I stayed at the Shangri-La in Bangkok for 2 nights, 23 and 24 November, as a change from my usual preferred hotels in the Oriental City. Favorable reviews, excellent location, and previous good experiences with SL (in Hong Kong) encouraged me to give the hotel a try. I booked a Deluxe room in the newer Krungthep Wing. I left with mixed feelings, the reasons for which I'll detail below, but my shorthand advice for fellow higher-end travelers is this: carefully compare the SL with all of its luxury competitors in Bangkok before booking. Bangkok has some of the world's best hotels, and at least several are more impressive overall than the SL. If you stay at the SL, prefer the older-but-better Shangri-La Wing to the Krungthep Wing, especially the former's renovated Executive rooms and suites. If you have a problem, at least in the Krungthep Wing, have a manager deal with it, as the front-desk and guest-relations staff in the KT Wing don't seem up to problem-solving.
Pros: (1) Excellent location, on the Chao Praya River, and adjacent to the terminal Skytrain station. (2) Responsive managers. When I had repeated difficulties getting KT Wing staff to do anything, managers quickly stepped in, apologized, and righted wrongs. They even removed a couple of charges from my bill and gave me a free dinner for my troubles. Good staff in the Shangri-La Wing. (3) Excellent food, especially in the Next2 riverside restaurant (SL Wing). (4) Two swimming pools; (once again) the SL Wing's is better. (5) Spacious rooms and bathrooms (KT Wing) with excellent comfort and features: all-marble bath, separate shower stall, electronic bedside controls for lights, drapes, etc. Also great river views and balconies (KT Wing). Rooms (at least KT) are quiet. (6) The KT Wing is much smaller than the SL Wing, and it's more business-traveler oriented.
Cons: (1) Visible wear and tear in rooms and public areas, moreso in the "newer" (12 years old) KT Wing than in the "older" (20 years +) SL Wing. My room had noticeable stains on the walls, bed lines, and several pieces of furniture, including the large stool at the foot of my bed. The stool was so stained -- and also had a large tear in the fabric -- that I had it removed from the room. (2) Bland decor, at least in the KT Wing rooms: mud-brown wood and tarnished brass everywhere, and the aforementioned stained fabric in unappealing shades. (3) Less-than-professional and -responsive service attitude of staff (KT Wing; considerably better in the SL Wing). I had to ask staff three times and then ultimately insist that a duty manager get involved to resolve two simple problems: replacing the stained, torn furniture item in my room; and fixing a broken wall outlet for an Internet cable. (4) Smallish, dingy pool on KT Wing grounds. (But the SL Wing pool was fine.)
Overall, I enjoyed my stay at Shangri-La Bangkok, but I'd hesitate before booking again. I'd consider another stay, as the hotel is quite nice and the management very good, but I'd probably favor one of the newly renovated SL Wing rooms and skip the larger-but-blander rooms in the KT Wing. All things considered, the Peninsula, Metropolitan, and Sukhothai remain my preferred hotels in Bangkok.
