The suite deal
Where you stay in Bangkok is crucial, especially if you’re only in town for a couple of days or so. Bangkok traffic is notorious— not uncouth and rowdy as it is in India, but the lights take so long that you begin to lose hope that you’ll ever arrive, and wonder if you ought perhaps to take up a hobby, perhaps learn a new language. So to avoid spending hours in jams, you have a choice—either live in the city, near Sukhumvit, or by the Chao Praya river. Typically, first-timers are drawn to the river, for obvious reasons. But veterans opt for Sukhumvit—it’s closer to the action, the big malls, and yes, to the… other highlights of Bangkok.
The Sheraton Grande, Sukhumvit is one of the finest hotels in its area and certainly one of the most conveniently located. Part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, it does everything that a luxury city hotel ought to do, it ticks the boxes. The suites are elegant and spacious. The bed is gorgeous, you could sleep straight through to lunch. The poolside breakfast area is so peaceful and private, you’d never think it was in the heart of the city. The jazz band in the lounge is tight and classy—a quartet of American veterans who’ve lived in Bangkok for eight years. And the Thai restaurant, Basil—which should always be the yardstick of a Thai hotel —is hard to match. Home cooking, not haute cuisine. And the chef there does cooking lessons too.
But above all, the Sheraton epitomises convenience. It provides this great service whereby hotel staff meet you coming straight off the plane and whisk you through baggage and immigration straight into a purring Mercedes. The metro stops right outside the hotel—you can literally walk from the platform, flyover directly into the lobby. And the service in the hotel is all snap and efficiency—the concierge is a wizard, the check in could not be brisker. And yes, it’s not so far from Bangkok’s famous nightlife, shall we say, the kinds of places you heard about from a friend of a friend. Soi Cowboy is right around the corner. I’m just saying...
The Sheraton Grande, Sukhumvit
- 250 Sukhumvit Road (Between Soi 12 & Soi 14), Bangkok 10110
- Tel: +66-02-6498888
- Rooms from 6,400 BHT, (Rs 9,220)
- see www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com
OTHER OPTIONS
Four Seasons
A glorious hotel for a long stay or just a quick stopover. Rooms are furnished in a reassuring old-school style, and the wall murals are stunning. Located on the Rajadamri Road, one of the city’s most famous arteries, it’s equidistant from the business centre of Bangkok and the Siam Paragon mall, South-East Asia’s largest shopping centre. What’s more, there’s an 18-hole golf course right across the street.
- 155 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Tel: +66 -02-1268866
- Rooms from 6950 BHT (Rs 10,000),
- see http://www.fourseasons.com/bangkok/
The Sukothai
In the heart of things, and clearly a business hotel but with a real sense of art and culture about it. One of the Leading Hotels in the World.
- 13/3 South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120, Tel: +66-02-3448888
- Rooms from 10,000 BHT (Rs 14,400),
- see www.sukhothai.com
The Mandarin Oriental
A signature property right on the river with a view of the longboats and the roiling water. One of Bangkok's most storied haunts.
- 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 10500, Tel: +66-02-6599000
- Rooms from US$299 (Rs 14,600),
- see http://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok
