10 of the best hotels in Bangkok

Top 10:

1.        Banyan Tree Bangkok - 61-storey hotel, feels distinctly Thai, with tropical greenery and traditional music, spacious rooms, renowned Banyan Tree Spa, signature massage – website – booking.com

2.        Avani+ Riverside Bangkok - fabulous rooftop infinity pool, bright young staff and brilliant buffet breakfast, pumped up gym, free morning yoga classes, entry-level rooms are fine for a night or two, roomier but still reasonably priced junior suites for a longer stay – website – booking.com

3.        Mandarin Oriental Bangkok - glamorous heritage hotel, lobby fizzes from morning to night with well-heeled tourists from every corner of the globe and Thai royalt, rooms combine classic Thai looks with modern accoutrements and river views, spa, award-winning restaurants – website – booking.com

4.        The Peninsula Bangkok - wonderful Chao Phraya River location, a beautiful palm-lined outdoor pool, a collection of first-class restaurants, a bend-over-backwards service, splendid spa – website – booking.com

5.        Capella Bangkok - low-slung mid-century-style architecture, swimming pools, muted contemporary interiors, fashionable facilities, sexy restaurants, coolest, cleverest hotel in town – website – booking.com

6.        The Siam -  luxurious riverside retreat, frequented by Thailand’s high society, fern-filled atrium, stripy waterfront swimming pool, tiger-shaped sofas, Story House restaurant, excellent spa, hotel’s consecrated Sak Yant tattoo studio, rooms, suites and pool villas are sexy monochrome spaces – website – booking.com

7.        Siam Kempinski - Attached to the enormous Siam Paragon shopping centre, surrounded on all sides by street markets and mega-malls, spacious, soothing rooms, balconies overlooking contemporary tropical gardens, lagoon-shaped swimming pools – website – booking.com

8.        Shanghai Mansion - few minutes walk from Wat Mangkon MRT station, taps into the neighbourhood’s rich mixed heritage in extravagant style,  atrium lobby is filled with Chinese lanterns, velvet sofas, wooden bird cages and lotus flower ponds, 76 rooms – website – booking.com

9.        Four Seasons Bangkok - glamorous five-star Four Seasons Bangkok, close to many of Bangkok’s biggest attractions, contemporary design, multi-level reflecting pools and percolating waterfalls, bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river, seven bars and restaurants – website – booking.com

10.   COMO Metropolitan - LGBT favourite, swimming pool, flagship restaurant Nahm, provides sun salutations, Guinot spa treatments and healthy cuisine – website – booking.com