Marriott Resort Spa /anantara Reviews

Firstly, Bangkok is a bit too much to attack without at least an afternoon of sleep after the flight to recover from the jet lag. The Marriott in Bangkok is slightly out of the city centre which gives you the oppourtunity to get away from the bustle. There is a complimentary shuttle boat and on the return trip the VERY helpful staff give you a much needed bottle of water and a near-frozen towel. The hotel has excellent eating places on site and a meal at the Japanese restaurant (although a bit pricey by Thai standards) was superb. My partner and daughter rate it as the best food ever. It is all cooked infront of you by your own personal chef to your specification with an added floor show which my daughter, and other children in the restaurant, loved. The facilities are as expected in a deluxe hotel but there is so much to do in Bangkok that you neither have the time or the energy to partake in much. We recommend the weekend market which is easily accessible by the skytrain which is cheap, punctual and relatively uncrowded.

We took an excursion to the Bridge on the River Kwai but I wouldn't recommend it. The bridge and the cemetary are moving but its a long trip which took a day out of Bangkok stay.

The Anantara was formerly known as the Baan Boran and has recently been entirely renovated. the pictures in this years' brochures look dated and do not reflect how beautiful the hotel and its surroundings are.

The double bath was beautiful although the glass screens around the bathroom could worry those that like their privacy. A river view room is a must as you are able to look out on Burma and Laos whilst sipping your drink on the balcony. The hotel pool was exquisite but a litle cool for my taste. The open air jacuzzi was much warmer and we spent many hours sitting beside the pool with the staff pampering us.

The food was OK and, as the hotel was 1 mile from the small town, you did feel obliged to eat in the hotel restaurants especially with an 11 year old in tow.

Do not miss a tour which includes an elephant ride and a tour to the north Thai villages. We had a private tour organised by Kuoni which included 2 hours on an elephant.

We never go back to the same place twice on holiday but Thailand and its people were so great we think we're going to make an exception. Don't be put off by the longish flight or from taking children as my daughter ( who is blond ) was spoilt and given gifts in the shops in North Thailand. We never felt threatened although a lot of people outside the tourist hotspots try to get you into tuk-tuks. DON'T DO IT!

We give Thailand a big thumbs -up; a definite 10 out of 10.