Sala Arun

Style and Character

While the hotel's exterior blends in perfectly well with the surrounding heritage architecture – it used to be the headquarters of a palm sugar wholesale business – the interior is quite another story. In both public spaces and the rooms, classic Thai furnishings, Turkish design elements, Vietnamese art and modern amenities have been combined to create a quite unique and tasteful ambience, a far cry from the bombast of the large luxury chain hotels along the river.

The Turkish tiles, hanging lamps and porcelain compliment the dark-wood furniture and ochre walls.

Service and Facilities

The staff are very friendly without being intrusive. Guests can book ritual oriental foot massages and classic Thai body massages and Sala Arun can arrange a number of interesting tours. Boat tours through the city's network of khlongs (canals) leave from the hotel's private pier while guided walking tours around Ratanakosin Island take in all the main historic sites. Sala Arun also arranges dinner cruises on the Chao Phraya River. Internet can be slow.

Rooms

The nine compact and spotless air-conditioned rooms are all about the same size. Of them, six have stunning views onto Wat Arun across the river while the remaining three look out towards Wat Po. Parquet floors, dark-wood furnishings, interesting pieces of art, television, DVD player, a safe and tea and coffee-making facilities provide plenty of comfort.

The beds are comfortable and the bathrooms, constructed with beautiful Sino-Portuguese tiles, are neat and clean. Some of the rooms have small balconies.

Food and Drink

The Bitter Arun restaurant specialises in grilled meats and seafood. The boneless baby seabass with mushrooms is excellent and the ostrich is equally succulent. Four sauces, from mild to extremely spicy, add some great flavours, though the portions of accompanying vegetables are a little small. Several salads, with grilled add-ons make for perfect starters and there are also a few western pasta dishes and curries on the menu. The wine list is pretty extensive too.

The Eagle Nest rooftop bar on the fifth floor offers fantastic views across the river and Ratanakosin Island, as well as a good selection of cocktails and is often packed around sunset. Breakfast is a rather modest affair with the usual egg choices and a limited selection of juices, breads and yoghurts.

Value for Money

Double rooms from 2,800 Thai Baht (£62) in low season; and from 3,400 Thai Baht (£76) in high. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Families are welcome though there are no special facilities for children and the property is best suited for couples.

Location

Located in the heart of historic Ratanakosin Island, Sala Arun is ideally placed for visitors who want to explore the Thai capital's historic sites on foot. It's just five minutes' walk to Wat Po, 10 minutes to the royal palace. Wat Arun can be reached with a five-minute ferry ride. Khao San Road, Bangkok's backpacker ghetto is also close by.

It's easy to get downtown. A river ferry to Saphan Taksin takes 15 minutes. From there, the sky train whisks travellers to Sukhumvit in a few minutes. A taxi to either airport takes around an hour.