The Peninsula -, Bangkok

Okay, the above opinion is based entirely on my own experience and I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me. Especially my parents who say that I am prone to exaggeration, plus Conde Nast Traveller magazine who only ranks the Peninsula Bangkok 5th best in the Asia (leisure travel) category for 2003. However, having done a reasonable amount of business and leisure travel over the years, particularly in Asia, the Peninsula Bangkok (let’s call ...
.../> I have stayed at the PB three times in total and always for leisure. The first time was in July 2002, when we (me and hubby-to-be) decided to have a last-night splurge after a fortnight in Thailand. We loved it so much that when we decided to get married in Thailand in April 2003, there was no hesitation in booking the PB for the first four nights at the start of our trip, as well as the by now obligatory last night to ease the pain of going ... more

Okay, the above opinion is based entirely on my own experience and I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me. Especially my parents who say that I am prone to exaggeration, plus Conde Nast Traveller magazine who only ranks the Peninsula Bangkok 5th best in the Asia (leisure travel) category for 2003. However, having done a reasonable amount of business and leisure travel over the years, particularly in Asia, the Peninsula Bangkok (let’s call it “PB” to avoid typing fatigue) is the best hotel in which I’ve ever stayed. And believe me, after being spoilt by business travel, I am very difficult to please.

I have stayed at the PB three times in total and always for leisure. The first time was in July 2002, when we (me and hubby-to-be) decided to have a last-night splurge after a fortnight in Thailand. We loved it so much that when we decided to get married in Thailand in April 2003, there was no hesitation in booking the PB for the first four nights at the start of our trip, as well as the by now obligatory last night to ease the pain of going home.

Before I divulge my experiences, here's some background information on the hotel...

The PB is one of seven super-luxury hotels in the prestigious Peninsula hotel chain. The other six are located in New York, Chicago, Beverley Hills, Beijing, Manila and famously, Hong Kong, where I would love to go if I could ever afford it! A flashy website provides all the photos and information you could possibly need about the hotel group.

The PB opened in 1998 in direct competition, it's been said, with the Oriental Hotel (in other people’s book, the best hotel in the world, Asia, Bangkok, etc…) which is without doubt, a superb historic hotel. The Oriental is worth a visit to soak in some olde-worlde colonial atmosphere (despite the fact that Thailand was never colonised), but I found it to be very formal when I popped in to have a look, as well as too expensive to stay in. Rooms start from £200 a night.

Bangkok is famous for its traffic problems and gridlocked streets are a regular sight during rush hour which seems to last all day. Most of the main tourist sights, however, can be reached by BTS Skytrain (Bangkok's mass transit system) or boat. Fares are cheap by Western standards. The PB is convenient for both forms of transport despite being located on the "wrong side" of the Chao Phraya River (the brownest river I've ever seen!) as it provides a regular shuttle boat service for crossing the river which takes a leisurely few minutes. The beautiful teak boats are manned by friendly hotel staff in pristine white uniforms; taking the boat was a highlight of my stay! We always landed at the pier next to the Skytrain station of Saphan Taksin. From here, you can also connect with frequent boat services to the see Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) and other sights. The Skytrain station (reached only by a high staircase, not great for the elderly or disabled unfortunately) also has a tourist information office inside with internet access.

As we always took the shuttle boat into town from the pier at the back of the hotel, we only saw the front when we arrived and left (it's about a half hour drive to the airport when there is no traffic; much, much longer when there is). The neighbourhood where the PB is located is not salubrious at all, a bit grimy like most of Bangkok but non-threatening. It just struck me as being an unlikely place for a top-end five star hotel.

We initially chose to stay in the PB as I wanted to experience some mega-luxury pampering. I had heard great things about the Peninsula chain, notably in respect of the Hong Kong hotel, and never thought we could afford to stay in a hotel of that calibre. However, after some internet research, I found a Thai travel website which offers competitive pre-paid rates. We booked a deluxe room (the cheapest room type) for about £90 in 2002. In 2003, it was about £100 and I think the prices are similar this year. The prices all include a full international buffet breakfast. The hotel website does offer some good package deals from time to time, often with airport transfers thrown in, but for the best value rates, it's best to go for the online booking agencies.

So you know where it is and how much it costs. Let me tell you about our experience there....

**Check in**
As you would expect for a luxury hotel, there are porters to greet you and take your luggage when you arrive, even if you are travelling in a battered old taxi like us! The lobby is opulent - there is no other word to describe it. Accordingy, the atmosphere is pretty formal, but in a friendly, non-intimidating way. Although we saw a few children in the hotel, I would say that the PB is a bit too formal for families. The check-in process was pain free - the receptionists speak excellent English and show you to your room. The last time we stayed, they even remembered our previous visit and assigned us the same room which was a nice touch.

**The rooms**
Pure luxury. Full stop. All the rooms (with the exception of the super-suites) are similar with deep-pile carpet, antique-style furniture, big telly, CD player, desk with fax machine (where messages are sent to you), comfy bed, vases of flowers, complimentary tropical fruit (with finger bowl if your fingers get sticky) and minibar. The rooms are hi-tech with electronically-controlled curtains and lighting. There are even pressure sensors on the floor so if you get up to pee in the middle of the night, a nightlight turns on so you don't trip over the slippers that are laid out for you at turndown. A little box by the door displays the outdoor temperature and humidity - this allows guests to know if they are going to sweat a little or a lot when they leave the confines of the airconditioned hotel. A lot of thought has been given to the rooms to ensure utmost comfort and convenience - from the valet box where you leave your shoes for cleaning and collect your daily copy of the Bangkok post, to the headphones (in their own velvet pouch) that are provided by the bed so you can listen to the radio without disturbing your partner. I could go on forever about the rooms but I think you get the gist.

The bathrooms are gorgeous too - all marble and chrome with his and her sinks, separate power shower cubicle (with marble ledge to sit on), separate loo (with phone in case you need to do business whilst doing your business - yuck), Molton Brown toiletries and the piece de resistance, the big bath with a telly (fog free screen) set into the wall. I have lasting memories of watching MTV Asia in the tub!

The first time we stayed, we upgraded to a deluxe suite for an extra £40. This meant we got an extra loo, upgraded toiletries and more phones (5!) than we knew what to do with. It also had a huge, separate lounge - a bit excessive really but I've always wondered how celebrities holidayed! The last time we stayed, as it was our "pre-honeymoon" (we were getting married a couple of weeks later in Koh Samui), we got a complimentary upgrade to a Grande Deluxe rooms (basically a normal room on a higher floor). Ten minutes after we checked in, room service brought freebie champagne (which I spilt most of trying to read the label on the open bottle) and chocolates, as well as a nice card from the manager.

One of the best thing about the PB is the views from the rooms. The design of the hotel means that all rooms have a river view. Bangkok is an amazing and vibrant city, both day and night, and it was great to be able to watch the city from the 21st floor.

No hotel is perfect though and on the first night of our 2003 trip, we were woken up by a rattly air conditioning unit. They did send an engineer out in the middle of the night to fix it and the manager was profusely apologetic so I will let them off...

**Leisure facilities**
For those wanting to exercise, the hotel has a gym and studio, as well as tennis courts (play tennis in the tropical heat? I don't think so). I did try to use the gym and lasted ten minutes - I got distracted by all the fruit and drinks which were laid out for exercising guests. I did use the pool a lot though, as well as the sauna and steam room. The pool is a fabulous, three-tiered creation, surrounded by mini-gazebos where you can chill out. Guests are provided with towels and iced water and you can order snacks from the comfort of your sun lounger. One downside of the location of the pool (right next to the river) is that it can get a bit whiffy - Bangkok is not the sweetest smelling city!

**Food**
The hotel has several restaurants. We ate breakfast at the riverside restaurant every morning we were there. The international buffet
was fabulous with a wide choice of continental, Asian and European breakfasts to choose from. I especially loved the barbecued pork buns and French toast (a nice combination, believe me!). The staff were attentive without being intrusive - it was a relaxing way to start the day.

We also ordered room service a couple of times for desserts (yes, we are greedy pigs but the Peninsula cheesecake is extraordinarily good!) and found the service to be great. The prices are reasonable too; we paid about £3 for each pudding which is not bad for a five star hotel. I remember the main dishes are quite reasonable too, about a fiver for a burger and fries, £3 for noodles.

The PB has several other restaurants - we also ate at the Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant on our last nights - excellent food and service.

**The public toilets**
You will think I'm a bit mad for mentioning this but the public loos are the cleanest I've ever seen. All the cubicles have really heavy, solid wood doors and instead of paper towels, rolled up fluffy towels are beautifully laid out in a wooden cabinet. They are so good, I thought they deserve their own heading!

**Checking out**
Again pain free - our luggage was collected and stored for us as we had a very late flight. The hotel also extended our check out time for free and allowed us to use the hotel leisure facilities after we checked out. This meant we could spend the day in sweaty Bangkok, then return to the hotel for a swim, steam and shower before the flight home.

So there you are. I hope I've at least convinced you as to why I think the PB is the best hotel in the world. Far from being impersonal and characterless as many luxury hotels are, the PB was a delightful place in which to stay and it didn't cost the earth either. If I won the lottery, I'd pack my suitcases and move in.

 

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