thbe

I agree with that.

Bangkok is the hub for all tourist destinations, which have different seasons (because their wet seasons vary).

The rates increase because of events like summits, weddings, etc., but only at particular hotels.

And as tourists from Asia, especially China, are the biggest group, all kinds of Asian and Chinese holidays can result in higher rates for a couple of days.

SK AAR

Yeah, try to get a hotel room in BKK during CNY! Rates will be high and early booking is needed as otherwise very few rooms will be available.

:D!

Just had a short stay here. Was not sure what to expect given the mixed feelings in this thread. Was OK

I'll respond to some of the points raised by other posters -

Check-in - arrived at about 4pm and as a Diamond, was directed to the "lounge check-in" (on the ground floor) basically a roped off area with a few sofas and a desk, unfortunately, there are no chairs in front of the desk itself so it's a bit awkward sitting sideways (or someone will have to get up and walk across about 5 times). Also I wasn't introduced to any features of the hotel, but the lounge times which were already printed on a card were read out to me meticulously... was told to have breakfast in the lounge although I knew better from reading FT

Room - booked cheapest, got exec with river view. View was great, no problems with the facilities or cleanliness unlike reported by some posters above. Main issue for me was that the plug sockets were really inconvenient, one on the floor behind a huge lamp blocking a mirror, the other again behind the lamp on the minibar area, neither accessible from bed.

Water - seriously who would pay 190 baht for that small bottle, even at 50 baht it would be ridiculous but there might actually be a few takers and they would still make a big profit... I thought I would refill my plastic bottle from the glass bottle and take it out - big mistake in Bangkok weather as it's heavy and doesn't stay cold!

Lounge - was never close to full during my stay, in contrast to other posts here, even on a day when it was raining heavily. Evening options alternated between Thai and non-Thai foods, the Thai days being better (and could even serve as a full meal with soup, rice and noodles). There was a couple who somehow got an actual proper meal delivered to them in the lounge, huge bowls of noodle soup and about 20 pieces of sushi...

Staff in lounge were as described, sometimes wouldn't leave you alone and sometimes nowhere to be seen, sometimes very pleasant and other times engrossed in doing something on their phone.

Breakfast - for some reason nobody was sitting outside even on the days it was not raining. Staff seemed to like seating everyone very close to each other. Very extensive selection of foods but quality was a bit low, on par with what you might get from a street vendor. Not a problem and I happily devoured many plates each morning but I would have expected a high-end hotel to have slightly better standards.

Rate paid was 3600 baht per night (after all additions) - it was a flexible rate which may have gone down further but I forgot to keep checking after a while.

Would I stay here again - yes if the hotel was on the other side of the river. Spending close to an hour just to travel back and forth on the boat is just not for me. While it was nice the first time, and I wasn't in a rush at any point during my stay, I just hate waiting around. Part of the problem is the BTS station only has one platform and for some reason the trains go past in groups of 2, so you get stuck outside the station and have to wait for 2 trains in the opposite direction to pass - which makes it impossible to time your arrival at the pier with the boat schedule. 3 times I arrived at the pier only to see the white Hilton flag just sailing off and for some reason there are 3 security guards and lots of boat operators all of whom will approach you and ask where you are going, even though they just saw their colleague do the same.

robnc35

Been looking at booking the Millennium BKK for a few weeks now. When i first looked and this is for full flex rate i happened to notice that it said my cc would be charged the full amount of the stay. Im Diamond.

I said ok maybe there is something going on special event etc.... Tried again several other times but it is still the same full amount charged to cc. No other Hilton does this in BKK. I really don't like when they take the money up front. Sometimes its such a hassle if you cancel and have to chase them to get a refund. Just a FYI to everyone.

manneca

I was curious and I looked at a random and not only was a full "deposit" required, but it was nonrefundable. I wonder if it's some sort of IT glitch. (The rate is listed as BAR; at other BKK Hilton family hotels there is a rate listed as "flexible" but no BAR rate.)

robnc35

and that was for a full flex i tried. But this has been going on for weeks. never seen it before for full flex. But then again this a hotel that has big tour groups but that should not matter..I will never pre-pay unless its for a advance purchase price

robnc35

don't know what going on there i just wanted to finish up my 30th stay for the year to secure diamond for next year but looks like hilton sukumvit instead

Delectatio

We have another stay booked here in October as a couple. We would like to invite a friend of us that is in Bangkok at the same time for an evening in the Executive Lounge. Is this possible? Anyone knows if they allow guests and what the charge for an outside guest would be (if any)?
Thanks in advance.

FlytheTail

Officially there is a charge, but it's possible they may not notice you have an extra guest. If they do notice, then your room will be charged. I don't recall exactly how much it is, but I believe it's around 700 THB.

teemuflyer

A few quick of questions..

Is the best way from the airport is still a taxi? We're landing around 5:20 PM on a Monday.

Are there any suggestions for a light dinner nearby. We'll have EL access, but doubt that will suffice for an evening meal (nor would we want it to!)

Finally, is there a local watering hole anyone would recommend for a nightcap?

Delectatio

I think a taxi is indeed still the best option to get to the hotel.
The new BKK airport train isn't convenient for the Millennium Hilton.

If you want to eat something, 'Be My Guest' restaurant on the riverside next to the hotel is pretty nice and the staff are friendly. 'Thong Far' restaurant, opposite the Hilton entrance has also very nice food but is very 'low key'...

NoY

Good advice. Also, for a night cap, try one of the bars opposite the Hilton at River City (shuttle boats are plentiful) Great people/boat watching as the dinner cruise boats come & go If not, then the bar above the Exec Lounge in the Hilton is pretty good & they often have live “jazz” singers ^

eddibabyyeah

I really like the Thai Food in "Be My Guest". Nice and authentic & not expensive. Unlike lots of western style "Thai" restaurants in Bangkok which tend to be overpriced and serve Thai food similar to that served in Europe.

teemuflyer

Thanks ya'll! Will try out the suggestions.

FlytheTail

A taxi is the most convenient, but it will likely take 2 hours to get to the hotel at that time. If you want to get there quicker and can easily carry your luggage, you could take the airport link train, then transfer to the BTS to get close to the hotel, and then either take the Hilton boat or a taxi to the hotel. This might save you 30-40 minutes but may not be worth the hassle factor.