Job Discussion Forums

[distiller]

Money is no object. What is the best of the best in your personal experience? The Peninsula seems nice but I've heard that the Metropolitan is really great as well.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hi Distiller:

There are so many really good hotels in Bangkok!

If I had to pick one that stands out above the rest, it would probably be The Oriental Bangkok,

which, by the way, sits directly across from the Peninsula Hotel on the Chao Phraya River:

http://www.bangkok.com/the-oriental-bangkok/ (Oriental Bangkok)

I hope you have a credit card.

[sigmoid]

Well, the Oriental is certainly considered one of the best hotels in Bangkok. They used to bill themselves as the Best in the WORLD, maybe they still do.

I'm certainly no expert on high-dollar hotels, and this opinion is certainly not based "on... personal experience" but based on appearance I'm more impressed by the Shangri-la, right next door to the Oriental with the same riverside location.

http://www.shangri-la.com/bangkok/shangri-la/en/index.aspx

If money was truly 'no object' I think I'd be checking in there. Of course, if they were full I'd probably head to the Oriental and see if the Joseph Conrad suite was available or perhaps the James Michener suite.

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/510000013.asp

[Sheep-Goats]

The Oriental has the rep of being the best in Bangkok, but there's a lot of competiton.

Original paintings in every room, legendary brunch, best jazz bar in town (Bamboo Bar), Joseph Conrad stayed there, etc etc. They've got a shuttle boat to run you over to the BTS (or across the river, if there were any possible reason for someone staying in a five star hotel to visit Thonburi).

Shangri-La has plants on all the balconies outside, but I don't know anything else about it.

[distiller]

Thanks, the Oriental does look quite nice. Anyone heard about the Metropolitan?

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Yes indeed!

Metropolitan is another top-notch 5-star BKK hotel.

The decor is more modern; sort of avant garde meets Asia,

located across from Lumpini Park on S. Sathorn Rd.

Near Sala Daeng BTS, the new Lumpini MRT Station

and the Pat Pong Red Light District.

A tad cheaper than the Oriental, unless you opt for a suite.

I'd lick your boots for a night there on your tab.

http://metropolitan.como.bz/bangkok/default.asp (Metropolitan Bangkok)

PS: Metropolitan is just down the street from The Sukhothai, another top 5-star BKK hotel:

http://www.sukhothai.com/ (The Sukhothai Bangkok)

In this particular neighborhood,

you're also just around the corner from another VERY good hotel;

Pan Pacific Bangkok, located on Rama IV Road, 5 minutes on foot from Sala Daeng BTS:

http://bangkok.panpacific.com/ (Pan Pacific Bangkok)

[Henry_Cowell]

Top hotels rated by Travel and Leisure:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/results.cfm?cat=hotelsasia

Top 25 in Asia

1 The Peninsula, Bangkok (93.64)
2 Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan Ubud (93.40)
3 Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai (91.80)
4 The Oriental, Bangkok (91.00)
..
....
17 Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok (87.12)
19 Four Seasons Hotel, Bangkok (86.42)

The Peninsula is now rated third best hotel in the world. It had been #1 but it's been surpassed by two new African luxury resorts.