My wife and daughter and I had...
My wife and daughter and I had to travel to Bangkok over the holidays to participate in our friends' wedding. I tapped all of the online resources I could find to get a good hotel room for my family at a decent price. I tried all the .coms as well as the hotel sites directly. I even tried tapping into some "friends and family" discounts through a good friend. I then gave AsiaRooms.com a try and I was amazed at the rate I got for the hotel I wanted--and all taxes and breakfast was included!
When we arrived at the hotel (about 4am local time) we were immediately impressed by the beautiful lobby and the exceedingly friendly staff. The woman checking us in was very accommodating and was able to put us in a non-smoking room with two double beds--perfect for my family! The room was very nice as well, with some of the most comfortable beds I've had the opportunity to enjoy. We ordered room service (from a widely varied menu) and were again impressed with the quality and quantity of food. If you don't try their variation of the club sandwich (complete with fried egg) then you haven't lived.
After a quick nap my daughter and I made it up in time to enjoy the buffet breakfast on the terrace overlooking the river. Again the food was impeccable and the ambience was sublime. They had an entire station of breads, an omelets station, pancake/waffle station, a wide variety of fresh fruits, yogurts, cereals, noodles, rice dishes, fresh juices, etc. Enjoying such wonderful food outside on the terrace there was no question that our vacation had begun.
Later we had the opportunity to enjoy the pool. There is a shallow area cordoned off for the younger ones and then a huge, deep, and beautiful pool for the rest to enjoy. I also enjoyed the swim-up pool bar (just to make sure I could be thorough any reviews). They also have a hot tub close to one end of the pool, but it was warm enough outside that I didn't feel like pursuing it.
We then wanted to hit the city so we took the water taxi from the pier just past the Longtail bar on property. It was a pleasant (free) 15 minute boat ride up the river to the Taksin BTS station. You can take a regular cab from there or jump on the sky train. The best part about the water taxi, however, is the return trip. When you get back on the water taxi to head back to the resort they hand out an ice-cold towel and bottle of water (free again of course). After a hard days work seeing the beautiful sites of the city there are few things more precious. When you get off the water taxi you should definitely stop for a beverage and perhaps a snack at least once during your stay. The wonderful staff at all of the resort's facilities including this one will make you feel like royalty. Sitting out by the water with a beverage of choice and watching the boats go by may not sound like much, but it was most enjoyable.
We enjoyed some other amenities of the hotel during our brief stay, including the fitness center, spa (a manicure for the ladies), coffee from Numero Uno Cafe, and the Riverside Terrace for a Christmas Buffet dinner and Thai cultural show. A common theme that ran through every aspect of the resort was that it was wonderful and the staff go above and beyond the pale at every opportunity to make the guests feel comfortable and happy. A late flight on our last night meant that we didn't need to head to the airport until after 10pm. The front desk gave us as late a checkout as they could accommodate and then told us that we could use the fitness center facilities at our leisure--an invaluable treat after a last day of sight-seeing before embarking on a 22 hour journey back home.
Every aspect of our stay at the Marriott Resort was absolutely wonderful. The amenities, the food, and above all the incredible staff have made an indelible mark on our travel memories. When we have occasion to pass through Bangkok again we will undoubtedly call the Marriott resort home once again.
