Inquiry of my foreseen hotels in Thailand

[boy]

Will be travelling to Thailand in January 2010 and will stay 4 nights in Bangkok, then 12 days in Chiang May and finally 15 days in Phuket.
Does anyone know the following hotels I have choosen from the Internet and for which I made my provisionally reservations:
- Bangkok: Swiss Lodge
- Chiang Mai: The Royal Princess
- Phuket: Thara Patong Beach Resort
Are these above hotels suitable for joiners, I mean, can I take the boys without any problem to my rooms?
(sorry for my bad english - as swiss-german is my mother tongue).

hello boy
welcome to SGT.
I have heard some years ago that Swiss Lodge charged joiners fee, but I have never stayed there myself.
Maybe someone knows their actual policy.

btw you do not write bad english :happy7:

For a first timer in Bangkok, I suggest you check out the Tarntawan. Right in the middle of the action yet very quiet. Spacious clean rooms with more amenities than some 5 star hotels. It was refurbished few years ago and look very nice. No problems with joiners. In fact there are a security guard at the elevator who will take his ID card, make sure he is of legal age and keep the card until he leaves the hotel. Before returning the card, the security guard will call your room to ensure that everything is OK. The hotel and all staff are very gay friendly.

[Beachlover]

Don't know about any of these places in terms of joiners.

Swiss Lodge looks like a great location. The nearby Ballys Suite Silom (there is also one in Sukhumvit/spelling?) definitely doesn't charge joiners, I know.

Thara Patong Beach Resort looks like a good place to stay.

[cdnmatt]

My mom's stayed at the Royal Princess before, and said it's decent, but nothing special. It's old, the rooms are quite small, but very clean, and friendly staff. No idea about joiners as I doubt my mom was hanging out in the gay areas, picking up twinks.

One place I can highly recommend in Chiang Mai is Viangbua Mansion:

http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/

I spent two or three months there before, and it was great. It's out of the city center a bit, so it's quiet and peaceful, and it's right in the middle of a small gay area. There's a gay pub, restaurant and hotel right there (Lotus Hotel, I think?), was a club which was closed when I was there, but maybe open now, lots of nice restaurants right there, one of them is right across the street and owned by a gay farang with a Thai BF (and the owner has a HUGE passion for cooking too, so eat there lots), couple blocks from a large market, etc. Always tuk-tuks around if you ever want to go into city, but everything you need is in walking distance as well. I don't know, but I'd recommend it.

[Bob]

Chiangmai - I've never been in the Royal Princess but, frankly, the location is not good at all. There's nothing of interest around it. If you don't care about that (i.e., if you don't particularly care if your within walking distance of anything), then maybe it's okay.

Depends on where you want to be and what you want to do. If you'd like to be near the mall, then try PJ's Place (there have been many good reviews of that place and it's very gay friendly).
If you want to be by the night market, then try the Duangtawan Centara or the Porn Ping (I've stayed at both and there's no hassle bringing back a guest).
Vingbua Mansion, as noted above, is a long way from the night market area.
Or, if you want to be within the old city and might enjoy the Sunday night market along Ratchadanern (spelling), then maybe try the Montien (it's right near the Taepae Gate)?

[zinzone]

Royal Princess: have not stayed there recently but in the past I have. Location is actually OK in my opinion but when i arrived at the place the rooms were so dreary and poor I was about to go and look for another hotel. The management then showed me the higher priced rooms occupying parts of the top floors so I eventually decided to stay at this hotel.
Joiners no problem.

Thara Patong I checked out when on a previous visit to Phuket. What you see on the internet is misleading as the hotel is designed in such a poor way that whichever room you are given it faces another block of rooms and so you lack privacy as you stare straight into another room in the block of rooms opposite. It is claustrophobic and uncomfortable and the place is not recommended.
In typical Thai fashion many of the hotels in Patong are badly located or designed.
The web site gives a false impression of the place.Joiners ought not to be a problem.

Better you stay at somewhere near Paradise Complex: there is a high floored hotel just behind that complex, someone else can tell you the name of the place. I previously checked out the lobby etc and it is quite ok. Joiners not sure maybe a joiners fee.

No idea Swiss Lodge.

[chillnorth]

The Swiss Lodge is a very good hotel with a great location and can be recommended. No problem with joiners and I'm not aware of any fees. They'll ask your guest to leave an id, but they are friendly about it. I experienced an extra charge many years ago when entertaining two, um, acquaintances, but that was the only experience of the sort. It's a popular hotel with business professionals as well as tourists. They have good packages with airport transport for multi-night stays.

I agree that Tarntawan Place would be a better choice for a first visit to the area, however, if you have any thought of discomfort with bringing a friend back to the hotel.

Chiang Mai is fairly easy to get around, but I would recommend starting out in or near the old city. You might consider a newer small hotel called Thapae Boutique House, a nice Thai modern place tucked away on a quieter soi between Thapae Gate and the Night Bazaar (http://www.thapaeboutiquehouse.com). I stayed there very recently and think it's a small gem. Not a gay hotel as such but extremely friendly.

The Montri at Thapae is a busy older hotel in the center of the tourist zone with a decent restaurant, good wifi, and very friendly staff. They have surely seen everything. That area can be quite noisy and is packed when the street market is operating on weekends.

PJ's does also get good reviews from visiting friends though I don't know it personally.

I've stayed at the Swisslodge and can recommend it, the rooms are great, the location excellent, its a little pricey but
i think its worth it, plus the buffet breakfast is really good. I have never been charged a joiners fee.

I also stayed at the Thara Patong, and whilst its clean and the location OK, i didnt enjoy it. I really wouldnt say they were gay friendly, and I'm sure they charged me a joiners fee. I'm sure there are better hotels in Phuket for you.

Hope this helps.

[Beachlover]

Thara Patong I checked out when on a previous visit to Phuket. What you see on the internet is misleading as the hotel is designed in such a poor way that whichever room you are given it faces another block of rooms and so you lack privacy as you stare straight into another room in the block of rooms opposite. It is claustrophobic and uncomfortable and the place is not recommended.
In typical Thai fashion many of the hotels in Patong are badly located or designed.
The web site gives a false impression of the place.Joiners ought not to be a problem.

Better you stay at somewhere near Paradise Complex: there is a high floored hotel just behind that complex, someone else can tell you the name of the place. I previously checked out the lobby etc and it is quite ok. Joiners not sure maybe a joiners fee.
.

Thanks for the heads up on Thara.

That's totally true about Patong!

Fnding a decent hotel is a pain in the arse. Many of the mid-range places offer sh*te service... dark old mouldy uncomfortable rooms and nothing exciting. You need to pay 4,500+ to get anything decent. I'm thinking of going in the other direction next time and staying in one of the cheap (but brand new) places like Poppa Palace or Pacific Lite... just 1,500/night.

This is probably one good thing about Pattaya... last time I visited I had this huge, comfortable suite overlooking the beach for just 1,700/night. What value.

[boy]

Thanks to everybody for your friendly help and valuable comments.

With regards to the interesting hints of zinzone I would like to know of an alternative hotel at Patong / Phuket which is not far away from the gay venues, i.e. not more than about 10 minutes of walking distance so that a host from the Paradise Complexe can be taken to that hotel. Secondly the hotel should have a nice swimming pool and it must be gayfriendly and the joiners should be accepted to get him in that hotel.

Again, I would like to thank everybody for your further comments !! :love4:

[krobbie]

Boy, check your PM's.

krobbie

[zinzone]

http://www.royalparadise.com/

This is the one i visited but others can give you more info as I did not actaully stay there.

[Rush, Yet Again]

Royal Paradise is a decent - but certainly not grand - hotel and at the (back) foot of the gay area, but charges a joiner fee and is packed with the tour bus crowds.

[martin911]

i am writing this while sitting in the Swiss Lodge!!!,i cannot rec this place enough,the location is perfect,just across the road from dj and god,soi 4 etc,+ there is a fab resturant called Indigo 1 min walk away,
I have stayed in all the Gay hotels over the last few years and now only stay here,i have Never had problems with guests (plural at times )or Ever been asked for a joiner fee,its the same price as the tantarwan but much classier imho ,you wont go wrong with this place and the boys seem to like it ,just my 2ps worth !!

[Beachlover]

Anyone else stayed in the Royal Paradise hotel before?

- Any advice which room/building to pick?

- Is it possible to get a room with a great view and a nice (unattached) desk to work from?

- Do any of the rooms have a nice bath tub to splash about in?... i like taking baths with Thai boys :D

- Anyone not been charged a joiners fee?

[donald1]

My bf and I stayed at Thara Patong 2 weeks prior to the tsunami. I am not sure what the above poster was talking about but the room we had had a beautiful big balcony with lounge and chair & table overlooking the huge pool and garden area. The room was impeccably clean and decorated in a nice simple Balinese style. It was one of the best hotels that we have stayed in in our many trips to Thailand. The buffet breakfast is vast in choices and the location is ideal. When you get there you may inquire about some of the rooms that are on the ground level and their patio area goes right into the pool. They were all full when we were there but what a nice extravagance.
I recommend highly and also recommend their restaurant out front.
I look forward to hear about your time there as its a long ago memory for us.

[Beachlover]

That would be about 4 years ago and unfortunately, most Thai building fittings age quickly.

[bing]

I was up early one morning and the Royal Paradise was the only place serving breakfast that I could find at 7:00 a.m. It is a fine buffet for 250 baht, but English is not the main source of their income, the menu was in three languages and English was not one of them. Granted I was there at a very early hour, but Arabia was well represented. Families seem to bethe market target group. It is a great location for those staying in the Paradise Complex. That Complex is very waking friendly, you can do the whole place in two minutes in any direction. The gay beach is an easy 10 to 15 minute walk, and I am a slow walker. I would suggest thinking twice about staying anyplace but the Paradise Complex as it is ground zero for those who enjoy Sunee area. I stayed at Connect, adequate and certainly not high end. For a few days it was fine. Blue Dolphin was visited as was a few other venues. I would do Connect again. Location, Location, Location. I stay up late so noise was never a problem. If you sleep late no problem, nothing gets going in the Paradise Complex till after noon. Do take it to the bank, the outdoor music seems to attract a crowd, and dancing in the street does not raise an eyebrow. The greeter from My Way Bar that I hooked onto was great and still has a warm spot in my heart. On the chinese junk sailing trip, he and I were they only May December pair, another gay farang couple in their 30s did mention to me they were happy to see us, as it lets them know they can still be in the game when they have gray hair.