Pattaya Hilton

[HDMuffDiver]

I'm looking for input on member's experience. I plan on staying there in June. Since I'll be using my HHonors points, I will be staying for free. Save my money for more important things, like bar fines, food and beer.

 

It looks like it is walking distance to most bars and Walking Street. My concerns are they TG friendly?

[stockb]

I have stayed there a couple of times and never paid, its a quality hotel, upgraded to a suite, and you want a room facing Walking Street, some people have complained about noise from below but as i have never gone to bed before 5am or sober i have never noticed, only downfall is the small pool area, not alot of sunbeds.

 

If you go out of the hotel and head down to beach road, probably easier to just go through the shopping centre below, you can easily get on a baht bus that will drop you off at Walking Street.

 

enjoy it

[HDMuffDiver]

Thanks Stockb. Did they give you any grief or charge you for bringing a girl or two back to the room?

[stockb]

No joiner fees

[LISBON]

For people without HHonors points they have got a special offer on at the moment, save up to 33% off if you book in January.

5896 baht for B&B in Feb, a bargain!

[jerry]

I'm shore they're a lot more girlfriend friendly as in the Bangkok Hilton ..

[PH Lodge]

I am pretty sure some have posted on other threads that Hilton does charge a joiner fee,

As for hotel itself, how can you possibly go wrong with a 5 star hotel charging over $300/night in Thailand

[PeterKe]

Nice hotel except for the noise if you are trying to get any sleep (which you might not be).

I believe they started with no joiner fees and a side entrance, but now the side entrance is closed in the evening, you have to parade through the lobby with your gf, and they charge a joiner fee.

Location is great and easy to get to anywhere. Food is good, fairly cheap (for a 5* hotel) buffet every day, but can be a bit limited - still good value for what you pay for. Agree with the earlier post about the pool being very small and only about 30 sunbeds (for 300+ rooms).

 

Rooms are very modern, completely non-Thai and the design is borderline between being cool and just being cold.

[Luv2Phuket]

I think the location is great, but I'm a lazy, fat f*cker, so I wouldn't say it is walking distance to Walking Street. Given that it's at Central Festival, it's one of the easiest places to catch a baht bus.

[troniked]

I stayed there in October in the King Hilton Deluxe Plus room. The room was awesome, and definitely quiet as it was pretty high and also well insulated. I wouldnt say its walking distance from Walking Street, I mean I guess it depends on how far you want to walk, especially late at night if you are wasted lol. As it has been mentioned, its in the Central Festival Mall, so thats a big plus if you want to be near the shopping and restaurants in the mall.

 

There are quite a few extra fees involved in staying there, there was a larger deposit than any of the other hotels I stayed at (I was staying away from using any debit or credit cards), I think it was like 5000b for a four day stay, and there was I think a 1000b wireless charge per day or something like that. I forget exactly how much, but it wasnt free. Also there definitely would be a joiner fee for even one guest. I happened to check in with a long time TG, so her name was included at checkin and there was no fee. But I really wouldnt say its girl friendly since most of the guests seem to be business people, couples, or families. You can sneak a girl up through the mall entrance while its open (I think until 11 or so), but after that time, you have to go by the lobby entrance and they will definitely take her name down. Honestly, one thing I remembered was that it was kind of a hassle to get into the room late at night, lots of walking involved it seemed. The entrance wasnt as close to the major streets as a lot of the other hotels, so you had to walk a little from the taxi drop off.

 

Overall, it was an awesome room I think for if you wanted to spend time with a long time TG, but I dont think I liked it if I was going to be doing some heavy duty mongering.

[FROST MEDIC999]

1,000 Baht Joiner Fee per guest whom has limited access to Pool area etc.

 

They try to discourage guests

 

Even Booking a Room for Two Guests will not work

 

Therefore NO not guest friendly anymore Mate

[jimaz]

I have just emailed them about joiner fees, allready booked it for 5 days but dont want to pay extra.

Wich else classy hotel with no joiner fee can you guys recomend?

[Luv2Phuket]

Crap! I just typed a long ass reply, but must have hit something because I just lost it! I'll try to come up with what I'd said....

 

I stayed at Marriott and Holiday Inn in November -- both are GREAT properties that do not charge joinder fees. The staff at both hotels are FANTASTIC! I would go so far as to say that the staff at either hotel is as good or better than almost any hotel in which I have stayed over the years.

 

Marriott is a little older (but rooms renovated in last 2 years), and it has a "tropical" fee to me. Holiday Inn is a newer property (I think it opened about 3 years ago), and has a high-rise, "upscale" feel to it. I think the Holiday Inn has more of a "wow" factor, assuming you have a room on a higher floor with a great balcony view.

 

Marriott has a better location in my opinion, and, because it has entrances on both Beach Road and Second Road, it is about the easiest place to catch a baht bus. It's also walking distance to Walking Street and Soi LK Metro -- I am lazy as Hell but walked to Soi LK Metro, back to Marriott and down to Walking Street one night.

 

The location of Holiday Inn is at the far end of Walking Street, close to the Amari and the Dusit Thani. I found a couple of baht bus drivers who would pull over by the Amari and claim that it was the end of the ride (or I could pay them another 10 baht to continue around). Sometimes I would walk the 2-3 blocks; other times I would just pay the extra 30-35 cents. That was the ONLY disadvantage to the Holiday Inn in my mind.

 

I think both are excellent choices, I would highly recommend staying in either and I hope to stay in one or the other on my future trips!

 

Here are some photos. I don't know how to put in captions, but it's 2 photos of the Marriott pool/garden area, 2 of my Holiday Inn room, the day view from my balcony at Holiday Inn, and the Holiday Inn infinity pool -- sorry, but I didn't get any in-room shots at the Marriott.

 

Also, I'm not good at re-sizing photos, so hopefully I got these small enough!

Edited January 1, 2012 by footypjman

[rota1300t]

i have stayed at marriot and Hilton in pattaya. both great hotels, Hilton was way classyer, and ver nice, i had my thai girlfriend with me and she was shown respect but i saw other guys bring one night girls and they were treated different, the marriot was no were near as classy or new but seamed to be cool with girls

[LISBON]

These hotels are only for millionaires, well out of my league

[Thaihot]

Great pics showing of 2 great hotels that have comfort & are well up scale.

 

[troniked]

Nice review footypjman, I really like the Holiday Inn rooms. How were the Marriott rooms? I heard there might be some noise insulation issues, that the walls seemed to be a bit thin. Any issues with that? I am thinking about staying there next time, although I really had a nice time at Page10 this last trip.

[Luv2Phuket]

Sorry I didn't get in-room shots at the Marriott. Didn't think about it until I had already changed to Holiday Inn.

 

Marriott rooms employ a dark wood, more traditional look. I think the rooms may be a little bigger, but I'm not certain. Bathroom at Holiday Inn is bigger.

 

It's funny -- I was at the Marriott in November 2009 and November 2001, and was in the EXACT same room both times! In 2009, they were doing renovations, but hadn't gotten to my room yet. In 2011, I could see the updates -- flat screen TV; much more modern bathroom, but the basic layout, closet, fridge, etc. remained unchanged. Bigger balcony, but my view was just of the pool area.

 

I didn't notice noise issues in either hotel....other than the "screams of passion" from my TGs! 55555555

 

As stated, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend both.

[stockb]

Marriot, is tired and old, if you dont mind being a bit away the Sheraton is the best by far!

[landmann]

So what's up now.... Joiner Fees OR not at the Hilton ? Just booked a Deluxe Ocean Suite for a week

[troniked]

So what's up now.... Joiner Fees OR not at the Hilton ? Just booked a Deluxe Ocean Suite for a week

.

definitely joiner fees. Only way I avoided it was by checking in with the TG I stayed with for 3 days.

[landmann]

.

definitely joiner fees. Only way I avoided it was by checking in with the TG I stayed with for 3 days.

 

Do you know if they charge you every time when you get in with a girl - or just once a day ?

[Darkosirex]

Do you know if they charge you every time when you get in with a girl - or just once a day ?

 

everytime you bring a girl.

[Darkosirex]

No joiner fees

 

when you are not sure please dont spread false intel.

[swissbanker]

The Millenium Hilton in Bangkok is NOT girl friendly. In fact they are not even thai wife friendly.

 

My thai wife is a classy good looking girl dressing in upscale cloth but whenever we want to go to the Executive Lounge together on the 31st floor they try to stop us. In December the greeting lounge girl welcomed me in English but then told my thai wife in thai that she could not enter because no hot shorts were allowed. Well my wife was wearing a dress that went down to her knees ! So I asked the girl in English what's going on and told her: "if you got a problem call the manager" and we walked right in.

 

Next time I will insist seeing the manager and have this girl go down on her knees to apologize by kissing my wife's feet.