FS BKK to be rebranded Anatara within the year.
Jan 9, 2015, 11:04 am
#46
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,946
If people and hardware stay the same I doubt you feel so much difference. Sometimes I wonder about the brand-love at this forum. Take the same hotel and call it Four Seasons or Aman and itīs without doubt a great luxury Hotel. Take the same hotel with identical service and call it Intercontinental, Anantara or what ever and some people will tell you it`s no luxury, upscale etc. I bet that Aman could build a (objective) 3 star and many would still pay crazy rates and love it. I don`t say Iīm not brand-addicted too, but in this case Iīm with Mike. Let`s see how they do and if it really slips down. Judging on pictures from hardware I would never choose the actual FS in BKK. But this is personal taste.
Jan 9, 2015, 6:26 pm
#47
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
If people and hardware stay the same I doubt you feel so much difference. Sometimes I wonder about the brand-love at this forum. Take the same hotel and call it Four Seasons or Aman and itīs without doubt a great luxury Hotel. Take the same hotel with identical service and call it Intercontinental, Anantara or what ever and some people will tell you it`s no luxury, upscale etc. I bet that Aman could build a (objective) 3 star and many would still pay crazy rates and love it. I don`t say Iīm not brand-addicted too, but in this case Iīm with Mike. Let`s see how they do and if it really slips down. Judging on pictures from hardware I would never choose the actual FS in BKK. But this is personal taste.
FWIW, your second to last sentence, "judging on pictures...would never choose the actual FS in BKK." -- Couldn't agree more. When I was planning my upcoming Thailand trip, and was making a list of potential hotels for BKK, the FS didn't even make the list when I compiled a top 3-5 options.
Feb 28, 2015, 5:39 am
#50
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Feb 28, 2015, 6:42 am
#51
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Look forward it. Met the GM a number of times. He was the one who convinced me to stay there in the first place. (I was booked at the St. Regis initially.) He gave me the following argument: who would go to Paris and want to be in the financial district? Me: good point! Went back to my hotel room and changed hotels immediately ^
Feb 28, 2015, 8:45 am
#52
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 26
I'm still interested in a more 'central' location as I'm only there for 3 nights so would be out and about for quite a bit and enjoy going out to hawker stalls to eat rather than at the hotel. Was tempted to book FS BKK but I'm not sure if it's risky to do that now seeing that Anantara is taking over tomorrow...any advice??!
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Mar 3, 2015, 3:44 am
#53
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I'm still interested in a more 'central' location as I'm only there for 3 nights so would be out and about for quite a bit and enjoy going out to hawker stalls to eat rather than at the hotel. Was tempted to book FS BKK but I'm not sure if it's risky to do that now seeing that Anantara is taking over tomorrow...any advice??!
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Mar 3, 2015, 6:02 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,520
I'm still interested in a more 'central' location as I'm only there for 3 nights so would be out and about for quite a bit and enjoy going out to hawker stalls to eat rather than at the hotel. Was tempted to book FS BKK but I'm not sure if it's risky to do that now seeing that Anantara is taking over tomorrow...any advice??!
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Is MO or The Siam really far out of the interesting areas? I prefer to be central.
Aug 31, 2015, 3:23 am
#55
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 26
FYI
Stayed at Anantara recently. Never stayed here before when it was a Four Seasons but interior looks the same as the advertised pictures when it was a Four Seasons.
Service could be improved for sure - receptionist seemed surprised to see me there when checking in, took ages to check us in (So we felt a little unwelcome) and asked whether we wanted a double or twin room when I have already booked a double room etc. The only other Four Seasons I've ever stayed before was at San Francisco and the service there was top notch, way better than Bangkok.
But location is excellent and facilities (esp gym) are good. Wifi connection pretty fast (included already, I think I was charged at Four Seasons SF). At the end of the day, I am glad we chose this location - we were there approximately 1 week after the bomb had happened and the hotel is just around the corner from the Erawan Shrine. Security was tight everywhere, including main entrance of hotels and all the shopping malls. In all honesty we were a little frightened to venture out anywhere so ate at the hotel a lot, but grew some balls on the last day and went to the shopping malls to eat - there were security checks there too so we felt a little safer. I know it is stupid but it's psychological I guess.
I also had the impression the hotel was popular among Chinese tourists but in fairness there were many tourists from Asia in the whole of Bangkok at the time anyway.
If you want top notch service e.g. Amanpuri/Raffles Singapore standard you should look elsewhere, but for the purposes of my trip (just a short city break) it was fine and location was fantastic, and we got a good deal so no complaints here.
Stayed at Anantara recently. Never stayed here before when it was a Four Seasons but interior looks the same as the advertised pictures when it was a Four Seasons.
Service could be improved for sure - receptionist seemed surprised to see me there when checking in, took ages to check us in (So we felt a little unwelcome) and asked whether we wanted a double or twin room when I have already booked a double room etc. The only other Four Seasons I've ever stayed before was at San Francisco and the service there was top notch, way better than Bangkok.
But location is excellent and facilities (esp gym) are good. Wifi connection pretty fast (included already, I think I was charged at Four Seasons SF). At the end of the day, I am glad we chose this location - we were there approximately 1 week after the bomb had happened and the hotel is just around the corner from the Erawan Shrine. Security was tight everywhere, including main entrance of hotels and all the shopping malls. In all honesty we were a little frightened to venture out anywhere so ate at the hotel a lot, but grew some balls on the last day and went to the shopping malls to eat - there were security checks there too so we felt a little safer. I know it is stupid but it's psychological I guess.
I also had the impression the hotel was popular among Chinese tourists but in fairness there were many tourists from Asia in the whole of Bangkok at the time anyway.
If you want top notch service e.g. Amanpuri/Raffles Singapore standard you should look elsewhere, but for the purposes of my trip (just a short city break) it was fine and location was fantastic, and we got a good deal so no complaints here.
Last edited by docmcdreamy; Aug 31, 2015 at 3:33 am
Aug 31, 2015, 5:35 am
#56
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
FYI
Stayed at Anantara recently. Never stayed here before when it was a Four Seasons but interior looks the same as the advertised pictures when it was a Four Seasons.
Service could be improved for sure - receptionist seemed surprised to see me there when checking in, took ages to check us in (So we felt a little unwelcome) and asked whether we wanted a double or twin room when I have already booked a double room etc. The only other Four Seasons I've ever stayed before was at San Francisco and the service there was top notch, way better than Bangkok.
But location is excellent and facilities (esp gym) are good. Wifi connection pretty fast (included already, I think I was charged at Four Seasons SF). At the end of the day, I am glad we chose this location - we were there approximately 1 week after the bomb had happened and the hotel is just around the corner from the Erawan Shrine. Security was tight everywhere, including main entrance of hotels and all the shopping malls. In all honesty we were a little frightened to venture out anywhere so ate at the hotel a lot, but grew some balls on the last day and went to the shopping malls to eat - there were security checks there too so we felt a little safer. I know it is stupid but it's psychological I guess.
I also had the impression the hotel was popular among Chinese tourists but in fairness there were many tourists from Asia in the whole of Bangkok at the time anyway.
If you want top notch service e.g. Amanpuri/Raffles Singapore standard you should look elsewhere, but for the purposes of my trip (just a short city break) it was fine and location was fantastic, and we got a good deal so no complaints here.
Stayed at Anantara recently. Never stayed here before when it was a Four Seasons but interior looks the same as the advertised pictures when it was a Four Seasons.
Service could be improved for sure - receptionist seemed surprised to see me there when checking in, took ages to check us in (So we felt a little unwelcome) and asked whether we wanted a double or twin room when I have already booked a double room etc. The only other Four Seasons I've ever stayed before was at San Francisco and the service there was top notch, way better than Bangkok.
But location is excellent and facilities (esp gym) are good. Wifi connection pretty fast (included already, I think I was charged at Four Seasons SF). At the end of the day, I am glad we chose this location - we were there approximately 1 week after the bomb had happened and the hotel is just around the corner from the Erawan Shrine. Security was tight everywhere, including main entrance of hotels and all the shopping malls. In all honesty we were a little frightened to venture out anywhere so ate at the hotel a lot, but grew some balls on the last day and went to the shopping malls to eat - there were security checks there too so we felt a little safer. I know it is stupid but it's psychological I guess.
I also had the impression the hotel was popular among Chinese tourists but in fairness there were many tourists from Asia in the whole of Bangkok at the time anyway.
If you want top notch service e.g. Amanpuri/Raffles Singapore standard you should look elsewhere, but for the purposes of my trip (just a short city break) it was fine and location was fantastic, and we got a good deal so no complaints here.
Sep 1, 2015, 12:22 am
#58
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I think that like many hotels in Bangkok, this hotel has to basically wear two hats. They offer a very high level of service to certain guests, but also sell a lot of standard rooms to tour groups, on third party websites, and even to certain airlines that use this hotel to accommodate their crew members, etc...
Ways to ensure a high level of service are:
Be a regular guest
Book directly or through Virtuoso etc. (the hotel is no longer Amex FHR)
Book high category rooms or suites
Book with Executive club access (included for suite guests)
Use the hotel car for arrival and departure. It's cheap in BKK and it definitely improves the arrival experience at this hotel.
This is not only true of Anantara. The same applies to most of the city's high-end hotels. The Peninsula and even the Mandarin Oriental cater to tour groups at times, and otherwise discount their standard rooms. Anantara Siam has a relatively large number of rooms for a high-end hotel, so to get the best service one has to somehow be differentiated from the hundreds of other guests that might be staying.
Ways to ensure a high level of service are:
Be a regular guest
Book directly or through Virtuoso etc. (the hotel is no longer Amex FHR)
Book high category rooms or suites
Book with Executive club access (included for suite guests)
Use the hotel car for arrival and departure. It's cheap in BKK and it definitely improves the arrival experience at this hotel.
This is not only true of Anantara. The same applies to most of the city's high-end hotels. The Peninsula and even the Mandarin Oriental cater to tour groups at times, and otherwise discount their standard rooms. Anantara Siam has a relatively large number of rooms for a high-end hotel, so to get the best service one has to somehow be differentiated from the hundreds of other guests that might be staying.
Sep 1, 2015, 1:32 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,520
I think that like many hotels in Bangkok, this hotel has to basically wear two hats. They offer a very high level of service to certain guests, but also sell a lot of standard rooms to tour groups, on third party websites, and even to certain airlines that use this hotel to accommodate their crew members, etc...
Ways to ensure a high level of service are:
Be a regular guest
Book directly or through Virtuoso etc. (the hotel is no longer Amex FHR)
Book high category rooms or suites
Book with Executive club access (included for suite guests)
Use the hotel car for arrival and departure. It's cheap in BKK and it definitely improves the arrival experience at this hotel.
This is not only true of Anantara. The same applies to most of the city's high-end hotels. The Peninsula and even the Mandarin Oriental cater to tour groups at times, and otherwise discount their standard rooms. Anantara Siam has a relatively large number of rooms for a high-end hotel, so to get the best service one has to somehow be differentiated from the hundreds of other guests that might be staying.
Ways to ensure a high level of service are:
Be a regular guest
Book directly or through Virtuoso etc. (the hotel is no longer Amex FHR)
Book high category rooms or suites
Book with Executive club access (included for suite guests)
Use the hotel car for arrival and departure. It's cheap in BKK and it definitely improves the arrival experience at this hotel.
This is not only true of Anantara. The same applies to most of the city's high-end hotels. The Peninsula and even the Mandarin Oriental cater to tour groups at times, and otherwise discount their standard rooms. Anantara Siam has a relatively large number of rooms for a high-end hotel, so to get the best service one has to somehow be differentiated from the hundreds of other guests that might be staying.
Sep 1, 2015, 2:07 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
At virtually any city hotel in the world regulars and suite guests will often be treated especially well, even if the baseline level of service is already very high.