tai4de2

What does 'HH' mean?

Good question about lounge vs. cafe breakfast -- in fact I happen to have specific experience with this within the past week... At the JW, I asked whether I could choose between lounge and cafe for breakfast. I was told that generally it's lounge only, but since I am a platinum member they "can't say no" to me and would annotate my account to allow eating in the cafe if I wanted. The next morning I tried doing so, and the bill they brought to the table for me to sign had a price of 0.00. So at the JW it's a question of "ask and ye shall receive".

I asked the same at the Marquis upon checking in yesterday and was politely told lounge only. I didn't press the issue.

So I conclude that the answer to whether you can choose where to eat breakfast is "it depends" -- hope that clears thing up :-).

I have not yet sampled any of the Marquis F&B outlets, or even investigated whether there are any, or any that are open yet (I think they're not quite 100% finished with all construction). There's plenty 'o' stuff in the immediate vicinity, and even after many (many!) stays at the JW I have never eaten at any of their restaurants except the cafe for breakfast and lunch.

tai4de2

After sleeping a night in the Marquis, and experiencing evening and morning food in the lounge, I will change from JW to Marquis as my Marriott of choice in the lower Sukhumvit area (OK, technically the Marquis isn't really lower Suk but... close enough).

The food selection at breakfast in the Marquis lounge is quite similar to the JW. They have an omelette station, American bacon and other breakfast meats, various breads and muffins, salad, some cold cuts, etc., etc.

I am very happy to FINALLY have a truly good and up to date 5* Marriott choice in this area.

tomwhom

HH - Happy hours or call it dinner light normally 5:30 to 7:30pm offered at lounge.

InstantStatus

Which one has better location for a tourist couple who are new to Bangkok ? Suk 57, Ren or Marquis ?

Thanks

CJKatl

Everyone has different opinions on which hotel is best. Although I haven't stayed at the new Marquis yet, reports are good. Soi 57 is my personal favorite. But... for a first visit, the Ren might be best. It's more centrally located and it's very easy to get to the BTS station. You practically don't even have to go outside. And you are closer to the tourist stuff at the Ren.

Kalboz

Depending on budget and interests, for a tourist couple first time in Bangkok, I'd go for the CY

InstantStatus

I am using a 7 night category 1-5 certificate, so cost is not an issue

I am leaning towards using the certificate for the new shiny Marquis, but I'm hesitant due comments about location not ideal. So the worst is that we would have to walk 8 minutes each way ? Is Marquis really that better than Renaissance or Suk 57 after you take into account the location ?

Would you use the 7 night category 1-5 certificate on CY instead of Marquis due to CY location ?

CJKatl

The CY has price going for it, and it's a good hotel, but not as good as the Soi 57, Ren or JW. Having not stayed at the Marquis, I cannot offer an opinion, but the accounts so far indicate it is likely much nicer, too.

For location, IMO the Ren wins. The Soi 57 has spectacular views and, if you have status, your more likely to get an upgrade. Thong Lor is a great neighborhood that's a little less touristy than the area around the Ren. But for a first visit, touristy might not be all that bad. And despite the good reports about the Marquis, if you want to be able to return to the hotel a few times throughout the day between sightseeing, the Ren might be more convenient. If you are the type of people who leave the hotel and only return at the end of the day, the Marquis may work best.

The bottom line is each of the choices is great, so it's not a matter of making a wrong decision. You will have a fantastic stay no matter which hotel you wind up in. Don't over think your decision, and don't worry about what might have been after making your decision.

InstantStatus

Thanks !

We are actually one of those couples who spend lazy mornings in the hotel room then head out for lunch and spend the rest of the day outside in one go

tai4de2

I have stayed at all of these (57, JW, CY, Ren, Marquis). The Marquis has by far the nicest rooms. The location is good but not perfect.

I personally did not like the location of the Ren. There's not enough immediately outside the doors of the hotel. The locale is one of high end shopping malls, and it takes a few minutes to walk to them. One of the joys of Bangkok are the little shops, bars, eating holes, etc. one gets all over the city. The Marquis may be a 5-10 minute walk down the soi from Sukhumvit, but there's a lot of that kind of stuff immediately outside the hotel and so taking that walk isn't always necessary. The JW is similar in that regard except it is right on Sukhumvit.

Kalboz

Ah, the Category 5 certs ... I'd go for the 57 property over the Renaissance, any day!

Kalboz

I have booked 9 nights in January at the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit at a rate of around $107 per night all in - I also have in my account 9-night certs (7+1+1). Will try to get an upgrade on the paid room and an attached room for the certs.

Or, should I try the Marquis?

CJKatl

Then you might be perfect candidates for the Marquis or Soi 57. While this doesn't seem to bother most other people, it's very noticeable to me: There is a tower being built next to the Ren. The construction has been going on for at least a couple years with a year or more to go. Every morning, when I'm staying at the Ren, I can hear loud metal against metal banging from the construction site. I can occasionally hear it when staying at the CY, too. If you are looking to lazily stay in bed in the morning, the Ren might not be your hotel.

When was your last stay at the FS? I was there in Sept and again two weeks ago. The hotel and staff were excellent as always, and I was given an UG to a two room suite both times. The difference, which may be a plus, or a minus, or a non-event for you: The street vendors and food carts that lined Sukhumvit from the hotel to the BTS station disappeared between the two visits. The store front restaurants between Soi 57 and Thonglor have been cleaned up and several have new, nice floors. The sidewalks have been fixed, too. If you were a fan of the food carts, they are gone. If you liked the street front restaurants, they are cleaner and easier to access. If you didn't care about either, it's easier to access the BTS.

Just throwing that out there...

But I'm with you. The Soi 57 property is awesome, but the Marquis is new and shiny. I'm not sure where I'll stay on my trip after next. My next stay is with some family members who want the views from Soi 57.

Kalboz

Thank you for the update on the street food-vendor scene - and yes, we do love street food but most of bounty we get is from Soi 59 next to the gas station (CALTEX) where the street vendor has a full menu of delicious food.

Our last stay was back in April when we did 9 nights in a suite with 7 of them redeemed a cert for an adjacent room for my mother-in-law. Service was good but somewhat deteriorated since our 2015 stay. They have newbies in the lounge who were oblivious and some were getting personal with drunken chinese guests. One locked horns with my wife about using their plates in our room and not ordering them from room service (silly stuff but nevertheless very unprofessional). New manager from the JWM which is a place we ran away from!!! Would like to try the new property and maybe will do 2-3 nights and will do a review with photos.


Street vendor by the gas station on Soi 59


The adjacent room is shown through the open door - Suk 57

tomwhom

Plus you can eat full breakfast in 57 floor cafe while at Ren you only can eat at Lounge if you are Gold or Plat.