The Tarntawan Surawong Hotel.....update

[a447]

Newalaan2 wrote:

Prices for some Oct dates strangely as low as Bt1350 per night for these massive rooms,

Maybe those dates coincide with the cremation ceremony.

[Manforallseasons]

😣😥

[joe552]

I rarely stay in Bangkok, but your comprehensive reviews would make this my "go to" hotel. Thanks for posting.

A side question - how long would it take to get to/from the airport? I know time of day etc. makes a difference, but roughly?

[bobsaigon2]

35 - 45 minutes +/- during normal traffic hours

[joe552]

Thanks Bob - here have a free like.

[newalaan2]

Time for an update. I didn't stay at Tarntawan Surawong Hotel on my last Thailand trip, preferring to try Tarntawan Apartments for the first time. Based on that one stay I can recommend the Tarntawan Apartments.

While at Tarntawan Apts I bumped into the portly young Tarntawan Surawong Hotel bellboy who has a small Buddha amethyst style necklace sales outlet in the Tarntawan Apts foyer, he must have grassed me up as I received a 'returning guests' offer from Tarntawan Surawong Hotel.

So just a 'heads up' if anyone is a 'returning guest' of the hotel, as until 31 Dec 2017 one can receive a free upgrade from standard room to 'Exectutive' at a rate 10% below the 'best current rate' online for a 2-night+ stay as well as complimentary mini-bar refreshments. Decent offer for high season.

[ggobob]

I also received a "returning guest" offer...I've moved on to the Raya but will try Tartawan Apartments on my next visit...tip of the hat to Lukas.

[newalaan2]

I also received a "returning guest" offer...I've moved on to the Raya but will try Tartawan Apartments on my next visit...tip of the hat to Lukas.

I didn't have many niggles/issues with Tarntawan Hotel problematic enough to have me looking around for an alternative, but yes ggobob, Lukas always gives a bit of personal attention which is appreciated/helpful, that along with the fact we (bf and I) just have more of a preference for apartment-style lodgings and my coming across the Apt website by accident were all catalysts in deciding to try the Apts.

But regarding niggles, and they are only minor.....Hotel Vs Apartments......plus for the Apts is a better bathroom set-up with nice shower cubicle and shower which is not as temperamental as the Hotel, and the WiFi, again, could be temperamental at the Hotel was excellent at the Apts. Staff at both equally as pleasant, we had an initial issue with logging on to the Apt WiFi and the guy from reception was up to the 9th floor immediately to sort it out. For us the extra kitchen facilities obviously a plus at the Apts, especially the huge empty-of-minibar-items fridge. If you do like a bit of natural light in the room (as much can be found in central Bkk) and a view of sorts, again the Apts better, some of the standard rooms at rear of Hotel had the brick-wall non view.

Another minor plus for me is the fact the Apts has 'Tarntawan' as part of it's name and mean I can continue to keep this thread alive to the irritation (I hope) of both MFAS and Scottish-guy, even though their previous participation in the thread was of no value whatsoever nor relevant in any way to the topic, did in fact help keep it on the front page. But I can't think that either would be bristled enough to fall for that again and might simply this time.....pass without needless comment. Although with both being particularly adept at 'needless comments of no value to the subject' might be unable to resist, that is if they even bother to read...I mean why would they?

[Oliver]

Me too. I enjoy the Tarntawan posts because this forum is the means by which I keep up-to-date with events in Thailand, allowing me to enjoy the memories of recent trips and anticipate coming ones.
Tarntawan is my point of arrival; when I walk through the door after many tedious hours of travel, I know that my holiday has begun and that P. is getting ready to join me. Even the smell of those ancient carpets is welcome.
So, for those who, like me, have no interest in name-calling and abuse, preferring subjects that are informative and of practical help, let the Tarntawan-festival continue unabated.
By the way, despite the emails that we've all received. the price rises at the hotel are enormous, even on Agoda. i negotiated my own rates a few months ago but I am far from satisfied. Perhaps the management is regretting those rises and needs to fill rooms. In which case, serves 'em right.

[newalaan2]

Me too. I enjoy the Tarntawan posts because this forum is the means by which I keep up-to-date with events in Thailand, allowing me to enjoy the memories of recent trips and anticipate coming ones.
Tarntawan is my point of arrival; when I walk through the door after many tedious hours of travel, I know that my holiday has begun and that P. is getting ready to join me. Even the smell of those ancient carpets is welcome.
So, for those who, like me, have no interest in name-calling and abuse, preferring subjects that are informative and of practical help, let the Tarntawan-festival continue unabated.
By the way, despite the emails that we've all received. the price rises at the hotel are enormous, even on Agoda. i negotiated my own rates a few months ago but I am far from satisfied. Perhaps the management is regretting those rises and needs to fill rooms. In which case, serves 'em right.

Some good points there Oliver, especially that homely feeling when checking-in, although it's not 'quite' the same as the pre-sale era it's still the Tarntawan. I like it for a reason kind-of opposite to your own. While you use it for arrival, we always stayed at the Tarntawan last 3-4 days of every trip, we enjoy the winding-down of what always is a hectic month or so, and make most of last nights together before we head to respective homes, Bkk is the one place we don't share our time together with anyone....it's the one place we are 24/7 together so that in itself has Tarntawan at centre of good memories. When I go back, bf also goes back to his home to work in his shop, see to the seasonal farm issues, rice planting/harvesting/corn etc.. so his only breaks are when I visit and I think that's also why he always loved the Tarntawan.

While the new owners certainly did apply huge rises to the rack rates we've been fortunate to manage to avoid, for whatever reason, any net increases.....on all stays since they took over I've either paid around the same rate as before, but most times less. A couple times quite a bit less than before if we take the room-only option. Breakfast (in the morning that is) in Thailand for us is a bit of an absurd notion, we are only ever up 8-9am when in Issan where the breakfast choice is rice, sticky-rice or warm bananas wrapped in a leaf with a choice of rice on the side, oh, and the marvellous 3-in-1 coffee made with luke-warm water, that and being force-fed spoons of cereal-mash by bf's 7 year old nephew who claims it's what 'farangs' eat so I should find it delicious (saep, saep!).

On the name calling and abuse, I certainly do give it back when thrown in my direction, but have always been in favour of all those kind of littering posts/banter being swept away in to flaming forum/holding room far from the main page. But I agree one of the main reasons smiles and spike built up the readership here was due to the shear amount of useful information posted by a wide range of contributors, this aspect has been totally overlooked by those who see it purely as entertainment opportunity and a chance to have their egos massaged, the inane banter has unfortunately taken over and is in danger of suffocating the whole forum.