Response to oct 13 review

i stayed at the peninsula before, and agree with the reviewer from oct 13 that reception service was deficient for a 5 star hotel. this lack of efficiency reduces my rating for the hotel to 4 stars. i disagree with the oct 13 review about toiletries--i thought they were just fine. also, the reviewer did not like the fact that the hotel was on the "wrong" side of the river, and the fact that one has to take the river shuttle. this is one of the prime attractions of the hotel!! the hotel--being on the other side of the river, gives you fantastic views of the city, whereas the oriental hotel does not at all. it was an absoloute delight to take that boat across the river each time. very frequent and nice service. the hotel being across the river actually gives it an oasis type feeling--setting it apart.

Wonderful

Myself and my boyfriend spent a wonderful day and night in the Peninsula recently. The room, on the 24th floor, was wonderful. What a view. Playing with the controls kept himself amused for ages! The huge bathroom was a great hit, the food in both Jesters and the River Cafe & Terrace were excellent and breakfast was a feast fit for a king. All the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful. I only wish we'd booked another night or two.

State of the art excellence

Undecided between a first stay in the Oriental or the Peninsula we decided to spend a couple of days in both. First up was the Oriental (reviewed elsewhere) afterwhich we crossed the mighty Chao Praya river (by Oriental launch!) to the Peninsula. Check in was one of several delays encountered at reception and this is an area the hotel needs to concern itself with forthwith. Having finally been given our requested high room floor we took the very fast elevator to the 31st floor. Upon entering the room and turning into the good sized bedroom (and sitting area) we were greeted by panoramic views of the river and the city beyond - marvellous!

The room itself is a technophiles delight - lots of electronics including remote controlled curtains and enough lighting variations to create whatever mood you desire. Your fairer half may not take long to get irritated at your constant button pressing and the swishing of curtains going back and forth so pack her off to the spa for a couple of hours and play to your hearts content!

The bathroom is close to perfection - spatial shower cubicle and a good size tub with a TV at the end of! Seperate his and hers basins add further appeal. One big let down however were the bathroom toiletries which were very cheap, not in keeping with the standards set elsewhere in the hotel and put to shame by the far superior ones found at the Oriental and elsewhere. Overall a wonderful room.

The swimming pool area is in a league of its own, the pool itself in three tiers lined along its length by cosy pavilions with comfortable and sizeable mattressess (one big enough to be shared by two if desired!).

The lobby lounge is a thing of great beauty and I had what was the best ever 'Afternoon tea' I have had - the setting, the view, the ambience and the food and beverage were all sublime. Even if I wasn't staying here in the future I would venture across the river just for an afternoon tea.

Eating and drinking in the hotel was at a reasonable cost and the quality of the food in the outlets we tried was very good.

The staff were generally excellent though we did happen across a couple of exceptions (reception).

One thing to be aware of and probably the reason the hotel costs less than it's main rival the Oriental, is that you are on the 'wrong' side of the river. Any trip out of the hotel begins with the hotels own launch to take you to one of three piers on the other side of the river - this did become quite tiresome after a while.

Overall a magnificent hotel and deserving of the acclaim heaped upon it. For me the Oriental has the edge but the Peninsula is an excellent more cost effective alternative which would be even better if it were to improve its reception.

When I die and go to heavan...

...I wanna spend eternity at the Peninsula. That is all.

Great Hotel

A great hotel

The best staff of all 5 star hotels I have stayed in.

Rooms we very good

Food Excellent

I have no problem endorsing this hotel.

Best in Bangkok? No question.

Normally stay here 2-3 times a year, it's not just a hotel but the complete experience. Suites are very comfortable without being over the top, service is attentive yet discrete and taking the rice barges across the river adds to the feeling of being somewhere just that bit different. Jester's is very good (book for the New Year firework display, wonderful) and the Chinese restaurant is highest quality. New Thai restaurant the only disappointment, food toned to Western tastes, not quite what you want to eat in the heartland of Thai cuisine. However, they're forgiven and we'll be back soon.

Truly a luxury hotel

There are many five star hotels but the Peninsula in Bangkok definitely deserves them. The service is excellent, the location perfect and the food outstanding. The breakfast buffet offers specialities from all over the world, from swiss Bircher Muesli to American pancakes to local dishes. The pool and spa area are elegant and clean. The rooms spacious and the staff is always smiling. Best thing is the TV in the bathtube and the airconditioning that you don't hear at all. Finally some good night sleep in an otherwise very noisy city. Only downside is the rather conservative interior design. Highly recommended hotel. Definitely better than the Oriental on the others side of the river.

My favourite hotel in the world.

It has it all, fantastic rooms with TV in the bath tub, great views across the river, wonderful service. The pool area is superb and a nice touch is that the pool boys make sure that you always have a full glass of ice cold water (which you dont get charged for). The restaurants are wonderful the staff attentive and to add to it all the hotel is inexpensive compared to others around the world. Rooms cost about £65 per person per night, OK Bangkok is cheap but its definately worth upgrading from a 3 star at £25 to this. I am gutted that on my next trip to Bnagkok this hotel is closed out for a conference, I am going to give the Banyan Tree a whirl but will be very suprised if it can possibly better the Peninsula.

Simply the best

My wife and i stayed here for four nights in march 2004. We can only say if you are travelling to Bangkok and want luxury stay here.

Absolute luxury

We stayed here for 2 nights on our honeymoon.

The service was second to none - the room, well it was truly amazing. We had a fantastic riverside view with a balcony. Upon arrival, we were given a complimentary bottle of chilled champagne, along with chocolates and exotic fruit. The ensuite bathroom was state of the art - and even had a tv beside the bath!

There was also a free river boat service which provided transport across the river from early morning until late at night.

All in all, it was a once in a lifetime experience to stay in this hotel-it fully deserves it's reputation as the best hotel in Bangkok