Help needed for BKK

youngboy_jb · #1 17-02-2005, 04:23 AM

Brudders,

can i have some suggestions pls?? i am going to bkk with my gf in march..for the first few nights, we plan to stay at conrad. Then we plan to stay at Siam City and lastly, sofitel silom.

Any comments on the hotel? this is not a bonking trip for me =( also, can brudders pls intro discos like zouk or double o that can be found in bkk? last but not least....any shopping centers that have massage? so that my gf can go shopping all she wants, while i go for massage

thanks in advance!

GiddlyGook · #2 17-02-2005, 05:29 AM

The Conrad? I am a frequent guest - they got 40-45 nights of business from me last year.

First of all, you need to know how Thais pronounce this - they say it as "Con-lat". Not every taxi driver will know where it is so tell them it's on Thanon Witthayu (front entrance) or Soi Ruam Rudee (back entrance). Both roads are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to Sukhumvit. The nearest BTS is Ploenchit, which straddles Soi Ruamrudee and Witthayu. There is a shuttle bus (free) at the corner of Witthayu and Sukhumvit that takes you to the Conrad (the bus also serves All Seasons Place - the office/shopping mall to is co-located with the Conrad) but you can also walk (5-8 minutes) or take a motosai on Soi Ruamrudee for 10B (I do this but everytime I get off, I thank God I'm still alive).

I always stay on the Executive floors which are Floors 29-33 (maybe 28 too) so I don't know what the other rooms look like but I've been told they look the same. There are 2 kinds of rooms in general (barring suites) - the more common one is the one with a floor-to-ceiling glass panel that separates the bathroom from the room, with silk curtains that open/close at the touch of a switch. Room itself is breathtaking - furnished in a new age style with silk, wood floors, and some steel/glass. Bathrooms have a separate shower with a rainfall shower. Bathtub is freestanding with legs - very nice. All in all, one of the nicest rooms you can get in BKK (The Pen and the newly renovated Shang rooms are nicer IMO though). Minuses are the bedding is a little firm, no double vanities 9i.e. his-n-hers basins) in the bathroom, no turndown chocs and outrageous LAN broadband charges (750B 2 weeks ago when I stayed). Pluses are they actually refill your fruit basket daily (maybe it's because I tip well? 40B a day), you get a nice Conrad elephant silk soft toy and rubber-elephant-ducky. If you are staying on the Exec Level, just get out of the taxi (the bags magically appear in your room), and check-in is done in your room with a personal escort.

I have never eaten in the establishments there. Most of the time, I have to eat with my customers somewhere else or else I order room service (which is nice and surprisingly reasonable) because I get back from work/play late. Breakfast I usually skip or have it at the Exec Lounge on the 29th floor. They never change the food there so that's the reason I skip.

Free wi-fi available in the Lounge and in the lobby.

The mall next door has a supermarket, several restaurants (the Japanese one: Zen - that I like) and several other shops.

Finally, the one big minus is that it seems far from a BTS (but it is no further than say the JW Marriott - another one of the hotels I use often - to Ploenchit). The rest of my colleagues usually stay at the Westin or the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit which is right outside Asoke BTS and Sukhumvit MRT. But I stay at the Conrad because I enjoy the privacy.

Enjoy your stay.

youngboy_jb · #3 17-02-2005, 06:50 AM

wow.....thanks for the detailed help.

how much did you pay for the executive room? any idea where should i book?

the website has a early-saver promotion right now..its at 130 USD inclusive of tax for a regular room...thanks man!

anyone know about the siam city hotel and sofitel silom?

Zambo · #4 17-02-2005, 08:01 AM

Very detailed info on Conrad, may try myself soon. But interested to know why youngboy would stay at 3 hotels in one trip to BKK. Myself I like to get settled into a place and then travel around the city especially now BTS and subway available (not forgetting the ever reliable motorbike taki- motosyke)

Zambo

youngboy_jb · #5 17-02-2005, 08:40 AM

i am going there for 9 nights...and i don wish to spend so much money on accomdation...so..i would just stay at conrad for 1 night....then switch to siam city for 3 nights, before heading to pattaya. when i get back to bkk. i am gonna stay at silom for 2 nights.

any other rec hotel?

GiddlyGook · #6 18-02-2005, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngboy_jb

how much did you pay for the executive room? any idea where should i book?

the website has a early-saver promotion right now..its at 130 USD inclusive of tax for a regular room...thanks man!

An admin in my BKK office handles my rsvns so I've no idea how she books - she probably just calls up the hotel. I pay a corporate rate of I think USD110 not including taxes for a regular room. The exec floor room is a courtesy upgrade extended to my company worldwide.

Like I've said, as far as the room goes, there is no difference between the Exec Floor rooms and standard rooms (same for the JW Marriott too). The differences are you get to access the executive lounge the whole day where the serve food 3 times a day and beverages the whole day, you get 3 free pressings, free local calls, late 4pm check-out, things like that. The only different rooms would be corner deluxe rooms - they don't have the see-through clear glass wall with curtains between the bathroom and the bedroom but they have a larger entrance, more window space, and a bathroom to the side that has a window right by the bath so you get to look outside while you soak. I think they have 4 of these rooms on every floor. I've stayed in these several times and I like them better.

Personally, I weren't going there on someone else's dime, I would not stay at the Conrad (or any other 5* American-chain hotels e.g. Marriott, Starwood, Hilton etc) because the prices for BKK are outrageous. I would stay at the Sofitel Silom or The Davis - something like that - much more reasonable.

Zambo · #7 18-02-2005, 08:42 AM

I like St. James Hotel, Sukhumvet Soi 26 near the Emporium. It's part of the Amari group and about 1,500 Baht a night.

Zambo

chinaboy · #8 18-02-2005, 08:54 AM

great information on the hotels, bro GiddlyGook ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by GiddlyGook

Personally, I weren't going there on someone else's dime, I would not stay at the Conrad (or any other 5* American-chain hotels e.g. Marriott, Starwood, Hilton etc) because the prices for BKK are outrageous.

i agreed .... the last time i ever stay in a better hotel in BKK was in Pathuwan Princess ... on company account ..
it was a lot cheaper back than ... i heard the price has gone up to about US$90 per night ....

i like to stay in Hotel Palazzo now ...
with the MP joints around, MRT station just a walking distance away, gals friendly ...
it's a great hotel for BKK cheongsters ..
i get corporate rate at 1000baht/night ... so i think it's value for money ...

Freestyler69 · #9 18-02-2005, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngboy_jb

i am going there for 9 nights...and i don wish to spend so much money on accomdation...so..i would just stay at conrad for 1 night....then switch to siam city for 3 nights, before heading to pattaya. when i get back to bkk. i am gonna stay at silom for 2 nights.

any other rec hotel?

at Silom, the best action packed hotel is probably Montien or Dusit Thani.

otherwise on biz i usually choose Swissotel Court (formerly Merchant Court) or if you want better image for you and co, stay at landmark/Amari Boulevard/Sheraton or even Grand Hyatt