The Mustang Blu

Style and Character

In a previous life, the hotel's stately neoclassical building functioned as a bank (the original vault door now opens to a bathroom) and later as a gentlemen’s club and massage parlour. After years of neglect, stylist and owner Ananda ‘Joy’ Chalardcharoen took over the place and restored only what was needed. Conserving the original patina (and meticulously recreating the weathered look for walls that were newly constructed), she managed to beautifully capture the building’s former charm, while dandy-ing it up with marble-tiled bathrooms, vintage rugs and antiques upholstered with velvet and chrome.

The attention given to the tiniest details, such as the on-brand (and still-working) rotary dial phones and house-blended organic toiletries in the bathrooms put the hotel firmly ahead of the competition.

Service and Facilities

Service is as you’d expect from a small-scale boutique hotel in Thailand: friendly, helpful and tuned-in. This is not a place to book for lazy days at the pool (there isn’t one) or late-night drinks at the hotel bar (also missing), but those looking for a base from which to explore the charming Old Town will get more than their money’s worth. As a starting point, guests are given a handy neighbourhood guide pointing to the best bars, restaurants and galleries in the district.

Rooms

The hotel’s 10 rooms are spread over three levels and all vary in size and layout. They’re universally spacious and, like the public areas, richly decorated with taxidermy, stacks of books and antique furnishings. Some rooms have access to a small balcony, others come with freestanding bathtubs placed as centrepieces in the living areas (gorgeous on Instagram snapshots, though not exactly practical – just like some of the open-plan bathrooms). TVs are missing, but hardly missed.

Food and Drink

Breakfast is served at the Mustang Blu Café, which is centred around a cast-iron spiral staircase under the building’s dramatic circular atrium. Going far beyond the usual toast-and-eggs combo, guests are treated to a feast that could include honey-glazed pork chop, herb-rubbed chicken, or baked salmon, accompanied by Thai fruits, house-made pastries, fresh orange juice and an ever-changing array of side-dishes – all served on blue-and-white crockery emblazoned with the owner’s illustrations. During the day, the café is a cosy spot for coffee and cake.

Value for Money

Double rooms from 4,500 THB (£117). Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.

Family-Friendly?

Not particularly (no cots or extra beds available), but my two-year-old travel companion had nothing to complain about.

Location

The Mustang Blu is located in the heart of Chinatown, one of Bangkok’s most captivating districts where tuk-tuks still roar through the streets, street-food stalls still line the sidewalks, and whiffs of motor oil, jasmine and Chinese spices fill the air. Soi Nana, a cluster of snazzy cafés and nightlife venues, can be reached within minutes through a shortcut across the street, and there are plenty of ancient temples and markets to be explored in the area.
The glitzy ‘new’ Bangkok, with its air-conditioned shopping malls, Michelin-starred restaurants and other comfort creatures can be reached via the MRT network (the closest stop, Hua Lamphong, is a five-minute walk away), or by taxi, of which there are plenty passing by throughout the day.