3rdworldresident

As a local resident, i do recommend the Plaza Athenee.

SHLTP

As a plat, SGS is a great choice. And service overall is fabulous and what sets this hotel apart. I've stayed here three times in last four months and love it.

That said, the hard product is just so so. I know there was a recent renovation but the style - from bathroom tiles to wood in the public areas -- is a little old fashion for my taste. The new Thai silks in main areas fray a bit.

While i like eating in rossinis - the main food area is too chaotic for me - I find portion sizes too tiny and they charge for extra portions. This is good for my tummy but last meal of steak was literally three bites.

PA on the other hand has a fabulous hard product. Buffet is quiet but food choice expansive. Pool area much easier to get a lounger fine family. Lounge is huge and nice. Service lacks to SGS for sure. But for non plats it is a better environment.

Westin is a great location but I have never truly had a great stay there. Service is ok and hard product ok. Nothing fabulous and nothing great.

RO Fallong apart. Won't stay there anymore even at their cut rates.

LM good but I don't love location.

I will go to SGS and PA depending on pricing. Both have great locations for tourists (SGS a little better perhaps) and overall excellent.

alanslegal

We stayed at the St Regis and SGS back to back earlier this year;

At the St Regis, we had some minor service delivery faults (example, at the restaurant where they refused to give me some cut fruit from the fridge and at the lobby where they thought I was there just take photos) but our butler did an excellent job during our stay! The rooms and common areas is modern luxury and this to me, is enough to beat the SGS any day.

The SGS has an excellent soft product, all the staff are friendly and say hello - nobody tries to pretend that they did not see you. The breakfast is slightly better at the SGS but at either properties, the spread is still quite good unless you gorge a late breakfast and hope to make it to an early dinner The rooms however are a bit old looking, definitely has an old feeling and I felt old staying there. I will unlikely be staying at the SGS for about two decades decades from ow purely because of the older feeling. There are many modern choices in Bangkok where I would be tempted to stay at the Sofitel Sukhumvit without status before the SGS with status.

myko85

Thank you for the informative post.

Dr. HFH

It's all personal preference. I've stayed at several StRs, but only visited a friend at StR BKK. To me, the difference is old world luxury versus modern luxury; and I go for old world luxury every time. At SGS, lots of high ceilings, wood and veined marble (all in addition, of course, to the unbeatable service, as mentioned upthread). I much prefer this to the more ubiquitous modern luxury look/feel. IMO, the modern luxury hotels are often (but not always, of course) more similar, where the older ones more often have individual, unique styles. For example, I see lots of similarly styled furniture in StRs, but compare, say, The Savoy (London), Hassler (Rome), Peninsula (Hong Kong), Negresco (Nice), Pierre (NY), etc., -- all old top hotels but I dare say that you would be hard pressed to find a lot of similarities in architecture, style, décor.

FWIW, I believe that SGS was built in the early 1990s, and StR opened, IIRC, around 2011.

SHLTP

Not to go off topic - but bringing up Mandarin Oriental HK is apt when discussing SGS. MO and both SGS have incredible service. Both are older styles in terms of design and hardware. But if you are looking for modern versions of luxury, neither will fit your bill. My tv at SGS broke down three of the four nights I was there recently, as did telephone.

PA is newer hardware. I have not stayed at st Regis bkk because SGS and pa both are amazing at half the price. Str location is not my favorite and they've have had massive staff turnover compared to SGS. It is nice seeing the same staff years later. You know the gm, in this case Richard, isbdoing an excellent job when staff so happy

alanslegal

Definitely; I should also mention that I have stayed at the SGS several times in the past as well even though the decor isn't really my taste but wanted to be in the Asoke area and preferred it over the Westin. As most of us here know, the choices of Bangkok SPG hotels are many and will suit every price point, style, location etc so definitely will come down to a preference. Just if I had to narrow it down to one choice based on hotel with no other variables like specific location, then for me its down to the St Regis.

yosithezet

20 year olds who want to have a good time, get out and enjoy nightlife. Are you looking to have three people with 2 beds or get a rollaway for the 3rd person? Room rates in Bangkok are so low, I would consider breaking the party up.

aLoft with Levels right there and a lively street around would be excellent. https://www.facebook.com/levelsclub/

SGS would be stuffy for you in my opinion. The pool is great, but you should be out and about. Don't know if they will give all three of you breakfast.

Plaza Athenee is great but not much happening in the evening in that area.

Westin has a lounge and has been having pool parties once a month http://www.westingrandesukhumvit.com/pool-party and are experimenting with a hangover brunch up on the top floor.

Le Meridien Bangkok on Surawong and W would also be good properties for you. More nightlife around the Le Meridien.

I would avoid the St Regis. Soft product is really poor and while the hard product is excellent, you shouldn't be spending too much time in the hotel when you have such an amazing city in front of you. If you do stay at the St Regis you may want to check out the clubs in the Hyatt and the basement of the Intercon after 10-11PM.

Suggest that you spend some time in the evenings in RCA, Thonglor around Soi 10 and Soi 17.

myko85

great! thank you for the advice

ftrichard

This. Le Meridien is opposite the start of Patpong which needs no introduction for nightlife. The breakfast buffet is also very good. Better than the St. Regis. Customer base is youngish without the suffocating enforced trendiness of the W.

It's my favourite hotel and they treat Plats very well though I appreciate that we all have our favourites based on different criteria. I'm back this weekend for about the 30th time.

seanthepilot

Room = St. Regis, by 10X
Service = SGS
Plat Freebies = SGS
Upgrades are tough at both (Best upgrade chance = ROS) (Best suites = St. Regis & Le Meridien)

ftrichard

Here's my dilemma:

I invariably spend my Bangkok weekend breaks at Le Meridien but they've priced themselves out of my next stay in October (I guess there's an event on as all the regular rooms are booked out and only executive rates are available that include the benefits I get anyway as a Platinum + if there's an event on then Creative Hour won't be in the Bamboo Chic and we'll be shunted downstairs and one of the reasons I love Le Meridien is Creative hour in Bamboo Chic).

Last time this happened I stayed at the W because of the location in Silom but I can't stand this hotel and its absence of treatment for Platinums so not there.

I'm left with: Sheraton Grande, Plaza Athenee, Westin or Royal Orchid. I've only stayed at the Royal Orchid before out of these and don't mind it for the price but fancy some good treatment. Things I value: (1) happy hour cocktails (real cocktails not bottles of spirits + mixers), (2) suite upgrades, (3) breakfast *and* 500 points (4) sparkling wine at breakfast. LeM delivers on all these. Where else will I have a great experience as a Platinum given these priorities.

Horrific afterthought: I don't need the qualifying nights this year so should I try a Marriott hotel being Platinum there as well because of status matching?

geminidreams

I prefer the PA to SGS as I prefer the lounge and pool and dont care about the service. Both are better than the Westin in quality but not by a huge margin. I value price and they are often good value for money. I would only stay at ROS for river or mattress run as breakfast there is truly awful.

yosithezet

Having stayed at the LeM and all the others you mention, I strongly suggest that you try the SGS for a weekend and the next time try the PA. I believe that one of these will become a new favorite.

seanthepilot

If you like the area of the Le Meridien, then ROS should be your winner hands down. They're very close to each other.

ROS has the best upgrade chances, 500 pts, lounge breakfast, and a good cocktail & appy spread. No sparkling at breaky... and a weaker overall breakfast than the others.

I'm running 100% suite upgrades as recently as this weekend. It's minutes from the Le Meridien in a cab.