yosithezet

Are are the steps that are right at the WGS driveway. As is the entirety of Terminal 21. Seriously, the area is anything but seedy before late night settles in.

mario33

Alright just stay within the steps of the WGS and the walkway of the SGS, and its not seedy. Why not suggest staying inside your room and keep your doors locked, its anything but seedy round the clock

I just don't understand the die hard fans here, sure these properties do have their strengths but to deny something so obvious about the location is just plain silly.

TDCumm16

seanthepilot & mike1968 - Thank you two for the very detailed & thoughtful responses. Just when I thought I had consensus on the SGS you go and make me start second guessing myself with the ROS

I'll have to get my wife to come on over here to Flyertalk and take a look at everyone's' insightful assessments.

I like the idea of booking both hotels. I'll have a cancelable rate on either up to the day before. We aren't too picky about this sort of thing so it sounds like we'll find plenty of great things about whichever property we choose.

Thanks All!

UASPG

Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers -
Rates from THB 7500 THB 6000 , a savings of 20%
2 Charoen Krung Road Soi 30 (Captain Bush Lane) · Bangkok
4.2 out of 5
Read all 132 reviews
Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers offer all 726 rooms with river views and easy access to Bangkok's attractions and transportations.
Save 20% with Starpicks rates from THB 6000 per night
Valid for stays Thurs - Sun through February 10, 2013

I know that the ROSH, along with his sales to large low budget groups at a very cost, is now selling his rooms to individuals at higher rates, but THB 6,000 for Starpicks rates! Is there no criteria for Starpicks offers?

drron

You mentioned you wanted to go shopping/markets.For this the SGS beats the ROS hands down.Terminal 21 just across the road.Emporium 1 stop away on skytrain.Paragon and central world 4 stops,MBK 5 stops and not nearly as far to Chatuchak weekend market as the ROS.
My personal experience with upgrades-10 from 10 for suites at SGS including 1 to Rachada suite.0 from 4 with ROS.Using SNAs I doubt though you will miss out on a suite whichever way you go.
I personally prefer the Happy hour system at the SGS than the lounge at ROS.Breakfast is hands down better at the SGS.It has become my home away from home.
I agree when we first travelled to BKK we stayed by the river.it is enchanting but it isn't that hard to get to the river from the SGS anyway.
And Mario you must not have walked too far from the ROS-I certainly have had more offers in the area around there than near the SGS.
As for spa treatments we usually have our massages at the place below Robinsons opposite the SGS and mrsdrron likes the manicures/pedicures at the place in the same building across from Terminal 21.

mario33

Another clear example of how die hard fans of the SGS attempt to deny the semi-red light area around the SGS.

No right thinking prostitute would base herself around the ROS, the crowd there is generally working class locals having a bite, or on their way to or back from work. I have never seen a hooker in the vicinity.

If you are talking about "offers", it's more likely to be tuk-tuk drivers outside River City offering to take you to a massage place. And you are trying to compare it to hookers outside Robinson offering their services to foreign looking men passing by. Their numbers along Sukhumvit Road even rivals that along Beach Road in Pattaya.

As I have said before, love the SGS for whatever good things they offer be it the service, the breakfast, the pool or even the free booze for plats. However the various attempts to whitewash the nature of the neighborhood by these diehard fans is getting beyond ridiculous and putting the credibility of Flyertalk at risk !

MAN Flyer

As opposed to the people who, despitely seemingly having a quite peculiar and bizarre dislike, or even 'hatred' for the property, can't seem to stop themselves having a pop at the place whenever somebody else praises it ?. And while there are clearly many fans of the SGS on here, it's quite clear you are a diehard ROS fan. What does it matter, people have their own preferences and individual taste's, and many seem to be different to yours. They are Hotels in Bangkok for crying out loud, stop taking it all so seriously, and personally.

For the record, with well over 50 stays at the SGS I have never come across this 'red light area' in front of it, so god only knows what you are doing to find it.

mario33

Some tend not to notice these things after a few drinks ....

The only thing I was doing was probably not getting myself drunk before walking out of the hotel.

Lobster

I don't think that people are trying to whitewash thenature of the neighbourhood but reflect honestly on how that nature really impacts on their stay.

Yes Nana and Soi Cowboy are two of the most famous of Bangkok red light districts and Sukhumvit road has a lot of ladies standing around offering particular services. But the reality is unless that is what you are interested in it does not impact your stay at all.

Both Nana and SC are off the main road so there is no need to go there unless you want to (and both are becoming more and more of a tourist attraction in their own right). I find the ladies standing on the street will ignore you if you ignore them. I am a single middle aged westerner so right in the high potential customer bracket and never get anything mroe than a very rare half hearted hello as I walk by.

I compare that to the Le Meredien where the most convenient way to the BTS is to walk down Patpong and where the touts are out in force even early in the morning. Where they will block your way and really get in your face to see a ping pong show. I think for most people the area around the SGS really is not a problem.

So for me its location near some redlight districts would not be a deciding issue. However if just the fact that there are ladies hanging around the street upsets you. Or if you are a young asian women (unfortuately it is not the hookers who cause problems it is the drunk western sex t ourists who assume that every lady on the road is theirs for a few bhat) then it may be a deciding factor.

mario33

Denying the existence of working girls around the area (as many diehard fans of SGS have posted) is definitely whitewashing the neighborhood.

I agree it may not really impact your stay. I do enjoy the convenience of Terminal 21 and the somewhat seedy neighborhood will not stop me from staying in that part of town. However the actual nature of the neighborhood should not be distorted here, for there may be others who could be offended by these things.

john11111111111

did mario33 have a bad experience? Were the goods not as described?

whackyjacky

Lots of working girls and ladyboys come to that part of Sukhumvit at night. They hang in storefronts 'till late, then take over the sidewalks along with the impromptu bars and restaurants. The ladyboys are expert pickpockets I've heard. They don't hang out right in front of the Westin as they are shoo-ed away toward Asoke Station. They don't seem to like the other side of the street (just the odd soi side) so the SGS doesn't have the problem.

mario33

Can't say it was a bad experience but at 21 she wasn't very generous with the serving. I think I prefer the other one below Robinson.

So which chicken rice stall do you prefer ?

dsquared37

I believe the odd sois are a different police district than the even sois which would explain quite a bit.

Dr. HFH

Remembering, of course, that if Terminal 21 is your destination, you can get there by elevated walkway directly from the SGS lobby without ever going down to street level and possibly running into people you'd prefer to avoid.