alanslegal

I have visited Siam Paragon, Central World, Terminal 21 in the last few days and it is extremely quiet compared to normal. Normal you get hoardes of people trying to take photos at the SP main entrance and usually there are lines to get into the pricier boutiques. It was so quiet at 6pm that I took a selfie in the SP entrance just so I could make it feel like, in my head, busy like normal. My selfie had no other people in it, which is a first in the many times I have been to Bangkok.

Alot of business are hurting bad, I expect considerable amount of financial damage. It doesn't matter what stimulus governments are throwing out there, if people are scared, they are scared and won't go out.

That said I bought lots of toilet paper and checking them in my flight in a few days back to Australia, since there is NO toilet paper in the supermarkets there. Crazy!

NoY

Anyone's guess. They aren't panicking...yet. And long may that continue!

Plenty of body temperature check points at airports etc. though so some good work being done

gav0106

Had a quick one night stay. Paid Ł50. Upgraded from standard room to Executive Riverview. 2726. Only a few floors in operation. Check in was at a make shift table at the entrance. I arrived too late for the exec lounge, it works 0700-2000. There was a little confusion, at check in I was told the lounge was closed when I asked. I was given a drinks vouchers. Next day when I went to check out, I went all the way to ground floor, only to find a sign saying check in/out is in the lounge on the 31st floor, so you have to go all the way up.

The lounge indeed was open. I would have spent a couple of hour there working rather than my room

The room was spotless, all menus now on QR codes.

Breakfast was a highlight. Full buffet as normal and self service. Egg station. Gym/pool open but no time to use.

Good for a quick stop, but traffic around the areas means it takes a lot longer to get too then the Conrad or Sukhumvit. For me it was best location ahead of my meeting.

teemuflyer

I do wonder when the subway will be ready? That will definitely erase one of the biggest downsides of this property, which is convenient and speedy access to the rest of Bangkok.

11277m

This hotel will be one of the first places I visit once this pandemic is over. I will be so pleased to see my friends there and at the neighbouring Be My Guest restaurant.

gav0106

It has been tested and due to open 1st October as I undertstand. Yes will be much better.

GagaPilot

Doubtful, but any FT'ers in Thailand able to give an update on what the current status is at the Millennium Hilton BKK? It's one of my favorite properties and just curious what it's like during Covid times (if open at all)?

NoY

I will be checking in today. So will report back later.

This will be my third stay since March & all was good previously, obviously with some services shut down, but the Executive lounge was open & our experience was positive.

GagaPilot

Thanks! Look forward to hearing your report.

We were supposed to have been there this week, but obviously cancelled as we are in the US. Glad to hear the hotel is indeed still open. The Hilton website indicated it was, but did not give any specifics to the status of Prime, Flow, Executive Lounge, Spa, Pool etc and how they were impacted.

Fingers crossed we can get back sometime in 2021. Has the new BTS station close to the hotel opened yet?

SK AAR

Wauw, I didn't know that a BTS station will open. IMO it removes one of the major drawbacks about this property if now accessible with BTS. I haven't stayed here for years due to it´s inconvenient location (from Silom/Sathorn/Sukhumvit).

The BTS st. is within reasonable walking distance? I would expect it to be at/around the posh Icon Siam mall.

nldogbert

Yes, this station is connected to ICON Siam. (I posted this sometime ago with the photo ) - and there will be also a HGI build opposite this place (not sure how current situation will impact if the project will continue or put on hold)

For me I like this area because it is still not touristy like Silom, etc...so with the BTS line, this might change it...the good and the bad of the BTS.

Cheers!

NoY

We arrived yesterday afternoon having been upgraded from our standard King Deluxe to a King Family Suite.

The hotel has been undergoing major refurbishment of all public areas & this work is still on-going although doesn't seem more than a few weeks from being finished. There has been no disturbance to us in the room. New lobby etc etc. Flow restaurant is gone & will be replaced with something new but its all boarded up for now. There will be a coffee shop/cafe in the lobby, which is new. The lobby will have new reception desk etc.etc. I haven't investigated the restaurant options within the hotel but breakfast is in one of them on the 2nd floor (I will find out shortly!)

Executive Lounge is operating in a limited way. Hot/cold drinks all day, pre-plated afternoon tea (v good) & evening booze & canapés (5pm-7pm) with (v poor) pre-plated snacks. Diamonds (plus Exec floor guests) are given option of 2 cocktails in 360 bar or any coffee & cake in Lantern (great cakes!). The lounge on 31st floor is looking v tired now & is in desperate need of a refurb but it seems that it will not get one because I hear it will be moved down to 2nd floor (nooo!) to make way for a fine dining restaurant /bar on 31st floor.

All-in-all its my go-to place in BKK despite its current shortcoming I always get well looked after. Then again I have done dozens of stays here since 2008.

The BTS is not yet open. The HGI is still under construction but is months away from being finished. Hope that all helps!

GagaPilot

Wow! This was much more renovation than I was expecting. Last year when I was there (late October 2019) I stayed in one of the recently renovated panoramic suites. I thought the lobby, pool, and rooms/suites were the extent of the renovations. Did not know they were extending to the restaurants as well.

I hate to see Flow closed, but hopefully it will reopen as something similar. I also hate to see the Exec Lounge moved down from the 31st floor to the 2nd! I always enjoyed the evening cocktails and the (admittedly poor) selection of appetizers while sitting outside over looking the river. I do look forward to trying the new restaurant that is in the works for upstairs. Agreed that the Lounge was very tired looking last year.

While I will miss Prime, I do think the 2nd floor (or maybe it was 3rd) restaurants are in need of a refresh. Last year I dined at Prime and was a solo traveler. I was only one of two tables occupied in the entire restaurant. Both Yuan and Maya were closed when I was there, and looked as if they had been closed for sometime.

Thanks again for the excellent report, and enjoy your stay. This hotel is very special to me. I got engaged there in 2014, and have been back almost yearly since.

nldogbert

Please nooooo - this was the best selling point of this property despite all the not so generous treatment of elite's at this property and the poor offerings during evening hours. If it does really move to the 2nd floor I will most probably not select this property anymore unless it's really cheap.

Cheers!

11277m

Agreed. The exec lounge location, together with the staff were a major draw to the hotel. The food offerings were not to Conrad standards, but neither were the prices.

The flow restaurant never seemed to do much business, except at breakfast, when it was often too busy.

Is there another new GM? That's often the prompt for making changes....just because they can, and they like to make their own mark on the hotel.