OPINION

Will new off-the-BTS-grid Bangkok hotels shake up traditional stays?

A review of new Bangkok lifestyle hotels. How does Aman Nai Lert stack up against the re-imagined Dusit Thani Bangkok or vs the chic Ritz-Carlton? What classics like JW, Athenee, InterCon and Siam Kempinski are up to as Grand Hyatt ditches its tartan, MO upgrades, and Anantara Siam forks out US$50m for a new look.

Written and photographed by Vijay Verghese
Updated July 2025

SEE ALSO Bangkok best sky bars and updates | Bangkok shopping | Phuket resorts review | Koh Samui resorts | Chiang Mai fun guide | Thai spas | Singapore hotel guide | Luang Prabang guide | Hong Kong hotels | KL hotels | Jakarta business hotels | Hua Hin guide | Small corporate meetings in Asia | New Singapore green hotels | Chiang Rai fun guide| Pod and Capsule Hotels guide

Premier Suite at Aman Nai Lert Bangkok (left) weighs in, shyly, at a monstrous 94sq m, one of the biggest-stretch rooms in town; Green view over Nai Lert Park from the 8th floor Aman lobby lounge balcony (centre); and (right) Aman's Cigar Bar. With just 52 suites this is a place for contemplation/ photos: Vijay Verghese

JUMP TO Aman Nai Lert | Ritz-Carlton Bangkok review | Dusit Thani Bangkok | Classic JW Marriott | Hyatt Regency, KROMO, Okura, Park Hyatt, Athenee, Conrad | Riverside Four Seasons, Capella | Sindhorn Kempinski, Kimpton, InterCon, Centara Grand, Siam Kempinski | Grand Hyatt, Waldorf, Anantara Siam, St Regis, Hotel Indigo

“INDIGO hotel,” I tell my taxi driver as I emerge from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. “Ind-ee-go, Wuthayu...,” he intones slowly, nodding his head as a cabbie friend chats with him on speakerphone. We lurch forward then suddenly stop. The driver scratches his head bewildered. “Ind-ee-go…?” he mutters again, stretching out the syllables. Act 1 in the epic Get-Me-To-Town serial has opened.

“Okay kap, seven hun-led baht. I take care evely-ting.” I insist on the meter. I will pay the toll fees (Bt75 in all) and the Bt50 airport surcharge. His friend on the speakerphone chirps in. “Sunday no mee-tah,” he laughs, “mee-tah s-leeeping.” As an old Bangkok hand I stand firm. All ends well. Fortunately ride-hailing companies like Grab and Bolt have arrived to save visitors from the whims of Bangkok taxi drivers. Many hotel concierges now prefer these to regular cabs.

Understandably, one might be hesitant to mention, the mysterious Aman Nai Lert Bangkok (aman-nai-lert-bangkok, opened 2 April 2025), hidden in a leafy corner off Nai Lert. It arrived so discretely, many may have missed it. Nai Lert is a notorious one-way traffic-clogged street that has been the death of many a fine hotel like the onetime Hilton. Yet, once discovered, this ellusive 52-suite Aman exerts considerable charm.

Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor

With its minimalist high-ceiling zen design in muted browns and greys, an armload of Japanese menus, fine Italian dining, wellness treatments, and beaming intuitive service, it is a sumptuous retreat. The darkly inviting wood-floor lobby — featuring unobtrusive ceramic works and water features — runs right across Level 9, seamlessly flowing past the 1872 bar lounge with its leather clouds backdrop and into the Italian fine dining Arva. The pace is relaxed. Cool wood underfoot calms the pulse and a wraparound resorty balcony offers more breezy seating with open green views.

{The lululemon set can start the morning with mango sticky-rice tea or a shot of Nikka barrel-aged whisky if a stronger kick is required...

On the 10th floor is the Aman Spa (with a small partially covered pool), 24-hour fitness space with Technogym, Pilatus, and yoga; and on the 19th floor find a sun-lit residents-only Aman Club with live jazz, the cosy cinnamon-bark Cigar Bar, and two Japanese restaurants serving teppanyaki and sushi. The Aman fondness for cigars dates back to founder Adrian Zecha's early posting as a young TIME magazine correspondent to Havana in 1956.

A 94sq m Premier Suite in pale woody tones offers clean line of sight across the room from the bed past the rise-up television screen to the open plan soaking tub. The sheer space may be daunting for an average Hongkonger. There is a master switch that does exactly that without unnecessary fiddling with knobs. And bedside arrays of three-pin international electric sockets with USB and USB C ports provide fast connectivity. A minimalist desk with data-port looks over the park, an ideal perch for the lululemon set. The bathroom with its twin vanities and Japanese do-your-bidding TOTO potty is separated by movable screens. Start the morning with mango sticky-rice tea or a shot of Nikka barrel-aged whisky if you need a kick. Our pick of the rooms is the light-filled Premier Corner Suite with its windowside bathroom and west-facing tub that may catch sunsets and curious glances from neighbouring buildings. Ask for a park view room (hotel floors run 11 to 18). There are 39 Aman Residences too from floors 11 to 36. 

Light filled Duet offers fine French dining at the new Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok (left); Ritz alfresco pool (centre) looks over Lumpini Park; and the hotel's blown-glass lily pond (right). The One Bangkok location is a mini-destination with retail and eateries/ photos left and centre: hotel/ photo right: Vijay Verghese

This Aman is within view of the Park Hyatt across Nai Lert Park and the vast empty green lot (once the British ambassador's residence) that is to be a multi-use high-rise space. Looming development will pose challenges. Demure signposting — the hallmark of Aman Resorts and part of its word-of-mouth mystique — is another minor niggle for a city hotel that will attract fast-stepping business travellers. Still, this hushed escape manages to slow down the pace to get visitors into the Thai "mai pen rai" (never mind, it's okay) mood. Hotel guests are encouraged to use the narrow klong-side Soi Somkid that runs down from Ploenchit between Central Embassy and Central Chidlom — walking distance when the weather is kind but not overly pedestrian-friendly. The actual address is in fact No.1 Soi Somkid (or Som Khit). The much respected Nai Lert family, long known for its interest in botanical diversity and green spaces, has put its weight behind this project and old family motifs are woven into the hotel design. What we love: the vast uncluttered spaces and a high staff to guest ratio that ensures bubbly attention at all times. The 94sq m suites at Aman Nai Lert are the largest on our Bangkok new hotels review.

Replacing the old Suan Lum night market at the Wireless-Rama 4 intersection opposite Lumphini Park is The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok (ritz-carlton-bangkok) at the ultra-modern One Bangkok mega-shopping-and-office-complex with its underground subway link to the Lumphini Metro train station. The breezy light-filled 260-key Ritz opened 4 December 2024. Emerge at the 8th floor lobby and reception to gaze at a calming blown-glass lily pond overlooking Lumphini Park. The floor is geometrically patterned black-white-and-grey marble with plenty of uncluttered space, a pleasing leitmotif throughout. Departing from luxe snobbery, all rooms here are some form of 'accessible' Deluxe. The standard format weighs in at a generous 50sq m with floor-to-ceiling windows, pale wood floors and cream-beige-grey furniture with elegant black silhouette piping reminiscent of a smart Dior dress. These rooms are roughly the same size as those at Dusit Thani Bangkok but offer a more contemporary one-the-go feel.

Apart from the convenient Club Floor access rooms and a handful of Suites, the prized spaces at The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok are the Lumpini Park View king-bed (or twin double) rooms with balcony (the 08 numbers) or without (07s). The total floor area is the same with the 07s offering a bit more stretch room with the glassed in section featuring a lounging divan. The two deluxe room formats are otherwise identical, with a bedside Bluetooth music player with clock, alarm, and wireless charging; two and three-pin electric plug points with USB and USB C ports; large flat-screen TV, marble bathrooms with twin vanities, hairdryer, and soaking tub looking onto the room; in-room safe; iron and ironing board on request; Frette linen; and tea and coffee-making facilities. Several rooms offer accessibility features.

{Expect bright, breezy uncluttered spaces for romantics or huddled CEO chinwags; an accessible Ritz Kids, and a well featured and inviting Spa...

Enjoy the formal high-ceiling fine French dining experience at Duet by David Toutain in a smart hideaway arbour, sample the plush Lily's, or enjoy clubby dining at Caleō. While offering several leisure distractions — getting off the BTS grid makes it a mild challenge for pinstripers — the hotel really comes into its own with its grand well-lit park-facing conference and meeting facilities. There are nine event spaces with the 1,800sq ft Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom accommodating up to 2,000 prsons for a reception. There is certainly a convincing pitch for weddings. The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok is invariably compared on reviews vs the returning Dusit Thani across Lumpini Park. The latter has an edge on views with all its rooms (and pool) fronting Bangkok's green lung but The Ritz has unique strengths. What we love: bright well designed spaces for romantics or CEO chinwags; a well featured and inviting Spa; the sun-drenched 30m pool; easily accessible Ritz-Kids (for children 3-12 years old); and superb meeting facilities and alfresco events space with private escalator access that leaves regular guests undisturbed.

Next door on Wireless Road are the Andaz One Bangkok (www.onebangkok.com, late 2025) and a Fraser Suites mixed in with offices, shopping, luxe smart-wired residences, and hospitals.

Cream tones of a Ritz-Carlton Club Room (left); Both the Ritz and the Dusit Thani (centre) have several 50sq m rooms with the latter having an edge on Lumpini Park views; and (right) Dusit Thani Bangkok iconic blue pillar in the lobby/ Ritz photo: hotel/ Dusit Thani photos: Vijay Verghese

The reimagined Dusit Thani Bangkok (www.dusit.com, 27 Sep 2024) made a quiet comeback with spacious park-view suites in the upcoming mixed-use Dusit Central Park complex at the corner of Silom and Rama 4. It has staked an old claim for this strip and its extraordinary clientele featuring the beau monde and shimmering royalty since its 1969 launch as the doyen of Thai grace and hospitality. From a distance, the remodelled hotel bears a reassuring similarity to the old building with its trademark gold spire — a glorious landmark before buildings sprouted — and the sun burnishing its facade. Up close it is more a slim movie-set matchbox construct with shopping and multi-use space coming up on the Silom Road side (with no direct access from the Sala Daeng BTS station save through the unsignposted basement carpark at the Dusit Central Park offices). The alternative is to walk around the building from Rama 4 Road. That is easy enough.

All these spacious rooms feature Lumpini Park views with windowside divans and varied subtle textures. Nothing too strong and very feminine. This is a big change from its past black muscularity. The cream lobby (with a few familiar old blue patterned pillars) is a much more intimate space than the grand black marble welcome of yore. A bar is on hand for guests awaiting check-in. The space is minimalist if perhaps a tad bland. A stone waterfal has been recreated at the far side to mimic the old lobby experience but in a more muted fashion. Given the hotel's slim lines it may appear that half the building's bulk has simply been sliced away with cream pillars and the geometric honeycomb ceiling mimicking the earlier entrance. But there the similarities end.

{Landscapes are subtly woven into wall murals with gold threads and a soaking tub looks out at the bedroom through mint-green louvred windows...

Pick a 50sq m Corner Room for some real indulgence. Expect dreamy faded landscapes worked into wall murals with golden threads, a Japanese toilet, peekaboo soaking tub looking at the bedroom through mint-green louvred windows (a nice classic touch), a separate rain shower and an open wardrobe with hangers, a mod nod to younger guests. Irons are available on request. You walk through the dressing area to access the bedroom. Each side of the bed features two USB ports and a three-pin international plug socket. Topping it up is a Nespresso machine and a curvy SMEG electric kettle. The total effect is contemporary and cool yet classic. The expansive Lumpini Park views (offered by all rooms) is a wonderful trade-off for the rear liposuction. No complaints here.

The Dusit Thani Bangkok rooms have an edge on natural light and visual interest when compared with rooms at The Ritz Bangkok (both serving up 50sq m) or vs the vast Aman Nai Lert spaces. Its rooms were always in the news under the colourfully freewheeling Daniel McCafferty, the Irish GM of yore, with PR photos of 12 Miss Universes arrayed on a giant bed. Those Benny Hill days are over. The hotel now capitalises on positioning itself as a MICE destination for meetings, events, social dos and weddings. The park views are an invigorating backdrop. Service is attentive but not quite as intuitive or forward-stepping as at the Aman. What we love: the beatufully crafted rooms and bathrooms with heavenly views. This development shall be watched with interest as co-owners Central and Dusit duke it out for control and direction.

KROMO pastels (far left/ photo: hotel); JW Marriott Bangkok set the tone on Sukhumvit over 20 years ago with its striking lobby gold panels, and GM Peter Caprez (far right) has shepherded the property for years; The new-look JW Executive Lounge offers some breezy alfresco seating (centre right)/ JW photos: Vijay Verghese

At Sukhumvit, sitting in the black-and-gold JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok (www.marriott.com) lounge on clubby overstuffed brown leather chairs as the pianist plays ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ one might be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed since 1997 when it first opened. The gleaming black flooring and the turquoise-tile water features remain at this classic along with the soaring gold panels depicting the Chinese zodiac. Popular with his guests, GM Peter Caprez took the hotel through a major refurbishment in 2019 unveiling contemporary rooms with Thai touches and a bright executive lounge.

The traditional lobby — left untouched — is strangely relaxing though and I struggle to stay awake. It offers therapeutic appeal for business travellers of a certain vintage who will stay nowhere else. It is often packed with Americans and Australians trading boisterous tales. It recalls the heady days of the old Dusit Thani and the Siam InterContinental that radiated solidity with shimmering processions of khunyings headed for elaborate tea sessions. Of course there is also the saucy neighbourhood appeal of this Soi Nana area.

Sipping a coffee at BBCo, the street-fronting deli, Caprez is all focus as he directs staff to attend to customers. He’s been here over 20 years watching his hotel like a hawk and classic Swiss hospitality flows in his veins. His face creases into a big smile as he looks out of the window: “You know, a lobby upgrade in a running hotel is like open heart surgery.” We both laugh at the thought.

{The traditional JW lobby — left untouched — is strangely relaxing and offers therapeutic appeal for business travellers of a certain vintage...

Across the road at breezy Spectrum, the rooftop bar at the gleaming fairly new Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit (www.hyatt.com), GM Sammy Carolus offers me a lychee-rose mocktail. It’s hugely refreshing. I mop off the day’s sweat. Quite an innovator and forward thinker, the mild mannered Carolus is always exploring new ideas. He is keen on sustainability and has employed artificial intelligence to calculate food waste to help chefs find an optimum sweet spot. “From pretzels to sundries, AI has helped us cut food waste by as much as 20%,” he says. Bottled water at this Hyatt Regency has shifted to Tetra Paks. With cannabis bars mushrooming all over the city and raunchy nightlife a stone’s throw away, Carolus has his job cut out reassuring skittish travellers and lady executives.

On the Sukhumvit BTS artery not far from shopping-central EM District and Terminal 21 is Kromo Bangkok, Curio Collection by Hilton (www.hilton.com, 1 Oct 2025). It is helmed by former Indigo GM Jennifer Vivian. Expect a hip vibe, a 24-hour fitness centre, bright pastel rooms, and alfresco pool. An interesting area for food and shopping between Soi Asoke station and Phrom Pong (another shopping mecca). Farther up Sukhumvit (Soi 53 close to Thong Lo) is Marriott's fairly recent 56-room Autograph Collection, the Madi Paidi Bangkok (madi-paidi-bangkok, Sep 2023), which is positioned as a boutique hotel though it is more a competent leisure or business address. The suites and restaurants feature some nice design touches with bolder colours.

Back at the Wireless and Nai Lert junction, another property looking to reinvent itself is the posh The Okura Prestige Bangkok (www.okurabangkok.com, May 2012) with a direct connection to the Ploenchit station and walking distance from JW. Japanese tradition weighs heavy here but the conversation is on how to evolve into something more approachable and informal while maintaining the traditional space. Dutch GM Niek Hammer is the affable lobby-cruising face entrusted with this mission and his mind races with ideas. The high-ceiling big views lobby (with alfresco balcony) is spacious and elegant, with a minimalist zen-meets-classic-Europe feel, in dark earth tones. Crimson bar-stool cushions offer a nice pop. A 47sq m Deluxe twin bed room serves up tan-grey walls, textures and simplified surrounds with free WiFi. A patterned white cotton sheet on the bed is adorned with invitingly plump pillows and an origami bird (with a kit and instructions for making a good luck crane yourself). And do try the traditional Japanese breakfast at Yamazato restaurant.

Spectrum rooftop bar at the Hyatt Regency Sukhumvit (far left) is a breezy retreat; Sammy Carolus the GM (centre left) is using AI to cut food waste; Kimpton Maa-Lai (centre right) is a convivial pet-friendly meeting spot; and (right), livewire Choo Leng Goh, GM at The Athenee strikes a pose/ photos: Vijay Verghese

Diagonally across from Okura (on the other side of the tracks), futuristic alien metal skin curves, tapers, and soars into the sky catching shards of orange light at sunrise and sunset. This is the elegant Park Hyatt Bangkok (park-hyatt-bangkok, 30 June 2017), an eye-catching addition to the city skyline. This space age marvel sits atop Central Embassy mall. Whoosh up 10 floors to a world of soft pastels and sensuously curving cream walls where beaming staff intuite your every move. The hotel's 222 rooms include 32 Suites, all in cream tones and pale wood. It's a pronounced feminine allure. Soft powder-lime carpets and undulating corridors lined by gauzy drapes, lead to the rooms. A bog standard Park King starts at a generous 48sq m with that signature pale wood. Step into the vestibule with a cream marble toilet on one side and a small walk-in closet on the other with a full length mirror for private preening, iron, and laptop safe.

Side glass panels with Thai wat motifs offer a partial separator leading to a plump white bed. Find an elegant black desk with two three-pin plug sockets, USB and HDMI ports, large flat-screen TV, grey divan by the full length window, a coffee machine, and minibar beer at laughably affordable prices. Suites run from 68sq m to 109sq m. Apres-work, The Penthouse on the 34th floor is a spiffy hangout with snug bars, grand views (across three floors), a homey feel with assorted bric-a-brac, and a clubby all black whiskey room accessed through a tiny crimson-tile anteroom. Park Hyatt also offers executives 12 function and corporate meeting venues totalling 2,000sq m for conferencing or classy small corporate meetings. And on levels 10 and 11 is the spa with eight treatment suites, crystal steam rooms, whirlpools, and 'dry heat laconium rooms' for an instant sweat-out. Drop that swagger, and tune in to your feminine side. If not, get your shoes shone. That's manly!

{Drop that boardroom swagger, and tune in to your feminine side. Else, get your shoes shone. That's manly enough we'd imagine...

Bangkok hotel spas abound but two classy old timers on Wireless Road around the corner from Okura are still giving many a run for their money. At The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok (the-athenee-hotel), an elegant well-lit spa offers everything from body scrubs and wraps to massages, facials and waxing. The elegant Athenee is managed with unrelenting passion by general manager Choo Leng Goh who has mastered the art of being a woman in a man's world. "It's the little things," she says. "I want staff to make eye contact and respond." Her grooming and care shows in the level of service the hotel provides. One lady can make a difference. Even in Krungthep, the City of Angels. More on Choo Leng Goh.

Close by another old-timer is hitting the two decade mark. The Conrad Bangkok (www.hilton.com) was the darling of fashionistas when it launched with off-the-shoulder silk uniforms for the ladies, a jazz bar, a great spa, chillout music and BMW convertible airport transfers with lady chaffeurs. It was back after a massive renovation with compact contemporary pastel rooms making up most of the mix. Sensibly hedging its bets, Conrad Bangkok retains some of the older Thai-style silk-and-wood rooms that many guests still prefer. A 35m LED wall is the centrepiece of the ballroom but the hotel is moving into a younger lifestyle space with an emphasis on kids, families, fitness, relaxation and wellness. Interestingly, its former nightlife space near the lobby mall entrance has morphed into a medical centre.

Delicate Capella Bangkok touches (far left) and facets of the grand riverside Four Seasons (centre three) with a view of the new look cream and wood lobby at the towering Centara Grande & Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World/photos: Vijay Verghese

Off the BTS grid, the tony riverfront beachhead of Chao Phraya Estate serves up the large black-stone cubist Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (www.fourseasons.com) that is strangely calming with its high ceilings, water features, art, textures and riverfront pools. Try its Cafe Madeleine pastry shop by the river. Access is by road as well as by boat. Watch the traffic as gridlocked Sathorn Road can be problematic at times. The neighbouring Capella Bangkok (capellahotels.com) is a more delicate construct with manicured green lawns (actually astro-turf for convenience, which may depress some nature purists). But the interiors of this intimate hotel are intricately worked and service is excellent. Both these waterfront properties have broken the river’s curse and successfully muscled into conferences and weddings with Capella now a particular favourite for Thai ceremonies. Of course, both are popular for leisure too and there is space at the artsy Four Seasons to separate the scrum from hand-holding romantics.

Right next door, stepping insouciantly on hallowed upmarket heels is the fun and feisty The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok (thesalilriverside.com/) that arrived in 2024 and is already grabbing eyeballs with playful interiors, fun bites, wellness and meetings space.

Farther down the river, storied grand dame the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (www.mandarinoriental.com) gears up for its 150th anniversary milestone in 2026 with designer Jeffrey Wilkes commissioned to reinvent the stay experience in the Author's Wing and the Garden Wing (the River Wing got a makeover in 2019). Le Normandie that launched in 1958 on the banks of the Chao Phraya River as arguably the first fine dining venue in Thailand emerges with a new look late 2025 helmed by celebrated female chef, Anne-Sophie Pic.

As the frisson of new designs ripples across Bangkok, what is immediately clear is that the traditional hotel axes of Sukhumvit, Silom and the river area around Taksin Bridge, are no longer calling the shots. If the newer developments are successful — and there’s no reason to believe they won’t — travellers will soon be pouring into previously untrodden areas.

{What is immediately clear is that the traditional hotel axes of Sukhumvit, Silom and the river area north of Taksin Bridge, are no longer calling the shots...

A case in point is the Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel, Bangkok (www.kempinski.com ) with a smooth stark curvy concrete entrance that resembles an airplane hangar that transforms into a cavernous light-filled lobby with a black Thai sala at its centre. It’s a bit like what one might imagine if Charles de Gaulle Airport romanced Jim Thompson and had a love child. My Charles de Gaulle quip brings on a chuckle from GM Christian Ruge: "But no delays and cancellations here," he laughs. The hotel is off the BTS grid though not cumbersomely so. Accccording to the dapper and immaculately groomed Jee Hoong Tan, the man charged with marketing and selling this space, the property is everything sister hotel the Siam Kempinski is not. This avoids any conflict or confusion. The 274-key hotel “focuses on independent travellers, couples, seniors, and medical tourists,” says Jee Hoong. This is follwed by a very brave statement. “There is no ballroom ... and no crowd. We have gardens and natural light for small meetings, engagements and Thai weddings."

"Medical tourists are growing for us too,” he adds, gesturing with his hands at the expansive surrounds. “We get patients undergoing chemotherapy for three to four months and they need space with no crowds.” And that’s what they get with a 66sq m starting room category. Suites have kitchenettes. And there is no kids’ club. A smart spot for CEOs the hotel is a strong leisure contender, off the BTS grid.

The Sindhorn Kempinski (left) is betting on ultimate relaxation and medical tourists; The lobby is a curious mix of stark concrete and lush Thai touches; The Siam Kempinski offers a stately entrance (centre); and (right/photo: hotel) the new look Chao Phraya Suite at the Garden Wing of the Mandarin Oriental/ photos: Vijay Verghese

Right next door the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok (www.kimptonmaalaibangkok.com) is a bustling lifestyle hotel, hip and happening, and with pets trotting about insouciantly at a canter with the coolest of torn-jean-clad owners in Dior shades. Chill music pumps out at CRAFT, the lobby social mixer centrepiece. It has become a preferred meeting spot by the local congnoscenti and is attracting fresh-faced leisure trippers as well as wireless digital-nomad businessmen. It's a metrosexual vibe and the emphasis is hugely on service and guest experience. Helpful staff pop up at every turn as you try not to trip over panting dogs. "Managing dogs and guests must be a challenge," I say. Tall broad-shoulderd GM Patrick Both gives me a mischievous sideways look: "Pets are much easier than humans," he grins. We all laugh. Of course, it's a quip, and every guest is treated like pure gold.

Two hundred yards down Lang Suan opposite the reflagged small and quirky Hotel Muse Bangkok, Autograph Collection (www.marriott.com) with its excellent rooftop bar, the Sindhorn Midtown (www.sindhornmidtown.com) offers a more casual convivial flavour, mod yet simple with bursts of art here and there and the ANJU Korean K-Pop style rooftop bar. To find it, look for the large 7-Eleven, and that sums up the area’s vibe. Cheap, cheerful, friendly and neat, Midtown is a different kind of informal mid-range option. This too is of the grid.

Up on Ploenchit Road next to the Chidlom BTS Station, the quick-stepping Muscle MICE InterContinental Bangkok (bangkok.intercontinental.com) is back, gussied up and decluttered, with more powder pastels and less Thai gold splashes (as at the toned-down reception). The signature chandelier hangs gracefully above the soaring lobby leading to a grand staircase and the lobby is awash with quick-stepping guest experience ladies who float up to assist gawping guests.

InterContinental Bangkok rooms starting at 45sq m offer pale wood floors with pale lightly patterned carpets (making subtle use of the hotel’s new floral signature), ample electric sockets (three-pin) with modern USB ports, a phone dock, large ‘smart’ TV, soaking tub and rain shower, iron, safe, and a bright vanity light around the main mirror. Some rooms sport Japanese jump-up potties, be warned. Follow the instructions carefully. Expect spacious ballrooms with an entire floor holding up to 2,000 for a cocktail. Ample spa and fitness spaces make up the rest of the mix taking up three top floors with a small outdoor pool.  

{It's a metrosexual vibe: the emphasis is emphatically on service and guest experience. Helpful staff pop up at every turn as you try not to trip over panting dogs....

Across the busy road, the soaring mouthful, the Centara Grande & Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World (www.centarahotelsresorts.com) hosts a stunning rooftop bolthole — Red Sky — and its cream and curves woody new look has proved a big draw for conventioneers enjoying its panoramic-view lobby and convenient USB and phone charging spots. A short walk away, Sindhorn's older sibling the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok (www.kempinski.com) at the Siam BTS interchange and connected via SIAM Paragon mall, is more like "a classic European hotel," remarks marketing head Lalida Hirunteerapol. An urban oasis like no other, its soaring marbled spaces attract the beau monde from USA and Europe to the Middle East. It is a particular favourite with the Arabs for accessible shopping and chill-out areas. "We will look at ways to attract the younger generation," adds Lalida, as market shifts make it imperative for even icons to extend their appeal. One way being explored is co-working spaces and mixers. In 2025, Siam Kempinski was quietly celebrating its 15th anniversary.

Traditional Japanese Okura (far left) wants to attract younger travellers; The Grand Hyatt Erawan (centre left) will shed its tartan for Jim Thompson silk; bar at The St Regis (centre right) — it remains a top business address; (far right/photo: hotel) the feminine feel of the Park Hyatt tooms/left three photos: Vijay Verghese

Two brands to watch are the award-winning and darkly handsome black marble business traveller favourite The St Regis Bangkok (www.marriott.com) helmed by the energetic GM Dario Pithard (and directly linked to the Ratchadamri BTS Station — best in off peak hours), and city landmark the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok (www.hyatt.com), with GM Sascha Lenz who is keen to move from the curiously out-of-place tartan to "a friendly Thai younger feel". The new elements start taking shape from January 2026 as this conference hotel transforms. It has a central address with a direct link to the BTS Chidlom walkway (a short distance from the station). In between these two with grand views of the Royal Bangkok Sport Club (from the hushed Peacock Alley lounge bar and the 16th floor 20m infinity swimming pool) is the white marble Waldorf Astoria Bangkok (waldorf-astoria-bangkok), another wedding favourite with pale woody rooms and a feminine feel.

Making up the quartet on Ratchadamri Road is the storied Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel (www.anantara.com) that was originally envisioned as a Peninsula hotel and modelled after the Peninsula Hong Kong. The lobby similarities remain a startling reminder. The property swiftly moved to Regent and then Four Seasons before returning to the owning Minor Hotels fold as an Anantara. The hotel is undergoing a massive US$50m transformation that will see the exteriors (including pool and entrance) remodelled and a new design for rooms. The first redevelopment phase at Montathip and Kannika Court is due to finish November 2025 to be followed by work on Parichart Court accommodation and common areas for relaunch in September 2026. Livewire incoming GM Torsten Richter smiles through it all. With accommodation in two separate wings the shutdowns don't complicate operations or cause any noise disturbance. "See?" he gestures around the lobby where we sit without any awkward decibels. His task? "To polish this diamond," he says with a big grin.

Back on quiet Wireless Road (between Athenee and Conrad) is the Hotel Indigo Bangkok (bangkok.hotelindigo.com), which continues to pull in happy faces from all over the world. The hotel is a popular boutique and lifestyle getaway. The Bangkok property is a remarkable showpiece. The place is young in spirit, funky, playful and sloshing in natural light. This is a friendly space with colourful Thai-inspired rooms, many with balconies, some with soaking tubs by the window. Ask for a corner room. Then browse the quirky wall-mounted radio sets and analogue devices in the lobby lift foyer. Expect friendly inspired service.

{The leather padded lifts with deep button Chesterfield tufting are perfect for a spot of quiet husband-bashing by tired shopped-out ladies...

The leather padded lifts with deep button Chesterfield tufting are perfect for a spot of husband-bashing (listen up ladies), and on top are a small pool with a view and a classy, intimate, rooftop bar. Lotions and shampoos are now dispensed via large “tamper proof” bottles affixed to the wall. It’s the price of success. Keep an eye on this one. While ageing a bit, it’s a comfortable middle ground between wallet-pummelling luxury and traditional. Bobby the indefatigable doorman is a busy presence with a permanent smile.

The Salil Hotel Riverside Bangkok (far left/photo: hotel) is a playful addition along the waterfront; Indigo Bangkok is a sparky boutique hotel on this review with eye-catching balcony rooms and a stunning green view (centre two); and the refreshing Kimpton Maa-Lai greens (right)/photos: Vijay Verghese

Last but not the least, around the corner on Ploenchit and smack next to the BTS station the wildly popular budget Novotel Bangkok Ploenchit reflagged mid 2024 as the Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Ploenchit (www.marriott.com).

As my taxi leaves my hotel it slows and stops. “Suvarnabhumi?” the driver asks, scratching his head. “Suv-arna-bhumiiii…” I looked at him expressionless. He turns to me shaking his head, “Lama 9 traaffiiic, we go Bang Na (a hugely circuitous detour)… I do evelything fo you.” “No,” I say firmly, “Rama 4 and the tollway.” And so it is. There is no traffic and we reach the airport in record time. It may sound laughable but the Tourism Authority of Thailand actually has a complaint line for transportation issues. The feedback is toe-curling. Is anyone listening?