5 Stars Means Free Breakfast
[QUOTE=Nyezhov;2554984]What waste of bandwidth. Why do you guys diss the Paw? Great writer, great sense of humour, great familiarity with what he writes about.
Dudes this is the internet, smoke a bowl and chill.
For you guys in BKK, see ya in a few months. As soon as the hotel buffets open me and Eatigo are back.
Hey Paw, got any fun experiences with Hotel Buffets, LOL?[/QUOTE]Radisson Blue on Sukhumvit for BKK. Skip paying for breakfast buffet to be the included in your room. Avoid the set of main elevators that lead to the hotel rooms. Those require cards except for the restaurant and buffet floor. The lobby has a small bar and coffee lounge open for everybody, guests or not, just like restaurant. Go down to the lobby and use the single elevator that is parallel to Sukhumvit (walk in entrance), next to the glass stall that sells cookies and cakes. This single elevator only goes to the restaurant and the stairway. It is always unmanned. The hostess desk for the restaurant is way on the other side by the other main set of elevators about 90 meters away. There is always somebody there that checks guests in. Dinner time, she seats them. Breakfast time, she doesn't. The key is to come an hour or two before the breakfast buffet ends, when it is a bit chaotic. It's a 5 star restaurant, so there will be plenty of food left. When you exit the elevator and get to the buffet dining area, go straight the buffet lines and look at the food. If you get caught, which I never have, say that you are only looking at the options to see what they have before deciding if you want to eat. Don't panic or get flustered, that will give you away. You can always say, you don't like what you see and go back down using the other set of elevators. They think you are going back up to your room. If you don't stay there, act like you do. Remember, these are very low waged workers, not so bright, so more than likely, they are deathly afraid of the "5 star hotel guest."
If you manage to sit down with your first plate, unchecked. Then it's pretty much game over for them. I would always make myself more visible, once the hard part was done sneaking in. I would ask the bussers, where certain items where on the buffet (it's huge and many many stations), complement the cooks, and leave a small 20 baht tip as well. On the way out, use the main set of elevators, and walk by the hostess and "thank her." By making yourself familiar and kind, the next day, nobody would even question you about anything when they see you again.
Also, floor 21 has Club and Lounge access which if you stay there on any floor, your card will be able to reach that floor, but not be able enter the lounge glass doors unless it was programmed to. There are some nice chairs sitting outside the glass doors and near the elevators. Right next to the lounge entrance glass doors is the mens bathroom. This is a positional advantage. On a typical busy weekend PRE-COVID, I can just wait about 5 minutes (in the afternoon) and I will hear the elevator ding. Somebody is coming up to the lounge, which means free sandwiches and juice for somebody else. Yum! Quick dash in the bathroom. Wait and listen for the door to beep. Pretend like you are headed out and back into the lounge. Amazingly, they will also hold that door for you as well. And when you are enjoying your goodies, think of the Paw.
P.S. In Pattaya, use the Beach Road doors for LK Empress Breakfast buffet, not the one connected to the hotel itself in the middle. Just walk in and straight to the buffet line. Check in is way in the other side for hotel guests, but their mistake is they allow for walk in non-guests for 200 baht, plus have patio seating on Beach Road for everybody. How the heck they know who is who is anyone's guess. If you get caught, which I never have, say you are a guest and they will ask you to check in way on the other side at the other entrance. Then just walk to the bathroom in between to the left side, take a piss, wash your hands, and wait a minute and try all over again. Worse case scenario, say you want to see what's on the buffet before deciding. This one is as good as found money. Don't forget tip to make an impression of "no way he's scamming because he has money to tip, when most don't."
And for Avani (former Marriot), use the Dicey Reilly stairs to access the patio or the Beach Road entrance next to Benihhana (Avanai garden) or Royal Garden Mall entrance or even the front entrance because it's all open there. The mistake they both make is they allow patio dining. Just walk by, grab you a used plate that somebody left behind or hell, bring your own plate that looks the same and walk in and enjoy their 5 star buffet. Nobody will say anything to you when you are holding a plate. They think you already checked in.
Aya Botique has never checked anyone even if they stayed there or not. Many times I've stayed there, breakfast not included, and I would go down to eat breakfast. It's not a buffet, rather crappy, but it was free.
I know more places, but I would have to spend all night writing.
P. P. S: If you think I am lying, ask FL Hawk.
