Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

• 331 rooms and suites in River, Garden and Authors' Wings
• Roots go back to 1876
• Free shuttle boat to ICONSIAM every 30 minutes
• Spa and fitness centre across the river by private boat

Essentials

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok is a luxury riverside hotel on the Chao Phraya with 331 rooms and suites. The river is the main way in and out: the hotel runs its own boats, and the nearest BTS station, Saphan Taksin, is a boat ride away rather than a walk.

According to the hotel’s website, a complimentary shuttle boat to ICONSIAM leaves every 30 minutes, and a one-way boat to Sathorn Pier is available on request. Private teakwood boats also cross to the spa, the fitness centre and the Thai restaurants on the opposite bank. Once the boats stop for the night, the same trip to Saphan Taksin becomes a road transfer, as our riverside luxury hotels guide explains, so plan late evenings around it.

Overview

Three wings share the grounds. The Authors’ Wing is the only remaining part of the original 19th-century hotel, which grew from a 20-room guesthouse opened in 1876, and it holds the Authors’ Lounge. Its suites carry the names of Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, Noel Coward, Graham Greene and Barbara Cartland. The River Wing faces the water, and deluxe balcony rooms there measure about 43 square metres with a chaise longue over the river. The Garden Wing has the least current views.

The river setting shapes the stay. Mornings start with boat traffic outside the window, and a day out means timing the boats or booking a car. Anyone who likes to wander out for street food will find the surroundings quiet by comparison with Sukhumvit, and a longer stay settles into a rhythm of breakfast, the pool and a boat to the other bank.

The heritage is a large part of what the hotel sells, and the River Wing is where it shows most.

Tip: Book a River Wing room and ask the front desk for the shuttle boat times to Saphan Taksin and ICONSIAM on arrival, since the last boat decides how late you can stay out.

Food and drink

The Verandah

The hotel’s website describes The Verandah as the all-day dining room, serving Western and Asian dishes with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the river. It suits a slow breakfast or an unhurried lunch.

The Authors’ Lounge

Afternoon tea is served on the ground floor of the original hotel building, in a room with an early-1900s feel according to the hotel’s website. It sits a few steps from the lobby.

Sala Rim Naam

A Thai restaurant on the opposite bank, reached by the hotel’s shuttle boat. The hotel’s website says candlelit dinners come with Thai dance performances, so the evening starts with a short river crossing.

Amenities

The hotel has two outdoor pools. The Oriental Spa and the Fitness & Wellness Centre are on the opposite bank, reached by private teakwood boat, so each visit includes a short crossing in each direction. The fitness centre has a gym, tennis courts and a yoga studio, and entry to the spa and fitness centre has a minimum age of 16, according to the hotel’s website.

Other venues include The Bamboo Bar and Riverside Terrace, an evening barbecue restaurant on the river. The complimentary boat to ICONSIAM turns a trip to the mall into a short ride rather than a taxi through traffic.