The Peninsula Bangkok

Staying at this hotel now. This is the third time staying here and the activities that they advertise for the day at reception are never available! Every time I come and try to book them in advance they say they are fully booked. What is the point of having the whole list of activities on the board for guests at reception and in the room if they cannot be ever booked! Even in advance. At the restaurant the chef invited for the cooking class but no availability again. If this is the standard of Peninsula now, then I will not be coming again sorry.

I hadn’t visited Bangkok for over 12 years, so when I enquired about staying at The Peninsula, I wasn't surprised to be quoted full rack rate with no benefits, despite previous innumerable nights over 60 or so separate stays at the property - often with my late partner. Fortunately there's infinitely more choice in BKK today - IHG or Shangri-La, in particular, where I’ve maintained Platinum (or equivalent) status. So despite choosing to stay elsewhere this time, I decided to return for a nostalgic solo dinner on the terrace. Unfortunately, the experience was deeply disappointing. The buffet looked underwhelming. Certainly nowhere near its former standard. In fact, it reminded me more of a decent four-star hotel buffet in Lanzarote than what one might expect from a 'flagship' five-star property. Determined to give the old girl the benefit of the doubt, I opted instead for the Thai restaurant and was seated at a riverside table; something that once felt like a privilege reserved for top-tier guests, but today seemed more a reflection of how few diners were present. I ordered a gin and tonic, only to be told there would be a long wait as the bar was busy (apparently due to a large wedding on the terrace). Still, I remained in good spirits and even took a photo to share with a friend and fellow Peninsula enthusiast, currently confined to a hospital bed in Lyon. Then came the water: Vittel. I declined. Thailand is not short of perfectly good bottled water, and it seems unnecessary - if not environmentally tone-deaf - to import the stuff from 6,000 miles away. Being told this was the only option felt both pretentious and at odds with the sustainability messaging large hotel groups often promote. At that point, I decided to leave without the drink, let alone dinner. It felt like the right moment to take a final boat ride across the river and let the Peninsula remain a fond but distant memory. Sadly, even this once on-demand shuttle is now timetabled. In the end, it was quicker to walk to Icon Siam for dinner. A disappointing return to what was once a truly special place.

We had dinner at River Cafe and Terrace at The Peninsula Bangkok on Saturday. The buffet was good. The hotel is beautiful and riverside.

We stayed here as a family of 5 for the second time and celebrated our wedding anniversary during our stay. The stay was again amazing and our children really love the attention they get from staff throughout the hotel. Our deluxe suite was perfect with fresh fruit plates provided every day when the room was serviced by Housekeeping and on arrival we were given an array of complimentary amenities from the hotel as a welcome back. We also had a lovely cake and hand-written card from the hotel manager on our anniversary day. My only observation was at breakfast on the last morning - due to the Thai holidays there was visibly less staff and we waited a very long time for anyone to serve us. I had to ask for children's cutlery sets (which on other occasions were brought out immediately) and nobody came to take a drinks order for coffee/tea, so that was not good. Our plates were also piled up as it took such a long time for anyone to clear the table and with 3 children that was not ideal. At the river cafe, the menu had also changed since our last stay - I remember having the most delicious crab pasta dish on our previous stay which was no longer on the menu now, so that was disappointing. We are coming back in the summer as we really do just love it so much and despite the two let downs, it won't stop us from returning. The boat staff, bell porters and housekeeping are truly the best.

I went with my family and friends. This was my second stay and the first was amazing and this was even more so, despite my son having a medical emergency. The hotel is gorgeous and the staff is exceptional. They are truly caring and went out of their way to make a scary experience easy on our family. They were extra kind and many took the time to check in. I wouldn't stay anywhere else. Highly recommend. They are beyond amazing.