While the overall stay was nice, rooms comfortable and pool area great if it was a budget hotel I would give it 'good', however you expect more from a Peninsula.

Hotel staff were in general polite, but the concierge were quite unfriendly, possibly because we are a young couple and they felt we don't have a right to be there. Some staff struggled to communicate in English, but in general OK. Room service took an eternity whenever we ordered something - they would tell us 20 minutes and it would finally arrive after an hour, making us miss half the morning. This sounds petty, but if you went to a Mandarin Oriental, Ritz Carlton etc. you would have everything you want in your room - basic things like a selection of good tea. You have to request tea from room service (which took half an hour) and they eventually bring you Lipton Yellow Label, which you would expect in a youth hostel or an office. Then if you ask for more of a range they try to charge you for more budget brands.

Whilst the classic style and furniture was good, some of it certainly wasn't classic, just old and tired. Felt like it hadn't had any attention since the 90's. They have things like a massive 14 inch TV in the bath behind a screen which was probably impressive 20 years ago, but less so now.

If you are planning on only staying in the hotel and not venturing out, this is not a bad option - however, you have a choice of 2 restaurants and one of them had no space for us on the first night. The surrounding area is not so nice and the hotel is on the wrong side of the river. Good for views but Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La are better located with good restaurants and better service.

I did raise my concern with the hotel. They thanked me for the bits that exceeded my expectations (not sure what those were, but I was being polite at that stage) and said they were concerned about the negatives. They said if I stay again, they will upgrade me... Then they said that I hadn't paid for something from the minibar and that if I didn't authorise payment within 2 days they would impose a fine.

The lapses in service and their approach to dealing with customers who raise concerns were what prompted me to write a more negative review. Some of the issues are easily fixable with the exception of the location and I assume this is one of the lesser hotels in their group that they intend on upgrading.

Just one night this time, but seamless as usual. From airport pick up to drop off, it just happens. Lunches excellent on the terrace by the river and evening meal in the Thai Restaurant sitting by the river, all very good with excellent service. Rooms very good but not up to the Pen in Hong Kong, but I assume the will get the same soon.

If you tell me it gets better elsewhere, call me skeptical. The room itself could serve as a useful archetype for all a five star room should ideally possess. What really sets it apart are the finishes and the attention to detail. From the abundance of high quality bathroom products to the unexpected extras---who else gives you two different sets of bathrobes?---it's hard to identify anything they could improve upon. And although the price is high by Bangkok standards, by international standards The Peninsula Bangkok is an astonishing bargain. The breakfast buffet was outstanding, the WiFi signal robust and reliable, the service impeccable, the location quite good, the water shuttle service frequent and stylish, and I suppose I could gush on for longer but you get the point. In the interest of not seeming like a totally infatuated shill for The Peninsula, I will mention that the restaurant prices are quite high, but is there really a reason to expect otherwise? Besides, part of the Bangkok experience involves going out for dinner, and as fabulous as The Peninsula is, shouldn't you leave the hotel at some point to enjoy other things the city has to offer, like fine dining? Sometimes when I have a great hotel experience in a city, I decide to try another great hotel the next time I visit simply to broaden my exposure. If or when I return to Bangkok, I won't give serious thought to the odd notion of staying elsewhere.