andrewp

Hi All,

I'm trying to decide between a few different hotels in BKK and am having some trouble. I previously stayed at the Peninsula and didn't like it too much as there were far too many of the stereotypical "ugly American" tourists crawling all over the place.

I've narrowed my choice down to a remodeled room at the Four Seasons or a suite at the JW Marriott. At this point the deciding factor really seems to be location. Although the two aren't far from each other the heat of the day can make any distance seem infinite.

Which of these two areas has more to offer from the standpoint of being able to walk out of the hotel and immediately find something to do (shop, eat, drink, etc)? It seems as if the FS is in a "better" area in this regard, but I'm interested in opinions from those who have spent more time roaming the streets than I have.

Thanks!!

wideman

Actually, the Four Seasons is not really in an area you describe, where you could "walk out of the hotel and immediately find something to do (shop, eat, drink, etc)." The Four Seasons is more or less off by itself, across from a private club (golf, horse racing) and at least a 5-minute walk to the shops/restaurants on the main drag (Ploenchit?).

The JW is on the main street, though I haven't stayed there (but my taxi driver did use its parking lot as a cut-through from the highway).

If you're looking for places that are on top of the action, some very good choices are the IC, Hyatt Grand Erawan, and Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. (The IC and Hyatt are across the street from each other at Gaysorn Plaza and the Chit Lom skytrain stop; the Sheraton is on Sukhumvit at the Nana Skytrain stop.)

andrewp

Thank you very much for this info. Based on the map that I have it looked like the FS was "next door" to the Hyatt (which I knew to be in a good location). How far is the walk from the front door of the FS to Ploenchit rd?

blueDC

The FS is almost directly under Ratchadamri BTS station. It's not a terribly long walk to Ploenchit Rd but if you leave the FS, there's nothing to the left of it or across the street from it. There's the Peninsula Plaza to the right followed by the Hyatt and then you'll get to WTC, Gaysorn and all that goodness. And yes, in the heat of the day, I'd probably Skytrain to Siam and then on to Chitlom!

I far prefer a river location coz it's just that much hotter downtown...

TRAVELSIG

The FS is one building away from the Hyatt.
In terms of location, the FS is quite convenient- and remember that you can get anywhere in central BKK in a taxi for less than 80 Baht.
The luxury hotels forum has a lot of discussion on "best hotel in Bangkok". For me, the FS is a great choice.
I have stayed several times at the JW Marriott- the location is great for getting on/off the road to the airport- and Sukhumvit has a lot going on. As a hotel, though, it is not in the same category of luxury as the FS.

wideman

Yes, Bangkok maps are like that, where scale isn't always the very highest priority. Anyway, it's a 5-10 min walk from the door of the FS to Ploenchit. (Hyatt is on the corner of Ploenchit.)

andrewp

Yeah, I've been following that thread, but most don't consider the JW to be "luxury" and hence discussions involving that property in the luxe forum are pretty lean.


Can anyone here comment on the location of the Sukhothai? My understanding is that it's pretty isolated with the exception of the subway stopping nearby.

TRAVELSIG

Sukhothai location is not that great- there is nothing really within walking distance. If you are going to stay there, you might as well book a suite at the Metropolitan which is (almost) next door- price will be the same or less than the Skuhothai, and it is a nicer hotel. At either the Met or the Sukhothai, you may have to wait once in a while for a taxi, which is frustrating. The MetBar is happening on weekends if you are looking for a pleasant place to go out, but is dead on weekdays.