JW Marriott Bangkok, 2018
In November of 2018, I took a trip to Bangkok as part of an insane airline status run through Helsinki. As I had stayed at the JW Marriott Bangkok back in 2016, and being exceptionally impressed with it, I booked here again. It's located well for public transportation.Arrival
I flew into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, and had debated between taking the train like the first time, and a taxi as I had multiple bags. I decided a taxi. Now, many taxis will not use a meter even though they are required to do so by law. Insist on the meter, and if your cab driver does not speak English well, point at it and say, "Tik Tik Tik"". Many will hide it under a cloth or duvet cover, but it's there. If you don't do this, you'll regret the fee.About 1.5 hours after getting in the cab, through very dense highway and local street traffic, I was driven into the carport arrival at the JW. I paid the man for the ride, and the bellhops were immediately at the cab collecting my bags. They gave me a slip for my bags and brought me to the front desk.
At the front desk, I was identified as a Marriott Ambassador and then brought up to the Executive lounge on the 16th floor for check-in. There I was notified of my benefits as an elite member of Bonvoy, and of the lounge hours as well as my upgrade to a suite.
Well, now it was time to head to the room!
The Room
I was upgraded to a one-room suite. It's a super nice room and coincidentally the same type I was upgraded to in 2016. A great room for entertaining if one had someone to entertain.The Lounge
As I have mentioned in the past, one of the reasons to go to JWs in Asia is the ridiculous lounges they have. I've stayed at a lot of JWs, and so far, this is the best Executive lounge I have experienced. The size, the food, the view. It's a perfect balance of social and isolation, with an exterior area if you feel like sitting out with a drink or a cigar in the 95 degree heat.The personal chef service here is by far the most engaged of any JW lounge I have visited. It's a great networking spot too, as it is usually full of ex-pats from around the world.
Facilities
Unlike a lot of hotels, I actually used the gym and pool at this one. The pool is really nice, an excellent respite from the heat, and I can get a drink delivered right there. The gym is very large, with lots of space, you never feel like you're stepping on someone. They also have classes for things like Pilates and such. All of this is on the 6th floor along with the spa.Bring sneakers or you will not be allowed to enter the gym.
Summary
A 5 star hotel in every sense. Many other restaurants are available on the property that I didn't even look at given the lounge access. It has a massive event space with a completely separate entrance.There are other hotels in Bangkok, but I haven't seriously looked at ever staying at any of them. I just have a hard time imagining how they can compare to the best JW I have stayed at to date.
Comments
Omar H. - 2020-04-07
I need to go here asap!