Day 4 - Thailand Holiday

Final day of our holiday which basically was spent just resting in the Hotel. Had a late breakfast and then it was just resting, wanted to go to the pool but it finally rained in Bangkok. We were glad that it rained only on our final day, guess it did not mess up the shopping trips ha ha ... Although we missed out on a few malls, it's a question of just too many Malls and too little Time. We checked out of the Hotel at 1pm they took really good care of us, all our bags were brought to the Benz, they call it a Benz transfer, and we were ferried to the airport, where we were again met by another representative of the Hotel who guided us to the check-in area and once our luggage was check-in and we got our boarding pass did he finally bade us good bye. He practically did all the talking to the counter staff we just produce our passports. It was a full flight but we still left on time and arrived slightly ahead of schedule. Finally back in Singapore and back to work .... holiday over. So how was our stay at the Banyan Tree Bangkok. Let's give it a full review here. Just some background, we took a 2+1 free night stay at the Banyan Tree Club Package. Which is accommodation at the Club Level suites which are from the 50th to 58th floor, Hotel Transfer (Benz Transfer as they call it), complimentary Laundry, daily Fruits, daily Breakfast, use of Club Lounge and a few other items. Cost per person was $888 which includes the airfare on SQ (Best Airline in the World I reckon :) you need to add in the other surcharges and taxes which was an additional $144 at that time, almost like taxi surcharges now. Banyan Tree Bangkok I'll rate it out of the following and a little disclaimer, below are our comments/ratings based on our experience at the Hotel and the service we received from the staff,. To make it like a holiday, I'll rate it based on what else Palm Trees, out of 5 :- (a) Arrival / Departure (includes check-ins/out and welcome) - 5 Palm Trees Absolutely wonderful it's not so much door-to-door service but more like plane-to-plane service where from the time you clear customs at arrival to the time you get your departure boarding pass, there is always someone from the Hotel there with you. They do really make full use of their Handphones as they use that frequently to communicate where you are and time of arrival at hotel or departure at airport so that someone will be there at the exact drop off point depending on your airline flight. Check-in was a breeze and in a very very comfortable area, no hassle at the counter to get your keys etc. They don't rush you as well once you have settled down then only do they bring you to your room at your own time. (b) Accommodation (room and amenities)- 4.5 Palm Trees Room and toilet was clean, we had an excellent view from our room (one of the very rare occasions that happens to us) amenities were great. Guess the only thing missing was the durian if they could slip that in on the fruit platter ..... wow that would be cooool. (c) Staff (housekeeping and club lounge) - 5 Palm Trees Very pleasant staff and they are really polite and they are very attentive to detail. They know your name once you get there and from then on they address you as such. (d) Facilities (Club Lounge, Restaurant, Gift Shop and Spa) - 4 Palm Trees We did not use the pool so not sure about that but the Gift Shop sales staff was very polite and helpful. The spa staff was excellent. Club lounge was great, the breakfast was ok but maybe the staff could ask what we wanted instead of us having to call them to say we wanted fried eggs with bacon or waffles or pancakes etc. Our only slight issue was at the Saffron restaurant where I think they were under staffed for the night and the service could be improved. The Moon Bar and Vertigo Restaurant we felt was quite dimly lit but maybe that's the atmosphere they wanted to create, it was crowded as well and the flooring could be improved as there were holes in the planks and that made walking with heels a problem for the missus. Almost got her heel stuck up on the 62nd floor of the open air Bar and Restaurant. (e) Service (Laundry, Room Service) - 5 Palm Trees How can you fault a hotel if at the check-in they give you a selection of pillows, with various degrees of firmness and type to choose from. We tried their laundry service and it was really good. Impressed with the fact that even undergarments (ya we sent those in as well :) were return in what seem pressed and individually wrapped. When you call them to pick up laundry there was no waiting or sometimes at other hotels you have to call 2 or 3 times before someone comes up. Here within 5 to 10 minutes they would be at your door to do the laundry pick up. We also called before we left that our laundry the night before was not delivered yet, the staff checked, called back saying on the way and in 5 minutes it was at our door. The Club Lounge Internet access was excellent as well as fast, although only 3 terminals it seemed sufficient as I never had to wait. Most guest bring their own Laptops. I brought mine as well but if the missus wants to use it I go down to the Club Lounge then. In conclusion the Hotel scored 23.5 Palm Tress out of a total of 25 based on our experience and service there. Will definately return if I am visiting Bangkok again.