Marriott Bonvoy members - where to stay in Bangkok: Sheraton Grande, JW Marriott or Athenee?

[Luv2Phuket]

I'm looking to cash out 2 free night certificates on my late-May trip.

Given that is is oppressively hot then, nearly every Marriott property comes in below the 35,000 point limit (actually most are 30,000/nt).

I have narrowed it to the 3 listed in the subject. FWIW, the St Regis would have been my pick, but it does not appear to ahve a Test & Go package.

My "plan" at this juncture is to bring a girl up from Pattaya to stay with me on nights 2 & 3 (after Test & Go). We talked about going to Bangkok for a few days on my last trip, but things went south.

Athenee -- make some "top 10" lists of best hotels in Bangkok, but a prior post on PA drew lukewarm responses, at best. Factoring in Test & Go package for the first night, this is the most expensive option, but it is only about $50 more (although I think it does not include breakfast.
Pros - seems to have an excellent location; seems like ti has a lot of "old World charm" to it that my anticipated LLT guest may like; comparing price to points "value," it is the best option; ranked #10 among BKK hotels on TripAdvisor (5 stars)
Cons - highest price; someone responding to my post a while back was not impressed & thought overpriced

JW Marriott -- seems to be a great property; I recently read a blog that suggested it was a great use of Marriott free night certs
Pros - great modern hotel with excellent reviews; scores higher than Athenee on Marriott website; has one of the best steakhouses in Bangkok on site; ranked #42 among BKK hotels on Trip Advisor (4.5 stars)
Cons - although a convenient location, it seems the least convenient of the 3; some recent reviews on TA were not good

Sheraton Grande -- I've been trying to stay at this hotel over multiple trips, but things keep falling apart.
Pros - excellent feedback from BMs; looks to have an ideal location, connected to Terminal 21 and Asok station; gets highest reviews of the 3 on Marriott's website; ranked #47 among BKK hotels on Trip Advisor (4.5 stars) 
Cons - it is the cheapest of the 3 options, so less "value" by using the certificate; seems like it is almost always within the points redemption limit, so it is an option for future trips where Athenee and JW Marriott may not be 

Despite the less than stellar feedback from my prior post and higher price, I am leaning slightly towards Athenee at this juncture, with the Sheraton Grande the likely second option. I love to stay at "top" hotels when I can, and I'm not certain it will be an option for future trips, especially with a Marriott devaluation coming soon. Of the 3, I think it is the closest to the St Regis as a smaller, high end hotel.

Any thoughts from Bonvoy members (or others) on these properties?

[Luv2Phuket]

Ooops...the St Regis DOES have a Test & Go package, but it's not very good....

Book any rate/promotion, then pay for Test & Gop separately.

Car - cheapest option is 2600 baht;
Test - 2700 baht
So that's 5300 baht on top of whatever rate I book (but I assume a points book may be possible)

The 5,300 baht falls just below the all-in price for JW Marriot (with breakfast) and Sheraton Grande.

The bigger deal breaker was the return of test results - from their website:
For specimens collected between 6:00 PM - 7:00 AM, guest will get the result next day in the afternoon.

I arrive at around 11 p.m., so I'd be locked in my room until the next afternoon.

This is a factor I need to look into a little closer. I think JW Marriott offers onsite testing. Don't know about Athenee or Sheraton Grande. I need to see if they have turnaround times posted anywhere.

[corp009]

I have stayed at the Queen Marquis before and found it a really nice hotel . Also as a Marriott employee here in Oz i was impressed with all the staff there and the rooms. They have an excellent exec lounge there too. 

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/bkkqp-bangkok-marriott-marquis-queens-park/photos/

[yesandno]

Disclaimer: I haven't stayed at any of the above in BKK.

I have never had a bad stay at any JW Marriott anywhere in the world, the staff are always fantastic and the properties are always immaculate.

Sheraton can be hit or miss in my experience, but I have a lower sample size for this brand.

St Regis can be very nice, but I find the butler service a bit over the top for my needs in Asia.

[HimBadMan]

5 hours ago, corp009 said:

I have stayed at the Queen Marquis before and found it a really nice hotel . Also as a Marriott employee here in Oz i was impressed with all the staff there and the rooms. They have an excellent exec lounge there too. 

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/bkkqp-bangkok-marriott-marquis-queens-park/photos/

As you may or not recall..  I'm a huge Marriott guy.  I typically don't "waste" my certs in BKK since rates are always cheap.  Use them for the Islands (typically).

I've stayed at the majority of BKK Props and agree so far my favorite has been the Queen Marquis.     its a 10 mins walk to sukhumvit but still in prime location.

Con: doesn't have a great roof top bar like Marriott Sukumvit (love it) or a great pool.

Pros:  always got upgraded and when (big when) their executive lounge is open is really good.   

 Their lobby is super classy and HUGE.   Service always impeccable . and have direct access to the park (big for me since I like to run and play basketball).

But this is not an option for u.  So out of the ones listed I would choose Athenee...

Edited March 10, 2022 by HimBadMan
a lot of typos

[JohnJr11]

Speaking from a non test n go standpoint.  I do not think you can use points or certificates any way.

 

The JW Marriott is very nice, excellent lounge and a very good breakfast buffet near soi Nana.

While the Sheraton Grande is also ok.  Although, you have to take 2 elevators to get to the reception desk, there seems less doorman, and less scrutiny should you be concerned about bringing a guest too your room.  Not to mention that there seems to be an abundance of willing guests not far from the entrance.

[The Danimal]

4 hours ago, HimBadMan said:

e so far my favorite has been the Queen Marquis.     its a 10 mins walk to sukhumvit but still in prime location.

Con: doesn't have a great roof top bar like Marriott Sukumvit (love it) or a great pool.

Pros:  always got upgraded and when (big when) their executive lounge is open is really good.   

 Their lobby is super classy and HUGE.   Service always impeccable . and have direct access to the park (big for me since I like to run and play basketball).

But this is not an option for u.  So out of the ones listed I would choose Athenee...

 

3 hours ago, JohnJr11 said:

The JW Marriott is very nice, excellent lounge and a very good breakfast buffet near soi Nana.

While the Sheraton Grande is also ok.  Although, you have to take 2 elevators to get to the reception desk, there seems less doorman, and less scrutiny should you be concerned about bringing a guest too your room.  Not to mention that there seems to be an abundance of willing guests not far from the entrance.

Kinda agree with both of these...but it really depends on what your main priority is...without knowing if Marriott Suk/Soi 57 is included... that is my default place.....if you want Nana = JW....Asok/Cowboy = Sher G.......I do like Marquis as well ..which is my second default.  FWIW I have spent well over 500 nights in BKK based Marriott properties and have been a lifetime platinum/titanium member for over 10 years

[RomaBob]

I stayed at Sheraton Grande in December, on arrival in BKK, at that time it was a faff on booking hotel for T&G as I had to go to a separate online site to pay for the test, get confirmation, send to Sheraton then get the required documentation for T&G.

On arrival at the hotel, the test was conducted on a separate floor that they were using for T&G visitors only, it was outside on a roof with someone fully kitted out. The room was very very basic, I gave the test in the afternoon and the result came back the next morning (it wasn't quick).

I then moved rooms for the next two nights on a floor that they were not using for the T&G, breakfast was in a dining room under covid restrictions, it wasn't impressive.

Hopefully they will have improved but it is not a hotel I will be returning to.

[HimBadMan]

8 hours ago, The Danimal said:

 

Kinda agree with both of these...but it really depends on what your main priority is...without knowing if Marriott Suk/Soi 57 is included... that is my default place.....if you want Nana = JW....Asok/Cowboy = Sher G.......I do like Marquis as well ..which is my second default.  FWIW I have spent well over 500 nights in BKK based Marriott properties and have been a lifetime platinum/titanium member for over 10 years

we have similar tastes except I prefer Marquis to vs. Marriott Suk/57.    I love their rooftop at 57, and as a Plat Elite haven't had the best upgrade situation there but when upgraded still wasn't blown away.

Again having the park access at Marquis has always been one of my main drivers.  And love their quick and free Dry Cleaning they provide. 

but maybe I'm missing something at 57?    haven't found any restaurants that I like as it seems like surrounding area was more Japanese driven.    thanks for the insight

 

[The Danimal]

2 hours ago, HimBadMan said:

we have similar tastes except I prefer Marquis to vs. Marriott Suk/57.    I love their rooftop at 57, and as a Plat Elite haven't had the best upgrade situation there but when upgraded still wasn't blown away.

Again having the park access at Marquis has always been one of my main drivers.  And love their quick and free Dry Cleaning they provide. 

but maybe I'm missing something at 57?    haven't found any restaurants that I like as it seems like surrounding area was more Japanese driven.    thanks for the insight

 

Upgrade situation for me is pretty much a given...but I also know pretty much everyone at 57...that being said you are correct...upgrade is usually to a suite which is really a separated living area/bar with an additional powder room off the entrance.  The Park for Marquis is better...and a bit closer to Nana/Cowboy/etc....and dry cleaning is great...though you still get 2-3 free items/day at 57 and there is a cleaners at the end of 57 (150 meters) that is super quick/cheap (~200baht/bag).

As for restaurants...I would argue Thonglor has the best in the city,,,,there are many "Michelin" restaurants on 55 and within walking on a few other sois close by.  Check out any "Best of Bangkok" list and you will quickly see quite a few...not to mention a really good couple of fruit stands and sidewalk food vendors at the corners of Suk and 55/57.  I also walk to Emquartier and Ekami if in the need for a mall type place...or W District.

[ChiFlyer]

I am Marriott Platinum for life. I practically lived in their hotels for 10 years. Seriously, I had several years with over 250 stays. These were all on expense reports or at least tax deductible for business reasons. I was an IT consultant who was constantly on the road.

With that said I have never stayed in any of the hotels that the OP mentioned. The main Marriott near Nana looks good and I have heard good things about it (dated for sure).

My favorite property in Bangkok was the

Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit Thonglor

I preferred the Executive Apartments locations as they had more of a sense of home. There were seldom if ever (back in the day) awards options for them, but they tended to cost around $100 USD a night if you were at Marriott's senior age limit (which was 60 back in the day).

Usually, because of my status I would get upgraded and a breakfast was included.

I liked the Thonglor location because it was outside the Sukhumvit Farang Ghetto, but still had some decent MP options near by. Plus the Sky Train stopped very close by and one could get to the more popular locations in a matter of minutes.

I have not stayed there in 5 years.

Edited March 10, 2022 by ChiFlyer

[Luv2Phuket]

I'll have to check to see if Marquis or Suk/57 are options.

Upgrades are not really a factor for me. Although I have a boatload of points, my Marriott status is shit (Gold Elite).

Perhaps foolishly, I have spread my activity among many programs (+ I just don't stay in hotel that often) and generally get status from credit cards I hold (which also get me free nights). As a result, I am Gold with Bonvoy, Discoverist with Hyatt, Diamond with Hilton (the one that nets me the best perks across the board) and Platinum Elite/Ambassador (which you have to pay for) with IHG. Ambassador gets me automatic upgrades at InterContinental hotels (but not other IHG properties) and an annual BOGO night. Given my stays in Pattaya, I think it is worth the annual charge.

My thoughts are swinging back and forth. Yesterday, I was pretty set on Sheraton Grande, but last night I started to swing back to Athenee.

Deciding factor will be whether I can upgrade to a better room using points on top of my 35,000 point free night certificates. Marriott now allows you to book a hotel requiring more points by doing so (say one at 50,000/night), but I don't know if you can upgrade at a hotel that is less than 35,000 by using additional points.

At Athenee, I can upgrade to a larger corner room for a few thousand points per night, but Sheraton Grande would hit me for a lot more to go to a higher floor (that is the same room; just higher).

The other option at Athenee (around the same # of points) is to stay in the regular/smaller room and get lounge access (so free breakfast). I think the bigger room is the better call, assuming Marriott will let me upgrade to it with points.

[Luv2Phuket]

14 minutes ago, ChiFlyer said:

I am Marriott Platinum for life. I practically lived in their hotels for 10 years. Seriously, I had several years with over 250 stays. These were all on expense reports or at least tax deductible for business reasons. I was an IT consultant who was constantly on the road.
 

I'm envious!

My travel for a number of years has been focused on vacation travel (generally using points unless rates too cheap) or for events where the room is part of a group block (usually comped by the hotel to get the event) and I don't get any credit for it.

 

[Luv2Phuket]

Okay....in case anyone gives a fuck, here is where I came out:

I nixed the Athenee because I could not upgrade the room using points in addition to my free night certificates. The ability to use points to go above the 35,000 point certificate is ONLY if the hotel itself charges more than 35,000 points (up to 50,000); you cannot use them to get a better room at a hotel that is 35,000 points or less. 

Valuable lesson....and it is encouraging that I can look at a broader range of hotels with future free night certificates.

I decided to go with the Sheraton Grande, because the pool looks great, a fellow BM messaged me and endorsed it, and I LOVE the location - sky bridge to Terminal 21, connected to the Asok BTS station, close to Cowboy (if I am hunting companionship).

I am NOT booking a "Test & Go" night until late April, at the earliest, as I hope they drop it.

While I am hopeful that "Test & Go" will be "Tested & Gone" by then, the Sheraton offers drive through test on the way from the hospital and free breakfast, which are both plusses. Athenee offered expedited testing with results in 2 hours, but I'm looking at a midnight arrival at the hotel, at the earliest. It also appeared that Athenee also did not offer breakfast with their Test & Go package (which cost about 1750 baht more than Sheraton).

I used my free night certificates for the 2nd and 3rd nights of my stay (30,000 points per night).

In case Test & Go is gone, I booked the first night on a paid rate of around 3875 baht, which is fully refundable up until the day before. That rate included breakfast, which I fully expect to take advantage of. Should my LLT join me for nights 2 & 3, she is not a big breakfast fan, so no problem NOT having it for those days.

Doing the math, the 30,000 Bonvoy points required would work out to an effective rate of less than .4 cents per point ($116.25 divided by 30,000 points = .003875). Most bloggers value Bonvoy points from .7 cents to .9 cents, so that "effective return" just seemed too low. Plus, I get breakfast, which I wouldn't with the points booking.

I try not to get too hung up on getting "full value" for bookings. I have about 330,000 Marriott points and a devaluation is coming, so I would be happy to use them. A rate of $116.25, though, is just too low to cash some out, in my opinion.

Thanks for all of the input!

[The Danimal]

2 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

 Plus, I get breakfast, which I wouldn't with the points booking.

....and a devaluation is coming...

Too lazy to read back...but I thought you were gold and gold gave you free breakfast options in BKK?...maybe not there...never stayed...don't know

and what is this devaluation you speak of?

They have recently (in the last few years after the Sheraton M&A) revalued everything...some were big wins...some were big losses...then they re did everything again...but now the points don't match the cash IMO...i.e. a 3500/night baht place is sometimes now 35-30K points...while a 2500/night baht place can be 12.5K points a night...

 

[Luv2Phuket]

22 minutes ago, The Danimal said:

Too lazy to read back...but I thought you were gold and gold gave you free breakfast options in BKK?...maybe not there...never stayed...don't know

and what is this devaluation you speak of?

They have recently (in the last few years after the Sheraton M&A) revalued everything...some were big wins...some were big losses...then they re did everything again...but now the points don't match the cash IMO...i.e. a 3500/night baht place is sometimes now 35-30K points...while a 2500/night baht place can be 12.5K points a night...

 

I read recently that they are scrapping their award charts at the end of March -- from then on, everything is based on demand -- may be higher, may be lower.

I don't think Gold scores me breakfast at Marriott. It does at Hilton, but I'll have to check on Marriott.

[Ipsa est veritas]

I stayed at The Athenee about two years ago (just as this shit storm broke out).

I had a corner suite.

If "old world charm" is what you seek then this is the place.

Terrific location, excellent food and very good staff(well,they were then)

Not the cheapest.

I have not stayed at The Sheraton Grande, however my good mongering friend swears by this place. The rooms are huge and I believe they recently went through maintenance.

The location is excellent and the staff were very impressive on my visits there.

Nothing was a problem for my friend..... NOTHING.

😁