“This is not going to go the way you think” –
Luke Skywalker
Fellow readers, if you have stayed with my story thus far, you know that we have had an amazing trip. Well, here is where it inevitably all went to ...., and my impression of the Peninsula brand is forever tarnished. I have been looking forward to writing this portion of my report, simply for the catharsis I derive from regaling you all of the train wreck that was our stay here.
On our last morning at the FS, we fed Stampy the elephant (yes, I know they have names already but I do not care, her name is Stampy damn it) one last time during breakfast, and said our heartfelt goodbyes to the FS staff.
Fare thee well Stampy!
We then boarded our long boat, and later, car, and made our way to Chiang Rai airport to catch our flight back to the land that God forgot, err I mean Bangkok, sorry. Chiang Rai Airport was surprisingly comfortable and well designed for a regional airport. It was no frills, but it was a short wait before we boarded our Thai Smile flight. I was very hesitant booking this flight, because I wasn't sure what to expect with a budget Thai airline, but color me surprised. Despite its
budget status, I would rate Thai Smile above the regional domestic airlines in the US.
We arrived back to Bangkok and found our driver from the Peninsula Hotel waiting for us. So far so good. On the ride to the hotel, we got in touch with the concierge who helped us get a reservation at Suhring, an innovative restaurant with a tasting menu of refined German cuisine that we heard good things about from the friends we made at the FS. The Peninsula was able to get us a reservation that same night, which we really appreciated. With these two notches under its belt, we were really getting excited for our stay. Prior to the trip, I scoured this forum for all the Peninsula reviews, and even read that long thread with posters arguing between The Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental for best hotel in Bangkok. Although, I have not stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, I can confidently say that it should win that contest by a mile. The Peninsula Bangkok is a garbage fire of a hotel. The Peninsula, once hailed as the hallmark hotel in Bangkok, is now a hollow disappointment.
Upon arrival to the hotel I was abruptly halted, hand on chest (I walked into her hand in shock that we would be held back), by the front of house manager, and told to wait a moment. It was incredibly jarring, and we were then rushed like cattle through the front entrance, with the staff in disarray. It seemed that they were not expecting us, despite the fact that we arrived by use of their car service and I had called and spoken with them 20 minutes earlier for the restaurant reservation. We were quickly taken to our room, but we were told soon thereafter that the hotel was full and no upgrade to a better room was available. No mention of the fact that it was our honeymoon or even a congratulation (compare this with the elaborate welcome, champagne, and decorations the Siam, Ritz, and every other hotel performed for us). A potential upgrade was included in our package, but we understood it was contingent on availability (this will become a pattern). It was nonetheless disappointing because it was our honeymoon, but we understood. Next, the escort person informed us that the room we reserved (and were standing in) was the Balcony view room, to which I was perplexed because I requested a Grand Balcony room. After some awkward language issues, a phone call to the front desk, and a review of my reservation, it was cleared that the room we were in WAS in fact the Grand Balcony room and this was just a communication error on her part. I’m still slightly suspicious of this, and it is possible that I may have been conned into a lesser room. Anyway, again a miscommunication is understandable, especially in a situation where they are speaking to me in my native language and not theirs, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
The room was adequate but nothing impressive as the outer façade of the building would lead you to believe. It looked very dated, and had an air of a nice NYC hotel circa 1992 (old tv in the bathroom included). I would compare it to the room Kevin McCallister stays in in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Inside the room a piece of stale wedding cake was provided, the sole acknowledgment of the fact that we were on our honeymoon. Not a single employee made any mention of it. Before departing our room, the concierge informed us that our reservation included breakfast, but because of our early departure, the restaurant would not be serving breakfast. She stated that the hotel would provide us with a breakfast box to eat on the way to the airport the next morning, and that our luggage would be picked up at 5:15 am the next day. A nice touch, which was appreciated at the time, but would leave a bitter reminder of our stay the next day (read on). She also informed us that we had a spa credit that could be used, but once we called the spa, we were quickly informed that the spa had no open reservations, making the credit useless (the theme continues). We called to see if we can change the spa credit for a drink credit or something, but, as had become the norm, the Nancy Reagan-like staff, just said no.
Following check in, we explored the room, and tried on our tailored clothes that were delivered to the hotel prior to our arrival. Overall, I was pleased with my blazers, and my wife loved her cape. We then made our way down for afternoon tea in the lobby, which was included in our reservation. Of course, there was no space for us. Without trying to accommodate us or find something that could work for us (as Aman Tokyo would later do), they threw us into a corner and gave me an ottoman to sit on with no back. This was literally, the least they could do, and their lack of care was very noticeable and uncomfortable. After about 40 minutes of waiting, the server came with our tea and snacks. All I can say is that I’m glad we did not pay for it. I’m not sure why The Peninsula tea service is famous….
Don't be deceived by the pretty appearance!
The scones, which we were encouraged to “eat first while warm”, were stale and cold. So much so, that my wife and I still joke about this. We now tell each other to make sure to eat ‘insert cold food’ first while warm. The offerings were also uninspiring with generic bland sandwiches, and pre-made pastries. The jasmine tea I ordered was served too hot making the tea bitter, and the metal teapot provided, was not wrapped with a towel on the handle, resulting in me burning my hand when I went to grab it. After the abysmal tea service, I decided to go down to the gym for a workout. The gym is serviceable but very small with no windows. I was also required to sign in and sign out, making sure to put my room number. Of course, I had forgotten my room number, and had to wait while the staff called the front desk to make sure I wasn’t some vagabond seeking to use the treadmills.
The next day we woke up early for our flight, excited about the breakfast box that was promised. Sadly, as was typical of our stay, the staff forgot the breakfast boxes, made no mention of it, forgot to pick up our luggage, and we had to quickly rush to the airport as a result.
I will point out that during our one night stay, there was a huge Indian wedding celebration going on, which probably contributed to the incredibly poor service. However this is no excuse for the treatment we received, or lack thereof.
The only highlight of our last night in Bangkok (and Thailand) was our dinner at Sühring. The restaurant is located in a very residential neighborhood at the center of Bangkok, and is designed to look like a glass house overlooking a tropical garden.
We were seated downstairs next to the open kitchen, where we could watch the chefs prepare our courses.
The tasting menu at Suhring consists of 12 courses, all demonstrating a diverse array of refined German cuisine. Overall, it was incredible and very unique. We hadn’t had refined German before, and this delivered. Each course complimented the next, from the pretzel opening, to the Spaetzle pasta. I think we may even have enjoyed this more than Gaggan, but I think it’s because Sühring allows the food to speak for itself. In honor of the German fare, I decided to forgo wine and opted for a good beer, which really worked for this tasting.
"Would you like to add white truffle" "Ugh... yes. The answer is always yes."
The eggnog was the Chef's mother's recipe. They even brought out a copy of her original recipe in a book to show us. It was really impressive and heartfelt.
Overall, our meal at Sühring was definitely the only bright spot on an otherwise incredibly disappointing last night in Bangkok. It was very frustrating that our last memory of Thailand was this terrible stay at The Peninsula. However, we made every effort to remember the incredible time we had everywhere else, the amazing people we met along the way, and the awesome food we sampled. Our time in Thailand was unforgettable, but the trip wasn’t over yet. Japan was calling our names.