Introduction I never tried Peninsula Bangkok before in part because many big hotel chains in Bangkok often offer generous benefits to elite members of loyalty programs consequently Peninsula is possibly not the best fit for me. However for a change in scenery I tried it for the first time to broaden my horizons. My stay was pretty much in line with my expectations: the strength of the hotel is polished service, the upgrade was slim to none as I am not a repeat guest, and the hardware is aging but still in decent condition. Location Many of the top luxury hotels in Bangkok are right on the river and Peninsula is no exception. The issue is that it’s on the wrong side of the river for what most people would want to do in Bangkok so in my opinion it is at a slight disadvantage compared to Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons and Capella. That said it’s not a big issue as the hotel’s shuttle boat can take guests to the other side, and in addition now that the new sky train BTS station has opened nearby, the location drawback is quite mitigated now. Not to mention that the new IconSiam shopping mall has also opened next door to Peninsula which is an attraction by itself and drawing lots of people in the area. Room I booked the entry level room and at check-in I was told we received an upgrade to a deluxe room but it seems from the website that the deluxe rooms are the entry level rooms. The size was acceptable for luxury standards at 45 sqm and I felt all areas were relatively spacious and evenly distributed. The river views were great as can be expected when booking a room in a riverside hotel.It is very clear that Peninsula used to be top notch luxury and well ahead of its time several years ago because many features are still aligned to what many newer hotels have today, for example electric controls for blinds and curtains, bed side electronic controls for “do not disturb”, air conditioning, lights, etc. There was even a TV in the bathtub which was probably quite rare when the hotel opened more than 20 years ago. Some equipment was from a bygone era for example the printer / scanner / fax machine in the room – I do not recall ever having a fax machine with my own fax number in the room which could have been quite useful for business travelers many years ago. Coincidentally I needed to send a fax during my stay, but unfortunately the fax did not seem to work so I had to go to reception to get it done. Even though the hotel is not the most recent, I found the furniture to be in good condition, not many scratches, overall very modest wear & tear, and almost no stains on the carpet or sofa. The shower also had great water pressure. Bathroom amenities were Oscar de la Renta from Gilchrist & Soames which had a very nice scent. The mini-bar and snacks were complimentary except for alcoholic drinks. Dining Breakfast was not a highlight of the stay but if my stay had not been during the busy weekends I might have had a different experience. It was entirely buffet-style and there was no a la carte menu, not even a small one so that was lacking to qualify for luxury standards. Also guests were all going to the buffet without being provided with plastic gloves as a covid precaution like what some other hotels are currently doing. The buffet was also not particularly remarkable except for blueberries which very few hotels offer. That said the main problem was not the food but rather how crowded and hectic it was without enough staff. It was not even clear where the entrance was; there were signs instructing guests to wait to be seated but no staff to actually lead people to a table. Service My expectations for service were high and were generally met – I found service to be excellent and polished especially doormen in traditional uniform at the entrance which gave an immediate feeling of luxury upon entering. There were other instances showing their service-oriented roots, for example when they saw my pregnant wife they asked if she wanted a special body contour pillow without us having to ask, and also asking her if she preferred in-room dining for breakfast due to the pregnancy which was a nice offer and in retrospect we should have accepted. Nevertheless service was not perfect due to the situation in the restaurant as mentioned above and also regarding the fax when I called I was told someone would come to our room to help but nobody ever did. Gym The gym was nothing special in a window-less room. Wifi Wifi was a bit on the slow side for Bangkok standards with speeds of about 5-15 Mbps. I would have expected better for a hotel of this caliber. Overall Overall the hotel was ok although due to the age of the building I am not sure there was enough that stood out for me to be wowed. In normal years where I want to renew status with hotel loyalty programs, I will probably not be overly interested in paying a premium to stay in the aging Peninsual considering the more generous benefits offered by hotel chains such as room upgrades and free breakfast at Waldorf Astoria, Park Hyatt, and St.Regis to name a few. I am not against returning but of all hotels we have stayed in Bangkok I would probably consider Peninsula as average, some being better and some being worse.