Pinnacle downturn

I stayed at the Pinnacle Lumpini in December and my Friend just returned from staying there. Both of us noted a distinct downturn in service and accomodations from stays in the past. Ranging from the rooms looking more shabby, toilets that won't flush and TVs that don't work. My friend complained several times about his non-working TV but nothing was ever done. My complaint about the slow toilets was answered with "all the toilets in the building are like that sir'. The waiters in the restaurant are bored looking and unattentive. You pretty much have to scream at them to get a cup of coffee or tea.
We have both decided to try another place next time.

Anybody else noticed this downturn?

[yaraboy]

Yep it gets worse every visit. Rooms, and I always stay in the deluxe are getting very shabby............fridge overiced and bathroom fan did not work this time. I thought their wireless system would be a nice improvement but it is the worst wireless I have ever encountered..............down 1/2 the time. I used to think the breakfast was OK but I am even getting tired of the same old same old.Certainally looking forward to the new Ibis Hotel now being built opposite Malaysia. Should be reasonably priced i'm told

Its still better than the Malaysia!!!!!

... yeah but you must remember the Malaysia is 700 and less per night, and everything is at hand easily, the rooms shabby but clean. The Pinaccle I reckon is around 1000 a night, probably can get for 850, but invariably not. And probably more than 1000. Malaysia is a fab place and so PLUS friendly.

I was at the Pinnacle the last week and I find everything the same. Infact I like the new towels ... thick and new. For bht1250 for deluxe room I can't expect too much.

[TrongpaiExpat]

A few weeks ago I was talking to this farang in a bar (he was sober) and he had been staying at the Malaysia for 4 months. He told me that one of the mangers, a lady, told him that they want to clean up the hotel and make it "family friendly". He was sure "clean up" did not mean remodeling.

I did not take a lot of stock in what he said, but a few nights latter I was walking by and always notice boys sitting on the wall, there were none. Then a few night latter, I noticed one boy sitting on the wall across from the 7-11, down from the Malaysia, he said hello. I asked him why he was sitting here and he said the guard at the Malaysia will not let him sit there. He said, Malaysia now no good.

Still, I have a hard time seeing how the Malaysia can make it as a family hotel.

Or why they would want to! Its always booked solid. Why mess with success?

[TrongpaiExpat]

The waiters in the restaurant are bored looking and unattentive. You pretty much have to scream at them to get a cup of coffee or tea.
We have both decided to try another place next time.


You "Scream" at them? For the breakfast trough you can walk up and take your own coffee from either side of the room.

So for 800 to 1100 per night, free breakfast, and a good location you expect more?

I will never forget this Russian at Breakfast one morning. They had just put out a big tray of bacon. He took two plates and unloaded the lot including the bread at the bottom of the tray to soak up the grease, sat down with a glass of milk and ate the whole thing.

Every few months, some poster tries to trash the Pinnacle. Enough already!! I don't see any evidence of decline at all.
I have stayed there many many times and everything has always been good. The breakfasts buffets are varied and tasty, the hotel desk clerks are always friendly and helpful, the rooms are decent sized and the furniture and bed are comfortable. The selection of snacks in the minibar is quite limited but that's a plus for me as I don't want to be tempted by an array of sweets and junk.

Yes, the toilet is a problem but I have found a solution. Hold down the flush handle for a while and wait til the water level goes down to four or five inches and press the flush handle again. It will flush everything out leaving clean water.

I don't understand why people must trash the place when it's such a deal. Why don't you trash some of the other hotels, like for example Le Residence which has closet-sized rooms and bossy desk people. Maybe the Pinnacle is so popular that it has more guests to complain about the place even though 1000 baht a day is a steal compared to prices in other hotels.

Of course I am grateful for the complainers. Know why? Because it keeps superficial fussy customers away from my beloved Pinnacle.

Enough already!!

[Smiles]

" ...Enough already!! ... "
Donny, only 2 posters were negative toward the Pinnacle, all ~ save one ~ of the other replies were supportive. This is a message board, not a cheer leaders convention.

Anyway, I like the Pinnacle ... warts ignored or unseen. As for "screaming for coffee", it's a buffet! Get your own.

The coffee shop is rather intriguing at times for professional observers of the human condition, with obviously hungover, big bellied farangs taking breakfast with (mostly) sullen Thai lay-overs who by the looks of it would much rather be somewhere else. Once in awhile you'll notice a farang and his 'garcon-de-nuit' laughing up a storm and tete-a-teting over juice and toast . . . both looking like they actually had a great night, like each other a lot, and may well rush up to the room for encore. I like that in a coffee shop.

Rooms are mediocre and thoroughly functional. Can't recall the toilets ever not working, and the place was clean. The front desk have always been efficient in my experience, and best of all they never bat an eye letting the beloved check in and relax in the room all day until he meets me at the airport that evening (my "usual" flight ~ UAL from Vancouver ~ touches down at 11PM or so). Pinnacle prices are very good for central Bangkok.

Cheers ...

[bao-bao]

I'm hoping JakeNasty just had an unlucky stay at the Pinnacle and that he'll have better luck there next time. I think it's a matter of having realistic expectations about a place, myself. You're not going to have your bed turned down while you're out for dinner, and the closest I've ever come to a mint on my pillow was a wrapper in the window track above it, but it's an agreeable place for a variety of reasons. There was another thread about it on September 11th last year that was also a mixed bag. At the risk of boring the regular readers, here's what I'd posted last fall:

--------------------------------------------------------

As for the Pinnacle itself, I liked the location a lot. Being within a block or three of the Suan Lum night market, Lumpini Park, several internet cafes with high-speed access, a wide variety of street food, a mini Tesco-Lotus and a great "local" neighborhood of side-streets and alleys to explore on morning walks, I was most pleased with the location. You also have the folksy open air Just One restaurant about a five minute stroll away, and, even nicer the Mali Restaurant, where I had several delicious meals, prepared by their Thai and Lao chefs (picture of Just One and a Mali dinner below).

http://upload6.postimage.org/172581/0JustOne.jpg (http://upload6.postimage.org/172581/photo_hosting.html)

http://upload6.postimage.org/172597/MaliMeal.jpg (http://upload6.postimage.org/172597/photo_hosting.html)

The first room they put me in had some mechanical problems with the water and the safe, so they moved me the second day to a corner room. While the view was nice, the furnishings and overall decor of both of my "Deluxe" rooms were... let's just say "careworn". Everything was nearing the replacement stage, but all of it was clean and well-maintained. Well, except for the slippers - those hadn't been washed for months, it didn't look like. Cloth slipper scuffs that were grey with dirt in both rooms. Yuck. The other thing that bothered me were the windows. I had a magnificent view - windows on two sides of the corner room - but they were so dirty they gave you a headache to look through for very long. INside, as well. I was in non-smoking rooms, but the windows were just tacky with dirt and film. The outsides are probably washed every year or so (whether they need it or not)!

http://upload6.postimage.org/172622/0PinnacleRoom.jpg (http://upload6.postimage.org/172622/photo_hosting.html)

The bathrooms were both clean and well-stocked, no signs of black mildew and mold that you see many places, and the towels were relatively new and fluffy. I shower multiple times a day there, and they were always gracious about promptly replacing the wet ones with dry ones the few times I called for them. Everyone I encountered on staff there was more than gracious and polite.

The robes, while clean (and crisply pressed) were made for someone at least 50 pounds lighter than myself, and I'm not that overweight. I guess they were the 48mm and not the 52mm size (wink wink, nudge nudge).

I should say here, though, that most of the time when I'm traveling I don't spend much time in the room, anyway. As long as the bed is comfortable, the room and bathroom are clean and the amenities (TV, aircon, safe, etc.) I've paid for are working, I'm a happy boy.

The breakfast buffet was not only very well stocked with a very good variety of both eastern and western dishes, it was an experience for me to see the "couples" straggling down for breakfast. Past observations here from members about local guys not having much interest in breakfast with their customers from the night before certainly seemed true to me after watching many pairings in the dining room. The sad part of that was the indifference between the two that also seemed common, but that's another story.

So, especially if you're getting a good rate through Jimmy I'd say it's worth a try... just don't expect anything Four Star. The Pinnacle hotel itself (and the dining room, food and staff overall) are Three Star, the rooms a little less than that.

http://upload6.postimage.org/172647/0Pinnacle.jpg (http://upload6.postimage.org/172647/photo_hosting.html)

Its quality and service is not bad for a 2* hotel. What I couldn't stand sometimes was the quality of its guests - many look like they have just been dragged from slum.

Enough was enough. Last month I decided to stay at the newly open 5* hotel Siam @ Siam Design Hotel for some splurges. This hotel has a similar concept to the 5* Hardrock hotel in Chicago, and 3,100 baht a night is a very good value for money. Good location too. Its Grand Opening is 17th March.

www.siamatsiam.com (http://www.siamatsiam.com)

Geez you guys take everything so Literally.. Of course I dont' "Scream" at the waiters for tea.. I get up and get it myself. I was just comparing the level of service to the PAST when they had several very sweet (and cute) waiters in the restaurant to the disinterested ones I experienced this time.

Of course it's still a good value for the money.. but somethings, like the A/C which is either "Off" or "Freezing" get a bit annoying. IF these things don't bother you.. be my guest, stay there. But I'm just saying I personally feel I will spend a bit more money next time to stay somewhere a bit nicer.

[yaraboy]

Good point Jake..............aircon which is not adjustable. My point is that the place is running down Truth is I am likely to stay there again because of the convenience..... and as posters say not bad value for money. I have stayed at Vincents which is wonderful in all aspects except for lots of auto noise from Rama 4 and the fact that the 7 rooms are usually booked solid. Neither of these are problems at Pinnacle

[TrongpaiExpat]

When I first moved to Bangkok, off and on I stayed at the Pinnacle. I must have been in every room on the 12th floor at one time or another.

How to work the toilet has been already explained. Here is how you work the AC.

First, ignore the numbers on the thermostat, put all the way to max. Put fan on low. When the temperature is to your liking, turn the thermostat until you hear a click. Then don't touch it again, good luck keeping the cleaning staff off the dial. I finally resorted to putting a pencil mark on the dial.

I lived at the pinnacle for 8months or so in 2003 while trying to decide whether or not to move to
Thailand,during my stay I found most of the staff where very helpful,I seem to remember one
grumpy one,my room maid was very good,on the down side Jimmy kept trying to get me in bed.
maybe its changed a bit now ......

will never forget this Russian at Breakfast one morning. They had just put out a big tray of bacon. He took two plates and unloaded the lot including the bread at the bottom of the tray to soak up the grease, sat down with a glass of milk and ate the whole thing.



Remember Soviet!

I have 'slept around' a bit recently and plumped to go back to the Pinnacle after all. It's the mix of price and convenience and perhaps familiarity. It is cheap and many of the bedrooms and bathrooms are a bit tired (some standard rooms are exhausted) but it is generally clean (excluding the windows, though none I have seen have a magnificent view) comfortable and gay friendly. I am not certain about Jimmy's current prices other then the DeLuxe for one person at 1170 baht a night including breakfast and less for stays over 5 nights. I suppose I average about 3 nights a month there or maybe more. Based on past pricing structure the 'Superior" rooms are about 100 baht less and the Standard room 100 baht less than that.

I have never had any serious room problems that have not been solved after a nag or two. My toilets flush, my tv works though there is only BBC World and an occasional HBO movie worth watching. I don't breakfast (or take any food there) and if I want one I go to Mali or O Ho, nearby which have friendly service, good food and drinkable coffee. For a treat try the Four Season's Biscotti though it will cost more than a room at The Pinnacle.

The management play at bashing their customers with, during recent months introducing credit card wipes, 1000 baht deposit and threats of joiner's fees but these never seem to last.

There is getting to be a shortage of low priced hotels and guest houses without a "joiner's fee" policy. The Malaysia and Suriwong are terrific value but disticltly in the 'brotel' class. The Tarntawan is terrific but it's a thousand baht more than the Pinnacle and the area is not that nice an area in the daytime though wonderfully convenient at night.