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The Siam Hotel, Bangkok

The Siam Hotel, Bangkok

Old May 1, 2015, 10:10 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by pricesquire

Heard this from someone else [non-guest who chartered a boat just to have dinner at the Siam]...said the service was so bad that it was embarrassing.

Simply put, I didn't experience this level of poor service so I can't comment on it.

I thought staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and spoke great English.

I will say that service could be perceived as being a bit slow. Felt very Latin-American in that regard. But I had identical service at the Aman and Four Seasons, so I didn't really let it get to me...
Might give it another chance when we're day spa guests there in a couple of weeks...last chance saloon for Chon. The Art Deco makes a fantastic twist on a mojito but closes early. The interior is stunning there too surrounded by history and conversation pieces.
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Old May 2, 2015, 2:14 pm
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And suddenly the the Siam is on top of my to do list whilst in Bangkok
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Old May 2, 2015, 3:10 pm
  #33  
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great report and photos! siam has gotten a lot of positive comments here, going back to mid 2012 opening

Originally Posted by Fliar
I have been much less impressed with this gentleman than others. I used to visit (when living in Bangkok) every week for massages and dinner and the occasional stay but he never even once recognised me. And when an issue came up he handled it extremely poorly. Maybe I just got unlucky.
prior posts with similar comments : http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post21724049 some posts re Jason Friedman remind me of some posts re Robyn Bickford (and possibly Kurt Wachtveitl)

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 5, 2015 at 10:21 pm
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Old May 5, 2015, 11:32 pm
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GM at The Siam and feedback

disappointing

Last edited by RodHK; May 6, 2015 at 10:40 am Reason: leaving forum
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Old May 5, 2015, 11:57 pm
  #35  
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is this your 2nd FlyerTalk account?

Originally Posted by RodHK
I have to delete the previous one cause i cannot access anymore to this account.

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 6, 2015 at 12:09 am
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Old May 6, 2015, 12:06 am
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
is this your 2nd FlyerTalk account?
I have to delete the previous one cause i cannot access anymore to this account.
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Old May 6, 2015, 1:15 am
  #37  
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I just checked out of The Siam Room 307 ( a riverview suite) after a 3 day stay in Bangkok and I have to say the room was outstanding. Our experience was very positive and we would give a highly recommended with a couple of caveats (distance from town center for 1st timers and the lack of air con in the common areas for those sensitive to heat). I will share my detailed thoughts and pics when I return home. But agree with many others that the decor and landscaping here are a big wow! When we were led into Room 307, we were both wearing very large grins indeed:-)
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Old May 6, 2015, 6:10 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by RodHK
The Siam is surely a very special place, even if a bit too far from the city center of Bangkok, expect about 1hr by taxi and more than 30 minutes by boat so location not so convenient and the view on the river is not the one you can expect... There is a kind of factory opposite bank and this is not the gorgeous view you would love to have... Not any lovely temple around.
I've been impressed by the design and the layout, much less by the maintenance and the cleanliness not up to the standards of a high end property. However, let's say the atmosphere is really peaceful and exclusive.
I've loved the villa layout and this plunge pool just perfect to refresh in a pretty romantic courtyard. However, for those who are a bit claustrophobic, these accommodations can be a bit dark with no views due to the small courtyard.
Restaurant was less than average and service really too slow. Moreover, may I suggest you to order more dishes than you think cause portions are ridiculous and I'm not a big eater...
Breakfast served in the villa was pretty disappointing as well... They even forget to bring preserve and jams which is unacceptable when the bar rate is up to 300 US$ (which is a lot in a city where the room rates are pretty low).
The worst was probably the terrible smell in the bathroom... I guess it was coming from the pipes and water drainage system but at a point, it wasn't even possible to go into the bathroom... What a shame.
After reporting my feedback to the GM, I've had the impression he truly didn't care, even considering me like an annoying customer. I think the rule of a GM is to ensure everything is perfect (even more in a property pretending to be as good as an Aman). I'm so surprised Mr Freedman worked for Aman in the post because he lost all the philosophy to become a very snobbish GM, pretty pretentious and without any worry if customers are happy or not.
I was so sorry cause The Siam has a sensational potential and I would have loved to return and give an other chance but when you're ignored by the GM who had as only objective to make you feel guilty to complain, there is no point to give an other try.
I'm very surprised Mr Freedman has so many positive feedbacks cause I have an extensive experience of five stars hotels and I haven't been impressed at all by his way of management.
A few notes in reply to the above..

1) "A factory opposite" - weird, never saw this. I saw a local, multi-story hotel across the way. Of course, not the prettiest thing, and certainly not a temple, but I didn't find it to be an eyesore, by any standard.





2) Didn't have any issues with cleanliness or maintenance. In fact, I had the opposite. Two instances:

a) My wife does yoga, and brings her own mat. Part of that entails her practicing yoga at different points of the hotel. After practicing in 4 different spots - one of which was in our room - she mentioned how clean things were (again, she was on the floor....).

b) Maintenance men and cleaning staff was roving around the hotel almost 24/7.

3) Totally agree re: slow service at Siam. That said, I found that issue across the board all over Thailand. Had that everywhere - FSTC, Amanpuri, etc.

4) Totally disagree re: the food. Portions were small but it was a welcome respite from overfilling on street food. Price point is "moderate" to "a bit above average" IMO. ...but you're at a 5* hotel, whatcha expect?

5) Didn't have your experience at all re: bathroom smell. In fact, I loved the bathrooms so much, I couldn't stop taking pictures! My wife and I commented to each other: "these bathrooms are so nice we could hang out in here"





6) Re: Jason as the GM...

He is quite the figure, and I often tell clients "you'll either love him or you'll hate him". I personally love his management style - as I don't need a GM in my face 24/7. I like them to be present, but not all over the place.

I find this comment interesting: "I'm so surprised Mr Freedman worked for Aman in the post because he lost all the philosophy to become a very snobbish GM, pretty pretentious and without any worry if customers are happy or not."

The Aman GM - Amanpuri/Fred - was pretentious. Period. Jason was a breath of fresh air compared.
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Old May 6, 2015, 7:03 am
  #39  
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I think some people also have a problem with Jason's level of flamboyance. I still remember being at the Tented Camp when he was the camp manager and listening to some moron's homophobic rant about him. When he asked me what my wife and I thought about Jason, I told him my wife's name was Tom (and yes, I am male as well).

My point is that some people will never be happy with Jason because of what he is, not because of his skills as a GM. Not saying that was necessarily the case with RodHK, but it certainly is a thing.

Last edited by xracer; May 6, 2015 at 7:17 am
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Old May 6, 2015, 10:03 am
  #40  
 
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.....

Last edited by RodHK; May 6, 2015 at 10:41 am Reason: leaving Flyertalk
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Old May 6, 2015, 10:07 am
  #41  
 
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.......

Last edited by RodHK; May 6, 2015 at 10:41 am Reason: leaving Flyertalk
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Old May 6, 2015, 11:05 am
  #42  
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i recognize xracer's point, but would point to comments here

Originally Posted by pricesquire
I often tell clients "you'll either love him or you'll hate him"
Fliar commented in this thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post21724049
comments from >
vuittonsofstyle
irish mark
Londonjetsetter
zigzag
jkirk
Revolution
RodHK / Amanaddicted (siam stay 3 years ago during soft opening)
(at least one person listed above has posted that they are gay)

2 years ago, welch checked out of siam on day of arrival

i compared to posts re Robyn Bickford (and possibly Kurt Wachtveitl)
Robyn is not gay, and i dont think Kurt is either
jkirk (listed above) posts re Robyn >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...l#post11088560
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ip-report.html
(a few others posted similar, dont remember who)

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 6, 2015 at 1:49 pm
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Old May 6, 2015, 12:07 pm
  #43  
 
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Again, I'll throw my hat in with those who love Jason. Thought he was fabulous, and we had several really wonderful conversations during my stay.
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Old May 6, 2015, 1:32 pm
  #44  
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I'll preface this with saying: Jason in no way/shape/form looks like this.

For those who are curious about his professional background, I found this interview to be top notch: http://www.elitetraveler.com/leaders...jason-friedman
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Old May 6, 2015, 2:15 pm
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If I may say it's a shame that RodHK left the forum because his review was received with such negativity. We are different people, we have different experiences, I don't see the point in trying to prove RodHK wrong when he expressed his disappointment with the SIAM. Sometimes it seems it is not allowed to have a different point of view than other FT members. There is no right or wrong hotel review. We have different point of views and I believe we shall accept this fact.
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