Praya Palazzo Bangkok

Style and Character

The Praya Palazzo, the only heritage hotel along the river, is a small but handsome Italian-style mansion, its walls painted ochre, in a garden full of plants and figurines with a pool at its centre and great views across the water. There’s plenty of attention to detail and while the furnishings are not antique, they certainly have an early 20th-century Italian vibe. Constructed by a royal tax collector, the building first served as a family home, then as a school before standing empty for some years. A Thai academic fell in love with the property and restored it to its former glory in 2009.

Service and Facilities

The staff are friendly and the hotel is small enough to feel very well looked after. Facilities are simple but very adequate. The Praya Palazzo is really a getaway, a place to spend a few days relaxing, perhaps hire a boat – which the hotel is happy to arrange – for trips to the city’s historic sites or the markets in Banglamphoo. But it’s no less enticing to hang out in a lounger by the pool and read a book on the wooden patio with a cocktail in hand while long-tail boats and cargo ships plough through the Chao Praya a few yards away.

Rooms

The air-conditioned standard rooms are compact, not least because the beds are huge, with creaking wooden floors and nicely worn antique-style furniture, and offer state of the art modern amenities including a minibar, television, DVD player, coffee machine and fresh fruit. The bathrooms are small, spotless, retrofitted affairs with rain showers.

Food and Drink

Diners may choose between indoor seating on the hotel’s ground floor and several tables on an outside patio by the pool. There’s an emphasis on classic Thai dishes, some following royal recipes. The red duck curry is excellent. Western choices are rather limited except for a good selection of steaks. Breakfast is simple and largely à la carte, with various egg choices, juices and cereals.

Value for Money

Double rooms from 4,200 Thai Baht (£96) in low season; and from 4,700 Thai Baht (£107) in high. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Children over the age of 12 are welcome, though there are no special facilities for kids.

Location

For guests wanting to get away from the pollution and hubbub of the city, the Praya Palazzo, located on the Chao Phraya’s eastern banks, is a great choice. Accessible via the hotel’s two boats, which run around the clock and are free of charge to and from Phra Athit pier, the hotel is perfectly located for visits to the city’s main historic sites, including the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Po. Also, from Phra Athit, where Praya Palazzo has set up the Parasol Lounge to make check-in smoother, it’s a 10-minute walk to Khao San Road, Bangkok’s backpacker area.

Reaching Bangkok’s downtown shopping and nightlife areas requires some effort, but most guests don’t venture that far. A taxi to either airport takes around an hour. Guests receive a mobile phone from the hotel, with which they can call for a ferry any time.