Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

We booked a 3-night stay this past May to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary, booking through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) program along with our Fans of M.O. membership. Given the FHR benefits, we were looking forward to a complimentary room upgrade, but our check-in experience left us feeling misled. We were initially assigned an "upgraded" Verandah room, which was very disappointing. The room itself was quite compact, the verandah was too small to truly enjoy, and it was located on a low floor facing away from ICONSIAM with a subpar river view. Calling that room an "upgrade" felt deceptive—honestly, it should be sold at a lower rate than standard rooms. We asked to be moved back to the original room category we had reserved. The staff member agreed to check for availability, so we stepped out for lunch while waiting. When we returned, we were moved to our originally requested room, and it was night and day—spacious, comfortable, and vastly superior to the first room. However, while the front desk staff did not explicitly say "no," their reluctance and subtle irritation were noticeable, which got our milestone anniversary off to an uncomfortable start. The Pros: The river view from our second room was truly spectacular (5/5). The complimentary private shuttle boat service running every 30 minutes to ICONSIAM and nearby piers was punctual and extremely convenient. The Cons: Breakfast became repetitive by the second day (2.5/5). The overall selection was limited, and mangoes were only served in small, pre-portioned slices rather than generously. Staff service felt mixed and lacked the genuine warmth expected at this level (3/5). At this price point, we expected flawless hospitality and a much better dining experience. If we return to Bangkok, we will likely explore other luxury options offering superior breakfast selections and better recognition of loyalty benefits.

This is our second time here and we stayed for 1 night on 8 Aug. Compared with our first time stay one year ago(also in early August this stay was slightly not quite there due to the high occupancy and group events going on : the lobby was full day busy and crowded like a wet market, the housekeeping related services and breakfast food were super slow or need multiple follow up to get the items and food we wish. However, it was still a great and memorable stay. We booked the Chaoya river room which was not open during our stay last year. The duplex room design was super classical with the river review right in front. We will comeback again but hopefully we could be lucky to not bump into such many group events…

My mother and I returned to the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok after our last stay in 2018. Last time, there were several things that made us not want to return, but this time, we felt that many things had improved. While some things weren't perfect, the diligence and attentiveness of almost all the staff we encountered made us want to stay here every time we're back in Bangkok. Special Thanks to Khun Mayuri who is always attentive and kind, Khun Som, our floor butler, the lady who is a Chief Concierge, the Doormen, the staff at The Verandah, The China House, Lord Jim's and room service who were attentive to us at all times.

Just amazing in every detail, especially the memorable service. Special thanks to Khun Mook, Khun Nutty, and Khun Mai for the warm welcome upon arrival and departure and reservation assistance. Khun Pao, Khun Non, and Khun Rain during our pool relaxing time. Khun Koy, Khun Miaw, and Khun Long for looking after me and my mother in The Veranda restaurant. Khun Mook, Khun Aey, and Khun Aun for the memorable night in The Bamboo Bar. Khun Bank my personal butler who assists me attentively. No wonder why this place is called the living legend.

Superb stay at the MO. Had a wonderful river view room which was very comfortable. Thanks much to the concierge staff for arranging a lovely boat trip through the canals. Airport transportation service was great.