Greg P.

To be fair, this scenario is played out in restuarants all over the USA as well as the international locations. Unless you simply don't care, it's always a good idea to ask what is the market price.

And also to be fair, on a restaurant menu, "market price" does NOT mean the price that the item would cost in a local seafood market. If only that were true. What it does mean is that the price of that item will vary according to market conditions, and unless you really don't care, you should ask before ordering. One thing you can count on is that items on the menu at "market price" are nearly always the most expensive items on the menu.

All that being said, $120US really IS a hell of alot of money for a lobster in Thailand.

My question to the OP is: Was it a good lobster? I sure hope so.


FWIW , my wife and I stayed at the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa and really enjoyed the heck out of it. With all the great restaurants in Bangkok, we did not get to try any of the restaurants on the Marriott property (with the exception of the great breakfast). We did walk through Trader Vics late one evening and it looked like a pretty nifty place.

opushomes

A couple of years ago my wife and I took one of the J.W. Marriott Phuket emiployees to lunch at a local seafood place on a barge somewhere on the east side of the island. It is where locals go to eat, not visitors.

She ordered for us, included in the order was one Phuket lobster. We had multiple dishes including the giant prawns, soup, and other seafood along with 5 or 6 beers. The bill for all but the lobster for 3 was less than $10. The lobster was about $65. It really was one of the better prepared dishes of lobster that I've had, but we would have been just as happy without it. At that time the baht was approx. 45 = $1

Our friend was mortified by the charge; there was quite a discussion in Thai over the charge, but it remained at market price.

Beware of the Phuket Lobster!

rogerdee123

Call me a traditionalist but I prefer the old rooms. Also I don't like the new design carpets in the hallways.

I'm MR Platinum and usually rack up more than 50 nights per year at JW Bkk but I also have felt it's slipped a bit service-wise .. along with increasing prices of course. So I've recently taken my business back to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.

JW's big advantage is it's executive floor lounge. But that too has slipped I feel.

Still as one post says, it's better than most Marriotts.

rogerdee123

Yeah but about 10 in the morning on a sunny day, look closely at the floating logs in that Klong and you might see some of the largest monitor lizards in Asia sunning themselves!



you have to cross over the klong
(canal) that splits the property, and like most Bangkok klongs, this one stinks![/QUOTE]

rebadc

Nothing wrong with the buffet downstairs.

There used to be 8 different fresh juices to pick from, now there are 4.

Used to be a bigger spread of sushi and fish.

It could be low season in BKK?

Platcomike

Looking forward to seeing the new rooms at New Years.

There are several JW's that give you the option of eating at the restaurant buffet for breakfast, rather than the lounge. Shangai is one that comes to mind, while I wish HKG would. Both have excellent lounges, but the buffet is way over the top.

mach92

Hows does this hotel handle Platinum's? Upgrades ETC.........Thanks

johnaalex

This is my only minor gripe with this hotel. OK, I do always book the cheapest rate and I always get upgraded to an Executive level room but in 20 plus visits over 8-9 years as either gold or platinum I have only once had a suite, even when I know they have had plenty of capacity.

Regards

John

rebadc

Have a talk with the girls outside the lounge.

They can update your profile for the hotel and nice things might happen.

lskohn

Oh, dear, I just posted a ^ for JW BKK in another thread, based on several stays, most recently in December 2006, and now I see this thread! I guess I'll see for myself next year. I have always enjoyed this hotel, more than the riverside Resort and the non-Marriott properties we have sampled there. Say it ain't so!

johnaalex

I still think this is the best JW out of those I have stayed in, and I like the new rooms. I just wish they would upgrade me to suite once and a while

John

ohmark

As you probably know, if it's suite upgrades you desire, Marriott is probably not the right program for you.

spaley

I am planning a trip to BKK in August and was looking for some advice regarding the Marriott Resort and Spa vs. JW

I am a platinum rewards member and was wondering what the rooms are like and also the chances of getting an upgrade.

Thanks for your help.

BKKLEE

The Courtyard Bangkok is due to open next month.

Perhaps that will stop the incessant 24/7 noise from the refurbishment of this property allowing the local residents to get more then a few minutes of quiet because the folks at Marriott only wanted to get their property ready despite the noise pollution caused to others.

SanDiego1K

There's a lot of good information in these threads:

Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa

Bangkok JW Marriott: Questions and Reviews