Bangkok hotel -- Tarntawan Place??

I'll be in Bangkok in a few months and am considering staying at the Tarntawan Place Hotel -- very near the gay bars.

Does anyone know anything about this hotel?


Thanks,

[Dick]

Little BoPeep
Has lost her sheep
And doesn't know where to find them.
Leave them alone, and they'll come home
wagging their tails behind them

[Aunty]

Yeah I stayed there last year for about a week. It's good. The rooms are good, the staff are nice, it's a very comfortable place to stay for gay men. And when you bring a Thai man back to your room with you, (even if it's just a friend lol) they take his ID and then ring your room to see if everything is ok when he leaves. So they look after you.

Breakfast in the morning is a fascinating experience - if only I were a writer I could weave it into a fantastic novel - as you sit there and look at all the farang coming down to breakfast with their 'boys'. Poor boys, the conversation is stilted. The boys have a stiff almost frozen countenance like deer caught in the head lights seldom initiating conversation with the farang, who equally as stiff realises they have absolutely nothing in common and that even on some level the boy finds them and the whole experience of last night disgusting. He really is in it for the money. It's like watching a silent little war break out over the breakfast table, with subtle gestures conveying all that is keenly felt but left unsaid, rejection, anger, hope, a clash of wills, maybe even unrequited love. Some of the boys look shattered presumably having had absolutely no sleep whatsoever while the farang looks lovely fresh and leathery. Someone no doubt snores like a freight train. Oh and a Hawaiian shirt too! God it just makes you realise how boring some white men are.

But I digress. It's a good hotel.

[sing_lofty_sing]

Its ok for a couple of nights. I prefer the place 5 minutes walk away, La Residence hotel, very gay friendly.

The Tartawan is okay if a bit frayed around the edges. It is close to the action for what that is worth. For the same price you can stay at Sofitel Silom or another high end hotel (book through one of the online services--and shop around as they all give different deals for the same hotel).

If there is one thing that farang visiting LOS for the first time need to be told, it is that a Thai barboy does not want to go to breakfast with him. The only exceptions are if you have slept until the boy's normal waking hour of 5pm or so and take him to eat where he would normally eat (at a Thai restaurant for locals)--and this really only applies if a boy is very comfortable with you, if you are staying at a very upscale hotel and the boy wants a peek at the buffet (even then he probably have zero desire to be seen eating breakfast alone with a farang in an upscale hotel as every Thai person there know what that signifies), or if you have promised him a day of shopping and he wants to stuff you with breakfast and get you out the door before you change your mind. Otherwise, tip the boy and let him go home, so he can sleep.

Pete

The Tartawan is okay if a bit frayed around the edges. It is close to the action for what that is worth. For the same price you can stay at Sofitel Silom or another high end hotel (book through one of the online services--and shop around as they all give different deals for the same hotel).

If there is one thing that farang visiting LOS for the first time need to be told, it is that a Thai barboy does not want to go to breakfast with him. The only exceptions are if you have slept until the boy's normal waking hour of 5pm or so and take him to eat where he would normally eat (at a Thai restaurant for locals)--and this really only applies if a boy is very comfortable with you, if you are staying at a very upscale hotel and the boy wants a peek at the buffet (even then he probably have zero desire to be seen eating breakfast alone with a farang in an upscale hotel as every Thai person there know what that signifies), or if you have promised him a day of shopping and he wants to stuff you with breakfast and get you out the door before you change your mind. Otherwise, tip the boy and let him go home, so he can sleep.

Pete

What am i doing wrong? All my Thai friends wake ME up for breakfast! They are always damn hungry! Amazing those lovely slim people can eat 3 times as much as me........... i look at food and gain weight!

They are waking you up because they want to collect their tip and go home. They figure the best way to do this is to ask to eat and you being a farang who likes to eat big greasy breakfasts (at least in their minds) will of course think that is a splendid idea. They will especially suggest this if you have offed them before and inflicted breakfast upon them. They expect you want the same service everytime.

Of course they are hungry, especially if you did not feed them after you offed them (and even if you did). Thais can almost always eat. They just prefer to eat Thai food (their version) and with a number of other Thai people. But if they have to eat to get a tip and be allowed to leave, it is not that great of a hardship.

Pete

They are waking you up because they want to collect their tip and go home. They figure the best way to do this is to ask to eat and you being a farang who likes to eat big greasy breakfasts (at least in their minds) will of course think that is a splendid idea. They will especially suggest this if you have offed them before and inflicted breakfast upon them. They expect you want the same service everytime.

Of course they are hungry, especially if you did not feed them after you offed them (and even if you did). Thais can almost always eat. They just prefer to eat Thai food (their version) and with a number of other Thai people. But if they have to eat to get a tip and be allowed to leave, it is not that great of a hardship.

Pete

When i said friends - i meant friends lol........... i dont off guys from bars.

book through Jimmy..if you can track him down. You won't get a better deal in Thailand and the rooms are almost 5 star for 3 star prices and the best breakfast in town.

Make sure you visit Jimmy as soon as you get there and pay him..he goes off like a rocket if you are late but he's one of the best solo tour operators in town and deserves support.

[Smiles]

" ... book through Jimmy..if you can track him down. You won't get a better deal in Thailand and the rooms are almost 5 star for 3 star prices and the best breakfast in town...."
With due respect Madame, the Pinnacle is just "OK". Not 5-star by any stretch of the imagination, but comfortable, proletarian fare ( you of all people should know 'Socialist Realism' when you sleep in it ).
The breakfast is pretty much the same hardly-exciting Thai/western layout with very little to distinguish it from a dozen like hotels in the area. Their pineapple juice is thin gruel (outrageous!), but they do a quite nice scrambled egg if you get it before it's been sitting too long and gone cold. The breakfast room is rather nice if you sit beside the big picture windows and look out into the little greeny jungle area. Some birds alight there.

All of which is to say . . . stayed there numerous times and I like the Pinnacle and it's breakfast and it's location. But 'special' it is not ~ though the price is right ... Jimmy's discount or not. Pinnacle staff have always been very kind to us at all times, and that means a lot to a jet-lagged farang (we usually bed down there after flying in). No pool.

Cheers ...

PS ... the Malaysia Hotel is just down the Soi. If the Pinnacle disappoints you can just drag your old bag(s) down the alley a bit and bunk down there. Malaysia has a pool and a cafe where you can pick up a real live 'breakfast' 24/7.

You of course come from that socialist paradise Canada where the streets are lined with gold..whereas others..say Edith who was kidnapped and brought up by Gypsies and I who worked in a Lankashire coal mine at the age of 4 after my poor mother was thrown into a work house find a shoe box verging on 4 star luxury.

That tiny spa on the 14 floor looks like an Olympic sized pool to me and who ever uses these pools anyway ??

I find the staff fairly attentive ,what there are of them, but I do spray around 20 baht notes as though they were going out of style !! I've never seen such helpful people especially at checkout time..they save me the trouble of carrying my luggage by flinging it to the bottom of those stairs outside and even personaly escort me to the exit gate.

Anyway,who eats breakfast ?

[bkkguy]

At least the superior rooms in the Pinnacle are very much like the Dusit and Shangri la Hotels

am I the only one that detects a credibility gap here? perhaps LMTU would like to indicate when he last stayed at the hotels he is comparing



the Tarntawan Place Hotel owned by the Moana group of hotels not the manager as many think.

one of these days LMTU you may be able to work out who owns the land and buildings and who owns the management company that operates the hotel but until then keep sprouting this crap!


Make sure you visit Jimmy as soon as you get there and pay him..he goes off like a rocket if you are late but he's one of the best solo tour operators in town and deserves support.

he is abusive to customers, her does not answer emails, you can book through many online services for a similar price - remind me once again why he deserve our support?

bkkguy

[Up2U]

"he is abusive to customers,...".....I pay my bills on time so I wouldn't know. He's quite a character (in a nice way) though.

"..her does not answer emails, ..."....everyone knows that when dealing with him. Pick up the phone he answers right away.

"... you can book through many online services for a similar price..."... Yes, close to the same price. Disadvantage, Jimmy require cash.

" - remind me once again why he deserve our support?"...... I and many other gays go out of our way to patronize from People Like Us.

[Smiles]

" ... But I agree the la Residence suites are far superior, but so they should be 2800 baht a suite... "

Often considered staying at La Residence ( http://www.laresidencebangkok.com/about.htm ). Something else always comes up.

The photos look very inviting and the suite there seems quite romantic with it's balcony view. But MAN!!! have I heard that it's breakfasts are lousy ( mostly from those little "customer comment" blurbs you often find on the booking websites . . . none of which have been signed "LMTY" ). These comments may well have been from the distant past . . . I hope La Residence owner has been paying attention :albino:

Still may stay there one of these days.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/Images/laresidencesuite.jpg

Cheers ...

[Dboy]

Thanks for those pix, Smiles. That place looks almost as nice as http://www.thesiamheritage.com/home.htm , where I've happily stayed a few times. Will have to try out La Residence one of these days.


Dboy

[bkkguy]

I and many other gays go out of our way to patronize from People Like Us.

so there is this restaurant down the street where the food is overpriced but mediocre and the service is slack but I should eat there just because it is owned by a gay person?

I am willing to support gay businesses if they are worth supporting, but too often I hear this mantra of support gay businesses regardless of their competence or service and I just don't understand it

bkkguy

BS...supporting a business just because its owner is gay makes no more sense than supporting a business just because its owner is the same nationality, religion, or has eye color as you do. My business goes to whoever has the best product and the best service, at the best price. More often than not, so-called "Gay Businesses" don't have it.

[cottmann]

I and many other gays go out of our way to patronize from People Like Us.

so there is this restaurant down the street where the food is overpriced but mediocre and the service is slack but I should eat there just because it is owned by a gay person?

I am willing to support gay businesses if they are worth supporting, but too often I hear this mantra of support gay businesses regardless of their competence or service and I just don't understand it

bkkguy

Neither do I, bkkguy. And I certainly will not support a "gay" business when it is is designed simply to separate gay men and their money, as was a certain no-longer functioning "gay" resort and spa hotel on the way to Jomtien. I had the opportunity to tour that before it opened, and it was clearly designed by two straight men to make as much money from gay men as possible. I resolved then not to patronise, and I believe that it never, ever, lived up to its hype.

I must compliment Aunty on his observations of the "Tartawan breakfast phenomenon".

The eerie pantomines of the "farangs + boys" breakfast is truely disturbing at that place (perhaps because b/fast (for two) is included in the tarrif, and is served 24/7) - that when last there I always had to take a seat facing the wall - I couldn't bear to watch the room. And I insisted my guy take some Thai n'paper/mag with him - which I directed him to read - so as not to add to the awkardness of the room.

i am also visiting BKK in august and i am unsure wich gay friendly budget-hotel should i choose:

Malaysia Hotel

or BBB In guest house


should i book in advance or i can find a free room when i am BKK?

thanks.

i am also visiting BKK in august and i am unsure wich gay friendly budget-hotel should i choose:

Malaysia Hotel

or BBB In guest house


should i book in advance or i can find a free room when i am BKK?

thanks.

if u like a swimming pool daily - malaysia........... dont take a chance - they are quite often full - you can book by phone and pay on arrival/later.