thbe

Stingy people are wrong at a Conrad anyway. There are plenty of much cheaper ways to stay, especially in BKK.

I’ve done the other way often enough. But definetely the handling of late check-outs doesn’t belong to the advantages when choosing the Hilton group. 2pm is no problem, 4pm is much more difficult to get and later check-outs are quite unlikely. My personal record was 8pm - as a regular guest and because I didn’t get a real upgrade.

Usually they can’t tell you at check-in, if you will get a very late check-out or not. You have to ask again until the day of departures. I prefer a more reliable situation.

Of course everyone is free to kill 6-8 hours of time in a more uncomfortable to avoid to pay USD 100 more. But believe me, doing that is just a cheaper, not a better deal.

Jaimito Cartero

We booked an extra night when we had an after midnight departure.

The Conrad was about the same price as the other Hiltons in town, so not a big deal.

Kalboz

The Hilton Sukhumvit has provided us with 4PM late checkout. If you are a Diamond member, you shouldn't have to haggle for this especially if they are not fully committed. It's part of your basic Hilton membership written benefits:

The Marriott Marquis has given us a 6PM late checkout as a Platinum while the SGS has gave us a 8PM late checkout but moved us from our suite into a deluxe room.

Delectatio

We weren't interested in running around town in the heat or doing malls etc before traveling home on an 18 hour flight, we wanted some relaxing time at the pool, followed by a glass of wine, before heading to the airport.
All I asked for was a later checkout (I repeatedly had to haggle to get 2pm) and the ability to use the lounge until it was time to go to the airport (I asked for 6pm) and I think that is not too much to ask for as a diamond member (that pays all stays out of his own pocket).
Next time we are in Bangkok we won't be staying at the Conrad. I am glad we tried it but the Hilton Millennium has given us much better treatment in the past, idem for the Marriott hotels in town...

FlytheTail

Who can blame the Conrad if they are full and can't grant a late check-out? And it's not just this hotel, for example I couldn't get anything later than 1pm at the Hilton Sukhumvit last month due to full occupancy. Similar challenges at Sofitels, Novotels, Pullmans, etc. when hotels are at/near full occupancy.

As noted previously, check out and make use of the gym or pool, hit the town and return for a shower, then head to the airport. Conrad's lounge is often beyond capacity for happy hour, so why should they allow additional guests to stay beyond their stay?

B747-437B

I'm booked here for 3 nights starting 01JAN18 with my wife.

I'm HH Gold and presently booked in the entry level King Room, but hoping for an upgrade to Executive. Am I better off paying THB 500/night extra for a King Deluxe Corner Room to maximise my chances of an upgrade? I know that checking in on New Years Day is never good for upgrades anywhere, so looking for any advantage.

more4less

I do not understand why affluent people stay at the Conrad when there are so many better options in the city. The Conrad is OK but nothing spectacular IMHO.

In my last 4/5 stays in Bangkok we have checked out by 8 or 9am so never had to request a late check out.

At the Conrad Singapore it has always been OK a late check out, 3 or 4pm, and for 2/3 hours we considered it was not worth paying around 200€ for an extra night.

mpeterson78

What points earning/redeeming hotel would you recommend instead?

more4less

Hello mpeterson78,

For me the Conrad(or any of the Hiltons in BKK) is fine, and even more taking in consideration that we only stay for one night before flying back to Europe, but there are much better hotels, such as the FS, MO, St Regis,...

monahos

The HH Gold upgrade for the past year or so has been 1 level, so an upgrade to a corner room is more likely, unlike in years past where lounge access was reliably granted.
However, there are only so many corner rooms, so depending on the booking mix lounge access instead is a possibility; I get the feeling there is now a hard cap on the number of guests granted lounge access.
While all-day lounge access is a plus especially for drinks, the more spacious-feeling corner room + restaurant breakfast package is possibly preferable for guests planning to go out for dinner.
Personally I would be unhappy to be moved from a standard corner room to a normal executive room at this specific hotel; I find the much larger non-glass-enclosed bathroom, walk-in closet, larger unused floor space, sitting area, and unusual shape of the corner room a welcome change from the usual rectangular hotel room, even though some people complain the space isn't used efficiently.

As for occupancy at New Year, a good proportion of this hotel's customer base are business and embassy people, which should mean less elites over the holidays. I recall overnighting at this hotel on Christmas eve some years ago, and it was completely deserted, especially the lounge. The Millenium Hilton by the river, on the other hand, is particularly crowded at that time of the year.

In short:
- lounge unlikely to be full
- corner rooms probably available, especially the 'executive' ones on higher floors (hotel gave up on the concept of executive floors some years ago)
- if the above holds, upgrade to exec floor unlikely for a gold in standard room.

FlytheTail

A follow-up to monahos's post to add my experiences:
December-January is high season in Thailand and so many hotels get completely full, including the Conrad. Room upgrades are much less likely, even for Diamonds. And as a Gold, their policy now seems to be that lounge access isn't granted unless you book a corner room (regardless of time of year).

In the past 5 years, I've spent most of my New Years Eves at this hotel and the lounge is packed, with folks having to wait until a table opens. Last year as a Diamond, I booked an executive corner room and that's what I stayed in (no upgrade). So, I strongly suggest you book the room and amenities you want. If you're on a pre-paid rate, contact the hotel and ask what the upgrade costs are -- you can then upgrade directly through them.

mpeterson78

Does anyone have experience getting a car from the hotel to pick up at the airport? Does the Conrad offer this service? If so, how much do they charge?

Penguinmoon

They do offer the service, but it is very expensive. Last I checked around 3000 THB. Better off just using AOT car service.

robnc35

I stay at this hotel frequently because i live in Chiang Mai and down there for business alot. The one problem i have with this Conrad is that it is a training hotel for the executive lounge staff. So you will meet some friendly staff who often give me there biz card and say call me before your next stay and i will try and get you a nicer room. But 2 months later they are gone to another SE Asia property. I have complained that the place needs a refurb and all the staff tell me to write that in the reviews they all agree. The ownership doesn't want to pay up to do so according to some of the staff.

The Hilton Sukhumvit and doubletree behind it are owned by the Chang Beer group. I have noticed lounge offerings in a bit of decline and the booze selection has become limited as well compared to 2 years ago. But for the price for all 3 of these hotels its still not a bad deal for Diamonds.
I too have to pull teeth sometimes to get a 2pm checkout at conrad 4pm never happens for me unless the place is empty which never happens anymore because of the big tour groups they always seem to have

thbe

I go to BKK for business meetings. The Conrad in BKK is one of the best, from my point of view the best, in its price range. It has one of the lowest prices of Conrads worldwide. For my business needs it’s really good. And for leisure it has a great value for money.

But of course it’s not like the MO. If I want more luxury, being GHA black I choose Siam Kempinski. But staying there for work? Definetely not.