Originally Posted by
GetSetJetSet
I'm currently at the Mandarin-Oriental. I put great stock in the advice on this board, but this hotel is a total DUMP. The lobby looks like a tacky convention hotel (with the swarming large groups to boot), the rooms & suites are not particularly large, well laid out or nicely appointed. The main building itself is tacky looking and the fitness club is across the river. The staff are not very helpful. So when it comes down to it, what are we paying for? A nice restaurant along the river? I have to laugh at a Fodor's that ranked this "The best hotel in the world," I don't think I would include this in a list of my top-500 hotels. I've been to 4 hotels this week and it's neck and neck between the MO BKK and the FS Sydney as to the worst of the worst.
Must have just missed you , were you at their management cocktail reception on Tues ? Did you watch the fireworks on the river last night? We'd 2 well appointed suites , perhaps your room was one of those that have not been refurbished & not quite Aman - sized. It is/was indeed very full with what seemed like a few functions/ meetings on concurrently.
I too feel that perhaps a number of the staff weren't coping as well but some were . Perhaps with many new staff since Jan G came onboard, the training is still in progress & not up to speed - MO standards yet. There's a note in the room too that MOBKK is sponsoring an apprenticeship program & to bear with - encourage - these individuals.
' DUMP ' isn't what it is, perhaps the type of crowd you encountered didn't help. The phalaenopsis arrangements in the lobby were rather spectacular.
It's that the numbers that come to gawk don't help either..tqhe lobby itself hasn't changed for years but many older staff have retired
Look at it this way, having part of the hotel across the river makes it more interesting - spa , cooking school ,etc - if they weren't , we won't be having the river experience for ' free '.
Being at 3 Amanresrts in just 2 months of this year - I don't consider MOBKK that bad.
Perhaps you too can share your thoughts if you stay till the weekend- less busy then.