Checking out St Regis тАУ BangkokтАЩs newest top-tier hotel

[Beachlover]

I gave the St Regis Hotel in Bangkok a go last year... it opened in April 2011 and is their first property in Thailand.

The Bangkok St Regis is good value because St Regis properties in other countries are $400+/night while Bangkok is only half that тАУ around USD$250/7,500 baht/night for the тАЬSt Regis experienceтАЭ.

LOCATION

The hotel is on Rajadamri Rd beside the skytrain station, linked with a private, air conditioned walkway. It overlooks the Royal Bangkok Sports Club so you get sweeping views of the Bangkok city skyline from Silom to Siam Square.

The surrounding streets were a bit sterile тАУ none of usual bustling Bangkok vendors and street food cartsтАУ but if you exit the hotel, turn right and walk 2-3 minutes to where the Four Seasons is, you can find some street food vendors. Lumpini Park is nearby so I went for a run there most days. All up... pretty good location!


The view

ROOM

I got upgraded to the executive deluxe room or something. I usually prefer clean, subtle design so I found it a bit extravagant but I guess thatтАЩs part of the experience. Everything from the soap dish to the coffee table looks like itтАЩs out of some European royal palace. All functional and super-comfortable though.

The bed was especially good тАУ nice solid pillows. Bathroom was great тАУ biggest rain shower IтАЩve encountered. Internet is 400 baht/day but garment pressing is free so no need to do my own ironing for once!

You get a complimentary butler service to bring you tea and coffee (very good) anytime. The internet went down while I was working one day so they sent three butlers. Two hovered over my laptop talking to tech support while the third made me tea and brought me cookies and chocolate ├йclairs etc. Hahaha... they got the internet working too.







POOL

The pool area is super-nice but smallтАж ItтАЩs a really nice spot to lounge, overlooking the Royal Bangkok Sports Club with a fantastic view of the city skyline. ItтАЩs only just long enough to do laps. But thereтАЩs a nice semi-private Jacuzzi areaтАж sweet for making out at sunset!

The foodтАЩs also great... the St Regis Wagu Beef Burger is awesome! I spent a few days lounging here with my laptop. Nice way to тАЬworkтАЭ.


The pool


Pool view overlooking The Royal Bangkok Sports Club


Entrance to a nice little semi-private jacuzzi in the background


The view from the St Regis at sunset!

BREAKFAST

Breakfast was free, setting was nice and service was impeccable but food selection was disappointing for a hotel of this calibre. Not enough variety and choice. Even the Dusit Thani serves a better breakfast.

BAR

I never got to the bar when it was open as I was always out in the evenings with my BF or doing other stuff. But we spent some time there after it had closed one night and it was a really nice place to hang out... even without people serving drinks. One of my friends told me they do this ceremony at 6 or 6:30pm where they open a bottle of champagne with a sword but I missed it as I was always elsewhere at that time.

SPA

I had a massage in the Elamis spa. I think it was 4,000 baht+ for a 1-hour massage, which is a bit pricey relative to competitors. You can ask for a male or female therapist. The therapistтАЩs skill was exceptional. The relaxation room and changing area was exceptional. Nice cabanas (I fell asleep in one afterwards) and Jacuzzis. I liked the Kempinski Spa more though... better value and I get a better therapist there.

DOWNSIDES

No real downsides for me... Wish they had a bigger pool with more comfortable loungers, maybe some outdoor seating for breakfast and a better breakfast. Spa was too pricey. More male butlers would be nice too. I only had female butlers on my floor and for some reason I was picturing a male butler. ItтАЩs a gay thing... :happy7:

OVERALL

All in all, not a bad place to spend a week... a great experience but I liked the Kempinski better. My then BF preferred the St Regis but he probably likes the novelty factor of the slightly European style thing... as many Thais do!

Photobucket is screwing me around with the resizing thing so no idea how big the photos above will appear...

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[sydneyboy]

What a pity the pool is a let down. This is what I found so disappointing about the Le Meridien in Patpong. From Tripadvisor reports it is also the flaw in the new Hotel Muse. There is the Sofitel So opening at the end of the month so that will be one to watch. Out of interest, for those into 5 star hotels what is your favourite hotel pool in Bangkok?

[Beachlover]

What a pity the pool is a let down. This is what I found so disappointing about the Le Meridien in Patpong. From Tripadvisor reports it is also the flaw in the new Hotel Muse.

The pool was beautiful and better than most others I've had in Bangkok. Just thought it felt a bit cramped and should've been larger.

Undersized pools are a flaw in almost all the lower-end 5-star hotels in Bangkok... Sofitel Silom, Le Meridien and Dusit Thani all have tiny pools but that's expected as you're only paying 3,000-5,000/night for these places.

It's just disappointing when you get a small pool in a top-tier hotel like St Regis. The other annoying thing is there's another roof-top/ledge pool about 10-20 levels above you that's more than twice the size! But that's only for the St Regis Residence dwellers! (They pay something like 100 million baht+ for their apartments).

I used to only use pools for swimming laps and only cared about length (short = can't swim laps) but these days I seem to spend most of my working hours by the pool so don't mind if it's under 30 metres... long as it's a nice environment to chill.

Out of interest, for those into 5 star hotels what is your favourite hotel pool in Bangkok?

Haven't tried all so can't say... Le Meridien is the best out of the lower-end 5-stars I've tried. St Regis has a gorgeous skyline view. But Kempinski is the nicest so far because of the size, landscaping and tranquility.

Thinking of trying the Intercontinental next as it actually has a rooftop pool on top of the building... anyone tried this? Any good?

Which of the riverfront hotels has the nicest pool? Peninsula, Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental or Chatrium? I've yet to try one of these.

Any other suggestions for nice pools in Bangkok?

[Jellybean]

Does my apartment pool count?

[Beachlover]

Are those cabanas in the background?

Mmmmmm... big fan of having cabanas over individual recliners. :drunken:

[Jellybean]

Hi Beachlover

Yes, they are cabanas, although I think they are referred to as Salas here. There are three with very soft comfortable seating, lots of plump cushions and a low level table, the other 4 have dining tables and chairs. The soft seating Salas are very popular and you have to book them at least a week in advance.

On the right hand side is a terrific Italian restaurant, which also provides waiter service by the pool. On the floor below is a commercial gym. ItтАЩs a nice little oasis in the heart of Bangkok.

But I expected you to tell me it doesnтАЩt count because itтАЩs not an hotel.

[sydneyboy]

To partly answer my own question, the pool and gym at the Hyatt Erawan look nice.

[Beachlover]

The Hilton Pattaya has the nicest (common use, not private) pool I've seen in Thailand so far. Pretty spectacular.

The Siam Kempinski Hotel has the nicest pool I've seen in Bangkok so far. St Regis probably has the nicest view of any pool.

The 4-star Siam@Siam Design Hotel in Bangkok has a pretty nice pool, rooftop overlooking the city with a cool view, though limited in size... I've seen it and been there for dinner and a drink but not stayed there.

Can't recommend any other hotels I've stayed in so far for their pools... the rest are mediocre.

[sydneyboy]

The pool at the Intercontinental in Bangkok is very small. A pity because the rooms have recently been refurbished and are apparently very nice and the gym excellent.

[sydneyboy]

There is a new 5 star hotel opening on 28 February called the Sofitel So (not to be confused with the other Sofitels in Bangkok). Its near Lumpini Park. Could be interesting.