Siamotif Boutique Hotel
79 Soi Watsrisudaram, Bangkok, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
Why We Like It
The free bicycles at your disposal, resident kitties begging for a pet, a friendly owner, or the hand-painted, rustic rooms––it equals almost too many moments to adore. This is an ideal experience for someone returning to Bangkok. If you have already ticked off the temple tours, the shopping malls, the nightlife and the street food, and you want to sink into the everyday romance of Bangkok.
Fodor's Expert Review
A sweet, polished homestay, it’s a dream to live for a few days inside a century-old, Thai river house. The home was passed down to current owner Anutra “Maii” Radabkij from her father, and after hiring artists to paint each bedroom in a different motif, Maii opened the hotel in 2015. Siamotif is located on the Bangkok Noi Canal, a tributary off the main river. Life around the hotel moves at a sleepier pace, and immersing yourself in Thai culture is as simple as sitting down to breakfast or borrowing one of the free bikes to explore the neighborhood.
You Should Know Bangkok was once known as The Venice of the East, entirely connected by canals. Here, people still live on and with the water. Some commute by boat and trade still occurs by boat, especially at floating markets, like the Taling Chan. Life on the water can come with challenges, from the water itself––polluted and not suitable for swimming––to mosquitos and potential for flooding in monsoon season. This beautiful hotel is akin to a homestay. It is a chance to connect with Bangkok’s every-day, but your WiFi (or your hotel conveniences) might not feel as strong as one is used to in other places.
PROS
- Immersion in Thai culture
- Great for cat lovers
- Beautiful bungalow setting
CONS
- Far from big tourist attractions
- No food beyond breakfast
- Mosquito spray advised
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Room
There are six rooms here, no two alike. Owner Maii consistently keeps the century-old house in top shape. The largest Porcelain Suite was redesigned in 2022, and features soft jade and yellow paint colors, floral curtains, fabric light fixtures, and a private terrace. The petite Motif Room gives quirky cabin vibes, with Thai plaid curtains, walls of burnt sienna, and pink shower tiles. If you book Golden Crane, delight in blown glass, yellow sconces, and wall murals of enormous Japanese birds.
Bathroom
There’s something wonky and fun about taking a shower right on the river. You hear Bangkok’s soundtrack of birdsong and puttering longtail boats through the slatted wood walls, as pipes rattle slightly, and the room-temperature water feels like a post-beach rinse. There’s no uptight hotel feeling here. The countertop stone sinks correspond with the color of the rooms, and the old doors, mirrors, and light fixtures extend the antique, river-house vibe. Due to the house setting and the commitment to keeping the structure authentic, you may find a little less privacy than a modern hotel, and you may even have a little visitor in the form of a lizard.
Lobby
Maii is as charming as her home, and she’s a cat person. A quick look on Instagram, and you’ll find the felines referred to as second ‘managers.’ The lobby is a mix of pets and conversation, the noise of Bangkok life outside and multiple places to lounge around. The house living area is a multi-level space, split by a central open atrium area, with dark wood floors, and sliding glass doors. Frangipani plants and Mid-Century lounge chairs in an array of fabric prints give it a 1960s, sunny, beach bungalow vibe, and there’s no better setting to work on your Thai language skills.
Dining
Breakfast is a lively time when this hotel is at full occupancy, and over Thai omelets, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, and strong coffee, you can make new friends. For lunch and dinner, Maii is happy to direct you to great restaurants, calling for a taxi or pointing you to nearby outdoor food markets, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous.
Drinking
The hotel stocks a range of sodas, wine, water, and beers in the fridges. Having a sunset drink on your suite’s private deck, as the sun sinks below the corrugated metal roofs of neighboring river houses, is a bucket-list moment.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
The Siamotif is located on the Bangkok Noi Canal, one of the largest tributary canals off the Chao Phraya River. Guests reach Siamotif by either taking the MRT train, on the Blue Line, alighting at the BL04-Bang Khun Non station and walking for 10 minutes, or by hiring a taxi for a direct drop-off at the hotel. You can watch the longtail boats putter past, but there is not a direct pier here for arriving by boat. For exploring, it’s lovely to walk the neighborhood around the hotel or use one of the free bicycles to explore.
Restaurants
Due to its more suburban setting on the Bangkok Noi canal, you will find garage-style dining options, outright curbside street vendors and purveyors under tents in larger market areas, like the Wang Lang Market. These are great options for a quick bite. For a sit-down experience, within a 10-minute walk, try Jubang Premium Korean BBQ, the Gu Roti dessert shop, Na Vayla PaPlern for Thai vegan dishes, and 521 Burger BKK, if you’re craving some classic American food.
Bars
For a real Thailand experience, snag a plastic stool and a cold beer from a cooler at one of the garage-style restaurants a few streets over from the hotel. These settings offer excellent people watching, if they don’t offer perks like air-conditioning or proper chairs. For an actual cocktail on an outdoor deck, try Crypto (10 minutes by taxi from Siamotif) or grab a glass of wine aside a pizza at Embers, which is a seven-minute taxi.
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