Oct 12, 2018, 10:28 pm
4 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 2,
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
HOTEL EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected].
Located between the Phloen Chit and Nana BTS Stations. Attached by a sky tunnel at its 2nd floor with the adjacent Ploenchit Center mall which has a supermarket at the basement level. This property has one the biggest executive lounges in Bangkok.
Photo album of this property: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz...57622147537990
JW Marriott - Bangkok, Thailand [Master Thread]
Oct 11, 2018, 9:40 am
Hotel website. Cat 4. Exec lounge open daily. Also has a family room (1 king bed; 2 twins; 2 bathrooms).
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...hotel-bangkok/
"Indulge yourself with incomparable service and extraordinary hotel rooms at JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok, where true luxury is encountered at every turn. Located in the lively city center, just a short distance from Bumrungrad Hospital, Siam Paragon, Terminal 21 and Sukhumvit Road, our hotel enables you to discover Thailand's capital city in an unforgettable fashion. Beautifully designed accommodations boast opulent decor, spacious marble bathrooms and a host of modern amenities, including Wi-Fi access and flat-screen TVs. Visit one of our exceptional on-site restaurants for fresh sushi, sizzling steaks, mouthwatering Chinese fare and more. Our 5-star hotel also features a peaceful spa and a fully-equipped fitness center to help you stay fit."
Cheers.
Oct 12, 2018, 10:27 pm
Aloft
The Athenee
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
Westin Grande Sukhumvit
Le Meridien Bangkok
Le Meridien Suvarnabhumi
Royal Orchid Sheraton
I used my 2 Cat 4 Chase free night certificates (one of which was supposed to expire in Aug, but CS extended for me) to pay for the stay. The hotel sent me a welcome email about a week before arrival and I mentioned that it would be my first stay and I would appreciate a suite if one was available. (I couldn’t apply any SNAs as they are in my Starwood account, but I had to book this from my Marriott account to use the certs.) My contact was non-committal and said it would depend on availability. Day before arrival, I could see on the app that I was in a suite and I did OLCI (but based on previous experience, I knew that meant nothing).
Location is excellent within easy walking distance of the Nana stop on the BTS. I used the Airlink train + BTS to get there. I checked in at the front desk (even though I had been told I could go to the lounge on the 16th floor) and was pleasantly surprised when the FD agent confirmed my suite upgrade. She thanked me for my Platinum Premier status (Ambassador doesn’t show up on my Marriott account), and I asked if I might be able to try the breakfast in the restaurant in lieu of the lounge. (I absolutely love Asian breakfasts with their variety of noodles, rice and vegetables.) The agent said that’s not a usual benefit, but she would check with her manager to see if they could make an exception and it was approved.
She escorted me to my room which was a nicely appointed 2 room suite with 1.5 baths. There was a large fruit plate and welcome letter waiting for me. Benefits also include 3 pieces of laundry per day.
I was on the 18th floor but there was a large staircase joining the 16th, 17th and 18th floors for ease of access to the lounge. At the lounge, I was greeted by Nathalie the Executive Floor Mgr, who welcomed me warmly and said they had been expecting me. She showed me around. The lounge was exceptionally large with lots of seating (mostly tables and chairs but there were a few couches) and an outdoor terrace. There was a quiet room at the back with a few computers.
The food in the lounge was substantial and there was enough to make a meal. The first night was BBQ night and they were serving large pieces of steak grilled by a chef in the serving area. On the second night, they were cooking sliders. They also had vegetable quesadillas which they were making on the same grill, but they offered to cook one for me in the kitchen since I am a vegetarian (and didn’t want grease from the burgers touching my food). There were veggies, salads, cold cuts and cheese on offer as well. The bar offerings included beer, wine and a good selection of alcohol. Servers came by to refill glasses of wine. Overall, this was an excellent lounge. Lounge hours are as follows:
Breakfast 06:00-10:00 (11:00 on weekends)
High tea 14:30-16:30
Open bar 16:30-20:30
Evening snacks 18:00-20:00
The first morning, I tried buffet breakfast in the main restaurant. I was told the restaurant had been recently renovated and just re-opened a month ago. The selection was outstanding. There was a halal section, an Indian food section, a fruit and vegetable juice station, a noodle station, a made to order section, etc. It just went on and on. I was in Asian breakfast heaven! The second morning, I thought I’d try the lounge breakfast, but a quick walk through convinced me to go back downstairs. The lounge breakfast was perfectly adequate with fruit, cereal, pastries, eggs and lots of breakfast meat but couldn’t hold a candle to the buffet on the main floor especially for a vegetarian.
I had a mojito in the lobby bar in the afternoon and was pleased to see that they had made the switch to paper straws. The drink was the same price as my 1 hr massage, but it was discounted by 20% when it was applied to my bill.
I checked out the pool and the gym on the 6th floor. Pool looked nice with lots of lounge chairs. The gym was quite large with plenty of equipment.
In summary, I was extremely impressed with the hotel (even though a refresh of the hallways and rooms would be in order) and the lounge and would definitely return here if the price was right. I also found the Platinum recognition to be excellent (unlike some of my past experiences at legacy Marriott properties). I look forward to trying more Marriott properties in BKK.
Oct 12, 2018, 11:00 pm
Oct 13, 2018, 10:03 am
Oct 13, 2018, 12:34 pm
The welcome was good and as a Plat Premier we had been upgraded to a refurbished corner room which was great. The layout had changed completely since I was last in this type of room and now included a lovely walk in wardrobe and amazing refreshed bathroom. The lighting in the room was excellent as was the wooden floors. The lounge was excellent as always and we managed (after trying very hard) to get a table for the Buffet in the Marriott Cafe which was fully booked as it had just reopened. Food quality excellent as usual and liked the new look. The staff were very friendly and when my friend commented that the chicken curry station was empty they cooked some especially for him which made a huge impression on us.
I would say that the current refurbishment will enable the JW to compete again as so many new properties with much more luxurious rooms have opened recently in Bangkok and all offer very attractive rates. Some of the rooms were quite dated and it is time they spent money on the building.
I would definitely return.
Oct 13, 2018, 2:26 pm
Oct 13, 2018, 5:24 pm
Oct 13, 2018, 6:38 pm
Oct 13, 2018, 6:44 pm
During our last visit, one weekend morning at the lounge there was a Chinese man who was trying to socialize with all the tables around him. He told us he worked for an international company which provided an apartment for visiting staff but he would go stay at JWM every weekend "for the change of scene" and to enjoy some "privacy" with girl he met. So there you have it. Not unusual in Asia.
They are. It is very easy to tell. Even the lounge staff know. But as long as they are checked in guests, hotel does not care and should not care.
Last edited by Happy; Oct 13, 2018 at 6:53 pm
Oct 14, 2018, 1:17 am
However I did see plenty of old white geezers with young Thai women walking on the streets.
Oct 14, 2018, 11:24 pm
Initially she was shocked to have been sent to the immigration dark room at Changi to ask what she was doing in Singapore. By the third time she just got used to the delay. Part of the price to be paid as a pretty, young Asian woman.
I used to travel with a Singaporean woman who was the sales director while I was pre-sale director. She also didn't pay attention to who was with whom around us. Apparently that worked out for her as she is now the MD of a major global software company's regional business.
If one doesn't feel comfortable, by all means stay elsewhere. But I think we can move on to other topics specific to the hotel.
Nov 26, 2018, 3:56 am
JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
4 Sukhumvit Road Soi 2 Bangkok, TH 10110
JW Marriott Bangkok = Pleased with Platinum Benefits but Aging Hotel (14 Photos)
JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
I avoided JW Marriott Bangkok in the past in part because reviews were less than stellar on FT, but now that my Platinum-Ambassador status is valid on the Marriott side since August, I have started venturing on that side of the fence a bit more to test things out. JWM Bangkok is usually more expensive than all other Marriott/Starwood options except St.Regis and without glowing reviews I did not feel the rush to try it. However I had a free night certificate to use before expiration so I thought might as well use it at the one property that I would not be likely to pay cash without having seen it myself first. I am glad I tried even for just one night because it’s always good to be aware of all options in the city and my takeaway is that it’s a decent hotel, but it won’t be at the top of my list in Bangkok.
Room
Based on reviews, I was under the impression that JWM was either stingy with Platinum suite upgrades, or that it was very difficult to get a suite due to the hotel not having many of them. In addition I was using a free night certificate so one more reason not to expect a suite because I did not think I would be high on the priority list. Well to my surprise I did get upgraded to a suite, and not only that but at 6pm I looked online and they no longer had suites for sale so it’s not like they upgraded me just because they had lots of suites available that night.
I can see why opinions about this hotel are mixed. The hotel and the room in particular is quite dated which is in contrast with many other newer hotels in the city. The room reminded me to some extent of Sheraton Royal Orchid and Grand Hyatt in terms of not being exactly the most modern. However I personally enjoy having the extra space so a suite upgrade was appreciated, but if you care about a new hotel then JWM won’t be for you. It’s funny how for quite a while I did not target JWM as one of my next few hotels in Bangkok in part due to the lack of suite upgrades, yet bottom line is that in the last two years I am 1/10 in suite upgrades at Athenee, St.Regis, and Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit combined, and now 1/1 at JWM.
As mentioned the room is not modern by any means, but at least it’s in good condition. The bathroom was partially renovated and is of a good size although the shower head is in need of being changed. Off the living room is a small kitchen which can be convenient for those on a long stay who want to cook. There was some equipment available to do so. However for suites in Bangkok I normally prefer having an extra half bath rather than a kitchen. The power plugs near the bed were behind the night tables so not the best location but not surprising for an older hotel. The commands for the lights and AC were probably hi-tech back in the day but now the console is getting up in age. Fortunately the AC worked great and we had a comfortable night.
Dining
As Platinum we had access to the lounge for happy hour. Drinks are offered for a generous 4 hours from 4:30pm to 8:30pm while food was available 6pm to 8pm. There was a chef on site preparing beef patties for mini burgers, in addition to a carving station with chicken. There were a few cold salads available for example the avocado salad was delicious. They also had a limited selection of fruits and sweets. Overall a decent food selection which compares favorably to some other hotels, perhaps not as great as Athenee but above average nonetheless. The main downside as far as I am concerned is that the food was too Western for my taste when in Bangkok and I would have preferred to see Thai dishes instead. For drinks they had 2 red and 2 white wines in addition to beer and spirits. The quality of drinks was good for a hotel lounge, but a notch below Athenee. The lounge itself is very large and the food area was quite busy. Interestingly there is a small hallway leading to the computer room at the far end, and tables in the hallway were very quiet unlike the rest of the lounge. There is also a terrace outside for people who want to relax outdoors in the evening. All in all a relatively strong happy hour and it’s a positive point of this hotel.
Unfortunately breakfast is not offered in the restaurant for Platinums, which was also one of the reasons I was not rushing to try this hotel. We had breakfast in the lounge instead. Choice is rather limited, in fact far more limited than in Marriott Marquis’s lounge, but we found it to be sufficient. There was a dish of shrimps and chili paste and another one was fried noodles. I would have liked a bit more choice, for example I missed having fried rice and there were not many fruits to choose from. But it was ok. The environment was more peaceful when we were there for breakfast than in the evening, and better than the breakfast buffet in some hotels. That said, I always appreciate having access to both the lounge and restaurant for breakfast to mix things up, and that is normally what we get at Starwood legacy hotels and a drawback of Marriott legacy hotels such as JWM.
Service
In addition to the suite upgrade and lounge access, I should note that one useful Plat benefit is to have 3 pieces of laundry per room per day, which is not something offered at many hotels.
Overall
Overall I was fairly pleased by the hotel given the suite upgrade and a good lounge so yes I can recommend the hotel. That said, there are some hotels were the basic room is nice enough that if I am not upgraded I am not worried about it and I have a nice stay nonetheless, for example at St.Regis or Athenee. I have not seen the basic room at JWM but given the age of the hotel, I am not sure I would want to take that chance. There are some hotels where I like the suite but not the basic room so I just pay for the suite, for example at Millenium Hilton, but at that hotel the total bill is fairly modest even in their top suite. However the basic room at JWM is already pricey relative to the competition so booking a suite would start getting up there in price and for that kind of money I would rather book at a more modern hotel rather than book a suite at JWM. That means that while I was happy with my stay, unless I thought my odds of suite upgrades were fairly high for a future stay, I would probably look at other alternatives. Based on my limited experience, suite upgrades might be more likely at JWM than at St.Regis, Athenee, and SGS where my upgrades have been hard to get, but it is premature to conclude that odds of suite upgrades at JWM are great because I only have one data point. I would like to see several others on FT getting a suite at JWM first, and then I would consider returning.
As a final note, on Marriott.com the pictures of the rooms look quite different than the room I had – perhaps there are going through renovations and if so I would be more positive about the hotel but since it’s not been my experience I can only comment based on the room I got.
Nov 26, 2018, 5:37 am
Nov 26, 2018, 9:08 am
I would hope that's an unrenovated suite - looks like a 1970s airport Marriott in the U.S.