Waldorf Astoria Bangkok {THA}

Old Apr 25, 2019, 11:47 am
  #106  
 
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Originally Posted by tomwhom
Late check out was denied during my Christmas/New year stay even not by half hour, understandable since it's the busiest season of the year. Last stay 5 weeks ago I got 2PM checkout. I believe 4PM is a little too much to ask at this hotel and you will be lucky if you can get 4PM at Sukhumvit.
4:00 pm is industry standard for luxury hotels. I would feel totally comfortable requiring a 16:00 check out from this hotel, regardless of status. If they said no, I would remind them that all of their next door neighbors up and down Rajadamri Road routinely offer the same.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 5:08 pm
  #107  
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo


4:00 pm is industry standard for luxury hotels. I would feel totally comfortable requiring a 16:00 check out from this hotel, regardless of status. If they said no, I would remind them that all of their next door neighbors up and down Rajadamri Road routinely offer the same.
SGS gave me 6 pm yesterday (and would have gone longer). I did have to move from my suite to a regular room for the last few hours. This was in addition to a 10 am check-in.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 9:13 am
  #108  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
SGS gave me 6 pm yesterday (and would have gone longer). I did have to move from my suite to a regular room for the last few hours. This was in addition to a 10 am check-in.
Lol, not another SGS mention...you should be on their books. Jokes aside, the SGS is most definitely not a Waldorf, which I think has a lot less rooms...and then you are it seems a regular at the SGS, which always helps.

Last edited by EGW1; Apr 26, 2019 at 11:06 am
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 9:17 am
  #109  
 
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo


4:00 pm is industry standard for luxury hotels. I would feel totally comfortable requiring a 16:00 check out from this hotel, regardless of status. If they said no, I would remind them that all of their next door neighbors up and down Rajadamri Road routinely offer the same.
I dont agree that 4pm is the norm, especially without status. It is usually the status that makes 4pm the norm, but 2pm is I think generally acceptable.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 9:20 am
  #110  
 
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Originally Posted by EGW1
I dont agree that 4pm is the norm, especially without status. It is usually the status that makes 4pm the norm, but 2pm is I think generally acceptable.
As a regular at many hotels, I routinely expect 4:00, and get 4:00 unless the hotel is physically unable to do so. I do not care about status.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 9:33 am
  #111  
 
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo


As a regular at many hotels, I routinely expect 4:00, and get 4:00 unless the hotel is physically unable to do so. I do not care about status.
Wonderful, its really great your expectations can be met by the hotels you frequent.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 11:43 am
  #112  
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Originally Posted by EGW1
Lol, not another SGS mention...you should be on their books. Jokes aside, the SGS is most definitely not a Waldorf, which I think has a lot less rooms...and then you are it seems a regular at the SGS, which always helps.
It's really not uncommon in Asia for service-oriented hotels to extend check-out into the evening for guests with late flights. The fact that the WA Bangkok wouldn't give you anything does not speak well of its service standards.
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 11:56 am
  #113  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
It's really not uncommon in Asia for service-oriented hotels to extend check-out into the evening for guests with late flights. The fact that the WA Bangkok wouldn't give you anything does not speak well of its service standards.
It’s not uncommon for them to allow early check-in either. An overly harsh conclusion on WA I think, given that they may well need the rooms for incoming guests or to facilitate upgrades for those guests. For the record, I have never claimed they gave me nothing, I was satisfied with the check out time they provided (1pm and 2pm). My point was simply that the comparison you drew to SGS didn’t seem fair, and I know which I prefer for service standards having experienced both.
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Old May 10, 2019, 11:47 pm
  #114  
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Waldorf Astoria Bangkok = One of the Finest Hilton Hotels in the World

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Map| 4 Reviews | 25% Recommended

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

151 Ratchadamri Road Lumpini Bangkok, TH 10330

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok = One of the Finest Hilton Hotels in the World (37 Photos)

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Since Waldorf Astoria Bangkok opened last year I had it in my sights to try it out although I was a bit hesitant at first given the reports of limited Diamond recognition.  It seemed to have improved recently so I finally pulled the trigger and booked WA Bangkok for the first time.  Among the other hotel chains that I stay at frequently, the top Bangkok hotel in each chain is Park Hyatt (Hyatt), St.Regis (Marriott), and Banyan Tree (Accor).  Until Orient Express opens later this year, Accor does not really have a luxury hotel at the same level as the others and Banyan Tree’s lower price tag reflects that, so I think WA’s competitors are mainly St.Regis and Park Hyatt (of those I visited before).  My overall takeaway is that in its hotel class, WA does very well and is my favorite of the three.  This hotel being in Asia, WA brand, a new property, and given my positive experience there, I am comfortable saying it is most likely one of the finest hotels in the entire Hilton portfolio worldwide.

 

Location

Opinions may vary but for me the single best location in Bangkok is near the intersection of the two BTS lines for easy access in all directions.  Grand Hyatt is the best because the hotel is directly connected to BTS via walk way at that intersection, but Waldorf is almost as good because it’s immediately next door to Grand Hyatt. 

Room

I had seen in my account online before arriving that I was pre-upgraded as Diamond two categories up to the Deluxe Park View room. To be honest the price difference between the base room and the Park View room is perhaps 10-15% so it’s nice to get an upgrade but I did not think it was very material.  However when I arrived at the hotel at 1pm they asked me if I prefer views or if I prefer more space, and that I had a choice of the Park View room or the Deluxe Suite in the back of the hotel.  I have been to Bangkok many times so the view is less important to me and I chose the suite, especially since other FTers had mentioned that the suites xx06 and xx07 were more quiet.  I thought it was nice that they gave the choice of two room types at check-in because occasionally a guest might not prefer a higher upgrade depending on personal preferences.  In any event, the early reports soon after the hotel opened about Diamonds not getting upgrades seems to be a thing of the past.  

The deluxe suite is more like a junior suite because the living room is not separate from the bedroom and is much smaller than suites at competitor hotels, most notably the Metropolitan Suite at St.Regis which is normally the suite upgrade that elite guests receive at check-in upon availability.  At StR the Met Suite has 1.5 bath, a living room, a dining room, and kitchen appliances. In comparison, at WA the deluxe suite only has 1.0 bath, no dining room or kitchen, and the entire bedroom (which includes the living area) is barely bigger than the bedroom at StR.  However, what WA lacks in size more than makes up for it in the quality of the hardware.  WA opened only a few months ago, while StR is 8 years old and the difference is clear.  The room at WA looks very sharp throughout.  It has a combination of carpet and hardwood floors in the bedroom and on the entire length of the room there are floor to ceiling windows which make the room very bright, in addition to ceilings being high so the room feels airy, including in the bathroom.  The view might not be as good from the xx06 and xx07 suites than rooms in front of the hotel, but at least you have some city views.  By contrast, at StR some rooms have great views but the Met Suite has a tall building right in front, blocking the view.  

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At WA a tech feature to save energy is that curtains are drawn automatically when you leave the room and they reopen when you come back to the room.  However if curtains are already drawn when you leave the room (for example in the evening), then when you come back they stay closed, unlike the “curtain problems” reported at Conrad.  The curtains are controlled by the electronic panel by the bedside which is also used for air conditioning and lighting.  There are also international power plugs and USB ports on each side of the bed.

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The bathroom has an interesting layout. There is an open space between the two mirrors and you can see the bathtub and the shower through there. The round bathtub is very large and has a TV on the wall, which you can also watch from the walk-in rain shower.  The shower does not have a door but fortunately I did not flood the bathroom.  I liked that you can use both the hand shower and rain shower at the same time, whereas at most hotels it’s one or the other.  The Toto Japanese toilet is in a separate enclosure with various controls.  The lid opens automatically when you enter the toilet room and the seat is heated.  Amenities are the standard Salvatore Ferragamo found in other Waldorf Astoria hotels.  

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Between the bedroom and the bathroom there is a large walk-in closet including a make-up area.  

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The bed was very comfortable and has WA logos on the bed cover.  We had great sleep which was helped by the pillow menu to ensure different guests will have their needs met in addition to the air conditioning being very strong to ensure a cool night.  Day time comfort was not missing either – the bathrobe was very fluffy.  

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I don’t think many people would care, but I also liked the bulky WA Bangkok pen available in the room.  It was just one more little detail that I appreciated.  

 

Dining

Breakfast is free for Diamonds and has a slightly more leisurely schedule than most hotels because it runs until 11am every day. In my opinion breakfast at WA is better than St.Regis and certainly better than Park Hyatt.  First of all the restaurant is wrapping around a good portion the hotel in a curve, so nowhere does it feel like a busy cafeteria since many guests are sitting in a different portion of the crescent and they are out of sight.  Also, for the most part the tables are set in only one row by the window so you do not have people sitting besides you left, right, front and back.  Many spots only have 1 or 2 direct neighbors.  The layout is infinitely better than St.Regis where depending where you sit, the table arrangement is crowded and tight; you have to be careful not to knock other guests when going to the buffet and I can easily imagine an accident where someone drops food over another guest’s head. The views of the park are very similar at WA and StR – both are great.  

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In terms of food available I think WA beats StR mostly in terms of quality.  For fruits, WA has berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) which is not very common in Thailand, but also has mangoes (unlike StR) and they were absolutely delicious - sweet and juicy.  They also had figs, passion fruit, and pomelo, in addition to more standard hotel fruits.  Hot dishes were plentiful although perhaps not as many as Athenee but I had more than enough choices to choose from such as fried rice (with a rotation of protein every day, not only vegetarian), a fish dish which changed daily (salmon, sea bass, etc.), a green curry dish, etc.  Cava and champagne are available but not free.  That said, it’s not included at StR either, and Athenee has recently cut it out from their lounge for breakfast, so it’s not like WA is at a competitive disadvantage.  Le Meridien is the only hotel I know in Bangkok which still has sparkling wine included as a breakfast benefit for elite guests.  In addition to the buffet at WA, there is a small a la carte menu for eggs - the truffle eggs with caviar were memorable.  Bottom line in my opinion WA has one of the best breakfast buffet in Bangkok, in fact all things considered among the 20+ hotels I have visited before in Bangkok, I rank WA #1. St.Regis used to have a great breakfast but they have gradually cut back and the atmosphere is way too busy compared to the more serene WA.  Perhaps the same fate awaits WA regarding food cutbacks but for the moment the hotel is still new and they do not fail to impress.

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For guests who do not have free breakfast, the cost is on the high side relative to other hotels (1150++ THB), but given the superb offerings if I did not have free breakfast in any hotel, I would rather pay a bit extra for this one rather than pay 800-900 THB elsewhere for a materially inferior buffet.  Also if you compare this price level to items on the dinner menu you will quickly realize that breakfast is a bargain, relatively speaking.

We ordered room service once and I thought prices were more reasonable than at St.Regis where even basic items are relatively expensive given the local market.  

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Service

Service was excellent throughout my stay and several staff addressed me by name even though I was a first time guest, not a repeat visitor.  The hotel has been opened for long enough that staff is sufficiently trained, but not so long that staff no longer go above and beyond to please and build a new clientele. Most staff at WA come from competitors with good levels of service for example some I talked to used to work at places such as St.Regis, Four Seasons, Sukhothai, etc. so they were already trained to provide a high level of service.  One area which is lacking at WA regarding service is no laundry/pressing benefit as a Diamond guest, unlike St.Regis which offers a whopping 4 pieces of laundry per person per day (so 8 total for a couple) for Platinum, Titanium, or Ambassador guests.  You never need to worry about laundry at StR, and WA offering nothing at all pales in comparison.  WA has an ironing board in the room so they expect guests will do it themselves whereas at StR there is no ironing board because it is clear it will be taken care of by staff.  

St.Regis offers one Platinum drink voucher per person per day in addition to a small appetizer.  At WA the equivalent is the Diamond 500 THB food & beverage credit per person per stay.  Especially for long stays, the offering at WA is clearly inferior to StR.  

The other food freebie at WA is a bowl of fruits which was replenished every day.  

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To finish off regarding service, when I arrived at the hotel they asked me if I needed late check-out upon departure.  I said I was moving to St.Regis after our stay at WA so I did not have a fixed departure time.  They offered 2pm late check-out without me asking which was good because check-out time is sometimes a feature where Hilton can be fussy, unlike Hyatt and Marriott chains which guarantee 4pm check-out to elite guests.  

Gym

Not surprisingly, the gym at WA has new equipment, more modern than many other hotels.  The TVs attached to treadmills and ellipticals were quite large and have a nice glossy screen that will most likely remain in good working condition for longer than older style touch screens of equipment in other hotels.  I thought the gym was perhaps a bit small but I went there in the night due to jet lag and I was alone.  Interestingly in the gym the water is in milk cartons which after usage are then recycled to build roof tiles for the underprivileged (same water cartons are available in the room).  Not that I needed earphones, but I noticed that in the gym they also had earphones similar to what you get when you buy an iPhone, rather than the traditional cheap variety of throw-away earphones found in hotel gyms.  They also had wipes to wipe eye glasses available in the gym, another small thoughtful detail.

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Pool

Similar to the gym, the pool area is also fairly small but when I was there it was not crowded.  I was told by staff that it is busier during evenings.  The views of the golf course and the city from the infinity pool are great.  You get shadow from the curvy pillar and roof structure which extends above most chairs. This also means that most of the pool is not in the sun; the water was not cool, but I would say refreshing given temperatures up to 38C outside.  By comparison, I think many would say the pool is superior at St.Regis except for the views which are better at WA.  

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Wifi

Wifi worked great and I tested 33 Mbps download 39 Mbps upload.  

Overall

Overall, in my opinion Waldorf Astoria Bangkok is an excellent hotel within its class, which I would rate above St.Regis and Park Hyatt. If we compare with other options in Bangkok, it is more debatable whether WA is top value for the money.  In Bangkok my personal opinion is that for many hotel chains, the best value can be found for hotels in the range 4-6k THB which give generous suite upgrades, free happy hour and/or a lounge.  For example, I think Grand Hyatt is better value than Hyatt Place and Park Hyatt.  On Marriott’s side, similarly I think Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit and Athenee are better value than Aloft / Four Points and St.Regis.  That’s the sweet spot I am generally looking for. However within Hilton, I think Conrad struggles to compete in that range and Waldorf stands out more positively at the high end.  On average the base room at WA is about 8k THB compared to 7k THB for St.Regis and I believe this differential is warranted; for 1k THB difference I would recommend WA rather than St.Regis unless you care mostly about space and if you expect a suite upgrade at StR.  If WA offered more in terms of happy hour to Diamond guests then it would be more clear that it’s solid value for the money, but until then it should be considered an excellent choice if you want luxury, if you have more to spend, and if you don’t mind the lack of lounge and/or drinks for happy hour.

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok = One of the Finest Hilton Hotels in the World

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Old May 11, 2019, 7:36 am
  #115  
 
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Wow. Really well done review!
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Old May 16, 2019, 9:35 pm
  #116  
 
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I wanted to give a quick review. Stayed using my Hilton Aspire 1 night free award in May. Checked in at 12:30 and was given an upgraded view as Diamond status. I pressed the check in staff about a suite and was offered one, but only at 3:00. Since it was only one night my wife didn't want to wait around a couple hours to get a suite so we stuck with the normal room.

The room itself was nice, and very modern. Personally I think they had a little bit too much tech (do I need a touch screen to open a window?) but overall was very well appointed. The hotel is rather small, so gives a bit of an intimate feel about it. We tried to go up to the pool, but the elevators were not working. We asked the front desk and were told just to wait, which was a very frustrating experience. We ended up just being stuck in the room until an hour later the elevators were fixed.

The pool is small and is more for lounging around than actual swimming. Definitely an instagram-style city pool. One thing that was surprising is it was FREEZING in the afternoon. I actually went there a couple hours later when my wife was getting a massage and I have to say it was unbearably cold. This may be a positive if you are out in Bangkok all day and hot, but for us it was a surprising disappointment.

As a Diamond we were given 1,000 THB in F&B credits which we used at the bar at the top of the hotel. Very nice little space and 1,000 THB was basically enough for 2 cocktails. As a Diamond I was a bit disappointed thats all they gave, given all the other Hiltons in town give you much more in terms of drink / happy hours.

Breakfast at the Brasserie was very intimate and nice. The food seemed a bit higher quality than most hotel buffets. However, the variety was less compared to some of the other hotels I've stayed at. Again, it's an "intimate" setting, so they can't have every dish under the sun. Overall I would say it was probably top 5 hotel buffet's I have had, but it was a step behind the JW Marriott Phu Quoc, which had both quality and quantity and is my buffet Gold Standard.

Overall the hotel is very nice and as a Diamond you do get a really nice breakfast and good potential for upgrades. The downside is you don't get lounge or happy hour access. They are trying to compete with other ultra high end hotels, so it's tough to differentiate the Diamonds too much as then they downgrade the "regular" clientele, who are also used to being treated exclusively. I was getting the night for free, so the cost was irrelevant. Had I been paying I would have opted for another Bangkok hotel like the Conrad or Hilton Sukhumvit at half the price. Also those hotels have superior Diamond recognition, which I personally value.
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Old May 28, 2019, 5:10 am
  #117  
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After reading the reviews might move my stays to WA Bkk. Normally a regular at StR
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Old May 28, 2019, 6:05 am
  #118  
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Originally Posted by kkl
After reading the reviews might move my stays to WA Bkk. Normally a regular at StR
I highly recommend you at least give WA a try once, to see for yourself. Are you Hilton Diamond? I voted with my feet and I am back at WA three weeks following my review above. I will post more details after I check out, but now that I am officially a repeat guest at WA, it is a fairer comparison to StR where I am also a repeat guest, and without taking anything away from StR I can re-emphasize that I am quite pleased of WA. I am having an even better stay than my first, and they clearly show that they remember client preferences, which is a strong plus for a luxury hotel. Since you are a regular in Bangkok, there is potential for you to add WA as a strong option in your choice of hotels in the city.
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Old May 30, 2019, 5:18 am
  #119  
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Waldorf Astoria Bangkok = Great Treatment of Repeat Customers

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Map| 4 Reviews | 25% Recommended

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

151 Ratchadamri Road Lumpini Bangkok, TH 10330

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok = Great Treatment of Repeat Customers (9 Photos)

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

I normally like to mix things up when in Bangkok rather than be a regular at just one hotel, but I was impressed enough three weeks ago to return to WA quickly, rather than wait several months.  Once again I had an excellent stay, in fact possibly even better than the first time and I was impressed to see how they treat returning guests.

Service

I was upgraded several days ahead of time to a Deluxe Suite as Diamond and got the same room as last time except it was a couple of floors higher.  I was welcomed back to the hotel at check-in and escorted to the room.  In my previous stay I had made a special request for a couple of pillow types from the pillow menu, and I also asked for a razor to be brought by housekeeping.  Upon my arrival in my room this time I was pleased to see the exact same pillows that I had ordered from the menu in my previous stay, and a razor in the bathroom as well.  They are obviously keeping a log of customer preferences and aim to please.  

It was my birthday during the stay at WA; during the evening they delivered to my room a nice bottle of Cava along with a birthday cake and a birthday card.  The card was signed by several staff members, in fact not only signed, but it contained handwritten notes and well wishes more extensive than just “happy birthday”. Very touching!   

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In the morning I received a special pancake birthday treat.  

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Service was top notch once again - I mentioned a few examples of service above regarding the pillows and my birthday.  Other examples of great service:

- Our water glass during breakfast never stayed half empty more than 30 seconds, also once they pick up your empty plates they will quickly bring new cutlery – you never wait for anything.  They are ahead of customer needs all the time.  

- Breakfast is until 11am all week which is good for people who wake up late.  One morning we were in the restaurant until 11:30am and they brought a fruit plate without us asking for anything, in case we wanted to nibble on something given that the buffet was finished.  

- One morning we asked for a table by the window with the view of the sports club and the table was a bit small particularly since I had brought my laptop.  Once they saw that our table was a bit full, they proactively brought a small round table to lay my laptop on it.  Moments later they informed us that a larger table had become available and asked if we wanted to move.  We said no thank you we can stay put, although I mentioned that indeed I liked that larger table so perhaps we could sit there the next day.  Well the next morning, without asking anything when we arrived at the restaurant we were brought to that very specific table.  

- One evening we had a reservation at the The Loft bar.  As soon as we got out of the elevators we were welcomed by name despite having not been to The Loft before and we had not seen the staff there before.  

Bottom line regarding service, if we compare to StR in some ways StR is better due to the sheer number of staff and also the very generous laundry benefit which is convenient compared to WA which has none. However now as a repeat guest of both properties, I can see other ways in which WA is superior, many staff addressing us by name, WA remembering guest preferences, etc.  

Dining

In my previous review I did not comment on the roof top bar.  This time we went to The Loft for happy hour one evening.  The views from the 56th floor are fabulous and the bar itself looks fantastic.  Happy hour and Diamond benefits are not the strength of Waldorf since you get 1000 THB per stay compared to unlimited drinks in many hotels with lounges, or free flow drinks at the bar at Le Meridien or Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. At St.Regis it’s one drink per person per day which is also more generous than Waldorf.  However, to be fair the venue at Waldorf is a clear notch above all of them.  As much as I like BarSu at SGS and the St.Regis Bar, you simply cannot compare to The Loft at Waldorf therefore I would suggest it might be partially unfair to expect WA to give unlimited drinks for happy hour.  So yes I wish happy hour was more generous at WA, but just like for the price of the room what you get at WA is superior to St.Regis and you need to pay a premium for it, that premium being warranted.

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I discussed at length the Waldorf breakfast in my previous review, but I cannot stress enough how excellent the breakfast is, both food quality and how quiet + peaceful the restaurant is; night and day with St.Regis.  One morning I was pleased to find fried rice with scallops - a far cry from the bland vegetarian fried rice at St.Regis, and that is just one example.  I had seen crab fried rice or seafood fried rice at breakfast of other hotels before, but scallops was a first for me.  

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Overall

Overall I stand by my previous comments: WA Bangkok is one of the best hotels in the Hilton portfolio, worldwide.  Given the early reports and pictures I have seen of the new Rosewood Bangkok hotel, and some struggles of Park Hyatt Bangkok, not only is WA a top Hilton property, but within Bangkok I think it’s a very good choice in this price range.  And I say this coming from someone who normally values lounges and/or happy hour, which is not the strength of this hotel, so that is telling on how excellent the hardware, breakfast, and service are.  I will definitely return sooner rather than later.  

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Old May 30, 2019, 2:03 pm
  #120  
 
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Thank you for the review and belated Happy Birthday!
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