World class hotel on the river

The Peninsula is often ranked in the top tier of world hotels, pushing the upper boundaries of the 5 Star appellation. If you have the money, then to our mind it is a choice between The Peninsula Hotel and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the other side of the river. Comparing the two hotels, what the Peninsula lacks in terms of history it more than makes up for in facilities, service and quality of room.

The Peninsula is ingeniously shaped to ensure that all rooms benefit from a river view. You can also see the river from all 8 drinking and dining venues within the hotel. The food options range from Chinese, Thai to Modern European, with casual dining by the pool through to elegant formal dining in the acclaimed Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant. The other facilities are just as good. There is an 18 room spa, fitness room, outdoor pool with 12 Thai salas, and tennis courts. If you have the time and energy left to do any sight-seeing then the hotel also has a teak barge to whisk you across the river to the palaces and temples. It is noteworthy that although this hotel was opened in 1998, everything looks brand new. Other Bangkok hotels need to take note of the Peninsula's aggressive maintenance programme.

Guests can choose from 11 types of room. The lowest priced is the Superior room (45sqm) which features a living area with sofa, dressing area and walk-in wardrobe. This is pretty good, but it only gets better from here. At the top of the price range is the Peninsula suite (364 sqm) with 2 bedrooms, butler's room, 10 seater dining table, and private gym. You may have to join the waiting list for one though! Each floor has only 10 rooms and 2 suites to ensure peace and quiet during your stay. For the uber-rich you might like to consider taking a private helicopter taxi from the airport to the roof top helicopter pad. However, if want to experience rock star luxury at a lower price then the hotel can also pick you up in one of their fleet of Rolls Royces or BMW limousines.