Fliar
Jul 5, 06, 10:09 pm
This is not a formal trip report but rather a random collection of thoughts from a couple of recent trips to Thailand and Singapore flying TG and SQ and staying at some superb hotels.
Thai Airways launched a direct AKL-BKK flight not long ago, operating their new A340-600. This is a significant improvement over the earlier detour via Sydney or Brisbane and a major improvement in terms of the aircraft. TG now also have AVOD in all classes. In April I flew AKL-BKK in TG’s new business class with pod-type chairs which go flat-at-an-angle. I quite liked the seat although it is narrower at the shoulders than SQ’s Spacebed. The service was fine but not outstanding in any way. The food was similarly fine.
In BKK we spent one night at the JW Marriott on Sukhumvit. This was my second stay at the hotel and it surpassed the previous one which I already enjoyed. I had pricelined for this stay and was offered an upgrade on checkin for $45 which included breakfast, lounge access and various other perks which made it well worth the money. The service in the hotel was outstanding. The breakfast was fantastic with a huge range. Even the room service food was very good. I can recommend the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant downstairs (‘Nami’) ~ they have a lunch menu which is excellent value and the quality is really high. I also had a chance to try Tsu, which had an excellent small set menu for 450baht. The décor is hypercool ~ we loved it.
Following this we spent one night at the Oriental hotel in the Garden Wing, upgraded thanks to our booking through Virtuoso. An invitation to that night’s Songkran festivities turned out to be a wonderful event with free food and unlimited drinks. The hotel is exquisite. Although I had been there many times for dinners and lunches and had enjoyed the old-world charm of the place, it always seemed too busy (especially the public areas) to be relaxed. I still feel a bit like that. The same applies to the pool area which is small and below par with the rest of the hotel. The spa across the river does make up for this to some extent as it is serene and beautiful. For the rest, the hotel stands out as one of the nicest I have ever stayed at. The service was fantastic and the room lovely. Apart from the tangibles, the hotel definitely has the X factor. Its history, its elegance, and something indescribable make this place very special. We highly recommend the afternoon tea in the Author’s Lounge – the best British style afternoon tea we ever had. Lord Jim’s buffet was a delight, as ever. Le Normandie now has a lunch special for 990baht for three courses plus coffee and sweets including taxes and this makes it the best value-for-money deal in BKK at the moment IMHO (unless you compare it with 20baht for the brilliant food from the stalls all around town .
After one night we were ferried across to the Peninsula for a three night package. We had been accorded VIP status which resulted in us being welcomed by the Guest Manager and entourage at the pier, given a private tour, and finding welcome gifts in our upgraded room (32nd floor). In-room massages, a private chauffeur for part of our stay and other perks made this a truly memorable occasion. We also joined the ‘Culinary Experience’ which involves an entrée, dinner and dessert in three different restaurants. We found the food in all places to be excellent, the service incredible and the whole experience a lot of fun. Jester’s, the hotel’s fusion restaurant’ has stunning views and décor and the veal (with massala and peach) was the best I ever had. The barramundi was equally fantastic. A later return to the restaurant was marred by stinginess – a set menu included veal which my dinner partner cannot eat. Only one alternative was offered: a vegetarian dish, the cheapest menu on the item (while the veal was one of the most expensive). Our request for another item was not met and we left the restaurant. Mei Jiang, the Cantonese restaurant, had good service and the food was good. The return transfer from the hotel to the airport is well worth it (much more so than the pickup where I usually get a taxi for fraction of the cost or (if there is a long line) a TG limo) because the Pen has a staff member at the airport to help with your luggage and who will get your departure ticket while you check in. A great, relaxing way to end our stay.
Which is the better hotel? The Oriental definitely has more charm. The Peninsula offered better service and scored higher in a number of other areas (certainly the views!). For our honeymoon later this year we will probably spend one night at each hotel as we could not decide where to go. How fantastic to have such amazing hotels facing each other down across the river.
On my return I flew SQ in C from BKK-SIN (as the start of a ‘nested’ RTW ex-BKK) which was excellent (I *love* their Singapore Sling) and after a visit to the SKL from SIN-AKL, again excellent. I have yet to find a better, more consistent airline.
In June I flew AKL-BKK again on TG, but this time in Y. Luckily I scored an emergency exit (31). Annoyingly, though (and this happened in April too) they had lost my seat requests, even though I had rung to re-confirm it a few days before the flight. The lady next to me turned out to have checked in very early and was given my original seat when she asked for it (she has no status). TG should either not take seat requests or improve their procedures. The NZ lounge offered a nice lunch with fish patties, couscous and very tasty olives, which went well with a nice glass of Lindauer Special Reserve (or two..). A shower and some work later boarding started on time and we were off. I skipped the lunch but the dinner tasted absolutely excellent (for Y food) and later snacks were handed out too (sandwiches). The service was fine, without being outstanding, although favourable mention goes to the frequent drinks rounds and hot towels. The AVOD works well, is quite responsive and the selection of movies was quite good. The selection of tv programmes is a bit more limited but this is still an excellent system. On arrival I stayed at the Rama Garden hotel which I find a comfortable, affordable option when you want to stay near the airport. They offer an airport shuttle and the breakfast (included) is quite good.
I took an Airasia flight (999 baht return) to Phuket where I was met by the courteous driver of the JW Marriott with scented towels and cold water. The hotel was fan-tas-tic. The architecture, the views, the pools (one of them over 100 metres long) were amazing. There is some debate on the ‘luxury hotels’ forum about what constitutes a luxury hotel – I could not have asked for more luxury than this hotel offers. If only they had another name ;-) It IS, however, a large hotel, and perhaps when it is full there is little privacy which makes other options such as the Amanpuri and Banyan Tree more attractive. However, they charged 500% more than I paid…The breakfast spread was excellent (awesome crepes) and food at the Japanese sushi bar was good. I had a pizza at the Italian restaurant which was good too but I don’t know if I would want to eat a full meal there with so many good options outside the hotel.
I also took a flight to Chiang Mai which departed from the domestic terminal but picked up a busload of international passengers arriving from Japan. Snacks/coffee/drinks were handed out both ways and newspapers were available. The lounge in CM was a pleasant surprise – similarly decorated as the international lounge in BKK, very small but comfortable with 2 internet computers, snacks/sandwiches and a good coffee machine.
A further stay in BKY yielded the following culinary experiences (besides streetfood): Distil at the State Tower is my favourite haunt. Great music, views, and service. Drinks are expensive but if you are on a budget just order ice cream – it’s a third of the price of a drink. The Italian restaurant above it, Mezzaluna, charges crazy prices even by international standards ($18 for the cheapest glass of wine, $35 for the cheaper mains etc) and does not meet those prices in terms of quality or service. Rossini in the Sheraton Grande serves very decent Italian food without being outstanding and Baan Khanitha similarly decent Thai food, although aimed at tourists a bit (but not too much).
Q Bar and Bed are fun although I much preferred the music at the latter. There are two rooms and the smaller one definitely had my preference for music. It was models night (Wednesday) so lots of eye candy ;-)
Another couple of fun trips to Thailand and overall good flights too. Back in a couple of months so watch this space!
Thai Airways launched a direct AKL-BKK flight not long ago, operating their new A340-600. This is a significant improvement over the earlier detour via Sydney or Brisbane and a major improvement in terms of the aircraft. TG now also have AVOD in all classes. In April I flew AKL-BKK in TG’s new business class with pod-type chairs which go flat-at-an-angle. I quite liked the seat although it is narrower at the shoulders than SQ’s Spacebed. The service was fine but not outstanding in any way. The food was similarly fine.
In BKK we spent one night at the JW Marriott on Sukhumvit. This was my second stay at the hotel and it surpassed the previous one which I already enjoyed. I had pricelined for this stay and was offered an upgrade on checkin for $45 which included breakfast, lounge access and various other perks which made it well worth the money. The service in the hotel was outstanding. The breakfast was fantastic with a huge range. Even the room service food was very good. I can recommend the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant downstairs (‘Nami’) ~ they have a lunch menu which is excellent value and the quality is really high. I also had a chance to try Tsu, which had an excellent small set menu for 450baht. The décor is hypercool ~ we loved it.
Following this we spent one night at the Oriental hotel in the Garden Wing, upgraded thanks to our booking through Virtuoso. An invitation to that night’s Songkran festivities turned out to be a wonderful event with free food and unlimited drinks. The hotel is exquisite. Although I had been there many times for dinners and lunches and had enjoyed the old-world charm of the place, it always seemed too busy (especially the public areas) to be relaxed. I still feel a bit like that. The same applies to the pool area which is small and below par with the rest of the hotel. The spa across the river does make up for this to some extent as it is serene and beautiful. For the rest, the hotel stands out as one of the nicest I have ever stayed at. The service was fantastic and the room lovely. Apart from the tangibles, the hotel definitely has the X factor. Its history, its elegance, and something indescribable make this place very special. We highly recommend the afternoon tea in the Author’s Lounge – the best British style afternoon tea we ever had. Lord Jim’s buffet was a delight, as ever. Le Normandie now has a lunch special for 990baht for three courses plus coffee and sweets including taxes and this makes it the best value-for-money deal in BKK at the moment IMHO (unless you compare it with 20baht for the brilliant food from the stalls all around town .
After one night we were ferried across to the Peninsula for a three night package. We had been accorded VIP status which resulted in us being welcomed by the Guest Manager and entourage at the pier, given a private tour, and finding welcome gifts in our upgraded room (32nd floor). In-room massages, a private chauffeur for part of our stay and other perks made this a truly memorable occasion. We also joined the ‘Culinary Experience’ which involves an entrée, dinner and dessert in three different restaurants. We found the food in all places to be excellent, the service incredible and the whole experience a lot of fun. Jester’s, the hotel’s fusion restaurant’ has stunning views and décor and the veal (with massala and peach) was the best I ever had. The barramundi was equally fantastic. A later return to the restaurant was marred by stinginess – a set menu included veal which my dinner partner cannot eat. Only one alternative was offered: a vegetarian dish, the cheapest menu on the item (while the veal was one of the most expensive). Our request for another item was not met and we left the restaurant. Mei Jiang, the Cantonese restaurant, had good service and the food was good. The return transfer from the hotel to the airport is well worth it (much more so than the pickup where I usually get a taxi for fraction of the cost or (if there is a long line) a TG limo) because the Pen has a staff member at the airport to help with your luggage and who will get your departure ticket while you check in. A great, relaxing way to end our stay.
Which is the better hotel? The Oriental definitely has more charm. The Peninsula offered better service and scored higher in a number of other areas (certainly the views!). For our honeymoon later this year we will probably spend one night at each hotel as we could not decide where to go. How fantastic to have such amazing hotels facing each other down across the river.
On my return I flew SQ in C from BKK-SIN (as the start of a ‘nested’ RTW ex-BKK) which was excellent (I *love* their Singapore Sling) and after a visit to the SKL from SIN-AKL, again excellent. I have yet to find a better, more consistent airline.
In June I flew AKL-BKK again on TG, but this time in Y. Luckily I scored an emergency exit (31). Annoyingly, though (and this happened in April too) they had lost my seat requests, even though I had rung to re-confirm it a few days before the flight. The lady next to me turned out to have checked in very early and was given my original seat when she asked for it (she has no status). TG should either not take seat requests or improve their procedures. The NZ lounge offered a nice lunch with fish patties, couscous and very tasty olives, which went well with a nice glass of Lindauer Special Reserve (or two..). A shower and some work later boarding started on time and we were off. I skipped the lunch but the dinner tasted absolutely excellent (for Y food) and later snacks were handed out too (sandwiches). The service was fine, without being outstanding, although favourable mention goes to the frequent drinks rounds and hot towels. The AVOD works well, is quite responsive and the selection of movies was quite good. The selection of tv programmes is a bit more limited but this is still an excellent system. On arrival I stayed at the Rama Garden hotel which I find a comfortable, affordable option when you want to stay near the airport. They offer an airport shuttle and the breakfast (included) is quite good.
I took an Airasia flight (999 baht return) to Phuket where I was met by the courteous driver of the JW Marriott with scented towels and cold water. The hotel was fan-tas-tic. The architecture, the views, the pools (one of them over 100 metres long) were amazing. There is some debate on the ‘luxury hotels’ forum about what constitutes a luxury hotel – I could not have asked for more luxury than this hotel offers. If only they had another name ;-) It IS, however, a large hotel, and perhaps when it is full there is little privacy which makes other options such as the Amanpuri and Banyan Tree more attractive. However, they charged 500% more than I paid…The breakfast spread was excellent (awesome crepes) and food at the Japanese sushi bar was good. I had a pizza at the Italian restaurant which was good too but I don’t know if I would want to eat a full meal there with so many good options outside the hotel.
I also took a flight to Chiang Mai which departed from the domestic terminal but picked up a busload of international passengers arriving from Japan. Snacks/coffee/drinks were handed out both ways and newspapers were available. The lounge in CM was a pleasant surprise – similarly decorated as the international lounge in BKK, very small but comfortable with 2 internet computers, snacks/sandwiches and a good coffee machine.
A further stay in BKY yielded the following culinary experiences (besides streetfood): Distil at the State Tower is my favourite haunt. Great music, views, and service. Drinks are expensive but if you are on a budget just order ice cream – it’s a third of the price of a drink. The Italian restaurant above it, Mezzaluna, charges crazy prices even by international standards ($18 for the cheapest glass of wine, $35 for the cheaper mains etc) and does not meet those prices in terms of quality or service. Rossini in the Sheraton Grande serves very decent Italian food without being outstanding and Baan Khanitha similarly decent Thai food, although aimed at tourists a bit (but not too much).
Q Bar and Bed are fun although I much preferred the music at the latter. There are two rooms and the smaller one definitely had my preference for music. It was models night (Wednesday) so lots of eye candy ;-)
Another couple of fun trips to Thailand and overall good flights too. Back in a couple of months so watch this space!