Thanks for comments. I made one reservation at Marriott Sukhumvit and one at Ren thus giving both a chance for half of my trip. Sukhumvit for the pool and Ren because it seems to be FT favorite overall.

Corp. rate at CY is about 1000 baht a night lower than these others so maybe I will try that one as well on my next trip.

Has anyone ever found a relatively inexpensive laundry place near the JW?

There are some places around- I tend to stay closer to S11 however down most of the Soi you can find laundry people- I would avoid Nana and go one or two Soi up on your right and you will find something without a problem- less than 100 THB per kg for sure.

Go right out of the hotel onto Sukhumvit.

Walk about 3 blocks (just past the stairway from Nana BTS)

Go right on Soi 8

About 50-100 feet on the right is a small laundry place, I have used several times, offer same day service, reasonable prices.

There is also one on the left, but I have never used it.

I think it was about $13 us/400THB for 2 hotel-sized laundry bags (maybe 11 lbs/5 kilos)

I use a laundry in Soi 4. Turn left out of the hotel (i.e. NOT towards Sukhumvit) walk down to you come to a car park with some bars (Annie's etc) walk through the car park to Soi 4 and the laundry is on the other side of the road.

I use that one as well, quick, cheap and close.

Thanks for the tips. I chose one on the "ploenchit" side of Soi 4 rather than the "Nana" side because it was 80 baht rather than 120 baht. They were quick and seemed to do a good job. 80 baht would be expensive for Chiang Mai (usually 30 Baht) or Phuket (50 Baht), but I think it's alright for this part of Bangkok and definitely cheaper than the hotel (~800 baht/kilo I'd guess). I remember now using a place on Soi 1 before, but I'm not sure that it's any cheaper or closer.

The JW lounge has been quiet. The staff told us that it's difficult to get suite upgrades because there aren't many guests, and everyone knows there aren't many guests, so they all push for upgrades. Is that logical? It reminds of the luggage repairman who recently told me that spinner luggages (4-wheeled) are much worse than regular ones (2-wheeled) because there are more wheels to break and you might end up with only 2 working wheels. I'm still trying to figure out that logic. Anyway, we did get a suite, eventually, and were happy about that.

As expected, you still can't eat breakfast downstairs (comped) unless you have a kid or can borrow one.

P.S. Annoying, ITA hasn't worked since we arrived. But I won't blame JW unless someone else tells me that they had the same problem.

What about near the Ren? I'm thinking of traveling with five day's worth of clothes for a ten day trip next week.

Get a room (Apt. suite) with W/D at the Marriott Sukhumvit 57! ;)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8536/8...2057d471_z.jpg

I stayed here recently and got a suite upgrade without asking. My corporate rate includes breakfast "downstairs" and plat status only in lounge. First morning I called the front desk, or whereever that "at your service" button takes you, to inquire where breakfast is served and they told I have to eat it in lounge because I am platinum. I told them my rate includes normal breakfast but they still refused to tell where that normal breakfast is.

It wasn't too difficult to find anyway but I just don't understand this kind of behavior and it was not exactly first time this happens in Asia.

Restaurant itself had no issues with me having the breakfast there and they quickly noted that my rate includes the breakfast.

You may very well know this already but you get one piece of laundry per day for free at Ren. One does not need to do it one per day ofc but that's the total free pieces.

I did that and paid the hotel price for the rest so it wasn't that expensive.

I was a bit surprised to not get any upgrade at Ren and I even asked. (this unless you count being on lounge level but in standard room as an upgrade).

I usually stay at the REn and walk (15 minutes) or take the BTS 1 stop to NANA and use a laundromat near the JW

Some discussion here- the thread references Four Seasons and Marriott Courtyard- however REN is in the same vicinity:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thail...r-seasons.html

Checked into the Ren last night...

Breakfast is still in Flavors instead of the CL, but the CL is open all day. Tea and cocktail hour food is still being served in the CL. Breakfast is supposed to return to the CL in a week. The buffet at Flavors is quite expansive. It was mentioned that this is because the hotel remains less booked that usual due to the recent nearby activity. While this appears to be a very nice CL, and the attendant couldn't be any more fabulous, the JW's CL trumps this hotel's CL.

Other than that, I think I might like the Ren a little better.

The staff at this hotel is exceptional. It's obvious that the staff genuinely wants to make each guest have as great a stay as possible. My feather free room request was honored without issue. They even removed the feather throw pillows from the sofa. (I saw them high up on a shelf in the closet.) While the staff at the JW is also awesome, the Ren wins in this category, IME.

I was upgraded to a top floor corner room without asking. The room is very, very nice. The linen is clean and crisp, the bed incredibly comfortable and the large soaking tub next to the window was just what I needed after 27 hours of travel. This room is better than anything I've ever had at the JW. Those rooms are nice, but these are more modern, with more light.

One note: There is construction going on somewhere very close to the hotel. The hammering started at 09:00. It's not jackhammers, but it's noticeable. It is intermittent, with more not-hammering time than hammering time. It's not really interfering with my do-nothing day while I get used to the 12 hour time difference.

Renaissance Sukhimvit (Soi57)
 

Hi,

Will soon be staying at the new Renaissance Sukhumit (Soi57) property. I am planning to take the train +BTS to the property. I was however wondering if the BTS station, Thonglar, does it have a lift/escalator? I will have not too heavy bags, but that would make it life easier.

Will crossing the street with bags a deathwish? :p

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!