anaggie

aimango

For those who have stayed at both Renaissance and Courtyard (or know the area), how close are the two? Google maps doesn't seem that accurate (saying it's a 15m walk). Reason I ask is because I already have a few nights booked at CY (paid for me), and I want to add an extra night. Currently Ren is a bit cheaper but if it's a hassle to get there, I rather just book at CY (plus a high chance I'll just get the same room for both bookings).

Thanks in advance.

Kacee

10-15 minutes is about right. There's no direct route.

canred

If the extra night is at the end of your stay at the CY, you have the option of taking the CY tuk tuk to Chitlom BTS. The tuk tuk's normal drop off point is just past the walkway into Maneeya Center. Thus, if you are travelling light you can ask the driver to drop you a few feet early and have a 2 minute walk to Ren. Note that this doesn't work as well in reverse given the unpredictable timing of the tuk tuk but you could always phone the CY and request.

HankAAFlyer

Hi all,

Titanium member here, researching a 5 night visit to Bangkok, looking at points redemption for the Courtyard (17,500) or the Sheraton Royal Orchid (17,500). Looks like location of the Courtyard is better, but Sheraton sounds like it'd be theoretically better than Courtyard (branding/marketing wise). Does anyone have any thoughts on the two? Priority for me would be to get a decent breakfast and lounge happy hour Access to public transit and convenience to sightseeing is important too.

Reading some threads, sounds like Courtyard might be slightly aheadn (Courtyard, you get breakfast in Momo café, and the lounge happy hour looked ok, very convenient to subway). For Sheraton Royal Orchid, sounds like a nice property, decent lounge, but not as convenient to public transit. Would appreciate any insight from anyone who's stayed at the two and can directly compare.

I've stayed at Courtyards in Hong Kong (both Sha Tin and Hong Kong Island) as well as Seoul - overall, I'm very impressed with Courtyards in Asia so sounds like I can't go wrong with the Courtyard Bangkok.

Thanks in advance!

travelinmanS

Kalboz

Although the CY Bangkok offers breakfast, lounge, and closer access to downtown areas, I disagree with the above poster - the Royal Orchid Sheraton (ROS) is the better choice!

Your requirements of decent breakfast, lounge, access to public transit and convenience to sightseeing are all met with a stay at the ROS. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to Saphan Taksin BTS station (elevated light monorail system) for easy access to "downtown" areas. The Orange Express boat passes right by the ROS and actually makes a stop at the pier next to it giving you direct access to the major temples and palaces up river. For shopping or dining, the property is located across the river form ICONSIAM, the newest megamall addition to Bangkok. There is also a comped shuttle to Asiatique for further shopping or dining.


ROS is a boat ride away fro Bangkok major attractions

ICONSIAM across the river from the ROS - there is a comped shuttle boat to ferry people back & forth

Chaophraya Express Boat (the Orange boat) that will take you to temples and palaces

Breakfast at the river - ROS

Views from the ROS' lounge

Historic buildings dotting the riverside between Saphan Taksin and the ROS

The Courtyard Bangkok

Kacee

I would not call the trip to Sukhumvit "easy." It would take minimum 45 minutes, and two changes, to get to, say Terminal 21. It can be quite fatiguing in the Bangkok heat.

That said, I don't think it's an obvious choice one property or the other. Decision hinges on whether OP would rather be on the river or near Sukhumvit.

HankAAFlyer

Thanks travelinmanS, Kalboz and Kacee - appreciate your input/context - your data points make this a tough choice for me. I am sold looking at Kalboz's pictures, but at the same time, "easy" access to tourist sites via public transit is important to me (and the 45 minutes context with 2 line changes from Kacee gives me some pause). I had also considered aloft (at 12,500 points per night), but no lounge and what sounds like mediocre breakfast tipped me to consider "splurging" on the extra 5k per night for either Courtyard or ROS.

Was hoping on a no-brainer, but that is the nature of the no obvious choice as Kacee points out. Reading the ROS thread, it sounded like ROS was an amazing property from 2007-2015 or so, and has been going downhill ever since (hence, when I saw travelinmanS's note about the ROS being run down, it reminded me of the disappointment I felt when I stayed at the Shelbourne in Dublin as I did not experience the amazing Lounge or breakfast in the restaurant that folks had described in the reviews/trip reports with the downgrade/eventually closure of their Heritage Lounge and no free breakfast on weekends). My trip report for the Shelbourne was among the initial reviews/trip reports of the downhill skid for that property.

So... to be on river or to be near Sukhumvit.. will need to do some more research. I think overall, I can be content with the boats (since on vacation), but did want easy access to all the tourist sites (Grand Palace, Wat Arun Ratcharwaram, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Chatuchak Market, Wat Traimitr Witayaram Worawihan temple, Lumphini Park (which the CY is near)).

Are there any other tie breakers? Lounge wise, I saw pictures of the CY having little shot glasses of food (reminds me of the Santiago Marriott), how are the offerings in the ROS Lounge - similar shot glass setup, or the chrome dome/serving dishes? Or is the quality of the food and alcohol similar for both? I also read about tour groups ruining the experience at the ROS. How are the gym / spa areas at both? Any comment on which one feels more "upscale"? (based on Kalboz's post, sounds like ROS is more upscale despite the rooms and other areas being rundown (based on the ROS thread)). Oh, I suppose a decent chance at a suite upgrade might help too, sounds like CY is near impossible whereas the upgrade chances for ROS are a little higher.

Thanks again for all your input -

Ripley62

3rdworldresident

Kacee

So just to be clear, most tourist sites are more easily accessed from the river, so ROS would be more convenient for that.

You would go to Sukhumvit for shopping and nightlife. Lumpini Park is nice for running or walking, but it is not really an attraction on its own (like Central Park, for example).

paolo64

SHLTP

delete

gora14

I just had my first and only stay at the Royal Orchid a month ago with family. We had been traveling a lot, so we ended up taking it very easy the five nights we were there. We had come from a very modern LeMeridian in Chiang Mai and had one of the nicest hotel experiences we've ever had with outstanding service and upgrades, so we were expecting a let-down no matter what. By comparison, the Royal Orchid did feel old and dated, but that was in comparison with the LM. It really was a more traditional hotel with a typical room, rather than the super-large modern suite we were upgraded to in Chiang Mai. I will certainly vouch for the location of the Royal Orchid. For us, it was amazing just taking boats up and down the river everywhere and I spent a lot of time in the hotel room and in the lounge watching the boats go up and own the river. The lounge was nice. It reminded us very much of a 60s-style hotel lounge with a bar for making drinks, definitely not self-serve. While we did some tourist sites, the two things we really enjoyed was the Iconsiam mall across the river accessed by courtesy shuttle and the outdoor Asiatique downriver, both accessed via courtesy boats. While the top 6 or 7 floors of Iconsiam are typical shopping mall, the bottom two floors are completely unique with Thai-style shops, water-ways, and food vendors. I expected the prices to be outrageous, but they were more or less the same as what they were in Chinatown, even though we were in air-conditioned comfort and we didn't have to bother bartering.


We ended up spending much more time here than we expected to, not having even wanted to visit until it was suggested by someone at the hotel as a good place to get food. The other easily accessible place by courtesy boat was Asiatique downriver. This had a great deal of shopping, but also restaurants and bars and bands on the nights we visited. In sum, while the hotel is a bit dated, I've stayed at MANY Bonvoys that were in much worse condition. There were no problems, no mold, toilets flushed, etc. Everything was functional and clean. The lounge was nice, with beautiful views and the service was very good. I really can't imagine a better location.