Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok

Style and Character

This hotel is positioned among sky trains, high rises and gigantic malls – it's reasonably smart, very cosmopolitan, but informal. The designers really had a field day with traditionalist modern art and photography covering walls and corridors which are painted in nicely muted orange, red and yellow tones. Recycled wood and metal are artfully attached to walls to emphasize the hotel's commitment to the environment. I'd call it Far Eastern Industrial but that sounds less welcoming than it really is.

Service and Facilities

The staff are very friendly, young and pretty informal as befits accommodation as poppy as Siam@Siam. The 11th-floor infinity pool offers fantastic views but it can get a little crowded round the sun loungers. The gym is perfectly adequate for a little holiday exercise.

Rooms

Unique, quirky, compact and comfortable, the 203 rooms have large bathrooms and manage to be colourful without being gaudy. The larger rooms feature extra beds and the suites have their own private saunas. The Heritage Floor features rooms in the style of Thailand's Rama VI period, the early 20th century, though a few of those don't have windows, so it's best to ask when checking in. For best views, choose an upper floor.

Food and Drink

Siam@Siam offers a surprising variety of dining and drinking options. On the ground floor, Party House One, an international restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets and a well-stocked wine bar. The generous breakfast buffet includes European and Asian options, including a good selection of cold cuts, salmon and cheeses, along with the usual English fry-up items, though it can get crowded. On Fridays there's a special emphasis on Thai fusion cuisine and there's live music in the evenings.

On the 25th floor, the Thai restaurant Taan serves what's billed as remastered Thai cuisine, marrying French cooking philosophy to Thai recipes using local products and homemade ingredients. The rooftop is the best place for a pre-dinner cocktail and great sunsets, 360-degree views of the city and there's Thai accented Japanese food including sushi and sashimi, accompanied by occasional live music.

Value for Money

Double rooms from 5,190 Thai Baht £118 in low season; and from 7,074 Thai Baht £161 in high. Breakfast excluded. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Interconnecting rooms, extra beds, baby cots and a children's menu along with a Grand Deluxe Family Suite are available.

Location

This is a superb downtown location, surrounded by some of Bangkok's best shops and restaurants, and metres away from BTS National Stadium. The Jim Thompson House, a museum displaying the American businessman and architect's famous art collection, is also nearby. Both airports are an hour away and for the adventurous, there's the Hua Chang pier from where regular long tail ferries whisk locals to Banglamphoo, the Khao San Road area, and the river in minutes.