Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok

Style and Character

The hotel is divided into two distinct parts, the Shangri-La wing with its giant chandeliered lobby and rooms furnished in contemporary Thai style and the Khrung Thep wing which offers a plusher more refined, classic Siam ambience. The river location adds significantly to the majestic airs.

Service and Facilities

Service is competent and formal. There are two large pools, a gym-cum-health club which offers a variety of exercise classes including yoga and Thai boxing sessions free of charge, and two tennis courts with great views. The spa has the same feeling of spaciousness and grand formality as the rest of the hotel.

Rooms

The standard rooms are small but very comfortable. The rooms in the Shangri-La wing offer contemporary designs and paintings with compact spotless bathrooms and stunning river views. Some of the rooms and suites have small balconies. In the Khrung Thep wing everything is a touch more ostentatious with brocade curtains, Thai silk wall-coverings and chandeliers. The views are just as good, and all rooms have balconies.

Food and Drink

The Shangri-La offers no fewer than six restaurants, including an Italian, a very popular Chinese known for its excellent dim sum, the all-day buffet Next 2 Restaurant and the classic Thai fine dining experience Salathip, located in several attractive wood and glass pavilions directly on the river. The red curry with very tender roasted duck is rather delicious, as is the tom yam soup with sea bass.

The Upper Deck bar is a great place for a pre-dinner drink, and the Chocolate Boutique is a paradise for sugar addicts. Afternoon tea, accompanied by a harpist, can be enjoyed in the Lobby Lounge. The nightly jazz and pop is best enjoyed from a comfy stool in the Long Bar. The Shangri-La also has its very own dinner cruise ship, the Horizon, which sets sail nightly at 7.30pm with an international buffet on board.
On every last Thursday of the month, Salathip hosts a so-called Thai night market. Traders set up stalls in the garden, selling fabrics, bags, soaps, spa products and wood carvings around the restaurant pavilions, and a dance performance accompanies a mix of live cooking stations and a set menu.

Value for Money

Double rooms from 6,533 baht (£149) in low season; from 8,592 baht (£196) in high. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Sunday brunch offers activities for youngsters, a clown and a magic show and a kid’s buffet. There are connecting rooms, and extra beds and nannies can be provided. Kids may take advantage of the special in-room dining children’s menu.

Location

The Bangkok Shangri-La is the largest hotel property along the Chao Praya river, stretching a quarter of a mile north from Saphan Taksin bridge. It’s a short hop by boat to the city’s historical sites and a two-minute walk to Saphan Taksin BTS skytrain station, from where it’s just a few stops to the downtown shopping area.