Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [109]
Grand Inn Come Hotel (off Map; 0 2738 8189-99; www.grandinncome-hotel.com; 99 Moo 6, Th Kingkaew, Bangplee; r from 2000B; ) Solid midranger 10km from the airport, with airport shuttle and ‘lively’ karaoke bar.
All Seasons Bangkok Huamark (Map; 0 2308 7888; 5 Soi 15, Th Ramkhamhaeng; r 2040B; ) Only 20km from the airport, this midranger has 268 rooms to choose from.
Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (off Map; 0 2131 1111; www.novotel.com; r from 5000B; ) With 600-plus luxurious rooms in the airport.
DON MUANG AIRPORT
We-Train International House (Map; 0 2967 8550-54; www.we-train.co.th; 501/1 Th Dechatungkha, Don Muang; dm 200B, r 800-1100B; ) Run by the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, this place offers good-value rooms a short taxi ride from the airport.
Amari Airport Hotel (Map; 0 2566 1020; www.amari.com; 333 Th Choet Wutthakat; r from 2263B; ) Directly opposite Don Muang, this most popular airport hotel also has well-equipped day-use rooms.
Rama Gardens Hotel (Map; 0 2561 0022; www.ramagardenshotel.com; 9/9 Th Vibhavadi Rangsit; r from 4708B; ) Tranquil garden setting and very comfortable deluxe wings with deep-soak tubs. Shuttle buses to airport.
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TOP END
LUXX (Map; 0 2635 8800; www.staywithluxx.com; 6/11 Th Decho; r 3300-6100B; Skytrain Chong Nonsi; ) Despite their location in a nondescript leafy Bangkok street, the 13 rooms here ooze with a minimalist hipness that wouldn’t be out of place in London or New York. Some rooms don’t have windows, but rather glass walls that overlook an enclosed courtyard.
Triple Two Silom (Map; 0 2627 2222; www.tripletwosilom.com; 222 Th Silom; r/ste 4800/5500B; Skytrain Chong Nonsi; ) Rooms here resemble sleek modern offices – in a good way. But don’t worry, with huge bathrooms and inviting-looking beds, you’ll be inspired to relax, not work. Guests can use the rooftop garden, but have to go next door to the sister Narai Hotel for the swimming pool and fitness centre.
Millennium Hilton (Map; 0 2442 2000; www.bangkok.hilton.com; 123 Th Charoen Nakorn, Thonburi; r 6800-7300B, ste 12,000-26,000B; hotel shuttle boat from River City & Tha Sathon/Central Pier; ) As soon as you enter the dramatic lobby, it’s obvious that this is Bangkok’s youngest, most modern riverside hotel. Rooms, all of which boast widescreen river views, follow this theme, and are decked out with funky furniture and Thai-themed photos. A glass elevator and an artificial beach are just some of the fun touches.
Lebua (Map; 0 2624 9999; www.lebua.com; State Tower, cnr Th Silom & Th Charoen Krung; d/ste from US$200/300; Skytrain Saphan Taksin; ) One of Bangkok’s tallest and most distinctive buildings is also a luxury hotel. Suites here are huge, some with two balconies, and if you book online the discounts can be equally large.
Dusit Thani (Map; 0 2200 9000; www.dusit.com; 946 Th Phra Ram IV; r 10,000-17,000B, ste 19,500-79,000B; Skytrain Sala Daeng, Metro Silom; ) At one point the tallest building in the country, this venerable luxury hotel is a testament to how much things have changed in Bangkok. Despite the flagrantly 1970s exterior, the rooms, like the lobby, are blandly modern. The hotel’s vast ballroom is a popular wedding venue for upper-class locals, and its restaurants are favourite dining destinations for members of the Thai royal family.
Oriental Hotel (Map; 0 2659 9000; www.mandarinoriental.com; 48 Soi Oriental/38, Th Charoen Krung; r incl breakfast US$420-600, ste incl breakfast US$600-3000; hotel shuttle boat from Tha Sathon/Central Pier; ) For the true Bangkok experience, a stay at this grand old riverside hotel is a must; see the boxed text on Click here for a brief history. The majority of rooms are located in the modern New Wing, but we prefer the old-world ambiance of the Garden and Authors’ Wings. The hotel is home to the city’s most longstanding fine dining restaurant, Le Normandie (Click here), and across the river in Thonburi the hotel also maintains one of the region’s most acclaimed spas (Click here) and a cooking school.