bnova72

Dear Flyertalk Family,

Greetings! A couple friends will be traveling to Bangkok at this end of this month and would be interested in knowing if you have taken advantage of the American Express Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts offerings in Bangkok. It appears that my friends would prefer to stay at the Fours Seasons Bangkok, Oriental Bangkok, or the Sukhothai Bangkok. Do you have any recommendations on which place to choose. Staying on the Chao Phraya River or in the center of Bangkok isn't the major concern. My friends would like to figure out which hotel offers the best amenities and would be a nice relaxing place to stay. Any feedback you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

MikeFromTokyo

If relaxation and amenites are the priority, the only two Amex FHR properties they should be considering are the Mandarin Oriental and The Peninsula. Either will be a sure bet for a relaxing stay, excellent food, and views over the best parts of the river of kings.

Four Seasons is an wonderful hotel, but it really is much nicer to be on the river if a central location is not a factor. FS is great for business travel or short stopovers due to its central location and proximity to the airport.

The Sukhothai is now a dated property with service issues, so it should be avoided. On my next trip I will be visiting the Sukhothai only to eat at Celadon, but would never choose to stay there over the Pen, Oriental, or FS.

Mont-Fleuri

Having stayed on many of the hotels along the river we never chose The Marriot & Spa due to reports of it ageing somewhat.
However the hotel now has been re-vamped and re-named the Anantara.
Having looked at its new site I would not hesitate to stay there.

jayentee

I am also visiting Bangkok and have been trying to decide between the Mandarin and the Pen... I am leaning towards the Mandarin... I dont think you can go wrong at either.

bnova72

Greetings and thank you to all of you who have shared your feedback regarding my question. I have stayed at the Peninsula and Oriental myself (Peninsula when it first opened and the Oriental about a year ago). Although I truly enjoyed my experience at both, I am more partial to the Oriental due to the history and service. However, both places are quite nice. Since I haven't stayed at the Sukhothai or the Four Seasons, I thought I would reach out to the Flyertalk community for feedback to share with my friends.

Thanks again!

MikeFromTokyo

Since you were only at the Peninsula after it first opened, you probably have not experienced the Peninsula as it is now. The Peninsula is very highly regarded by many of the regular posters in the Luxury Hotels forum.

The Four Seasons is an exceptional hotel, and in my opinion the best choice if one wants a more central location. For longer leisure stays though, I much prefer being on the river.

Since you are looking for input specifically about these luxury properties, you might find the Luxury Hotel forum very helpful. All of these hotels are discussed extensively there.

bnova72

Thank you MikefromTokyo. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and welcomed. I will take your advice and look at the Luxury Hotels section for additional feedback on the hotels. Thanks much!

theworld

BTW St Regis has just opened up. Very near to Four Seasons.

St Regis has a direct walk way to the BTS.

FSBangkok

Dear Bnova72,

We are happy to help with your reservation any time. Four Seasons Bangkok is definitely centrally located in the heart of the city and convenient to the best shopping, the excitement and nightlife of Sukhumvit Road and with the Sky Train can easily reach the river area.

Please let us know how we can help. For more info please visit us at
http://fourseasons.com/bangkok

Enjoy your trip,

Nelson Hilton
Director of Marketing
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok

bnova72

Thank you for the recommendation, TheWorld. The reviews on Tripadvisor.com are not as strong as those for Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, or Sukhothai. I get the feeling that St. Regis still needs to work out some of its kinks before it'll be on par with its next door neighbor. Thanks again!

theworld

No worries. I was just in the neighbourhood, so thought I would mention it.

BTW I stayed at the Hansar recently. Very very nice and excellent for the price. Really big suites. However it felt more like an apartment then a hotel.

Dr. HFH

Welcome to FT, Mr. Hilton. Nice to see that FS BKK has joined the growing number of vendor representatives.

FSBangkok

It is good to be here. I look forward to being in touch more often.

Regards to all,

Nelson

bnova72

Thank you for the offer, Mr. Hilton. I really appreciate it.

aphro

The Peninsula and The Mandarin Oriental have much better pool areas than the others, although The Sukhuthai's pool is good (it is just very crowded in, in the business district). You cannot beat the feeling of spaciousness and the views from these two riverside hotels. Both have amazing spas in separate traditional-style buildings. Using the boat transfers is great fun and that also connects to the sky train (BTS) for convenience on trafficky days. Similarly, it's fun to use the river (Chao Phraya Express boats) to access the historical and cultural sites near the river. Neither are cutting edge interior design and latest technology however if that is your thing. Think plush, rich, opulent but kind of old school, traditional Thai crockery, lots of silk and wood.

Similarly, The Four Seasons is very centrally located and accessible, particularly if high end shopping is your focus, but has a city feel. It is on one of the busiest junctions in the city. The Spa cabanas, or whatever they are called, might be a compromise. You can talk to that guy who is new on here about that! And it may be cheaper than the other two.

The St Regis is very glamorous and spanking new with much more of a designer focus, but is also really a city hotel and I can't speak for the pool/spa/gym etc.