Bangkok features a wealth of romantic stays. While the streets may be chaotic and traffic-filled, you can retreat to your quarters along the Chao Phraya River and somewhat imagine why the city was called Venice of the East. Many of the most posh stays are to be found here, and most of them are oozing charm. For a real splurge, try the intimate Siam Hotel, located up in old Dusit, well away from the tourist crowds. The Mandarin Oriental remains a top favorite, with opulent suites looking out at the river and fantastic personalized service wherever you turn. You’ll also find the small Chakrabongse Villas located here, former home to a prince and truly worthy of a royal romantic stay. To really escape the crowds, try to uber-romantic Praya Palazzo, housed in a gorgeous Thai-Italian Paladio-style mansion that dates from the 1920s. Access here is only by the hotel’s private river barge. Far away but still on the Chao Phraya, the unique Bangkok Tree House offers funky rooms built right next to a car-free bicycle path, above the river, and surrounded by the city’s largest open green space.
Romantic sleeps are not only restricted to the water. Inland, you will find the St. Regis, where suites come with a personal butler, giant bay windows with city views, and luxurious furnishings. Just around the corner is the cutting edge Sofitel So, where you can choose an elements-based room type that looks over Lumphini Park, and engage in fois gras fine dining at Park Society, the hotel’s upper floor restaurant that overlooks the park and cityscape. The nearby Siam Kempinski also makes the list for top romantic stays, with rooms that access directly into the hotel’s immense free-form swimming pool, feeling far more like a Samui resort than a city stay, and giving easy access to the molecular gastronomy offerings over at Sra Bua, the hotel’s romantic restaurant.
Even over on busy Sukhumvit Road will you find hidden charms. 137 Pillars offers amorous suites with jacuzzi tubs and a gorgeous rooftop infinity pool, perfect for a romantic city escape, while the lovely Ariyasom Vila offers an intimate tucked away escape at the end of a dead-end alleyway.
