruits in a beautiful ceramic bowl (apples, mandarins, bannanas) the TV is a larger 68cm from what i remember, which pulls out and can be moved in any direction, they have full cable, including discovery (a must!) plus plenty of other interesting channels!, they include a tv guide and cable guide. there is a second window with curtains about half the size as the main one, next to the bathroom.

THe bathroom has a frosted glass / wood door, the bathroom is amazing, there is a free standing bathtub with 3 wood pane blinds/covers for the windows which can be moved to open for a view or completely opened like a door. THe views, breathtaking.

THere is a seperate shower, a glass window closing the shower. the shower is very large, as with the rest of the room it is completely covered in marble/granite. You have the choice of a showerhead, or a shower from the sky in the shower... amazing.. water just pours from the roof int he shower, amazing, loved it. The shampoos, conditions, body wash were all superb, best i've had at a hilton property yet. they were caled seagrass and they were in beautiful long cyclindrical containers. There was also some nice additions, an earthy body scrub thing!, shavers, toothbrushes, sewing kits, soaps, etc all wrapped in a beautiful white paper with the conrad logo on it. All very very good quality. The bathroom basin had a base mounted freestanding bowl with glass around. There was a hair dryer in a seperate velvet bag, with drawers on either side of the basin. The toilet was in a seperate area of the bathroom with a half wall seperating it. There was a fresh yellow/cream rose in the bathroom witha fern and 2 bottles of water.

The executive floor -

Well breakfast the next day was amazing... i thought we were the ONLY people who had eaten there late that morning, they were very good at concealing any evidence of anyone having eaten there before you. Anyway, the executive lounge is very large and spacious, it has two sides, one side for smokers (smaller) and one side for non smoking where everything is located, which is huge - much larger than the hilton SIN. It's about the size of the Hilton SF, perhaps larger even, but twice the width. The tables were set for breakfast, you have a choice to eat near the buffet or further down the other end in a quiet, more obscure area.

The promptly welcomed us, asked for the room number pulled out the chairs, tucked us into the chairs. There were 4 women there ready to serve us in very smart, grey suits. They asked us for tea/coffee, etc, we just had juice - apple and orange, and WOW, the juice is REALLY fresh, i'm sure they have someone at the hotel squeeze it. Best i've had at any hotel.

The breakfast consists of pork congee, japanese miso (with plenty of additions for both), about 8 hot dishes (ranging from hams, eggs, sausages, seafoods - salmon, prawns, etc). They can also make an omlette for you if you want (i never asked the 5 days I was there), they also have cold meats, salmon, sauces, salads, bircher muesli and other muesli and cerals, fresh fruits including my favourite - dragon fruit and danish pastries, breads, etc. all that with a great view out over the sukhumvit area of BKK on the 29th Level.

They have a bathroom in the exec lounge and a high speed PC with a plasma screen, they will have 2 there by now the nice lady told me. They also have a large plasma screen playing cable tv (channel v, etc), plus a large periodical stand.

The fitness area ---

Take my breath away, they have a seperate dedicated aerobics instructor, she took us on a full guided tour of the fitness area, including their jogging track, complete with mini waterfall, they freeform pool (huge, though not that deep), plus jacuzzi. Unfortunately their changerooms and inside spa and sauna were not yet completed). They have a security guard on the level, always, who always opens the door for you when u head out into the pool area. They typically have 2 gym instructors in the gym always, all with the latest gym equipment, joggers, cycling, free weights, machines, rowers, etc. they will also install TV's over each of the jogging machines (perhaps 14 inch I was told). The gym doesn't close till 10pm.

They also have tennis courts - 2 flood lit with seperate showers attached and bathrooms. We played tennis a number of times there, with free balls and great wilson pro staff racquets. Though from Feb they will be charging a nominal fee. They also have a hitter if you don't have anyone to play with!

When we did play tennis, everytime without doubt they brought out a clock, water, two glasses, coasters and two citronella towels in a wood container to wipe our faces. One night we were going to do aerobics first, then when we moved to play tennis, they had everything set up for us...

The drinks at the pool are around US$3 for smoothies, etc. Normal drinks (ie apple juice) is the same as their smoothies. Great value. Room service is also very cheap, tom yum soup with rice and it is very elaborately set up with a table they bring in, etc etc is only US$5... it's about the same for pad thai, etc.

transport --

They have an all seasons bus which takes you to and from Ploen Chit BTS train station which takes you to Siam, etc. It costs around 10-25 THB on the train. The bus comes every 10-15 mins or so. Taxi's in Thailand are very cheap as well. You could walk to Ploen Chit (we walked back a few times) around a 7-10 min walk. I would enter via the ballroom back.

Whenever we left from the lobby, the bellboys always opened the doors for us, and i assure u that was PLENTY of times. We also had no problems organising a taxi back to the airport, they organised one waiting for us after we checked out, and no extortion, just a meter fare - cost only 125THB on the meter plus 70 THB in tolls. Additionally they have a larger shopping arcade alongside the hotel which is next to deserted. Including a full sized supermarket with virtually anything you need, plus food, burger king, sizzler etc. THey also have an internet room in the hotel, but it is quite pricey - around US$5/hour. But they give you 1 hr free internet per day in the executive floor PCs.

Checkout was very smooth, they had everything ready for me as I mentioned the evening before for a 6am checkout, and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and they proceessed everything while i had breakfast on the exec floor (again empty, no one there!!)

This has got to be one of the best hotels in the world...

Finally I forgot to mention the animals... they're elephants... 2 silk elephants (2 red/burgundy ones on the first day - jim thomson, made out of silk), plus a squeaky yellow elephant in the bath... and on the third day, they also provided an additional 2 silk blue elephants and another squeaky yellow elephant for the bathroom.

We also had our fruit basket regularly replaced and an evening turn down service every night. When you put do not disturb (its a button) they never disturb you rather leave a message under your door) and the room has a door bell.

We did tip the exec floor staff every morning with a 100-200 THB tip. They were very nice and helpful as always and very chatting. They also have very good english. For evening, the exec floor also serves alchoholic drinks and canapes at no extra charge, canapes include prawns, seafood, etc, great. they also have afternoon snacks as well.

Definitely loved the hotel, and plan to go back again this year. Please be aware around mid year Thailand because hot and horrible, best time to visit to Dec-Feb.

Were all the elephants considered gifts?

Thanks for the excellent report. I will update when I get back from my stay in mid march. Hoping for a great experience with stays in the conrads in BKK, HKG and SIN.

------------------
Robert

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by skywalk:
Were all the elephants considered gifts?</font>

CONRAD hotels in asia provide plush toys as turn down amenities instead of chocolates and yes you can take them home.

CONRAD HK gives you a small teddy bear and yellow rubber ducky.
CONRAD BKK gives you small silk elephant and yellow squeaky elephant near bath tub.
CONRAD SIN gives you customeed dolls. One for each night of the week!

Now if only other CONRADS will do that!

The Mc Lean Hiton, VA (yes, in the US!) use to give yellow rubber ducks.... It was ... well over 5 years ago ...

Finally got the photos loaded

http://photos.yahoo.com/e36th

Thanks a lot, Terenz. That is a very informative and helpful report.

I like the elephants!!.

I'll be there to see for myself in a couple weeks, but from the pictures it looks similar to the Park Hyatt Melbourne.

This bathroom is nicer than the ones I had. It has a window. Thanks, terenz. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Just beware: BKK fone numbers beginning with 01, 05, 06, 07, and 09 are mobile fones and these do not qualify as free under the Hilton Honors telephone4free bennies.

Price for these mobile fone numbers is a staggering 30 baht per minute (about .75 cents USD).

Just checked out and was subjected to these charges. A 14 minute mobile call was just under $8.00 USD, as an example.

OOUCH! This 4free deal just ka-chinged! LOL.

[This message has been edited by tvl4free (edited 10-14-2003).]

What is telephone4free? I've never heard of it (and I'm Hilton Gold). I know that Wyndham offers free long distance to its byRequest guests.

telephone4free = Free local calls, an HonorsElite benefit.

. . . at some hotels.

If you are staying at the Conrad BKK and sharing a room with another HH member, be aware that the executive floor manager is getting sticky about alternating stays.

Luckily, she must have been on vacation during the 1st 6 days of this year. We were thinking of staying a 2nd night but now think we'll go stay at a cheap airport hotel in light of the 0605 flight departure time.

I had no problem doing this in September 2003.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
If you are staying at the Conrad BKK and sharing a room with another HH member, be aware that the executive floor manager is getting sticky about alternating stays.

Luckily, she must have been on vacation during the 1st 6 days of this year. We were thinking of staying a 2nd night but now think we'll go stay at a cheap airport hotel in light of the 0605 flight departure time.</font>


Julie is a regular reader of this forum.

Hi Julie http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Odds are I'm not gonna be in BKK soon, and I normally don't do roommates, but I'm a bit confused by your post & thought I'd get some clarification.

You're sharing a room, so you're both checking in/out? and then alternating who's trying to get stays? you're not checking out & trying to alternate who's getting stay on same stay?

You're trying to work the system legally or really pushing it?

BTW - when I read BKK getting sticky, I thought you meant checking out & a couple of days later checking back in & my initial response was well they can't control that (thinking single person) & if you're willing to go through all the packing/unpacking inconvenience.

So any clarification on the above appreciated. Cheers.

------------------
Sharon

Alternating daily between my GF and myself to rack up stays. FWIW, the front desk has no problems about doing it (as does every single Hilton property we've stayed in in the U.S., Argentina and Australia) and the Conrad executive floor staff in H.K. have absolutely no qualms about doing it and are all too willing to help.

BTW, the said manager also likes to enforce the dress code selectively.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
Alternating daily between my GF and myself to rack up stays. </font>

Working the system is one thing - but if you're going to do it, I'd definitely make you pay the price, particularly checking in and out and changing rooms on a daily basis.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bigjim:
I'd definitely make you pay the price, particularly checking in and out and changing rooms on a daily basis.</font>

If suite upgrades were available, we'd do it! And we would have got 8 silk elephants instead of 2. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif Have them in 3 different shades.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
BTW, the said manager also likes to enforce the dress code selectively.</font>

Provide some details, stories like that are always entertaining.

Massive inconsistencies with attitude behaviour of staff in this hotel, contradictory messages from front desk and exec floor desk (the former being considerably more professional than the latter).

I used to love this place but have cooled considerably not least because of the behaviour of staff towards my fiance. There loss not mine, but whilst the place has the potential to be really great, it won't realise this potential without a radical overhaul of staffing.

The only thing which gets me is that I used to earn most of my HH points here, and staying elsewhere will probably mean that I lose my Diamond card this year. But rather that than treated badly, sometimes the points just are not worth it (heresy maybe on this board http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif).

This is my second stay at this fabulous property. The manager at the Executive Lounge (Julie :D ) provided an upgrade to a full access for the lounge. Thanks Julie ^ .

The room is a Deluxe corner room with a Lanai. Few minor "dents" :) here and there but overall a beautiful room on the 27th floor. The girls in the Lobby Bar are as beautiful and friendly as ever. Unfortunately 87 is closed for renovations. I do miss it.

I still rank the HKG property higher, but BKK moved within .5 point on the scale.(HKG - a perfect 10, BKK - almost perfect 9.5) The staff is amazing, the location is great for me. The public areas are just beautiful. A great stay. Instead of a teddy bear and the duck you get a small stuffed and plastic elephants.

I hate to do this to the hotel but for anybody staying here and looking for a great lunch place without technically "leaving" the hotel, try The Deli. It's the first storefront in the mall which is attached to the hotel. Take the elevator to the second floor, walk by the business center to the mall entrance and you are there. They have fresh soups made daily, great sandwiches and fabulous bakery products. Yesterday I actually made it a dinner place. Amazing Sweet Potato Cream Soup, a Ham and Cheese sandwich and e'Claire(sp?), just the break I needed from all the great Thai food I've been sampling for the last few days.

One suggestion to Julie - a free internet access in Executive floor rooms? It would seem like the thing to do. Right now it costs about $16 per 24 hour period. Rather high to begin with.


BTW, took a quick long-tail boat river cruise yesterday and saw the new Hilton Millennium being worked on. It looks like about 1/2 done. Does anybody know when the property is scheduled to open? Hopefully when I visit BKK some time soon I could get 2 stays in one city :D .

Completely concur...we also were in BKK this wknd and with prepaid rate of ±129 including taxes were upgraded to corner suite with lounge access. From the spa and pool to the lounge they always deliver.

Just so sad to miss breakfast catching the 7am UA flight out.

FYI-We also spent a week at Acadia Hilton Phuket...100% and in need of lnly customers. Like a ghost town/city. Sad to see the place so empty.

I was here for the first time at the end of December and I would agree with your ratings on Conrads BKK and HKG.

I just used the free Internet access in the lounge and had no problem with moderately long sessions. Free in-room access doesn't seem to be the norm in Asia or Europe.

Ask Julie for a recommendation for a good, close Thai restaurant and she'll direct you out the back door to a wonderful place just steps away. We tried it and I'll surely go back. Can't recall the name and I'm on the road now.

Great property.

Just so sad to miss breakfast catching the 7am UA flight out.

Did you ask if they would provide you with a boxed breakfast in the early AM? Some Asian Conrad's will do that; not sure if the BKK one will. Not the lounge, but something.

Did you ask if they would provide you with a boxed breakfast in the early AM? Some Asian Conrad's will do that; not sure if the BKK one will. Not the lounge, but something.


I just came back from the lounge. I had a short talk with Julie about my (possible) return in May and also about breakfast tomorrow. My flight leaves at 8:30am, so I ordered a car for 6am(flying JAL coach :( ) so no premium/elite lines for me. She told me to knock on the door at about 5:45 (lounge opens at 6am) and I could grab few things, but she did not mention anything about boxed breakfast so I just have to assume they do not offer any.

Also, I found out that BKK Conrad provides the departure tax stickers without any administrative fees. It's 500 Baht, just like at the airport, BUT they have to get them in the morning as these things are dated and sold on the same day only. According to Julie, it probably won't work for me, because the lounge does not get them till later in the morning, but if anybody has a little later flight this will save you time and waiting in lines at the airport. You have to get them early on the day of departure because Conrad only gets a limited number. If they don't sell them I guess they eat the cost. There was a gentlemen in the lounge looking for 8 and Julie only had 2 left for today.


BTW, the Deli I mentioned above is run by Conrad. Just came back from there after having a wonderful Tomato soup and I looked at the sign. Very highly recommended.

I've never waited more than 60 seconds to the 500 baht tax paper at the airport.

I've never waited more than 60 seconds to the 500 baht tax paper at the airport.

My point was that's just one less thing to worry about at the airport.

She told me to knock on the door at about 5:45 (lounge opens at 6am) and I could grab few things, but she did not mention anything about boxed breakfast so I just have to assume they do not offer any.

Could swear I read about boxed breakfast at the Conrad BKK, but maybe it was in SIN. In any case, great property. Have a safe trip.

My son will love this on your handle:

Manchester United and Chicago Bears #1 fan

We check in on Friday for a 6 night GLON2 Stay. We can't wait!!!

Could swear I read about boxed breakfast at the Conrad BKK, but maybe it was in SIN. In any case, great property. Have a safe trip.

BKK does offer the box breakfast when i was there last week, one of the staff were making the arrangements for the people sitting next to me in the lounge.

When we were at the Conrad BKK in December 2003, we had the same need for an early checkout to catch that UA flight. Expecting to miss breakfast, we were pleasantly surprised that in the lobby a table had been set up with coffee and tea dispensers, danish and juices.

Definitely the Conrad BKK is at the top of any list when it comes to serving its customers.

^ ^ ^ ^

Conrad Bangkok

Revenue Stay, 4 nights
HHonors Diamond

One Word: Incredible.

Getting There:
From the airport, we took a taxi to the Conrad. When the cabbie heard ‘Wireless Road’ he knew right where to go. We considered taking a shared bus, but the ladies who were running it seemed unsure of where the Conrad was.

The taxi was cheap. Be prepared to pay tolls for him/her. (It’s about $1.50 max)
After a half hour or so drive, the fare was still only $9.00.

Check-In:
Hands down, the BEST reception we’ve ever had at a Hilton hotel.
Although we were weary from 20 hours of travel, staffers at the front desk greeted us with warm smiles and respectful bows.

When the clerk realized we were executive floor guests (upgrade) he passed us off to a Guest Relations Specialist who brought us to our room to complete check-in.
We completed the necessary paperwork inside our beautiful room.

Room:
This is how the other-half lives.
We had an absolutely incredible room.
Really, it was a suite, not just a room.
…An upgrade INSTANTLY winning a place on the top of my “Best Upgrades” list.

The hotel went out of its way to make us feel welcome.
Arrangements of wonderful red roses were found in three places!

A silk elephant (whose name is now Conrad thanks to MissBumpMe!) was waiting for us on the bed—and another rubber one was guarding a rose-petal bath, which was also waiting for us. It’s too bad we didn’t arrive earlier because we were too tired to really enjoy all of these details (It was 8pm in Bangkok; we’d just come from Sydney!).

We had a sitting area which, itself, could be a great hotel room.
In fact, it might have been the same size as the room next door!

The bathroom included a stress-draining waterfall shower I wanted to export.
A tub large enough for two was the centerpiece, though. MissBumpMe! wanted to see if it would fit in her roll-aboard. …another export.

A flat panel (LCD) TV poised over the tub allowed her to watch the BBC in the buff!
We were surprised to find our NTSC (US Standard) camcorder’s output could be viewed by plugging in to it! We had a slide-show right there in the bathroom!

Lounge Access:
We got it!
..and, oh, are we glad we did.

As reported on FlyerTalk, the executive lounge is full of food and knowledge. Whether it was a question about where to go, what to do, how to get there, or where there’s a nearby tailor, an answer was no more than a phone call or a lounge visit away.

What is wonderful about the Conrad’s Lounge is that it has smokers have their own room. This makes the experience consistently smoke –free a huge plus for me.

As for the food, the selections were artfully presented and tasted great.
I’ll admit there was much I would probably never eat, but it was a great way to taste different dishes without regret. (Well, our tastebuds might disagree a bit, but we lived!)

Breakfast:
Our first meal of the day was always filling at the Conrad. The European recipe for scrambled eggs it uses, however, isn’t for us. We prefer our eggs at least partially cooked! Some of the Thai dishes served for breakfast were our favorites. Fried Rice for breakfast? Sure!

Afternoon Tea:
Warm scones, mini sandwiches, and other finger foods came out just as our appetites were saying “good afternoon!”
The Tea itself was well done. Mr. Lipton was nowhere to be found.
Be sure to try the chocolates; they are beyond comparison!

Evening Cocktails:
It’s two hours I wish would last for ten.
A few warm dishes were available. They may not be enough for dinner from some—but they hit the spot for us nonetheless each night. Views of the city from the 29th floor at night are impressive and relaxing.

Service in the Conrad Bangkok’s executive lounge is the most attentive I’ve ever experienced—anywhere. If we were to return solely to the hotel for a week I’d have no complaints so long as I had lounge access!

Cocktails were served to us, without hesitation, and limited only by our imaginations. At the end of the “free” period staffers even loaded us up to extend the 2-hour window!

Lounge at Other Times:
Any time we needed something, the lounge was ready to assist.
Soft drinks and juice or coffee and tea were just a request away.
With those offerings came nuts, chips, or even a sweet or two.

There’s internet access in the lounge that’s free for the first 20 minutes, if I remember correctly. It’s pretty quick, with a color printer available right in front of you.

Laundry:
It’s much cheaper than any hotel in the U.S. I’ve ever stayed at.
We were very much surprised to find my laundered (not dry cleaned) shirts returned in packaging which makes them look brand new. We’re talking plastic wrap, cardboard supports for the collar, and a flawless fold. We even left one in the plastic to show everyone in the U.S.!

Spa:
MissBumpMe! could not believe her eyes.
The prices for spa and salon services were actually –reasonable- at a hotel! What a concept!
She indulged with a manicure, pedicure, and later a polish treatment of some sort.
I tried to convince her a massage was in order, but she declined.

Pool:
Cold! Very, very Cold!
We walked around the building to a sun-deck of sorts to soak up the rays!
It was loud, with building and air conditioner noise, but relaxing nonetheless.

Check-Out:
We were generously given until 6pm for a late check-out.
The executive lounge took care of the details for us, and even had the ability to charge the country’s departure tax to our room. HHonors base points for paying a fee? Yipppeeee!!

The Taxi to the airport was even cheaper than the ride to the Conrad. It was $6! The flight was at 11:45pm, so we experienced a rapid ride which gave us extra time to relax at the airport. We didn’t need that time, as we were already a little “relaxed” from the evening cocktails in the lounge!

Overall:
We’re utterly impressed.
Service and attention to detail at this hotel were beyond even our highest expectations.
Bravo Conrad Bangkok!

What a great report. Thank you for all your attention to detail. I agree with everything you reported. The Conrad Bangkok is a fabulous hotel. The service is great. Julie and her staff in the Executive lounge are superb. I've stayed there several times including last month with my wife who thought it was fantastic. We'll be back to this hotel in future.

CONRAD BKK A GREAT PLACE

I VERY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU REPORTED.
very goo place to stay in bkk
The lounge is very good, and julie (exec lounge manager) so good, incredible,
she is very good, and tell us very good place to go in bkk, for evrything king of request , try it

i hope she still in conrad bkk for my next trip. if anyone have news from her ?

Did you book the executive level or were you upgraded? I'm going to BKK later this month. What kind of pricing?

Reserved a "Deluxe Room". And that is exactly what I received, on the 26th floor and not on 27 or above, the executive floor. I got lounge accesss, is this consider the special gift when an upgraded room is not available? I know the hotel wasn't full at all! :(

I only spent about 8 hours in the room so it wasn't a big deal. Just want to see what others have experienced at this property.

Reserved a "Deluxe Room". And that is exactly what I received, on the 26th floor and not on 27 or above, the executive floor. I got lounge accesss, is this consider the special gift when an upgraded room is not available? I know the hotel wasn't full at all! :(

I only spent about 8 hours in the room so it wasn't a big deal. Just want to see what others have experienced at this property.

Strange one. Should not have happened IMO. I received an upgrade to the exec floor plus the obligatory lounge access. Did you ask them about the reason?

I believe (corner room excepted) the "deluxe room" you got on the 26th floor is the same as executive floor rooms. Same size, same configuration.

I always seem to get the same room on the 31st floor - must be the only smoking room in the whole hotel.

I received a corner room - no idea what floor, but given I arrived at 11pm and was leaving at 7am the next day, the bed was all I needed.

Mark

Reserved a "Deluxe Room". And that is exactly what I received, on the 26th floor and not on 27 or above, the executive floor. I got lounge accesss, is this consider the special gift when an upgraded room is not available? I know the hotel wasn't full at all! :(

I only spent about 8 hours in the room so it wasn't a big deal. Just want to see what others have experienced at this property.

I would agree that the rooms are identical, this property has some idiosyncratic practices but to be honest I dont think you have missed out on much. In fact to be honest I would much rather have a non exec floor room on the All Seasons side of the property than a 31st floor "Expressway View Room" ;)

It is a real shame though that unlike all the other Conrads in Asia you cannot seem to choose to eat in the main restaurant for breakfast. Service in the Exec Lounge is atrociously slow and it is often very busy. I have had to resort to room service on my last few stays for breakfast because I just cannot be bothered waiting forever to be acknowledged let alone get my coffee etc.

The breakfast buffet is actually pretty good and I would much rather eat down there give the option.

On the contrary, I've found the Executive Lounge service to be very good and attentive. The food, especially the limited selection that is repeated every day, is entirely another matter. During my last stay this year (maybe around 10 consecutive nights) I stopped going after the 4th day because the food was the same day-in-day-out.

The fact that you cannot eat breakfast in the cafe is also a minus in this otherwise very good hotel. As a comparison, as a Marriott Plat last year, I could eat at their cafe at the JW during my stay there. But you cannot have everything in life I guess: the Conrad is, after all, still a very nice hotel.

my last 2 stays have included upgrades - don't know what happened. Nice hotel with nice services - including in-room check-in. :)

The fact that you cannot eat breakfast in the cafe is also a minus in this otherwise very good hotel. As a comparison, as a Marriott Plat last year, I could eat at their cafe at the JW during my stay there. But you cannot have everything in life I guess: the Conrad is, after all, still a very nice hotel.

I had no idea one can not do that. I just thought I would have breakfast at the lounge since I had a morning flight.

My stays at the SIN and HKG Conrad I was told I could have breakfast either at the lounge or the cafe by the check-in clerk, and was even encouraged to use the cafe since the breakfast has much better spread. However, BKK Conrad only mentioned the Executive Lounge.

How does this hotel treat Golds (upgrades especially)?

For lowly Golds there's the usual upgrade to the next better room category (typically a corner room) and free breakfast in the main restaurant, but no chance any more to get lounge access (see extensive thread about Julies's lounge policy).

For lowly Golds there's the usual upgrade to the next better room category (typically a corner room) and free breakfast in the main restaurant, but no chance any more to get lounge access (see extensive thread about Julies's lounge policy).
I have tried using Google to find the thread you’re talking about, but I just can’t find it. Perhaps you have the URL to this thread?

I'm a Gold and have stayed at 3 different Conrads. It seems that they have a policy of Giving you an upgraded room, B'fast but no access to the Exec. floor and lounge.

For lowly Golds there's the usual upgrade to the next better room category (typically a corner room) and free breakfast in the main restaurant, but no chance any more to get lounge access (see extensive thread about Julies's lounge policy).

I am sure the breakfast spread is much better at the main restaurant. Any chance that a Diamond can request breakfast at the restaurant instead of the lounge? However, the view from the window seats at the lounge can't be beat.

As a Gold you would be fortunate to get lounge access at any of the Conrads in SIN, BKK or HKG. In SIN they will give it if you book a Business Room, which is the next level down.

In BKK this is rarely sufficient (it depends what side of the bed Julie gets out of :D ) but they will probably do so after your fifth stay, subject to the occupancy at that time. Not sure of the policy in HKG as I have only stayed there once.

I have tried using Google to find the thread you’re talking about, but I just can’t find it. Perhaps you have the URL to this thread?

I found this long thread about Conrad BKK...maybe it's this one you are hunting for?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132364&page=1&pp=15

Cheers :cool:

I found this long thread about Conrad BKK...maybe it's this one you are hunting for?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132364&page=1&pp=15

Cheers :cool:
Perfect! Thanks! ^

Check-Out:
We were generously given until 6pm for a late check-out.
The executive lounge took care of the details for us, and even had the ability to charge the country’s departure tax to our room. HHonors base points for paying a fee? Yipppeeee!!

The Taxi to the airport was even cheaper than the ride to the Conrad. It was $6! The flight was at 11:45pm, so we experienced a rapid ride which gave us extra time to relax at the airport. We didn’t need that time, as we were already a little “relaxed” from the evening cocktails in the lounge!
[/I]

Great report on the hotel. Staying here in a few weeks time and we also have a very late flight back to the UK at about midnight and wondering whether we would be able to get a late check-out. Was there any problem as Diamond in getting such a late check-out? It's unusual to get such a late check-out. Did you ask on arrival or on your last day? Will also be arriving around midnight on a flight from Sydney. What's the traffic and taxis like around late evening/midnight from the airport?

Chris.

I am writing this as I end a wonderful stay at the Conrad Bangkok. Everything was perfect and it all began with a little advance planning with information from this Forum.

About a month in advance of my stay I emailed Julie, the Executive Floors manager, and asked to be upgraded to one of the executive floors. I also emailed the concierge service and asked for a Mercedes sedan to pick up my husband and myself from the airport (we arrived at 11:15 pm)--this costs about $37 US. Both responded back quickly in the affirmative.

Upon arrival at the BKK airport, I quickly found the Conrad representative who called the driver who was nearby. It was very hot in the airport so we enjoyed sitting in the cool sedan that had cold water and iced towels waiting for us. There was a long line for taxis that we avoided through this wonderful way of starting our vacation. As we approached the hotel, the driver called ahead and Bell staff were waiting with small circle of jasmine flowers and the concierge checked us in in our room. This was just delightful!

Our room was on the 27th floor. It was a nice sized classic room with beautiful appointments--I read here about the class wall between the sleeping room and the bathroom. It also had a loveseat, chair and small table and some beautiful Thai decorations. Of course the silk elephant was on the bed and the rubber elephant in the tub were nice touches (and mementos). We had a pillow menu where I could choose between 8 types of pillows--I got one very like my pillow at home. The bathroom amenities were from the spa and very nice, including bath salts for the tub. The shower had two showerheads, one that had a "rain" shower that was really nice. With the glass wall you could soak in the tub and watch tv as there was a speaker in the bathroom. Upon arrival, fruit and chocolates were waiting in the room.

We were invited to use the executive lounge (where I am using the complimentary internet now). The lounge offers breakfast, tea and a cocktail hour in the evening. Most importantly, it has absolutely wonderful staff who really made our stay memorable. Julie, the Executive Floors manager runs a wonderful operation and personally made many suggestions that were right on. Lily, her assistant, made dinner reservations and wrote a number of addresses in Thai on taxi cards for us--she couldnt be more helpful as were the other staff in the lounge.

We used the gym and pool on the 7th floor and both were nice. I particularly enjoyed the gym that had tvs attached to the cardio equipment--you just plugged in the headsets they provided and were set to go. Ice cold water and fruit were also provided. I did not have the time to try the exercise classes also offered.

The location of the Conrad was very convenient to the night market (we walked down and took a tuk-tuk back) Lumphini park and the skytrain station. Julie recommended Embassy tailors, a short walk from the hotel, and I was very pleased with the three piece silk suit I got (you need three days as there were three fittings. be sure to bargain a little on the price. you would love the quality and the fit)

In my opinion, this is the best Hilton I have stayed in and I plan to return. Thank you Julie, Lily and all the other wonderful staff at the Conrad Bangkok

thanks for this good description of the conrad. i like it a lot, too, as it was said on this board before, i think it is a great hotel in BKK, it's not the oriental or the pen, but it is top notch also for business stays.

Thanks for the really great review. I'll be staying at the Conrad BKK in February and am really looking forward to it, especially after reading the reviews here. Thais seem to be really good at customer service generally but the Conrad seems incredible. I only hope that I get a somewhat similar experience when I go, especially considering that I'm only a GOLD, not a diamond member. ;)

Preface: In BKK to pick up my EK/UA RTW ticket.

Rate: I purchased a weekend package for $139 which included a 30 minute Thai massage, Sky monorail day pass with BKK guides and I think breakfast.

Transportation: Took a cab from the Royal Orchid Sheraton (don't even think about it). Less than $5 USD all in.

Check-in: I knew from my e-mails I had already been upgraded to the Executive Floors. Upon arrival I was escorted to my room on 28 for check-in. I booked my complimentary spa treatment along with another treatment via e-mail. I would suggest same as the spa books up fast. Told Lounge on 29. Very nice so far.

Perks: As noted above. HSIA complimentary and local calls also.

Room: My only negative is the room is a bit small. However it was impressive and wll thought out. The Conrad Tokyo feels like this Hotel. Upon entry the bathroom was to the right and a small area to open you luggage to the left followed by a closet, bar area, tv in furniture, desk, nice view of BKK skyline (no water or river view), comfy king bed, sitting area. The bathroom has a separate rain shower head, soaking tub and single basin sink. A large glass window separates the bathroom from bedroom area. You may close a curtain for privacy. Fresh fruits and candy on a small table in sitting area of bedroom.

Communications: HSIA is wired and complimentary for Executive floor. Regular rate was a little less than $20 USD. Also. I used my calling card and thought I would have a charge for access. These were removed upon check out.

Location: Attached to a medium sized modern mall with lots of food choices. Not high end food mind you. But enough to keep you sustained. I order room service in the evening and it was excellent. Convenient to monorail.

Closing: The Hotel has a excellent Spa. Highly recommend. I have found my home in BKK. I would be foolish to stay any place else in the future. Exceptional.

I'm glad you were pleased. I have always been content with my stays at this hotel.

It sounds as though you got the smallest room possible. That only happened to me once, on either my first or second stay. Since then, I am always given a larger room and twice have had lovely suites. At least for me, the hotel really takes care of returning guests.

Do you know how the Conrad compares to the JW Marriott nearby?

Do you know how the Conrad compares to the JW Marriott nearby?

I have stayed at both. I prefer the Conrad. The rooms are larger, with more contemporary decor. The rooms at the JW Marriott are quite small.

The lounges are both excellent, with generous food offerings in the evening.

Despite preferring the Conrad, I can often find sufficiently better rates at the JW Marriott that I stay there.

(I am top tier in both Hilton and Marriott's programs, thus the club access.)

Hmmm. First I have heard that in-room wired internet access is free on the executive floors. I knew the wireless in the lounge was, but didn't know the in-room was.

It most certainly was. I got a e-mail stating Executive floor benefits, a menu of benefits at check-in and I confirmed before signing in as it said I would be charged. No charge.

Staying here for the first time in August.
Does anyone have any experience with paying the higher rate for 1 night then "downgrading" the rate but not having to change the room? As a gold.

I am there a lot (last time in mid-December). Must be a change for the New Year. That is what the Sheraton Sukhumvit has been doing in their Deluxe rooms for some time.

Good to know. Thanks.

It most certainly was. I got a e-mail stating Executive floor benefits, a menu of benefits at check-in and I confirmed before signing in as it said I would be charged. No charge.

Thanks for the review! How is the location? I have two brief stays in BKK next month and will be staying at the Marriott Resort and Spa for one. I'm considering staying at the Conrad for the other. Is the Conrad in a good location for those traveling for pleasure and not just for business?

Depends on what you want to do.

The Marriott is quite distant from everything. Yes, there is shuttle boat service, but it is all quite time consuming.

Thanks for the review! How is the location? I have two brief stays in BKK next month and will be staying at the Marriott Resort and Spa for one. I'm considering staying at the Conrad for the other. Is the Conrad in a good location for those traveling for pleasure and not just for business?

Thanks for the review! How is the location? I have two brief stays in BKK next month and will be staying at the Marriott Resort and Spa for one. I'm considering staying at the Conrad for the other. Is the Conrad in a good location for those traveling for pleasure and not just for business?
The Conrad really is not that close to the Skytrain. You need to take a shuttle bus to it and wait in the heat for the shuttle bus to return to the hotel after you get off the train. It is not a nice walk to the hotel because it is down an alley filed with guys on motor bikes and others that try to rip off tourist. You will need to take a taxi everywhere from the hotel. Good news, taxis are very cheap.

I have been torn between the Hyatt and Conrad for over a year now. The Conrad is more modern and I like the lounge better. However the Hyatt is in a better location and you never need to go onto the street to get to the skytrain, connected by elevated walking paths and mall to the station.


I will say that if you are going to stay at the Conrad, and you are not Diamond, pay for a club room.

The Conrad really is not that close to the Skytrain. You need to take a shuttle bus to it and wait in the heat for the shuttle bus to return to the hotel after you get off the train. It is not a nice walk to the hotel because it is down an alley filed with guys on motor bikes and others that try to rip off tourist. You will need to take a taxi everywhere from the hotel. Good news, taxis are very cheap.

I have been torn between the Hyatt and Conrad for over a year now. The Conrad is more modern and I like the lounge better. However the Hyatt is in a better location and you never need to go onto the street to get to the skytrain, connected by elevated walking paths and mall to the station.


I will say that if you are going to stay at the Conrad, and you are not Diamond, pay for a club room.

Soi Ruam Rudee (the "alley" you refer to) is actually quite a good location by BKK standards with the most expensive condo development in BKK (the Athenee Residence) under construction there. The motorcycle taxi guys are a normal feature of BKK life and are not there to rip off the tourists, rather to save those locals/expats who live at the end of the soi a long walk home.

The Hyatt is at least as far from the nearest BTS (Rajadamri, Chidlom or Siam) as the Conrad. It is possible to walk (5 minutes) between Ploenchit BTS and The Conrad down either Soi Ruam Rudee or Wireless Road (Thanon Witthayu) in 5 minutes. Unless you have a medical condition and/or are grossly fat, there is no need to take a taxi from the Conrad to many nearby locations and attractions. I have walked from the Conrad to Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in just over 10 minutes, especially at this time of year when the weather is particularly pleasant.

The Conrad residence is infinitely better value than the main hotel and is to be recommended as IMHO the best value hotel suites in town, since the service in the residence is now virtually identical to that in the main hotel. I am always willing to forego the dubious pleasure of the Exec lounge for a full breakfast in Cafe@2.

Land-of-Miles. Can you tell us more about bookings at the residence? Rates? Do we get points? As stated I did find the room small. Thanks

You can book the residence on line at Hilton.com. It will not show any availability unless you book at least seven days. The rates last year were about $130.00 a night.

You get points and stay credits, but no lounge access (regardless of status).

They are all suites (the corner ones nicer than the regular ones), but they are not as nicely decorated as the hotel rooms.

Any experience of what Hilton Golds get here? I'm staying 1 Feb for a few nights and have been really looking forward to it.

Also, I couldn't find any info on the website about the spa. Are the treatments there especially expensive? In the past I'd gone to the Devarana Spa at the Dusit Thani.

I was actually also impressed with the Spa. I just checked my bill and paid 2900 for either 90 or 120 minutes. If you e-mail the Hotel they can forward on to the Spa. The Spa has a pdf menu of services they offer.

I just checked prices for Saturday night and it looks like the spa package is now $149 plus tax, at least for next month.

How is the executive lounge here? I'm going to be in BKK for 5 or 6 nights next month, and want to check the Conrad out for one night, at least. Any decent Diamond benefits? How early of a checkin, and how late of a checkout?

Thanks!

You can book the residence on line at Hilton.com. It will not show any availability unless you book at least seven days. The rates last year were about $130.00 a night.

You get points and stay credits, but no lounge access (regardless of status).

They are all suites (the corner ones nicer than the regular ones), but they are not as nicely decorated as the hotel rooms.

The decor is a matter of taste, I would not say they are niot as nicely decorated they are just different. The bathroom is not as luxurious, but a residence suite is better laid out and more practical (as well as substantially cheaper) than most of the Conrad hotel suites. There is also better TV availability (cable channels) and a DVD player.

The 7 night minimum stay appears to be being relaxed. I know someone who has booked into the residence for a 3 night stay in November with no problems, YMMV. The price they paid for a 2 bed suite was $400 inclusive of taxes for 3 days, contrast that with the hotel rates of c.$135++ a night for the small regular room.

The only difference between the residence and hotel apart from the styling differences is the lack of Exec Lounge Access. Since I think the lounge at the Conrad BKK is extremely overated this doesnt bother me at all.

Responding to J Cartero's post.

The lounge at the Conrad is ok (Outstanding by US standards, average by Asian standards). The lounge becomes etremely busy at peak times and I have always found eating breakfast to be an unpleasant experience unless you are an early or late riser. They have too few staff to cope with the number of guests during peak times and the service tends to reflect this. The food and drink offerings are quite good, but not as good as they once were.

As to early/late check in/out, I have considerable experience of late check out but not early check in. I always found that the main front desk were more accomodating than the Exec floor desk when processing such requests. I was on one occasion forced to accept an additional day charge for a 6 hour extension to check out by the Exec Floor manager. Upon checking out my key to the Exec floor would not work so I had to check out using the front desk and was charged for only 1/2 a day "as was the policy". In short I have found the Exec floor staff to be relatively mean with late check outs and they will gouge you for full/half day additional charges at every opportunity, again YMMV.

The lounge at the Conrad is ok (Outstanding by US standards, average by Asian standards).

Asia standards for Conrad/Hilton or including other chains?

I would rank the Asian Hilton & Conrad Lounges that I have stayed at in this order:


Conrad BKK
Hilton Tokyo
Hilton Hanoi Opera
Millenium Seoul Hilton
Hilton Beijing
Hilton Shanghai


Hoping to add the Conrad HKG & Conrad Tokyo later this spring.

None of these lounges are on par with the Hilton Cavalieri in Rome.

I checked in before noon and it was not a problem.

I am looking forward to my next stay here after my three night stay last October. The executive floors manager Julie and her assistant Lilly couldnt have been nicer and went out of their way for us. The lounge was beautifully appointed and I enjoyed the breakfast, afternoon tea and evening wine and appetizers served there.
As for the room, the "classic" room was very nice in my opinion. While not a suite, it was decorated beautifully and was big enough for me, with a loveseat and chair right outside the glass wall separating the wonderful bathroom.

How about the elephants? One on the bed and one in the bathroom. The fabric one on the bed was one of four.

I've stayed at the Conrad several times and liked it. As a Gold though I was 0-3 on any kind of Gold recognition. The rooms are beautifully and very tastefully decorated with goregeous silk bed coverlets, and the elephants make great gifts! It's part of a shopping complex with Starbucks etc. I used the spa one time for an aromatherapy oil massage and was very impressed - private suites, ginger tea before hand etc. Pricey by BKK standrads but not by U.S. prices. The location really isn't bad at all -- we always walked to the skytrain, just a few blocks and not much of a hassle. Note the beds are very hard, so if you like them squishy you will have backache in the morning.

The motorcycle taxi guys are a normal feature of BKK life and are not there to rip off the tourists, rather to save those locals/expats who live at the end of the soi a long walk home.

I concur wholeheartedly with the above. I use them all the time ("moto-sai") everywhere in BKK, especially when I stay at the Conrad to get back to the hotel from the BTS and elsewhere - saves a walk in the heat and waiting for the shuttle.

I think it is 10 baht ("sip baht") a ride.

Just checked out from the Conrad and cancelled my two upcoming stays.

What an utter piece of crap.

- The lounge is OK not superior by any standard. If you ask for champagne during the cocktail hour you will get French sparkling wine, although they really don't tell you this.
- The bath products are generic stuff made for Conrad. I would have expected them to have quality products at least on their suites.
- The pool was ok but not great – same goes for the gym.
- They do not upgrade Diamonds to suites - but you can pay to upgrade that I did.
- The air condition is very loud and directly above your head on the bedroom to maximize the noise and to minimize your sleep.
- Housekeeping woke me up from 7:30AM.
- There were plenty of nasty stains on the carpet.
- Concierge reply to my question where is the United’s City Ticket Office in Bangkok was that if I needed an English Newspaper? Made no sense at all.

I have been traveling for leisure since 10th of January and will continue until the end of February.

It is just very disappointing after great stays at the Park Hyatt Dubai and InterContinental Le Vendome Beirut etc. to end of with Conrad in Bangkok that supposedly should be one of the better Hilton properties worldwide.

I am sorry that holtju2 did not have a good experience. I've stayed at Conrad on many occassions, since it opened, from HH Blue through Diamond, from US$87 to US$ 130+ now. I would say that I did get better treatment as a Diamond (upgrade, lounge access, blah, blah, blah) but I do not feel that they treat non-status guests lesser.

In fact, we were so happy with our stays there that we held our wedding there when we decided to do it in BKK. Our wedding guests took up a fair number of rooms, some we help booked and others done by themselves. All of them had nice things to say and none complained and they are not the type to keep quite if they have any complaints to make.

When upgraded to the corner rooms, I will reject them as I think the standard room layout is much nicer. On the other hand, I certainly would not reject an upgrade to a suite, which did/does happen and not because of the wedding. My preferred is the corner suite with the garden, one floor below the lounge. There are only 4 of these and the last I heard was that one was taken up on a long term basis.

The lounge is not great but we do not have anything to complain. A really good lounge is at Conrad Bali. Lots of drinks to choose from and tons of good finger food. On several occassions, we ended up eating 'dinner' there and then moving on to the restaurants for 'supper'.

I do agree that the English proficiency of some staff are not that high but I think it is pretty much similar across BKK. We should just be a little patient sometimes. The plus is I am sure regardless of the problem, you would get a smile from the staff. The beauty of Thais...

One thing that could do with major improvement is the design of the glass shower, which simply does not contain the water well and the toilet floor is always wet after your shower.

I am sorry that holtju2 did not have a good experience. I've stayed at Conrad on many occassions, since it opened, from HH Blue through Diamond, from US$87 to US$ 130+ now. I would say that I did get better treatment as a Diamond (upgrade, lounge access, blah, blah, blah) but I do not feel that they treat non-status guests lesser.

These things happen but rather than complain I simply just switch to other hotel. It happened the other way in Buenos Aires where I checked out at 6AM from IC to go to have my night sleep at Hilton. Having a status with Hilton/Marriott/Hyatt/IC makes it easy. I just simply take my business elsewhere.

Just checked out from the Conrad and cancelled my two upcoming stays.

What an utter piece of crap.

Just had a really good experience--albeit for one night. Good experience in lounge, excellent breakfast, no problem with either room.

And my three year old LOVED the elephants (we received four from two rooms).

I stayed at the Conrad this week, and it didn't live up to my expectations. While certainly nice, the $200 or so (with taxes/service charges) is over market in my opinion for Bangkok.

Lilly was very nice in the lounge, although their liquor selection was a bit off. I've almost always found that you can get Bailey's in a lounge, but no luck here.

Breakfast was adequate, but not much more. The bacon was disgusting, the eggs runny.

The happy hour was okay, and the chocolate covered strawberries were perfect.

Looking forward to my stay.I like runny eggs and soft bacon-I cant stand the way you try and turn bacon into leather in the states.Lokks as though I will enjoy breakfast!

personally, i think that the french woman that runs the executive lounge is rather "stuffy." i do not care for her condescending attiutde towards me, i do not think that she particularily cares for award stay guests, that is just my humble opinion.

My two cents on recent posts:

1. Breakfast is fine, particularly as it is included. I agree with the runny eggs but I solved that by asking for an omelet which was freshly prepared for me.

2.Julie is the manager of the executive floors. She is French and very much of a professional, managing the service to the many executive floor guests. While she might be thought of as reserved, I valued her advice and service which greatly enhanced my visit.

3. All Lounge staff were very friendly and helpful, I thought their English was fine, my Thai on the other hand, other than sawadee ka and kobkun ka is non-existent. I will definitely be back and looking forward to it.

personally, i think that the french woman that runs the executive lounge is rather "stuffy." i do not care for her condescending attiutde towards me, i do not think that she particularily cares for award stay guests, that is just my humble opinion.

Geez, she's French. They're condescending towards everyone. :D :eek:

I was there on a award stay and we were treated fine. Julie was very helpful and I detected no difference between an award stay and a paid stay. Try a friendly Bon Jour when you greet her. She knows the dining scene very well.

We just had 4 rooms for 4 nights last week and had a great time. The Hotel was oversold due to Bangkok Film Festival. I have been told previously that they will not upgrade Golds to exec level until 5th stay onwards apparently.

Julie was great. She sent a message to the GM of the Blue Elephant to make sure we were well looked after, and we certainly were. ^

She is actually now Director of Executive Services, not just Exec Floors Manager. I do agree the prices are starting to get a bit high but if they are getting a high occupancy rate then thats going to happen.

My two cents on recent posts:
3. All Lounge staff were very friendly and helpful, I thought their English was fine, my Thai on the other hand, other than sawadee ka and kobkun ka is non-existent. I will definitely be back and looking forward to it.

I am guessing that you are female then springer?

I have said it before and I will say it again, the Conrad Residence in the same building has better rooms and offers infinitely better value. I fail to see the excitement over the Exec floor at the BKK Conrad, it used to be great it is now an average lounge for a newer (or recently refurbished) international Hilton.

I just stayed at the Conrad and holtju2 was being really over the top. Complaining about getting french sparkling wine instead of champagne is one of the silliest complaints I've ever heard.

However, I was disappointed with my stay too. Previous to staying at the Conrad BKK I was at the Conrad TYO and I think the TYO is much nicer - rooms, service, staff, design, etc. My room wasn't as nice at the BKK (but still nice), but most of my problems were due to service. I'm HH Gold, but at check-in I wasn't offered breakfast, I wasn't offered lounge access, I was told that I would have to check out halfway during my stay because they couldn't link my two reservations, my air-con didn't work... Most of my issues were eventually fixed (not the lounge) but it took a lot of hassle to sort out. The staff don't seem to be trained on how to understand the benefits.

Anyway I will probably stay there again (just cos I'm too loyal to Hilton) but I may consider the new Hilton when it opens, even though I've never been one to stay by the river.

I just finished a three-night stay at the BKK Conrad, and although I thought it was expensive for BKK, I enjoyed my stay very much. Except for the French Ice Princess, the service in the Exec. Lounge and throughout the hotel was wonderful.

My room on the 26th floor was a bit small, but beautifully decorated. I loved falling asleep in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with the half-moon rising over the BKK skyline.

I visited the Diplomat Bar three times, and wish I'd been able to spend even more time there. I had two bowls of Tom Kha Gai soup in the cafe, and both times it cleared my sinuses and made me forget I had a cold.

Skip the onsite spa, and visit the spa in the attached All Seasons Mall, which offers a one-hour Thai massage for only 400 BHT.

The food in the Exec. Lounge was inconsistent, and I enjoyed the earlier references to the bacon. Bacon luck was a matter of timing for me. On Sunday morning, I found the bacon to be crisp and delicious. When I went back for more, it had turned into big slabs of fatty pork. Interestingly, "Mexican night" on Monday evening, had some good offerings.

Lovely pool, but because it is in the shade most of the day, I wish it was heated a little bit.

I just finished a three-night stay at the BKK Conrad, and although I thought it was expensive for BKK, I enjoyed my stay very much. Except for the French Ice Princess, the service in the Exec. Lounge and throughout the hotel was wonderful.

My room on the 26th floor was a bit small, but beautifully decorated. I loved falling asleep in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with the half-moon rising over the BKK skyline.

I visited the Diplomat Bar three times, and wish I'd been able to spend even more time there. I had two bowls of Tom Kha Gai soup in the cafe, and both times it cleared my sinuses and made me forget I had a cold.

Skip the onsite spa, and visit the spa in the attached All Seasons Mall, which offers a one-hour Thai massage for only 400 BHT.

The food in the Exec. Lounge was inconsistent, and I enjoyed the earlier references to the bacon. Bacon luck was a matter of timing for me. On Sunday morning, I found the bacon to be crisp and delicious. When I went back for more, it had turned into big slabs of fatty pork. Interestingly, "Mexican night" on Monday evening, had some good offerings.

Lovely pool, but because it is in the shade most of the day, I wish it was heated a little bit.

This is the most to the point summary of the Conrad BKK I have ever read on this forum. ^ for a great summary. The exec lounge is overated with poor service. I have had considerably better service in Eastern European Hilton lounges and more genuine warmth tfrom the staff.

The Thai staff try hard and have the right attitude but seem to be poorly trained or very poorly managed. I avoid the Exec lounge and floor by using the Conrad Residence, this nets all of the benefits of the Conrad (HH points, use of facilities etc.) plus a decent breakfast, lower nightly costs and hugely better rooms.

I am guessing that you are female then springer?

I have said it before and I will say it again, the Conrad Residence in the same building has better rooms and offers infinitely better value. I fail to see the excitement over the Exec floor at the BKK Conrad, it used to be great it is now an average lounge for a newer (or recently refurbished) international Hilton.

Yes, I am (female). Will be in Bangkok this Fall and look into the residence. Is it bookable on Hilton.com? It all depends on what is the best value for my money.

Yes, I am (female). Will be in Bangkok this Fall and look into the residence. Is it bookable on Hilton.com? It all depends on what is the best value for my money.

Sorry Springer for the original sarcasm, one of my pet hates is tourists in Thailand who do not understand the kha/khrup distinction.

The Conrad Residence is bookable via Hilton.com. Sometimes it does not show as available if your booking is for less than a week, however for c.4+ days stay it is actualy more cost effective to book 7 nights at the residence than the required number of nights at the Hotel and for this you get all hotel benefits and a suite type room rather than a normal (read small) hotel room.

If you compare Conrad Hotel Suite prices the break even point is probably between 2 and 3 days. Personally I significantly prefer the Residence 1 bed suite to the hotel 1 bed suite, because the layout offers more practicality and less clever looking (but poorly functional) interior design, YMMV. The rock hard beds of the hotel however remain a feature of the residence. At least the sofa in the residence is large enough to sleep on in comfort :p

If you are not wedded to using a Hilton property you may also want to consider a 2 bed suite at the Marriot Mayfair. The 2 bed is a much better design than the 1 bed equivalent even if you do not need the extra bed and comes in at around the same price as a regular room at the Conrad Hotel although the location (IMHO) is much better. The differential between Conrad Residence prices and Conrad hotel prices clearly illustrates to me how much the hotel is taking the P***. BKK is one of the worlds cheapest locations for 5 star hotel rooms, yet somehow the Conrad is trying to hold something close to European/US pricing levels.

Try a friendly Bon Jour when you greet her.

Thanks for the tip. I'm in KL next week, and stopping at the Conrad BKK for a couple of days on my way home. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

The following week I'll be visiting the Carolina Inn in...
Chapel Hill! :eek:

Commander Bob
Thinking what a small world it is.

Thanks for the tip. I'm in KL next week, and stopping at the Conrad BKK for a couple of days on my way home. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

The following week I'll be visiting the Carolina Inn in...
Chapel Hill! :eek:

Commander Bob
Thinking what a small world it is.

Small world indeed!

I've not stayed at the Carolina Inn, but have eaten at the restaurant several times. Food is quite good. Enjoy.

And if we beat Duke this Saturday, you'll see a lot of smiling faces. :)

The Hilton Guest Assistance Department took care of my complaint regarding Conrad and sent me a Be My Guest card.

Booked an Executive Room, since I didn't want to fight for access in case they wouldn't give me it for my Diamond status. At check in I was told that I had been upgraded and that my Diamond status was allowing me access to the lounge. I replied that I had reserved the Executive Level room, so this was not an upgrade. My upgrade turns out to be the room, which was not a suite, but one of the corner rooms of which there are 8 on each floor. Room was as others noted, but I am not on the Executive Level on the 29th, so apart from the room being a little larger there was not much of an upgrade. I inquired about a room on the 29th floor or thinking that like other Conrads the floors above and below the level the lounge is located on would have upgraded Executive Level rooms, but I was told this is not the case. That the rooms on the 29th are double beds, no kings, and that the suites on this floor were smoking and if I wanted one I would not be upgraded, but had to pay.

Think I will try a different hotel on my return to BKK.

Well I am currently at the Conrad bangkok and was upgraded to an executive level room without any problem.Only funny little thing was that because I was on a cheap rate was not allowed to check in in lounge but was taken straight to room to check in there.
The other problem is with the keycard system as I have to get mine redone each day.One day occurred after in the pool so dripped water through the lobby.Other than that is everything you expect as a diamond.

Well I am currently at the Conrad bangkok and was upgraded to an executive level room without any problem. Only funny little thing was that because I was on a cheap rate was not allowed to check in in lounge but was taken straight to room to check in there.

This really doesn't make any sense. Because you are a Diamond and you booked the executive room you get the lounge access but not allowed to actually check in at the lounge because of your rate that they deem to be too low to allow such a privilege?

This really doesn't make any sense. Because you are a Diamond and you booked the executive room you get the lounge access but not allowed to actually check in at the lounge because of your rate that they deem to be too low to allow such a privilege?


I dont think drron booked an exec rate but booked a cheap standard rate and was upgraded to the exec level as a diamond.

Only funny little thing was that because I was on a cheap rate was not allowed to check in in lounge but was taken straight to room to check in there.


Why on earth did you think that they checked you in in your room because you were on a cheap rate ?. They do it as it's generally considered more convenient, not to be inconvenient, whatever rate you've paid.

Why on earth did you think that they checked you in in your room because you were on a cheap rate ?. They do it as it's generally considered more convenient, not to be inconvenient, whatever rate you've paid.

Exactly. In Room Check In service is usually reserved for the highest level VIP/valued guests at any hotel property....

IME, the Park Hyatt Tokyo consistently does it, and even during peak times I would be escorted immediately to my room, where the paperwork have already been prepared. The agent would just ask for a CC and a signature, and I would be all settled in. I view this as the most convenient and offers the most privacy, even prefer this to checking in at the registration (sit down).

Similarly at Conrad BKK, I've always been escorted immediately, with a flower lei, to my room upon arrival in the lobby. So, the Conrad BKK is truly treating you as a VIP due to your Diamond status.....

Why on earth did you think that they checked you in in your room because you were on a cheap rate ?. They do it as it's generally considered more convenient, not to be inconvenient, whatever rate you've paid.
Yes I was on the cheapest rate.First visit to the conrad BKK.Walked up to the honors desk and asked if there was a diamond check in.The woman behind the desk then said what rate are you on?As I am just a little paranoid always have a copy of my biiking.She looks at it and takes me to main checkin and thence to the room.
My point was if they do this for the cheapest rate what would they do if you paid the dearest rate?
For a leisure traveller on a budget I found the treatment was all that I expected-I never expect a suite upgrade and am happy getting the executive floor on the rates I pay.
The only problem as a leisure traveller is the position.Unfortunately Bangkok streets are not pedestrian friendly especially with a bad knee.Therefore it was the shuttle or a taxi-however they are cheap and plentiful.

Yes I was on the cheapest rate.First visit to the conrad BKK.Walked up to the honors desk and asked if there was a diamond check in.The woman behind the desk then said what rate are you on?As I am just a little paranoid always have a copy of my biiking.She looks at it and takes me to main checkin and thence to the room.
My point was if they do this for the cheapest rate what would they do if you paid the dearest rate?
For a leisure traveller on a budget I found the treatment was all that I expected-I never expect a suite upgrade and am happy getting the executive floor on the rates I pay.
The only problem as a leisure traveller is the position.Unfortunately Bangkok streets are not pedestrian friendly especially with a bad knee.Therefore it was the shuttle or a taxi-however they are cheap and plentiful.

BKK is a city whose main areas are quite widely spread, so it is questionable whether there is any ideal location (although my preference is Lang Suan).

They do not treat you any differently when staying on more expensive rates. I have paid $350+ a night and haven't noticed any discernible difference in service (for avoidance of doubt, this is not a good thing).

I am currently at the Conrad BKK and think the hotel is wonderful. My GLD status was acknowledged upon check in. When I asked where the lift was the woman who was checking me in, said she will show me to my room (23rd floor). She did not mention anything about an upgrade. The room is quite large with a sitting area between the bed and the bathroom. Is this an upgrade or a standard room? If this is a standard room, this is SOME property!

As she showed me each feature of the room, we came to the bathroom. She said, "Isn't it sexy?" I was tongue tied. Should I have asked her if she would like to join me for a bath? :D

Unless something drastic happens during my last 36 hours here, I give this Hilton property two thumbs up. ^ ^

I am currently at the Conrad BKK and think the hotel is wonderful. My GLD status was acknowledged upon check in. When I asked where the lift was the woman who was checking me in, said she will show me to my room (23rd floor). She did not mention anything about an upgrade. The room is quite large with a sitting area between the bed and the bathroom. Is this an upgrade or a standard room? If this is a standard room, this is SOME property!

As she showed me each feature of the room, we came to the bathroom. She said, "Isn't it sexy?" I was tongue tied. Should I have asked her if she would like to join me for a bath? :D

Unless something drastic happens during my last 36 hours here, I give this Hilton property two thumbs up. ^ ^

Whether the Conrad BKK is terriffic or mediocre depends upon your comparables I suppose. There are lots of great (by general US and EU standards) hotels in BKK.

The 23rd floor is a standard floor and thus is not an upgrade unless you are in a corner room.

Whether the Conrad BKK is terriffic or mediocre depends upon your comparables I suppose. There are lots of great (by general US and EU standards) hotels in BKK.
The 23rd floor is a standard floor and thus is not an upgrade unless you are in a corner room.

Could be true that there are other better hotels in BKK, but are they Hilton Family? If not, then we can hardly bother comparing if we are sticking to Hilton.

The new Millenium was not taking bookings when I reserved a standard room at the Conrad. I understood from talking to other guests that some folk who did get a Millenium booking ended up at the Conrad anyway.

My room last week was not on an executive floor, but as a Gold they did upgrade me to a king bed room and comped me breakfast. The room was big, and the bathroom was huge. No exec lounge. I'm one who likes the Hilton king beds.

Pretty nice compared to some other Hilton properties but nothing compared to my room at the Singapore Hilton the week before. There my Gold got me a "width of the hotel" suite with 3 seperate rooms not counting the walk-in closet.
There was a welcoming letter granting me full exec lounge perks and a cleaning service. Each stay at the SH I've booked the same standard internet room, and each time I've been upgraded to a better and better suite.
Granted my "standard room" reservation at the SH was worth a bit more than the same reservaton at Conrad BKK, but I did hope for at least similar perks.
The best part of the BKK visit for me was the cigar-friendly Diplomat Bar. This is what the good life used to be before everywhere else in the world went smoke-free.

Commader Bob
Next week it's the warm cookies at the Doubletree Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.
It should be cooler there than BKK. :)

My room last week was not on an executive floor, but as a Gold they did upgrade me to a king bed room and comped me breakfast. The room was big, and the bathroom was huge. No exec lounge. I'm one who likes the Hilton king beds.

I too like the king beds...even when in them alone :D

I found the king bed at the BKK Conrad to be exceptionally hard. Got used to it after the first night.

Does anyone have information on the pool at the Conrad BKK? How was the poolside service? If you have stayed at the Sheraton Sukhumvit how do they compare? I am HH Diamond and SPG Platinum. I have stayed the SGS before and was very happy but the Conrad is nearby and look so luxurious.

Does anyone have information on the pool at the Conrad BKK? How was the poolside service? If you have stayed at the Sheraton Sukhumvit how do they compare? I am HH Diamond and SPG Platinum. I have stayed the SGS before and was very happy but the Conrad is nearby and look so luxurious.

We stayed at the Conrad Bangkok for 3 nights in January 2006. The pool is a nice size, though its location on the 7th floor between highrises means it has a lot of shade and the water was quite cold. There is a smalller waterfall pool right next to the door that seems to be warmer water. The pool service is friendly enough. The pool man will make up your lounge with towels for you IF he sees you when you arrive. If not, you'll end up having to get your own towels. He will also give you complimentary bottled water.

You can get food and drinks next to the pool, either at your lounge or move to tables and chairs. From your lounge, you either have to make the wooden frog make noise (it's like a toy, you run the wooden handle down the spiney part of the wood frog's back and it makes a sound) and IF they hear you they will come to see what you want. Otherwise, you've got to go up to the bar and get a menu yourself and order there. They will deliver your order to you where you are sitting.

In all honesty, we were happy with the hotel only because we had paid with points and not money. We didn't find it very luxurious, the service was good, but not 5 star. The breakfast was nice, varied and well prepared, but the service there wasn't brilliant either. In the end, we felt that for money, there is better value in the Peninsula...more expensive but we all feel that it is worth the extra. But for free nights, the Conrad was fine.

Does anyone have information on the pool at the Conrad BKK? How was the poolside service? If you have stayed at the Sheraton Sukhumvit how do they compare? I am HH Diamond and SPG Platinum. I have stayed the SGS before and was very happy but the Conrad is nearby and look so luxurious.
Hi - just some comments on SGS and Conrad: Conrad may look a bit more luxurious but in fact is more a business hotel than SGS, i.e. smaller rooms and less food choices (both in and out of the hotel) than SGS. SGS's breakfast and seafood weekend dinner buffets remain winners by far.

However, the spa at Conrad is excellent.

Location wise, SGS is a more lively area, with lots of restaurants and bars within easy reach (even by foot). At Conrad you definitely need a cab eveywhere you go and given BKK's messed up traffic...
Now, given its business focus, Conrad is slighty more expensive than SGS during the week but offers great rates/packages during weekends.

Good luck!
R

Many of us know Julie, the Executive Floor Manager. She left the Conrad on June 13, and moved to Paris where she will manage the front office of a hotel opening on the Champs Elysee this fall. It is not a Hilton property.

I immediately felt her absence. Julie has always taken good care of me, with nice upgrades. On my last visit, she gave me a suite that had its own large verandah with extensive plantings. This time I was told "You booked a classic room, we gave you a classic room. Your upgrade is Executive Lounge access. If you want a bigger room, pay more money." As a Diamond, needless to say I was nonplussed.

Many of us know Julie, the Executive Floor Manager. She left the Conrad on June 13, and moved to Paris where she will manage the front office of a hotel opening on the Champs Elysee this fall. It is not a Hilton property.

I immediately felt her absence. Julie has always taken good care of me, with nice upgrades. On my last visit, she gave me a suite that had its own large verandah with extensive plantings. This time I was told "You booked a classic room, we gave you a classic room. Your upgrade is Executive Lounge access. If you want a bigger room, pay more money." As a Diamond, needless to say I was nonplussed.

Thanks for the update. I just established a relationship with Julie last October that I looked forward to renewing on my next visit. She will be missed. Is her assistant Lily still there? Who is the new executive services manager?

Is her assistant Lily still there?

I'm not sure.

Who is the new executive services manager?

Not yet hired - though they told me the rumor is that it will be another French person.

Am planning to return to Conrad BKK and am wondering- is the definite hotel policy to upgrade diamonds one category only? In my 5 stays I have always been upgraded to regular room on exec level.

If I want to get a suite for instance should I book one category under a suite which I assume might be the exec level deluxe corner room? What is the best way of getting a suite (aside from the obvious which would be booking one). Is there a definite policy on this?

Am planning to return to Conrad BKK and am wondering- is the definite hotel policy to upgrade diamonds one category only? In my 5 stays I have always been upgraded to regular room on exec level.

If I want to get a suite for instance should I book one category under a suite which I assume might be the exec level deluxe corner room? What is the best way of getting a suite (aside from the obvious which would be booking one). Is there a definite policy on this?

I used to be a frequent guest at this property. I have only once received an upgrade to a suite (that was from a standard room) and I did end up in a terrace suite (parlour suite on the booking website) for a one night stay. On all other occassions I have received an upgrade to an Exec floor room (which are identical to non Exec Floor rooms) and access to the Exec lounge (which is IMHO overrated).

I have more recently stayed at the Conrad Residence which is significantly better value IMHO. Rates start from $115 per night for a 1 bed suite. The Kicker for the residence is that you typically must book 7 days or more, but this can often work out at substantially less than a suite in the hotel (and a better suite again IMHO) and even less than the cost of a room. All facilities remain the same as the hotel. I have always received free breakfast at Cafe@2 as a Diamond. The lounge facilities are not extended to guests in the residence (no great loss IMHO).

The other solution is to discuss suite upgrade options directly with the hotel upon arrival. I have on a number of ocassions upgraded to an Executive Suite (which seem strangely missing on the booking websiite) for a total rate of £150 per night (admitedly a while ago). You should in theory only have to pay the difference between Exec room rates and Exec Suite rates. Exec Suites are identical to the parlour/terrace suites with the exception of the terarce and outdoor seating.

HH does not offer suite upgrades to elite members unlike SPG where as a Plat I have 100% success rate in suite upgrades from regular rooms. I would particularly recommend the SGS if you happen to be a SPG Plat.

I might try a short stay at the BKK Conrad hotel again though given the recent personnel change (which I would see as a positive development).

I would agree with the suggestion of the residences if your stay is long enough. They are great and the loss of the lounge is no big deal. They are better than the suites.
Daily maid service, room service, etc.

I used to be a frequent guest at this property. I have only once received an upgrade to a suite (that was from a standard room) and I did end up in a terrace suite (parlour suite on the booking website) for a one night stay. On all other occassions I have received an upgrade to an Exec floor room (which are identical to non Exec Floor rooms) and access to the Exec lounge (which is IMHO overrated).

I have more recently stayed at the Conrad Residence which is significantly better value IMHO. Rates start from $115 per night for a 1 bed suite. The Kicker for the residence is that you typically must book 7 days or more, but this can often work out at substantially less than a suite in the hotel (and a better suite again IMHO) and even less than the cost of a room. All facilities remain the same as the hotel. I have always received free breakfast at Cafe@2 as a Diamond. The lounge facilities are not extended to guests in the residence (no great loss IMHO).

The other solution is to discuss suite upgrade options directly with the hotel upon arrival. I have on a number of ocassions upgraded to an Executive Suite (which seem strangely missing on the booking websiite) for a total rate of £150 per night (admitedly a while ago). You should in theory only have to pay the difference between Exec room rates and Exec Suite rates. Exec Suites are identical to the parlour/terrace suites with the exception of the terarce and outdoor seating.

HH does not offer suite upgrades to elite members unlike SPG where as a Plat I have 100% success rate in suite upgrades from regular rooms. I would particularly recommend the SGS if you happen to be a SPG Plat.

I might try a short stay at the BKK Conrad hotel again though given the recent personnel change (which I would see as a positive development).

Interesting info as I was told by the hotel that if I booked the residences I would not get any breakfast as a Diamond. I understood the no lounge thing but no breakfast really made a big difference me booking the suites. One other benefit for anyone that is there for any extended amount of time is the internet is at a much reduced rate as compared to the hotel. I dont remember the exact rate (2000THB++ I think) but it is quite a bit lower than the 650THB++ charged by most hotels including the hotel side of the Conrad per day.

I cant stay at the hotel as I have read they have a dress code that doesnt allow for the wearing of shorts in the lounge. :p

Thanks for the info, I may have to stay at this property and see for myself instead of just dining and drinking there.

Interesting info as I was told by the hotel that if I booked the residences I would not get any breakfast as a Diamond. I understood the no lounge thing but no breakfast really made a big difference me booking the suites. One other benefit for anyone that is there for any extended amount of time is the internet is at a much reduced rate as compared to the hotel. I dont remember the exact rate (2000THB++ I think) but it is quite a bit lower than the 650THB++ charged by most hotels including the hotel side of the Conrad per day.

I cant stay at the hotel as I have read they have a dress code that doesnt allow for the wearing of shorts in the lounge. :p

Thanks for the info, I may have to stay at this property and see for myself instead of just dining and drinking there.

I have never asked in advance about the Breakfast benefit for Diamonds, I have insisted upon it when there (it is a clearly defined Hilton Benefit). I did try to force them to allow me lounge access but that was a no go, personally I have always been happy with Cafe@2 and I have always had breakfast freenwhen staying at the residence.

The enforcement of the no shorts policy was rather selective as far as I remember ;) Personally I have never been challenged for wearing shorts in the lounge, but I rarely did so in the evening (after all a gentleman should dress for dinner).

Internet fees are much more resonable at the residence something like c. 450 per day, 2k per week or 5k per month. You also stand an outside chance of picking up a wireless signal from surrounding buildings or the pool area.

In addition the rooms are far more practical (larger and more usably furnished) than the hotel and come with a DVD player and much enhanced TV channels (e.g. UBC, AXN etc.). DVD rental in the main hotel runs to c.700 baht per day.

I have never asked in advance about the Breakfast benefit for Diamonds, I have insisted upon it when there (it is a clearly defined Hilton Benefit). I did try to force them to allow me lounge access but that was a no go, personally I have always been happy with Cafe@2 and I have always had breakfast freenwhen staying at the residence.



It's no longer such a clear benefit. It's a choice, and it seems like the hotel can make it. From the Member Benefits section:
http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/benefits/levels.jhtml#diamond_vip_membership

Upgrade to Executive Floor (if available), OR Executive Floor Lounge access (if the hotel has a Lounge), OR complimentary continental breakfast for the member and one guest each day of the stay. If the rate already includes breakfast, a special food and beverage amenity will be presented.

We were given 2 coupons for breakfast this past December and January (2 stays, 1 night and 3 nights) when we stayed there. We were told we could not have an upgraded room as a gold and also told that diamonds don't typically receive upgrades unless they are frequent guests.

It's no longer such a clear benefit. It's a choice, and it seems like the hotel can make it. From the Member Benefits section:
http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors/benefits/levels.jhtml#diamond_vip_membership

Upgrade to Executive Floor (if available), OR Executive Floor Lounge access (if the hotel has a Lounge), OR complimentary continental breakfast for the member and one guest each day of the stay. If the rate already includes breakfast, a special food and beverage amenity will be presented.

We were given 2 coupons for breakfast this past December and January (2 stays, 1 night and 3 nights) when we stayed there. We were told we could not have an upgraded room as a gold and also told that diamonds don't typically receive upgrades unless they are frequent guests.

For avoidance of doubt I was referring to the residence rather than hotel. The residence has nothing to upgrade you to and thus must give breakfast. IMHO the lounge brekky is crap compared to cafe@2 (where service is also better and quicker).

Incidentally SPG Plat doesnt even guarantee breakfast yet most asian Starwood hotels offer it complimentary in addition to the things they are "required" to give (like suite upgrades). $150 for me was far better spent at the SGS than the Conrad hotel.

The popularity of the conrad has made them contemptuous of HH programme benefits. My first stay was as a Gold and I got an upgrade to Exec floor. Subsequent stays were as a DIA and I was always upgraded even when Golds were not (contrary to HH policy it seems). This sort of penny pinching messing around has made me a firm *wood convert. So far I have ALWAYS been upgraded to a suite in *wood properties when there were suite roms avaiable.

I have stayed at SGS 3x this past month, all of which I have been upgraded to a Grande Suite. I requested a Rama suite in my reservation twice but no go. I like the SGS and I enjoy their breakfast and pool area as well as the butler but am a little bored with the property and prefer the modern lines and bathrooms at Conrad as well as the restaurants are more exciting. And no silk elephant at SGS!! Conrad also has an offer of 5000 bonus points for min 2 night stays. As for the lounge I like the afternoon tea the best.

I agree that the savings on internet access itself would be a good idea to book the residences unfortunately I will only be staying 3 nights.

I have stayed at SGS 3x this past month, all of which I have been upgraded to a Grande Suite. I requested a Rama suite in my reservation twice but no go. I like the SGS and I enjoy their breakfast and pool area as well as the butler but am a little bored with the property and prefer the modern lines and bathrooms at Conrad as well as the restaurants are more exciting. And no silk elephant at SGS!! Conrad also has an offer of 5000 bonus points for min 2 night stays. As for the lounge I like the afternoon tea the best.

I agree that the savings on internet access itself would be a good idea to book the residences unfortunately I will only be staying 3 nights.

Even the afternoon tea is not a patch on what it was shortly after the opening. I personally feel that like for like the SGS is just a way better proposition, assuming an equal base rate of $150 per night, as a plat at the SGS you get the free suite upgrade, free wireless and wired internet in the room and throughout the hotel, much better evening drink selection (especially if you like wine), free restaurant breakfast (only lounge brekky is available at the Conrad), free 200 baht of BTS (a minor benefit I know), the butler, free laundry of 3 items and a highly effective concierge. Also the beds at the SGS are 100% more comfortable than the concrete slabs at the Conrad.

The Conrad has a good pool (with some shading problems due to surrounding buildings and it is not heated AFAIK) and a great gym. I prefer the location of the I like the location of both properties, but the bridge to the BTS from the SGS (opening soon) makes life simpler and much more convenient than the walk/bus to Ploenchit from the Conrad. I am a little bored with the Conrad restaurants, I think that DTER is mediocre and overpriced, Liu isn't bad but not worth the premium prices charged and Cafe@2 is buffet oriented. I almost always end up eating out when staying at the Conrad or taking room service.

Even if you plan to stay in the hotel for a short time in a suite (paid reservation) it can be worthwhile booking a residence suite for a week (since they are so much cheaper) so you pay 7 * $125 rather than 3 *$350 or $875 at the residence vs. $1050 at the hotel. You should also receive 7 nights stay credit rather than 3 if this is important.

I do enjoy the free press/laundry at SGS, Conrad offers 3 free pressing pieces per stay which does not extend to laundry and I believe the SGS offer is on a daily basis. I am sorry I didn't join the SGS Club for $250 that would have been a good deal. I was not aware of the free 200B Skytrain pass- is this a published benefit or only when booking certain promos? I have never received a Skytrain pass!! Conrad has a weekend rate of $149 incl one day pass on Skytrain and 30 min massage.

About the lounge I agree the Sheraton is better suited for wine- and cocktail aficionados but the lounge isn't private and there are not a wide variety of snacks.

Conrad also has free in room internet and free local calls, faxes, and 800 numbers. This is apparently a more recent benefit and one of the better ones.

My favorite of the restaurants is Italianate where I always find the food and desserts delicious, and there is now a Lucky Draw promo for all Conrad restaurants where after every meal you get a coupon worth 20-50% discount on your next meal at any Conrad restaurant and there is also a sweep to win a trip to Hong Kong. I also found the restaurant next door to the Conrad- "Pomodoro" in my Bangkok guide to chic and trendy restaurants so that might aso be worth a try apparently they are famous for excellent risottos.

Current Stay:
Well I e-mailed the res manager asking for an upgrade or what I should book to get one and he replied that Diamonds get upgraded according to room type ie a booked classic room will be upgraded to a classic exec room, a booked corner room is upgraded to an exec corner room, etc. So I booked a deluxe corner and was indeed upgraded to the exec corner deluxe room. I am quite disappointed with the corner room, it doesn't seem much bigger than the standard rooms except for a small hallway in the beginning. Moreover the bathroom is not the one with the lovely glass surrounding it which is my favorite thing about the Conrad and losing this is most disappointing. Although there is an outside view from the bathroom which there is not in the classic room. The deskarea is a little bigger and I believe the actual desk is more spacious. Also there is no little couch in the beginning to enjoy the fruits on- instead there is a single chair and small glass table at the end of the room. So I would say that a corner room is not nicer than the standard rooms and definitely not worth paying extra for. I have noticed that I always stay on the 26th floor. Are all the rooms on the top floors suites or residences or how come I always get the same floor?

Apparently exec floors are being renovated until September 12th so the lounge is temporarily moved to the 3rd floor inside the Liu restaurant.

By the way there are two candles (lighted by staff) in the room... ;)

I do enjoy the free press/laundry at SGS, Conrad offers 3 free pressing pieces per stay which does not extend to laundry and I believe the SGS offer is on a daily basis. I am sorry I didn't join the SGS Club for $250 that would have been a good deal. I was not aware of the free 200B Skytrain pass- is this a published benefit or only when booking certain promos? I have never received a Skytrain pass!! Conrad has a weekend rate of $149 incl one day pass on Skytrain and 30 min massage.

About the lounge I agree the Sheraton is better suited for wine- and cocktail aficionados but the lounge isn't private and there are not a wide variety of snacks.

Conrad also has free in room internet and free local calls, faxes, and 800 numbers. This is apparently a more recent benefit and one of the better ones.

My favorite of the restaurants is Italianate where I always find the food and desserts delicious, and there is now a Lucky Draw promo for all Conrad restaurants where after every meal you get a coupon worth 20-50% discount on your next meal at any Conrad restaurant and there is also a sweep to win a trip to Hong Kong. I also found the restaurant next door to the Conrad- "Pomodoro" in my Bangkok guide to chic and trendy restaurants so that might aso be worth a try apparently they are famous for excellent risottos.

Current Stay:
Well I e-mailed the res manager asking for an upgrade or what I should book to get one and he replied that Diamonds get upgraded according to room type ie a booked classic room will be upgraded to a classic exec room, a booked corner room is upgraded to an exec corner room, etc. So I booked a deluxe corner and was indeed upgraded to the exec corner deluxe room. I am quite disappointed with the corner room, it doesn't seem much bigger than the standard rooms except for a small hallway in the beginning. Moreover the bathroom is not the one with the lovely glass surrounding it which is my favorite thing about the Conrad and losing this is most disappointing. Although there is an outside view from the bathroom which there is not in the classic room. The deskarea is a little bigger and I believe the actual desk is more spacious. Also there is no little couch in the beginning to enjoy the fruits on- instead there is a single chair and small glass table at the end of the room. So I would say that a corner room is not nicer than the standard rooms and definitely not worth paying extra for. I have noticed that I always stay on the 26th floor. Are all the rooms on the top floors suites or residences or how come I always get the same floor?

Apparently exec floors are being renovated until September 12th so the lounge is temporarily moved to the 3rd floor inside the Liu restaurant.

By the way there are two candles (lighted by staff) in the room... ;)

Free local calls have always been an Exec floor benefit at the Conrad, but free internet is clearly a more recent innovation. At $149 a night including massage the Conrad seems a good deal. I also do not like the corner rooms that much. The closet space is bigger but there is something "wrong" with the room layout IMHO. The bathroom is bigger which is nice (similar to the suite bathrooms but without the LCD TV over the bath).

The SGS gave us 2 BTS passes when we last stayed, they were a PLAT option but I chose the *points, I did however get the BTS passes anyway (not a ig deal but a nice gesture). AFAIK the laundry benefit at the SGS is a per stay rather than per day thing (but I may be wrong). The Conrad does give Exec floor guests free express service which is quite nice.

Perhaps it is time to try a night at the Conrad again now they seem to be getting a new Exec Floor Manager, New Lounge and Newly Designed rooms.

I have noticed that I always stay on the 26th floor. Are all the rooms on the top floors suites or residences

The 32nd floor, where the presidential suite (3213) is, has surprisingly 4 normal rooms (probably for the security detail).

If anyone wants to know what the rooms are:

3213 is the presidential suite and takes up about 3/8 of the floor allocated to rooms (about 6 standard rooms in size)

3205 and 3224 are the next largest suite and takes up at least 2 corner room + two normal rooms. I just noticed that both bear the same number as two of the adjoining regular rooms so these could be turned into large 2 BR suites.

3209 (lucky to have gotten this by asking) is a bit smaller than 3205. You come into a living room wth desk (and also an espresso machine), a large bedroom and also a very large bathroom in the point of the building. It's about one normal room smaller than 3205.

I have the fire exit floor plan if someone wants to host it.

Are 3205 and 3324 Deluxe Suites?

I had avoided staying at this hotel because of their no shorts policy in the lounge but booked a one night presidential suite stay due to the pricing mistake. It gave us a chance to actually stay at the hotel (we have eaten there many times).

I was pleased on all levels and look forward to returning. I had honestly gotten the impression in the past that this hotel was snobbish but I can say that I have a different view now that I have stayed there. The lounge is great and has a fantastic lounge breakfast. Service was excellent and friendly in the lounge and it was well staffed. I found them to be professional. Concierge and check in staff also carried the professional and friendly attributes and made us wish we had been staying at the property longer.

Interesting thing is that the restaurant (which is the only place we had really frequented that much) was the weekest link during our recent trip. They did not have the enthusiasm of the rest of the staff but nothing horrible just average compared to the rest of the people we dealt with during that stay.

Definitely going to try to stay at the property more often due to service, quality and location.

We stayed at the Conrad Bangkok for five nights on an FHR (Amex) rate a few weeks ago. We got the FHR upgrade and amenity, but no recognition or amenity whatsoever for being HHonors Gold VIP. I specifically asked about an Executive Floor upgrade or lounge access but was simply told that CB does not give either as a matter of policy. We did not get any other benefits either.

I emailed the hotel general manager about the situation (I did compliment him on an otherwise nice stay and excellent staff) but have not received a response in a week.

Is this typical of CB? I will contact HHonors customer service to see how they react to the matter -- there is little point in being a Gold VIP if hotels are free to ignore it at their will...

The hotel was very nice otherwise, BTW.

Cheers,
T.

From the existing threads I've read on this hotel, Golds don't generally get executive floor upgrade or lounge access, just as you were told. I think the problem is that there are so many elite HHonors members staying there, they can barely take care of the HHonors Diamonds' perks, and Golds are pretty much out of luck. :(

Here's one of the longer threads on this hotel (there's about 10 other threads besides; too bad you didn't read them BEFORE you went!):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=396077

A few years ago, they upgraded Golds to the executive floor. They no longer do, even if rooms are available.

Did you receive complementary breakfast in the restaurant? If so, that is all they are obligated to give you as a Gold.

If you look at the HHonors rules, international proerties are given [far too much] wiggle room on what to give Gold and Diamonds.

A few years ago, they upgraded Golds to the executive floor. They no longer do, even if rooms are available.

Did you receive complementary breakfast in the restaurant? If so, that is all they are obligated to give you as a Gold.

If you look at the HHonors rules, international proerties are given [far too much] wiggle room on what to give Gold and Diamonds.

The FHR rate included breakfast. According to the rules we should have received some other amenity instead. Did not get any as far as I can tell.

I can (kind of) understand the non-upgrade, but the total non-recognition is a bit disturbing.

I did contact the HHonors customer service and suggested to them that every hotel should outline their HHonors benefits for different level on their Hilton.com hotel pages -- that would help people understand what to expect and avoid disappointments.

I don't really see that happening, but I am curious to see how they respond.

Cheers,
T.

... According to the rules we should have received some other amenity instead. Did not get any as far as I can tell.


T.


Sometimes the amenity will consist of a plate of fruit - or just simply a plate with (say) three apples.

Some hotels have house-keeping set up the amenity when the room is serviced.

Did you have a plate of fruit in your room?

By the way, upgrades to the Executive Floor are on a "space available" basis so you may set yourself up for disapointment if you trun up expecting an upgrade

Sometimes the amenity will consist of a plate of fruit - or just simply a plate with (say) three apples.

Some hotels have house-keeping set up the amenity when the room is serviced.

Did you have a plate of fruit in your room?

By the way, upgrades to the Executive Floor are on a "space available" basis so you may set yourself up for disapointment if you trun up expecting an upgrade.

We did have a plate of fruit. If that is the "amenity", that is pretty lame...

Not getting upgraded was not a big deal and it certainly did not ruin our trip. We paid for a certain type of room and that is what we got; that as such is cool. I am simply trying to get a grip on Hilton's policies.

Cheers,
T.

I thought Golds would be upgraded to the next available room type excluding exec floors ie if you book a classic room you might get a classic corner room.
You mentioned getting an upgrade via FHR so perhaps they would have upgraded you as gold without the FHR rate. (I doubt they give double upgrades). For instance when I stay at a Meridien that is also a member of LHW and I am Starwood Plat and a Leaders Club member they will not double upgrade me.

As a Diamond woth many stays here I am always upgraded to the exec floor but nothing more exciting like a suite. I emailed the manager who tells me diamonds are upgraded to the executive floor to the same room type booked. When I booked a classic corner room I was upgraded to the exec floor corner room and so on. (Corner rooms are disappointing as they don't have the same wonderful bathroom as the classic rooms so I will stick to the classic rooms in the future).

As a Diamond I have enjoyed an upgrade recently and found the hotel and staff to be welcoming, with fruit bowl (3 square glasses each with different fruit - grapes, bananas and forget what else and chocolates in a fourth glass.

The lounge was spacious, well served and a nice spread.

I thought Golds would be upgraded to the next available room type excluding exec floors ie if you book a classic room you might get a classic corner room.
I got a response to my query from the hotel's duty manager, who states:May I take this opportunity to inform about the benefits that we offer for HHonors Gold VIP member is a room upgrades to the next best available room type (subject to the availability) plus full-range of international buffet breakfast at Café @ 2 throughout your stay or a special food and amenities.
We have learned that upon your arrival the room upgrade to the next best available room which is an Executive room was become unavailable due to the high occupancy.
So, it seems they do upgrades including exec rooms. The front desk simply gave us wrong information (regarding the reason of not upgrading us) when we checked in.

Cheers,
T.

In my experience as a Diamond...10 stays since opening...I have always been upgraded to the exec floor with multiple amenities(the last time it was a bottle of champagne...Dom at that!!) and on occasion to a suite...I find the staff to be excellent and after you get to know them, they treat you like one of their family!!! I received a B-day card signed by a number of staff members last year...all in all, I am a very happy customer!

The front desk simply gave us wrong information (regarding the reason of not upgrading us) when we checked in.

And you haven't found a vast majority of properties doing this anyways? :)

Sadly, one has to actively check what rooms are being sold shortly before or after check-in to have the proper information to secure an upgrade if available. I forget where it was (either an HH or SPG property) where I'd checked rooms about 30 minutes before I checked in for a one night stay. Went to check in, and asked nicely if they had been able to upgrade me. I was told that they were very busy and could not do so. So then I asked if it'd be possible to reserve an executive room for that night (knowing that they were available!)—and as expected, the agent told me that I could do that. After a little bit of discussion, I was upgraded to an exec room as should have been.

So when in doubt, perhaps ask if it's possible to make a reservation for {upgraded room type} for the dates of your stay... (Though I wouldn't do this myself unless I'd recently verified availability.)

Hi. I did a search and didnt see a report in the last three months so here goes. I am at the Conrad Bangkok now, I was last here in October 2005. Since my last stay (both stays were on executive floors as I am a Diamond and was also a Diamond in 2005) I have noted the following improvements:

--Executive Lounge was expanded and updated--now larger and there are 4 computer stations in the lounge which are not as crowded as there is now
--free internet access in executive level rooms
--rooms now have lcd televisions, dvd players, ipod stations and great speakers--a nice addition
--on my first stay received fruit and chocolates on the first day. Now fruit is replenished twice a day
--there is now a candle and fragrant oil that is lit every night during turndown service. This service is extensive with towel changes, amenities replinshment, and put out of slippers and water by bedside and replenishment of ice in ice bucket. I note here that 4 bottles of water are provided each day, and if they are used, are replenished during turndown. As it is so hot in Bangkok this is appreciated. I think it is instructive to compare this policy with that of some U.S. Hiltons that offer HHonors members two bottles of water per stay...

I had breakfast every day in the lounge and had evening drinks and appetizers twice. As I like my eggs more cooked than they are on the buffet, I ordered an omelet each day that was good. I also asked for and received cafe au lait each day. Tonight I went to the drinks and appetizers and had a great light mai tai with the large selection of appetizers.

When talking to staff, they said the improvements are to ensure that the Conrad service remains competitive with other top level hotels.

All in all a very good stay. I did not get to talk to the new executive floor manager yet, will probably give her my compliments as I check out (We tip staff every day so they know how much we appreciate them). I really felt pampered here and will definitely return.

.
Very helpful report on what sounds like a very fine hotel experience.

Thank you for taking time to write and post about Conrad Bangkok.

- Peter
.

I did not get to talk to the new executive floor manager yet, will probably give her my compliments as I check out

A very efficient and hands-on Manager. Nice lady, you wont even realise shes actually French :p

A very efficient and hands-on Manager. Nice lady, you wont even realise shes actually French :p

I thought Julie was gone (she was French). Is the new manager also French? And does anyone have a direct email for her?

Consistent with my recent experiences. The lounge manager's name is Ludivine if I recall correctly, a charming, helpful and proactive lady.

I stayed here 3 years ago and it was good but a bit far out; is the milennium any handier and how do the exec floors compare; Prices are the same for the time I want to stay?

I stayed here 3 years ago and it was good but a bit far out; is the milennium any handier and how do the exec floors compare; Prices are the same for the time I want to stay?

Handier for what? The Conrad is far more centrally located than the Millenium.

the main tourist sights

Thanks for the information Silver Springer. I will be staying at the property for the first time next week and look forward to all of the ammenities.

Thanks for the update as well. I will be there next month.

Just a note to say that we were walking distance to the night market and the JW Marriott area. The hotel had a shuttle to the skytrain but it was also walkable. We took taxis everywhere and most were about $2, The taxi to the airport was only 400baht or a little over $10.

Bottom line--don't think the hotel is not accessible. The real question is how much do you want to walk in the heat. Taxis are a good solution to that as well.

Conrad is definitely a nice hotel. Due to the heat in Bangkok, it's location is definitely not the most ideal.

Grand Hyatt Erawan is probably better located in the touristy places, and within less than 5 mins walk to the skytrain.

the main tourist sights

It depends what you define as being the main tourist sites. If you mean the Grand Palace area then in distance terms the Millenium is closer. In reality however you will need to either take a taxi or the public boat service from Saphan Taksin followed by a cab ride or a walk via Khao San (if that is your bag).

On the whole I really do not think that the Conrad is in any worse a location than the Millenium in fact for many reasons I feel it is far better (the traffic in the lower Silom area as you approach the bridge is dreadful). There is an argument that the Shangri La is in a better location for the prime temple/palace sights, but I would not extend this argument to the Hilton. I do not think I have ever paid any more than 200 baht for a taxi anywhere in BKK and would strongly recommend taking taxis as opposed to the BTS/MRT unless you need to travel between 2 points which are very close to public transport stations (e.g. I often travel between the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit and Siam Square by BTS, since a taxi would be pointless for this trip).

Thanks a lot conrad it is then

Thank you all for the info about this hotel. I will be at the BKK Conrad from 21 December for about a week. I'm struggling a bit on deciding b/w the hotel side as opposed to the residence. Present rates over that period are $189 for the exec floor, or $135 for the larger 1 br suite in the residence. $54 a night extra for the club level seems excessive but the advantages of the residence seem to have dwindled with the addition of free HSIA and in-room dvd players. It will be nice to have hot food and snacks available throughout the day and night, so that's the way I'm leaning - given that my wife doesn't intend to cook on our holiday the kitchen in the residence wouldn't be of much benefit.

Still, I definitely intend to reassess my decision after the first night.

Thank you all for the info about this hotel. I will be at the BKK Conrad from 21 December for about a week. I'm struggling a bit on deciding b/w the hotel side as opposed to the residence. Present rates over that period are $189 for the exec floor, or $135 for the larger 1 br suite in the residence. $54 a night extra for the club level seems excessive but the advantages of the residence seem to have dwindled with the addition of free HSIA and in-room dvd players. It will be nice to have hot food and snacks available throughout the day and night, so that's the way I'm leaning - given that my wife doesn't intend to cook on our holiday the kitchen in the residence wouldn't be of much benefit.

Still, I definitely intend to reassess my decision after the first night.

The residence is much much more comfortable for an extended stay, the proper sofa alone is enough of a reason for me to favour it over the hotel. The alcove suites are beter value than the normal 1 bed, you receive quite a lot more space and the design is more interesting than the regular 1 bed residence suite.

As a Diamond I have always received a free breakfast when staying at the residence, albeit with a bit of cajoling on my part. The lounge food and drink is really quite unimpressive, after breakfast you have access to soft drinks and cookies until afternoon tea at 3pm and uninspiring nibbles at around 5pm. $54 a day will pay for afternoon tea, drinks and nibbles daily in the diplomat bar, or you could try Annas Cafe next door.

Do not underestimate the value of a small kitchen to store drinks etc. from the local minimart. Again a viable alternative to lounge nibbles and drinks is to buy a few bottles of wine from TOPS in the adjacent shopping centre and order from the tasty and reasonably priced, room service Thai food selection. We also like the microwave to make popcorn etc.

Also do not forgrt the 18% tax that is added on to the standard room rate, it is likely that the real difference in price between the hotel and residence will be in excess of $65 allowing for tax.

There are definitely pros and cons to the decision on the executive floor vs the residence. If you want to be pampered, try the executive floor. There was at least one occasion when we went out to lunch and the evening drinks and appetizers and desserts made up our dinner.

I can't speak to the residences, but the executive room is really a great size and the service and amenities are great.

When I went to the Conrad Singapore and got an award stay in a regular room, the differences in amenities and service from the Conrad Bangkok, really became clear.

Perhaps split your stay to try both?

There are definitely pros and cons to the decision on the executive floor vs the residence. If you want to be pampered, try the executive floor. There was at least one occasion when we went out to lunch and the evening drinks and appetizers and desserts made up our dinner.

I can't speak to the residences, but the executive room is really a great size and the service and amenities are great.

When I went to the Conrad Singapore and got an award stay in a regular room, the differences in amenities and service from the Conrad Bangkok, really became clear.

Perhaps split your stay to try both?

The residence rooms are at least 100% larger than the relatively compact standard executive rooms. The residence has exactly the same hotel services as the hotel, the only difference is a lounge and to be honest when you have been to one lounge in Asia you have been to most of them. I have not stayed in the regular hotel rooms at the Conrad BKK for over 2 years now (because I think they are quite poor value in comparison to the residence, and if I want a nice regular hotel suite, with a host of "Exec floor" type benefits I stay at the SGS). I think anyone staying a week or more in BKK would be crazy to pay more for a considerably smaller and less flexible room, and >$60 a night for some dubious lounge benefits.

Many other European and Asian hotels have far better executive floor offerings than the Conrad BKK (although I can see the difference in quality compared to many US Hiltons I have stayed in). The residence has a minimum stay of 7 nights (putside peak periods) so the OP probably does nt have the choice of splitting. I have stayed in every (Executive) room type at the Conrad BKK (with the exception of the Presidential Suite) and I honestly would still choose the Residence every time. For a long stay the greater choice of TV channels combined wih the large fridge would swing it for me, not to mention a sofa like those only found in the top suites within the Conrad Hotel. The Residence is a real bargain especially if you can cajole them into comping breakfast.

Land-of-Miles,

Thank you for the breakdown on the + and -. You've got me talked into it. Now I've got to work on the decision maker...

Is the alcove suite worth $15/night more than the standard 1 br? The Conrad site says the standard 1 br is 10 sq meters larger, so I don't understand why it's less expensive.

Cheers!

Land-of-Miles,

Thank you for the breakdown on the + and -. You've got me talked into it. Now I've got to work on the decision maker...

Is the alcove suite worth $15/night more than the standard 1 br? The Conrad site says the standard 1 br is 10 sq meters larger, so I don't understand why it's less expensive.

Cheers!

Well since $15 is only around £7.50 to me then yes definitely. I just prefer the design of the alcove suite which has quite a nice and well seperated dining area. If you do not intend to eat in your suite (either room service/delivery/takeaway) then you may choose to forego this. The alcove suites feel quite a bit roomier and have a clever wardrobe design integreted into the bedroom. However the desk and internet delivery (ethernet port) is also contained in the bedroom.

I have never stayed in a regular 1 bed suite in the residence, I have however seen one and I always opt for the alcove suites. I am not sure if there are still floorplans on the Conrad residence site, these used to clearly show the difference between the 2 types of room.

At the site http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/guestRooms.do?ctyhocn=BKKRECI the alcove is described as a 1 bed deluxe and it is 10 square metres larger than a regular 1 bed suite.

I opted for the hotel over the residence. I toured both the deluxe and standard 1 br suites at the residence and thought they were both a little drab. Not terrible, just not stimulating enough for a luxurious vacation. It felt more like the apartment I had after I first got married. Both 1 br residence suites have the desk and internet connection in the bedroom which in my case negated most of the advantages of a suite over a standard hotel room. Each room has a good size dining area and that swallows a lot of the extra space offered by the residence. The residence rooms offered no special city view because they're on lower floors than the hotel; also the windows are somewhat small and are perhaps poorly placed. Breakfast wasn't included in my residence rate and I was unable to talk the front desk clerk into comping me. FWIW, the in-room tv's are a bit on the smaller side and are of the ancient flat screen variety (as in not plasma or lcd).

In contrast, the executive level rooms are extremely nice with rich wood paneling - luxurious bath area, rain shower plus handheld, marble everywhere, large screen plasma, dvd player - preyy much everything you'd expect at a 5 star property. Other posters have discussed increased offerings at the exec lounge and I've confirmed that. Breakfast isn't quite up to the level that's sold on the 2nd floor (i.e. no omelette station) but it's still extremely generous and besides, you might be able to talk the front desk clerk into comping you on the 2nd floor breakfast, as well. ;) The evening buffet had 7 or 8 hot foods available - satay, thai dumplings, etc. - plus a few other goodies off to the side (sushi, cakes, cookies...). My 27th floor room had stunning city views plus lots of small touches that you wouldn't get at the residence - thai fruit delivered each day, turn down service, and french press coffee service. The hotel rate was $40 higher than the residence but when you factor in breakfast x 2 plus the other benefits of the exec level...

Does anybody know what Conrad charges for limo transfer to/from the new airport?

Does anybody know what Conrad charges for limo transfer to/from the new airport?

It is around 2200 Baht for a Mercede. A little bit more for BMW and think they also have stretch limo.

Thanks Wendy

I presume that it is oneway, right?

Thanks Wendy

I presume that it is oneway, right?

That's correct the quote is for oneway.

Conrad Bangkok use BMW 5 Series for standar transfers 2200bht and 2700 for a new 7 Series BMW.

Airport of Thailand Limos charge 950 for a toyota Camray and a normal taxi would be around 450 with tolls

hope this helps

FLysas

[QUOTE=ridgeback;6897505]I opted for the hotel over the residence. I toured both the deluxe and standard 1 br suites at the residence and thought they were both a little drab. QUOTE]

I was curious about the residences for a longer stay. Thanks for confirming the quality /luxury of the executive floor rooms. By the way, every morning I always ordered an omelet in the executive lounge from the hostess and this was no problem.

I have stayed in both hotel and residences. I really prefer the residences if my stay is long enough to qualify..both for price and for quality of rooms.
I am surprised that someone thought the residences were drab.:confused:

I am surprised that someone thought the residences were drab.:confused:

I'm not. ;)
I last stayed at the hotel on a reward visit and while I did not get upgraded to the executive level, my room (King non-smoking) was much as Ridgeback described with a truly awesome bathroom -big tub beside opening windows in addition to the rain/hand shower- and all the upscale amenities.
They comped me breakfast in the 2nd floor buffet where I defy anyone to come away underfed. :D
Because of the hype about the residence rooms I had read right here on this very forum, I had a look and was glad I'd not chosen one of these over my nice room and view.

Commander Bob
Not normally a Conrad fan.

It is around 2200 Baht for a Mercede.
The Mercedes SLK only fits 1 passanger and very little bit of luggage. Sure is a nice car though.

I should have spent the extra 1900 baht for the classy ride! Taxi at 300 baht was cheap, but...

Maybe next time. :)

I have stayed in both hotel and residences. I really prefer the residences if my stay is long enough to qualify..both for price and for quality of rooms.
I am surprised that someone thought the residences were drab.:confused:

I used "drab" as an adjective only in comparison with the executive level rooms, which have been recently refurbished and are pretty spiffy.

Also, we moved to the Conrad after 2 nights at the Oriental (because it was booked on xmas) and thought the residences were too big a step down in the luxury column. In contrast the exec room was more comortable in many ways than the Oriental and provided a lot more satisfaction at half the price. ^

The Mercedes SLK only fits 1 passanger and very little bit of luggage. Sure is a nice car though.

I should have spent the extra 1900 baht for the classy ride! Taxi at 300 baht was cheap, but...

Maybe next time. :)


We opted for the Mercedes sedan when we arrived in Bangkok at midnight on November 29. When you are tired, it is nice to have someone waiting for you and ready to whisk you away. The back seat was very comfortable for two and there were cold towels and ice water for us, a dock for an ipod players and English newspapers. As we both had 29 inch suitcases, one went in the front passenger seat with the driver. The driver calls ahead and they are waiting for you with the small jasmine wreath when you arrive.

On the other hand, I was fine with the $10 taxi ride back to the airport.

Mod. Please feel free to consolidate under master thread after a couple weeks. Please give this a chance to be read and commented on first. Appreciate.

I and others have written about this before. So here are some differences from my last stay. Both the positives and negatives as I see them.

Positives-

1. Sony flat panel lcd tv.
2. Phillips dvd player with remote.
3. Kensington base/charger for ipod. Also a nice wood stand next by.
4. More english speaking movie channels.
5. Looks like a fresh new crop of elephant friends. Also looks like new fresh elephants friends in the tub. Fabric ones named- Chang Ping, Surin, Krungthep and Andaman. Seems like the names are the same but fabric is different. They are going home with me. My wife loves elephants!

Negatives-

1. No welcome letter which used to nicely outline Executive Floor beneifits. I did confirm with the Front Desk HSIA is still complimentary on the Executive Level floor.
2. No menu on tv for services such as to review room bill or pay per view movies. The Front Desk offered to send an engineer to get it "put on". ?
3. The room must have gotten a new bed because there are deep indentations where the feet were. The new bed is hard. Nothing heavenly about it. I know that is Starwood.
4. I thought the Front Desk staff was ok. I am here with a friend and we checked in together. His first trip to BKK. He made the comment. I told him it would get better.

More later. Here two nights.

3. The room must have gotten a new bed because there are deep indentations where the feet were. The new bed is hard. Nothing heavenly about it. I know that is Starwood.

The base of the beds are timber framed with exposed legs. I believe they adjusted the position of the bed, leaving a mark on the carpet. If the mattress was damaged, they could have replaced just the mattress. Yes, the mattress was on the hard side, even for a Hilton property (Conrad Bali bed was very comfortable).

Enjoy your stay.

I was there a couple of weeks ago.

I did get the "Executive Floor" letter. I did not notice any decline in anything.

The BKK Conrad is still one of the best.

A funny side note.....jumped in a cab at the airport (upstairs at the arrivals;) ) and told the driver that I was going to the Conrad. No problem-he did not need me to show him the address or anything else.
He took us to a hospital and then had no idea where the Conrad was. I got him to use his Cell to call the Conrad with the number I gave him and get instructions. I guess it was punishment for not using the proper taxi line.:D

He took us to a hospital and then had no idea where the Conrad was.

Bumrungrad Hospital ;) ?

The Concierge was exceptional. Ask for Jack.
We found a massage center in the shopping center located next to the Hotel called Holmes. Aroma therapy massage- $20 US for one hour. Very good. On third floor kinda near front of shopping complex. Look and you will find it. Shorts are not allowed in Lounge after Tea time service.

Bumrungrad Hospital ;) ?

Actually, it was not Bumrungrad...I am familiar with that hospital. I am not sure which one it was.

The funny thing was that we were talking and not paying any attention to where we were. We did not recognize the area when he told us we had arrived.

The total all in taxe fare from the Hotel to BKK was 500 thb. We left a little after 4:30 to make our UA flight to NRT and all went well. Did not visit the Lounge as they were using Thais. Done that before. I thought UA used another private Lounge at BKK.

We found a massage center in the shopping center located next to the Hotel called Holmes. Aroma therapy massage- $20 US for one hour. Very good. On third floor kinda near front of shopping complex. Look and you will find it.

There is another spa that is a little more upmarket on the ground floor at the same shopping centre. Its much larger and they have proper private treatment rooms (instead of mere partitions). Its not so easy to find as they are tucked away in a corner of the building on the ground floor; take the corridor that leads to one of the side exits and its right next to the exit.

am hilton gold and will be spending my birthday here next month, will they do anything extra special for me?

The Concierge was exceptional. Ask for Jack.


Just wanted to second that recommendation for Jack (the Chief Concierge) - I dealt with him when I was staying at the Conrad last year, and he is perhaps the best Concierge I've ever encountered.

1. No welcome letter which used to nicely outline Executive Floor beneifits. I did confirm with the Front Desk HSIA is still complimentary on the Executive Level floor.I received said letter upon check-in this past November (2006).

I don't think this is a national secret. There have been changes and will be changes in top Executive Lounge staff. Hence I believe the difference in the letter being prepared for Executive Level guests. My wife loves her elephants. More than the gifts I bought her.

Do you remember the name of the Spa on level 1? My friend also agrees that was probably the best massage he has ever received. I did notice light from under the wall so yes partitions. What can we expect for $20? Thanks.

I don't think this is a national secret. There have been changes and will be changes in top Executive Lounge staff. Hence I believe the difference in the letter being prepared for Executive Level guests. My wife loves her elephants. More than the gifts I bought her.

Do you remember the name of the Spa on level 1? My friend also agrees that was probably the best massage he has ever received. I did notice light from under the wall so yes partitions. What can we expect for $20? Thanks.

I think this is the Swiss Perfection Spa, located on the ground floor, just further around the building than the conrade residence entrance and very close to the Italian Thai Restaurant.

The biggest improvement needed at the Conrad is the beds IMHO, they are rock hard and I get a terrible nights sleep when I stay at this property.

The biggest improvement needed at the Conrad is the beds IMHO, they are rock hard and I get a terrible nights sleep when I stay at this property.

I do agree 101%. For such a good place, the bed is really a let down. :( Other than that, everything there is good!

Lounge staff are really friendly. Really like those teatime savories.

:)

Do you remember the name of the Spa on level 1?

JANIS SPA : Unit 124 1st Floor, CRC Tower, All Seasons Place

Its at the rear corner of All Seasons Place.

i hope to get some help so please Fters, if you can help, i will appreciate it.

i have been trying to get a room for night of 7th jan. i already have a reservation at conrad for 6th jan. i just wonder what is going on at bkk that conrad ran out of normal rooms and are selling only executive rooms for THB9000++ including taxes.

thb 9000++ is certainly quite expensive on my own dime. i will post on some relevant forum to see if there are some decent hotels near conrad.

dear Fters,

can someone recommend what the attractions are in the vincinity of Conrad Bkk.....

all i have gathered is there is a market and a place to get a cheap aromatherapy massage. would a Fter care to help a first timer to bkk???

That is a tall order. There are no attractions directly around the Conrad. The closest would be Erawan Shrine. If you get in contact with Jack he can lay out some good ideas. You can find lots of information online. BKK can keep any tourist busy for a solid few days.

I'm planning on staying in Bangkok a few days at the end of a month-long Asian vacation. For the sake of practicality, I'm bringing an Eagle Creek backpack instead of a rollaboard style suitcase. I'm going to need to truck my own luggage around in Cambodia, Laos, etc., and will be moving on and off boats and public transportation, and in my experience a backpack is much, much easier for me to manage in these circumstances.

My question is, if I stay on the executive floor at the Conrad, will they wrinkle their nose at me when I check in with a backpack? It's not like I'm going to be wandering in with flipflops and shorts and a t-shirt without having bathed in the past three days or anything, attire-wise I'd be fine. It's just the backpack (which I tend to carry by the handle anyway if I'm just going out of a cab and into a hotel -- or get a porter for).

I'm planning on staying in Bangkok a few days at the end of a month-long Asian vacation. For the sake of practicality, I'm bringing an Eagle Creek backpack instead of a rollaboard style suitcase. I'm going to need to truck my own luggage around in Cambodia, Laos, etc., and will be moving on and off boats and public transportation, and in my experience a backpack is much, much easier for me to manage in these circumstances.

My question is, if I stay on the executive floor at the Conrad, will they wrinkle their nose at me when I check in with a backpack? It's not like I'm going to be wandering in with flipflops and shorts and a t-shirt without having bathed in the past three days or anything, attire-wise I'd be fine. It's just the backpack (which I tend to carry by the handle anyway if I'm just going out of a cab and into a hotel -- or get a porter for).

Why do you care what they think?

The answer is no.

Well, I guess I only care what they think if they don't take my money.

I heard about a dress code somewhere in the hotel, with no shorts, so I didn't know if they'd care about a backpack (and slacks) so thought I'd check.

Well, I guess I only care what they think if they don't take my money.

I heard about a dress code somewhere in the hotel, with no shorts, so I didn't know if they'd care about a backpack (and slacks) so thought I'd check.

You'll be fine. Just don't spit on the floor while you're there. ;) :D

Hence I believe the difference in the letter being prepared for Executive Level guests.

I got the benefits letter addressed to myself both in December and also yesterday checking in with the 700 thb Dlx suite rate. Both times there was also a "Welcome back" letter. For my friend staying in the same room there is $40 per night surcharce because I apparently had made the reservation for 1 person by mistake. And I have to pay the whole reservation even though I'll leave 3 days early - but the extra person charge does not apply for those days. And beyond that, no surcharge for extra bed, which we put in the livingroom. I think I can live with that. :)