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Based on advice received elsewhere on this site from Jon, Michael C, Strickers and others, I’ve booked the Millennium Hilton for 5 nights on points.
However, I just received info from IHG that the confirmable suite upgrade benefit can be used on points bookings.
So I’ve booked the IC on points.Need your help in deciding which hotel to cancel.
Millennium Hilton
Cost 40k pn (160k 5 nights for 4)
Pros: have got it in writing that I will be upgraded to a high floor executive room
As a diamond, I’ll get breakfast and also access to their highly regarded lounge with stunning views.
Cons: I’m not convinced the riverside location is good as a base for getting around Bangkok. Lots of traffic and the BTS is on the other side of the river, adding delays to journeys.Intercontinental
Cost 184k for 5 nights
Pros: refurbished to a high standard and reopened just this year
Will get upgraded to at least a junior suite using the IHG benefit
Location is superb for transport and just wandering around
The points were largely gathered ‘creatively’ ahem.
Cons: I’ve dropped down to platinum so no lounge access
Breakfast is likely to be at least £25pp per day, so at least £250 total.Any thoughts please?
Stayed at the Millennium Hilton a few years ago for a one nighter and it was fine, the lounge has a good elevation and drinks were ok. It’s next to the MRT stop for Iconsiam and also has a hotel boat link to Saphan Taksin. If you like travelling on the river (which I do) I don’t mind which side I’m on.
It is longer to get there from the airport, but if you get a taxi or a hotel car then use the toll roads, much, much quicker.
Never stayed at the IC.
Was the WA on your list? I think it’s near the IC.
Was the WA on your list? I think it’s near the IC.
Nah just the IC vs Millennium Hilton.
The WA is 80k pn (double the Millennium) which I don’t think is justified for a 5 night city break.The WA is definitely not twice as good as the Millennium.
If you don’t have breakfast I wouldn’t pay for it at the IC, there’s so much food available nearby.
Location depends on what you want to do. The Millennium is good for tourist stuff along the river, and there is now the Gold People Mover to take you to the BTS, no need to wait for the hotel boat unless you want to.
I haven’t stayed at the IC but I will be there in September, also in a Junior Suite.
If there’s 2 or more of you, so £50+ per day for breakfast, might be worth emailing to ask how much it would cost to add lounge access to your booking – it might not be much more than that. Or go out for breakfast of course, plenty of options – though I tend to think the lounge is one of the main reasons to stay at an IC, otherwise might as well save the money/points and go for a Holiday Inn Express lol. (OK maybe an Indigo 😉
Possibly another option, that may or may not work – if you’re not already Ambassador and are happy to pay the $200 to join, you could try negotiating that at checkin and see if they’d throw in lounge access as a sweetener – I’m not sure they would, might be a stretch too far (I know upgrades are often offered, but not sure whether that extends to club privileges). Others here may be better able to advise on that.
Without even a hint of a doubt NONE of them! Many perfectly good hotels in Bangkok for half as much and honestly what’s the point of going there to sit in a hotel suite anyway? With status you will very likely get a decent upgrade most places without even asking. CP Lumpini would be around 100k points for 5 nights and IMO within walking distance of Lumpini Park is best compromise when choosing where to base in Bangkok. You could also opt for the almost new Staybridge Sukhumvit for 5 nights for around 80k with decent location, suite and breakfast coming as standard. The list goes on, the points saved would pay for another break.
Thanks BJ but I think your comments must apply to some other date range and also to your particular requirements.
Appreciated none the less.Jon:
“If there’s 2 or more of you, so £50+ per day for breakfast, might be worth emailing to ask how much it would cost to add lounge access to your booking”
“if you’re not already Ambassador and are happy to pay the $200 to join”
Good ideas. I will contact them this week.@Aston CP Lumpini is typically 19-23k and Staybridge Sukhumvit is typically 14-18k. Focusing on your specific question, IC is clearly a much better deal than MH based on £/point relative to typical cash and redemption rates. There is simply no comparison in this respect. MH is way overpriced at 40k/night for a hotel that typically started 2500-3500 baht or under 30k pre-pandemic. Lre-pandemic the IC was typically 4000-5000 baht per night but since reopening is more typucally 8000-10000 baht per night. Personally I’d prefer IC due to refurb and location as well as value per point. That is not to say the riverside is not nice but it is a bit more inconvenient. If you opt for IC I echo advice of others to skip breakfast at the hotel in favour of eating out. Stay the Thai way – Bangkok is a night time city not a morning city, sleep late, wake late, skip breakfast and do lunch whatever time you surface. Enjoy!
PS. There is a review of refurbed IC on LL.
Thanks again BJ.
The CP is closed for refurbishment this year and the other IHG and Hilton properties are quite highly priced this summer.I think the comments in this thread have convinced me to go with the IC, assuming they honour the confirmable suite upgrade.
Player 2 reminded me the IHG points ‘cost’ us considerably less than the HH points and that I should therefore cough up for the breakfast no matter the price. Player 2 is not a fan of going outside of hotels for breakfast everyday.Like most places prices in BKk are a lot higher than usual this year so a lit of potential value in points. If player 2 is into shopping then IC is also the best choice with many of the major malls such as Central World and Paragon a very short walk away (use the skytrain walkways for easy and signposted access).
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