Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse

Style and Character

This cosmopolitan high-rise hotel is modern and chic but the décor offers plenty of nods to traditional Thai life of yesterday, including painted glass panels of village scenes and beautiful bronze sculptures in the rooms, and large murals of country and court life in the Praya Restaurant while the Yao Restaurant is a stylish retro Shanghai affair.

Service and Facilities

Staff members are very friendly and helpful, right from the moment of arrival. Facilities are what one might expect from a luxury downtown hotel – the infinity pool is a little small, but the 24-hour gym is huge and offers great views. The spa has just four treatment rooms, one for couples. The kids’ club has no dedicated staff, so parents will need to remain present.

Rooms

The deluxe rooms are a little too compact, but they do come with floor-to-ceiling windows, and decent size, spotless bathrooms with tubs and rain showers. Furnishings are in top condition, a little understated, minimalistic and quietly luxurious, making for an adult hotel experience. The one-, two- or three-bedroom suites are ideally suited for families – they come with small but functional kitchens, washing machines and walk-in closets and comfortable seating areas clustered around round tables.

Food and Drink

There are two restaurants. The Praya Restaurant serves lunch and dinner buffets that focus on Thai cuisine, but also offer a decent choice of western comfort dishes along with a selection of sushi choices and a great variety of deserts. Highlights include tasty chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves and a do it yourself som tam (papaya salad) station. The mango cheesecake is not bad either.

The elegant Yao Restaurant on the 32nd floor is a design marvel incorporating stylish metal work conveying 1930s Shanghai ambience and offering private dining rooms, great views and a sumptuous menu of Shanghai cuisine along with a choice of Cantonese delicacies. Guests can avail themselves to Chinese fortune sticks to determine which tea to choose. The best place for a pre-dinner cocktail is the retro Chinese themed rooftop bar which offers stunning 360-degree views of the city and a decent selection of drinks and snacks. Breakfast is a lavish buffet affair with healthy juices, cold cuts and cheeses, English breakfast selections, cereals and fruit as well as decent Asian choices including kongee.

Value for Money

Double rooms from THB 7,300 (£192) in low season; and from THB 8,300 (£219) in high. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

There’s a kids' club, the pool is adjoined by a smaller kids’ pool, and babysitters can be arranged.

Location

Across the road from the historic Neilson Hayes Library and Bangkok’s British Club, the Marriot The Surawongse sits in a laid-back part of downtown Bangkok, half way between bustling Sukhumvit Road and the historic sights along the river. The Patpong night life area which boasts countless bars and restaurants is a few minutes’ walk away. The hotel runs a regular shuttle van service to Sala Daeng BTS skytrain station. A taxi to either airport takes around 40 minutes.