Bangkok hotel [for mid a 40s couple]

[malteser]

Plesae help us decide on a hotel for our Bangkok trip in March. We are a couple in our mid 40s. Looking for somewhere nice nad central. This will be our first visit.

Have seen the following hotels within our budget:
Banyan Tree
Anantara Siam
Anantara Riverside
Le Meridien

Thanks

[BJ]

Google: Head for Points Bangkok Hotel and it’ll bring up loads on the subject. Banyan Tree is nice and with a great terrace, Sofitel SO even more so. Be aware LeM is in the heart of the red light district. Bottom line, it is hard to go wrong with 4 and 5* hotels in Bangkok, hotels are feberally better than in the West abd you coukd stay at the lijes if Nivitel and save cash for other things. My only recommendation is stay within walking distance of Lumpini Park and/or a BTS/MRT station.

[u07ch]

Can I suggest you price for your dates the Shangri-La; basic rooms are a similar price to your selection. Its dated but the location is first rate; close to ferry port and bts.

[SamG]

Emyr can get you benefits there too, I really like the Shangri-La especially the pool

I haven’t stayed at either but I hear good things about Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit or
The Athenee Hotel. I think Emyr can get benefits there too

SO Sofitel I’ve been to a few party type events there which I wouldn’t necessarily be impressed with if I were a guest !!

Check out secret escapes and luxury escapes. Often very good packages for Bangkok

[Michael C]

Wise words as always from our resident SEA experts @BJ and @SamG !

I’d second the Sheraton Grande vote for your visit: impossible to be more “central”, with a covered walkway to both the BTS station and a large mall. If you can swing a Luxury room, the cocktail evenings in the large lounge with the piano player are lovely!

[BJ]

The Park Plaza’s and Four Points in same area as SGS have decent reps and typically cost only £50-60 pe4 night pre-covid. Probably a bit more this year. SGS is very popular though and seems to have a very loyal customer base, I know quite a few who return time and again.

[malteser]

Thank you so much, will look at all the options mentioned

[Gary]

Would recommend reading reviews re pools’ sun exposure/orientation if that’s of importance. Many hotels’ in high rise buildings don’t get much sun (which the local population prefers, for example So Sofitel).

Would recommend The Sukhothai which is more traditional with beautiful landscaping spread laterally (it’s a few doors down from Banyan Tree).

[Roberto]

Price up a Horizon Club room at the Shangri La, certainly value for money and my perennial home when in BKK.

[BP]

Anantara Siam is the old Four Seasons hotel. It’s extremely well located and was a brilliant hotel when it was Four Seasons. The BTS station is outside, Central World and other malls are just at the end of the road and Lumpini park is at the bottom of the road too.

[Jon]

If you want somewhere non-chain / more boutique style, Ariyasomvilla is lovely.

[Gavin454]

I found that Hotel Indigo (Wireless Road) and Sindhorn Midtown were both good IHG options. Holiday Inn Sukhumvit was terrible, though.

I also stayed some nights in a couple of The Quarter UHG chain hotels, which were cheap and good.

[BP]

Intercontinental Bangkok has just reopened after a refurbishment and looks amazing. It was always a great hotel before the refurb so is likely even better now.

[u07ch]

BP wrote:

Intercontinental Bangkok has just reopened after a refurbishment and looks amazing. It was always a great hotel before the refurb so is likely even better now.

Since the refurb its been a lot more expensive (a bit like Sydney.) It’s slowly coming down but it’s still a LOT more expensive than it was pre refurb. Some nights the park Hyatt is cheaper; and the PH is a far better place to stay.

[SamG]

Bangkok hotels (and others in Asia) have a habit of keeping their public rates high but selling off either to package groups especially out of China or packaging up via secret escapes etc at much lower prices / more value. It’s worth digging around these sites, trip.com etc to see if you can find any better deals .

Though this year places have been busy, I’m in Bali and it feels incredibly busy even for high season!

[Michael C]

SamG wrote:

Bangkok hotels (and others in Asia) have a habit of keeping their public rates high but selling off either to package groups especially out of China or packaging up via secret escapes etc at much lower prices / more value. It’s worth digging around these sites, trip.com etc to see if you can find any better deals .

Though this year places have been busy, I’m in Bali and it feels incredibly busy even for high season!

Hey, @Samg , I’ll be there at the end of the month, so will look forward
to any of your always-useful top tips for acccomm./eating out, hot off the press!!

[SamG]

Not much to report with 2 x 1yr old in tow 😂 I was toying with heading to Seminyak on Saturday for an early dinner but anything baby friendly is booked up and I don’t fancy a walk in! So if you want to do La Lucciola or Ku de ta etc for sunset dinner then worth investigating reservations now . I suspect brunches may be a similar story though at least some Aus schools will be finished their hols by then.

The airport arrivals was very busy when we landed at noon as a lot of Aus flights come in then – we used ticbali arrivals service which seems to be one of if not the only one left operating that can skip immigration – well worth considering. Don’t forget to do your evisa and e-customs forms

[Michael C]

SamG wrote:

Not much to report with 2 x 1yr old in tow 😂 I was toying with heading to Seminyak on Saturday for an early dinner but anything baby friendly is booked up and I don’t fancy a walk in! So if you want to do La Lucciola or Ku de ta etc for sunset dinner then worth investigating reservations now . I suspect brunches may be a similar story though at least some Aus schools will be finished their hols by then.

The airport arrivals was very busy when we landed at noon as a lot of Aus flights come in then – we used ticbali arrivals service which seems to be one of if not the only one left operating that can skip immigration – well worth considering. Don’t forget to do your evisa and e-customs forms

;o)) our last visit was with a slightly larger toddler, but now a 9-yr-old happy to scarf down seafood/satay, etc. etc., so hoping for a slightly different experience! Great tips – might also look at reserving Sunday in the Canggi country/leisure club.