Mini-Review: J.W. Marriott Bangkok

[Harvey 249]

The J.W. Marriott BKK - Sukhumvit Soi 2 - is among the best properties I’ve stayed at…ever.  I don’t always get to stay here during business trips to BKK, but when I do it’s always an experience.  The rooms are handsome, large and impressive.  As is the service and attention to detail.  

 

If you travel lots and can choose Marriott properties, racking up points and status in Marriott Rewards program seem to give you some benefits.  I’m always assigned a room at the end of the hallways, which feature rounded windows with a panoramic view of the city over a 90 degree angle.  The end-of-hall rooms also seem bigger to me.

 

Little details like daily deliveries of Thai fruit dishes.  Coffee service.  And nightly ice service from a crew dedicated to guests on specific floors make a stay here relaxing.

 

The bathrooms are huge, featuring a fully functioning tub.  And separate shower stall.  I brought my TG of the day from Pattaya to this property and she almost fainted at the size of the bathroom.  Said that it’s about the size of most people’s rooms in Pattaya.

 

The pool and health club on the second floor is really nice.  Fits the bill just fine for me.  

 

It’s just a block from the NEP - if you’re here alone and looking for the bar scene.  Soi Zero, a block in the opposite directions, has a number of Pattaya Soi 7/8 type of beer bars.  There seems to be no guest policy - everything goes.

 

Easily accessible to the sky train, Siam Center is 2 stops away.   The concierge is helpful, friendly, and informative.  The lobby bar is comfortable and will sell you a shot of Johnny Walker Blue for 700 baht.  (It’s $45 US in Bellagio Casino, Las Vegas).  

 

Great Thai lunch buffet reasonably priced in the White Elephant restaurant.  The Marriott Café has a great buffet featuring both falang and some Thai food.  I’ve never eaten at the New York Steakhouse, but Thai business associates tell me that it’s great.

 

If you really want to surround yourself with a good hotel experience, want to knock the socks (or thong) off of your fave Pattaya TG, and/or want a great location for BKK sanuk…this is the place.  

 

Book rooms on-line at Marriott.com.  

 

Harv

 

 

 

Don't know if you can tell by these photos, but the rooms at the far end of the halls are curved and provide you with a panoramic view of BKK. I may be wrong, but they feel bigger than the normal rooms too.

 

 

 

 

 

Bathrooms are huge.  Well functioning tub and separate stand-up shower.  My TG from Pattaya said that she could live in the bathroom alone.  Comes with all the amenities that yoru TG will love - hair drier, bath salts, etc, etc.

 

 

 

Marriott knows all of the small touches.  Like daily comp fruit deliveries.  Separate staff assigned to each floor ensure that you get what you need when you need it.

[mrt 0]

Harv,

Great report .  What was your room  rate?

[Floyd 0]

looks like my kind of Bangkok hotel.

[ss 1]

You know what,people can post pics of naked BGs all day but those pics of the room give me the blues more...

God I love the JW Marriott sadly can't always stay there when in Bangers(price) but when I do the BG for the night is also picked by weather I think she'll like the room !!!

And don't get me started on the bathrooms......just let me say that I love them as much as I love my dog.... :'(

[Guest Fatboyfat]

And don't get me started on the bathrooms......just let me say that I love them as much as I love my dog.... :'(

 

What !

Small, but snappy and smelly ???

:)

[Harvey 249]

He means the that bathrooms in the J.W. Marriott are GREAT.  They're huge, size of some rooms.

 

I love that hotel.

 

P.S.  for the guys asking about rates, you can generally book a room via their website from between $130 - $225 (US) a day.

[michaelb 0]

I also enjoy the JW in Bangkok whenever there. On one of my trips in March, they were overbooked and had to put me in a suite...that really broke my heart. Needless to say the TG's loved it. Here are a few pics of the room, I have some great pics of the bedroom and bathroom, but alas, cannot post them here because of TG in pics.

I also stayed there as recently as May....then moved to Grand President on Soi 11. Had a 1 BR suite (HUGE) for $3000 baht per night, two TV's, marble floors, kitchen, very well appointed. It's not the Marriot as far as service goes, but service still very good at about half the price, and the rooms are comparable (except for the bathrooms). Harv isn't kidding when he says the bathrooms at the Marriot are huge, bigger than some TG's apartments I've seen. Here you go:

 

 

<P>

<P>

 

michaelb

[Rex7777 0]

In case anyone is interested, the JW Marriott is (as of last November, anyway), one of the five star hotels available on the Priceline.com Hong Kong site.  I got three nights for $400 HK, and then added a fourth night two weeks late for $440 HK.  The prices didn't include the breakfast buffet, which is 700 Baht.

 

Rex

[TopDog 0]

Thanks for the tip Rex!  I just got the JWM for seven nights in August for $400HK.

[aardvark 3]

I just recently got JW Marriott on the Hong Kong Priceline for $450HK/night for 6 nights in November.  After the Priceline fee it works out to $67US per night.

[pug 0]

Harvey,

 

Thanks for the excellent review. I'm probably too late in this thread, but I'll make a comment or two anyway.

 

During my last stay in BKK in April/May, 2003, I stayed a total of 9-10 nights at Majestic Suites (on both sides of a 5 night trip to Pattaya)

 

Since they didn't have a fitness center (I'm a runner), a couple of days I went over to the Marriot and paid approx. 500 baht (I cannot remember specifically) to use their health club for the day. It was a welcome relief to the heat and congestion of Bangkok, for sure. After my workout on the treadmill, I laid by the pool for awhile, and considered how great it would be to stay at this hotel while in Bangkok.

 

Majestic Suites is OK, but I had a little trouble with an extended stay in such a small room (and I ended up staying in the LARGEST and most expensive room that they have), and also putting up with little inconveniences such as hall noise, and the occasional roach in the bathroom in the morning.

 

I have found that as much as I LOVE the mongering possibilities in Bangkok, I have a problem with staying in Bangkok more than a few days due to the omnipresent issues of heat, congestion, pollution, street touts, beggars, etc.

 

On one hand I kind of feel like I might miss out on the true Thailand experience if I stay at a 5 star hotel like the Marriot, but on the other hand, I also have difficulty surviving in a massive city like Bangkok without certain conveniences (OK, I admit I'm a pussy!).

 

And, of course, the big issue (in addition to the above), is the price. I love the fact that I can go to Thailand and stay for three weeks for an average of $35. USD per night in 3 star hotels. So upping the ante to, say, $100.+ per night (excluding priceline possibilities) raises the bar for me beyond where I'd like to be financially.

 

So, its a dilemma for me, and I'm still trying to work this out for my next trip.

 

Thanks again for your review!

 

-- pug

[yinzer 0]

Yes a $100+ a night can be expensive.  However, there is an alternative.  Priceline can be used to get the rooms closer to the $70 range.  Yes that's still expensive, but if you really want to stay somewhere nice then this is a nice choice.  I'm sure the money saved can be put to a good use.

 

For help (a great board that gives you insight into how low a bid would be accepted) here is a link to a Priceline Asia discussion board.  Just scroll down to Thailand.......

 

http://pub143.ezboard.com/bpricelineasiadiscussions

 

Yinzer

[too_mutt 10]

yinzer,

 

I agree that $70 per night for the jw marriott is a very good deal.  The only problem from my perspective is that there is no guarantee that you will get the marriott when you bid for a 5 star hotel in Sukhumvit.  Apparently, there is an option on Priceline now to select a particular hotel, but I hear that the price is quite a bit higher.  

 

SoCalGuy

[knowntender 0]

Pug :

 

I am with you on this one.  This is what I plan to do in my next trip.

 

To solve the dilemma that you mentioned, stay in J.W. Marriott in either first or last segment of the trip   Due to flying in and out from BKK, hotel reservation for BKK may fall into two segments.  So in the same trip, sample and compare "true Thailand experience" in mid-level hotel and 5-star comfort.  

 

In the past, I paid 1000-2000 Baht a night for BKK hotels.  Actually, I dare not use pricy hotel in BKK fearing of the guest policy.  

 

I think Marriott's rate is approximately  $120 US via internet booking or whatever successful bidding price via priceline.com.  However, a little issue on priceline is  unknowing exactly which hotel would be assigned in the process ---so may not be Marriott in the end.  

 

As we know, this rate is expensive in Thailand.

Well, it is not that bad considering how much it costs to pay for a 5-star hotel in US.  I look forward to the good value in a guest-friendly ( very important )  J.W. Marriott, Bangkok.  

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Knowntender

[yinzer 0]

SoCalGuy,

 

   You are 100% correct.  My bad.  Yes there is a chance you might get a different hotel then the J.W. Marriott.  Looking at the bboard I mentioned the 5 star properties you might get for the Sukhumvit area are:

 

J.W. Marriott

Sheraton Grande

Westin

 

   I don't see reviews on the Sheraton or Westin on our forums so I have no idea how those rate (guest policy??).

 

   I don't know how representative the bboad (http://pub143.ezboard.com/bpricelineasiadiscussions) results are to actual results, but if you notice the majority of the results for 5 star hotels in the Sukhumvit area is the J.W. Marriott.  That doesn't mean you will get that specific hotel, but it might mean the odds are in your favor?

 

Yinzer

[CheshireTom 1,377]

yinzer,

 

The Sheraton Grande should be OK since it is home to one of the better pick-up joints in town (Riva's).  I think the Westin used to be the (Pan?) Pacific.  For value for money I think the Landmark is the best 4/5 star in the area - can be got through UK agents for £44 (3,000 Baht) per night incl upgrade to a suite and it is guest friendly, assuming you book a double room.  Best location for the skytrain and midway between Nana and Soi 7 Biergarten.  Anyone who has got spare Thai FF miles, both the JW Marriott and Sheraton Grande are on the list of participating hotels for redeeming miles ( round about 12,000 miles for one night, 22,000 for two)

 

Regards,

 

Tom

[Guest]

Great Pics..I'm a regular at that hotel....Look at the size of that shower....I was getting a pvt shower show a few weeks ago when she opened the door and hauled me in by my little dicko....Big enought for a bend over boom!

 

Love there....Did the Grand Pres thing with some friends, never again....

 

They also give 3X $'s to United Miles!

Rates....best one is a U.S. State or Gov staff card, diplo or official passport....Don't know about other countries...

at 90USD ++ = 107 USD pernight....no joyner fee....

BTW, the word around the bars is no bull tricks at Marriott, they have cameras and you know where you me the problem darling!  Set the price with your BF...they'll up the baht because you are at Marriott...

Look at all the little darling at the lobby bar.......in the company of hotel guests, of course....

[JohnJr 0]

I also got the JW on  priceline for a bid of $55.00 total price $71.00.  July 15,16, 20. I did not have to go through priceline Hong Kong.

[too_mutt 10]

JohnJr,

 

Thanks for the info regarding the jw marriott!

 

Please tell us which Priceline you used.  I thought there was some reason that everyone used the Priceline Hong Kong.  Thanks.

 

SoCalGuy

[Casper 0]

Harvey, the one thing that can't be emphasized enough is the service at the Marriot.  Man, it's one of the few places in Thailand that really work for your business.  I have always had a great pleasant stay and just feel good being there (their gym is pretty nice as well).

 

I have a friend who works for a company that has a sweet corporate account with them and he's gotten me a room for about 75$ a night.  Now when I stay there I can just call for my own reservation and get the same rate.  Before, walk-in or on internet it was over 100$.

 

It is a little walk from the skytrain on pretty crowded streets.  So the location is not perfect, but I adjusted.

 

The other thing was I had a 'non-pro' wealthy Thai girlfriend for awhile who HATED to visit me on Sukhumvit (unless I was on Soi 24 which is now a trendy Thai area).  I can see her point b/c her getting asked for ID at check in would be insulting.  She really liked the Marriot though.  

 

Lastly, for those that don't like the 'walk of shame' it's pretty easy to slip in right to the elevators.  At night the lobby really clears out.    I always thought a little discretion was worthwhile so I never took a silver hotpants clad honey there during the afternoon.  

 

Marriot is one of the few five star hotels that don't gouge you for taking in a bg (some don't permit it at all!).  So I gotta give them big points for that.

 

Cheers,

Casper

[JohnJr 0]

SoCalguy, I just used www.priceline.com from my computer in the US, just completed my stay, everything was smooth except that on first night they gave me a room with two twins, swithced me to single king for the rest of the nights.

[Gus 97]

If you book through Marriott did I read somewhere that you get a complimentary airport trip?

[ThaiDreamer 0]

Free Airport from Marriott...Solly, not free...

from Hotel in Benz is 29USD.  For those of you who don't know  there is a new toll road entrance on suk at soi 1/where it beomes Phlonchet (sp)....so the trip is 5-10 min faster.....Was about 15 min at 0430 a few weeks ago...As to P/U price...that was the same but I have a long time Marriott Rewards acct!  cheapo price...

If you have employee ID card from a government, state/province you'll find the rate very nice...

USD 90 ++ = 107 USD for a nice room hot overlooking the Nana lot Nana Palaza  Great View..