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Oriental Hotel

Exterior

At a Glance

    Pros

  • posh pool
  • giant breakfast spread

    Cons

  • one of Bangkok's priciest hotels
  • dated decor

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Oriental Hotel Review

This hotel on the Chao Phraya, popular with visiting celebrities, used to set the bar for high-end Bangkok accommodations. These days, although it still attracts some impressive names, its opulence feels a little stuffy, and younger travelers tend to prefer hotels with more of a built-in nightlife scene. The four suites in the original building, now called the Author's Residence, offer superlative service in big historical rooms—but you'd better have a superlative pocketbook to match. The hotel's cooking classes instruct in the secrets of Thai cuisine, and the spa across the river will pamper you with all sorts of luxurious treatments—Ayurvedic massage, facials, soothing herbal and milk baths—in your own private suite. And it's a real treat to sip a cocktail at the riverside bar.

    Hotel Amenities

  • 358 rooms, 35 suites.
  • Restaurants, bar, pool, tennis courts, gym, spa, business center.
  • Rooms have: safe, Internet.
  • Credit cards accepted.

Member Reviews

  • AskOksena, from Singapore / Thailand
    3/17/09

    Most of my stays at the Oriental have been for business, and with one minor exception, I have loved each and every moment. (Over time, I've been averaging six visits per year at the hotel. One or two less, these days, as we now have a home in Thailand, and for my current work in Bangkok, I'm obliged to occasionally stay at other hotels.)

    (Now, as for that one minor exception - back in 1997 - well, it entailed a bit of a misunderstanding between yours truly and the hotel's all-powerful front desk staff and 'gatekeepers'. I had arranged for two all-time cherished masseuses to share a sweet Sunday with me and, well, at that time the hotel had a bit more stringent 'visitor policy'. Thankfully, all was handled rather discreetly and all has been forgiven.)

    The one Oriental visit which shall always resonate was our little Authors' Lounge wedding ceremony, reception, riverside fireworks display and brief honeymoon in a rather special 'creme coloured' suite. (Do remember your cheque book.) The staff could not have been more accommodating; a lovely afternoon and evening.

    (Enormous sentimental reasons were behind our decision to celebrate a portion of our union 'by the river': my wife's parents spent some of their honeymoon at the Oriental, and the hotel remains a favourite for our respective families.)

    Over the years, I've grown to consider the Oriental staff to be family (along with the fine employees at my other main Bangkok business travel hotels, the Peninsula, Shangri-La, Four Seasons and Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit). In particular, the Oriental's wonderful - and soon retiring - 'GM' is quite unique; thank you, sir.

    Should add, the Oriental does have a fine airport transfer service, if so desired. (And, for what it's worth, for our wedding / honeymoon, we applied miles to fly first class for free on Singapore Airlines, and must say, those Singapore Girls do deliver rather memorable product, start to finish, then and now. Enjoy.)

    Savour your uplifting riverside times - in the Land of Smiles...

    Ratings details: Room: 5 | Atmosphere: 5 | Service: 5 | Value: 5
  • franknal, from Denver CO
    3/31/08

    One thing I don't like about the hotel is that they will not confirm bed type (e.g. king) or confirm non-smoking rooms. What's up with that? Any five star hotel goes down to a one star when I am stuck in a smelly, twin bed for a week.

    Ratings details: Room: 1 | Atmosphere: 1 | Service: 5 | Value: 3
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