stay coming up...
 

i'm getting ready to visit this property for two nights in a few weeks. reading these posts makes me wanna be there now!

any recent visits by gold members? how are we recognized (if at all)?

Not a gold member but I will say one thing. The lounge is EXCELLENT - probably the best SPG lounge I've been to - both in terms of size (its massive) and quality (very confortable and excellent food)

This upgrade (club floor) is in my views essential

Marketing that pays off!

Sunday I was in the elevator in the WGS and a woman, Khun P, asked me if I was an SPG member. I told her that I am. She informed me that the WGS had one an award based on the customer satisfaction surveys. I told her that I always answer them when I get them and that they should post about this on FT. I told her of the great work the PA is doing and how it has exposed the property to many that wouldn't have tried it otherwise. She said they are on FT and I expressed my surprise. Anyway I don't think she really 'got it'. It is amazing how much promotions like those the PA ran earlier on FT and how mistake rates can end up really building up steam for a property if handled effectively.

Me too, but then again I just returned from BKK yesterday. :) I still have a 4 night stay at the PA on the books that I need to get in within the next month or so.

While the lounge is nice, I found it very much lacking in hot food during the evening cocktail hours. Just 1 hot food item compared to 6 at the Conrad.

The recent reviews of the PA seems like an excellent SPG choice and influencing me to stay there, even 12 months ago I wouldn't have even considered it.

Now we're stuck with a variety of excellect SPG properties (PA, SGS and LM) and a few others not too far behind them (WGS, ROS) but you know what, soon there will be many more SPG properties on offer when the StR and W comes online.

choices are a great thing to have. If SPG can get around 1500 hotels in the next 5 or so years that will be a great benefit to all of us.

More importantly than many in one city, spread the wealth to cities that they don't yet have a presence.

well said^

Indeed. I have watched with great amusement how the property that was bottom of many people's preferred list of SPG properties and barely got a mention on here previously, has managed such a turnaround in such a short space of time and now seems to have a firmly established fan club. Some much bigger fans than others...

You have to say fair play to the team at the property for bringing the place from nowhere to having such accolade's thrown at it. You could be forgiven for thinking it was far more than just a hotel that was being discussed at times. ;)

Wanted to give a bed comparison between the WGS and PA. Keeping in mind the WGS has the heavenly bed.

PA pillows were soft yet held their shape well. The linen was soft and had a wonderful hint of aromatherapy, not sure what they used but it was a welcomed surprise.

WGS pillows were soft but didn't hold their shape at all. I called housekeeping to exchange the pillows and was hoping to find the exact ones at the PA but they weren't there. We hear so much of the heavenly bed and was hoping to truely experience it. The linen was equally soft at PA and WGS but no pleasant scent at WGS (some may not like this perhaps but it is a hint not overpowering at all).

The mattress at PA seemed deeper and softer than the WGS. The pillowtop in my bed at WGS was evidently dented on one side, thus I slept on the other.

The linens were soft at both properties but I was so looking forward to the WGS heavenly bed but came away favoring the PA for my liking. I'm scheduled to go back to WGS on the 17th so I hope it will be more to my liking perhaps.

Unfortunately many off the "fans" will jump off the bandwagon and drop the hotel in their spg-ranking once the hotels reduces the number and quality of promotions.

The Plaza Athenee is a very nice hotel but it doesn't separate itself from other 5 star hotels in Bangkok, no matter if you take the rooms, the breakfast or the service. Overall it's a high standard but for sure not the best.

The PA generated a lot of interest in their hotel by offering some very good rates and obviously they did a pretty good convincing their new guests about their services.

Time only will tell if it was enough to keep the "fans" in the hotel when the rates are not that low any longer

I'm a price sensitive shopper and tend to go for the lowest hotel rate, but not always.

If the rate was the same for all of the SPG hotels in Bangkok, I'd still pick the PA, though I suspect many here would pick the SGS and a few would pick the Le Meridien. For the same rate, I'd also pick the PA over the Hilton, Conrad, and Grand Hyatt (unless I got a suite at the GH).

Interesting post.

In the entertainment world we talk about over-night wonders that were 20-years in the making. Perhaps that is what we have here?

Based on the comments I read here on FT, I entirely avoided the PA from 2003 to 2007, staying mostly at other Starwood properties, with an odd off-brand stay here and there. I only "caved" on avoiding the PA when I was extending a business stay into a personal stay and wanted to use points. The PA was the only hotel with availability, so I resigned myself to something less than typical, as, again, I was warned of here on FT.

I was so surprised - for all the reasons discussed recently.

The PA, however, did not entrench itself as my favorite until my colleague and I were stranded during the airport takeover and ended up spending considerable time inside the property.

Now, with some commendable marketing and service that matched the message, the PA is a newly discovered gem.

Ultimately, I think you are right, it will be interesting how elastic demand for the PA is as its prices adjust for the high season, but for now, I'm a "big" PA fan.

Safe Travels!

I too am price sensitive as I spend many a night BKK and TH mostly spg properties.

Price being a factor I think the PA and ROS,both have excellent lounges and I have to say the ROS has always gone out there way to make me happy.
One factor I look at at ROS I get free internet. or 6 pieces laundry per day.

BOTH THE PA AND ROS ARE EQUAL IN MY MIND,EACH HAVE THERE STRONG POINT.
Well the PA has a better location for most people
who frequent BKK,but there is something waking up to the river and all the action of a bustling city at the ROS

The PA even on the 3300++bht rate is still very good value and really cant go wrong as a spg plat.

I probably still have to rate thre SGS top and have over 60stays over the last 4 years,but as of late I limit my stays there to 1-2 stays in the last year.
Too may other better values out there.
I am not on anybodys dime aside from own Bank acct.

Bottom line we are so very lucky to have so many choices.

:eek: My secret's out....<sob,sob> ;)

Those who know me know it's been my favorite for a long time.

Lounge food is a weak point, but that's not so much of a deciding factor (although it is my favorite lounge). And it's a bit more expensive than my other regular haunts, but I've never regreted staying at the PA. ^

Same here... I have been a fan since even before it became a Meridien property. Still a big fan, despite a sub-standard room experience last month which took some effort to address....