Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok

Date of visit: January 2020

We have just enjoyed a three night stopover at the beautiful Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, and it was the perfect choice.

Having been to Bangkok on numerous occasions in the past, and staying at different properties each time, including Plaza Athenee, The Landmark, and The Muse, we decided this time to plump for a hotel with a river view. Having booked many clients in the past to stay at the property, and always with great feedback, we thought it was high time to experience it for ourselves.

Nestled on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Bangkok, the 802 room Shangri-La Hotel is made up of two modern tall buildings, with spectacular views up and down the river from its quarter of a mile river frontage. There is the main building, where we stayed, and the Krungthep Wing next door. After doing some research online prior to booking we found the main building came out tops, hence our decision. We now know we made the right one! The transfer time from Bangkok International Airport was approximately one hour.

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The property itself has been built for many years, and as such is an older style hotel which has been modernised over time. Its location is absolutely perfect on the river, and there are spacious grounds with a fantastic pool and plenty of trees in the gardens. There are numerous sunbeds, wonderful pool service, and heaps of luxurious laundered towels. It really is a lovely escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

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We opted for a Club Level Room on the 23^rdfloor of the hotel, which brought with it extra advantages including club lounge check in, a separate breakfast area, soft drinks and coffee/tea throughout the day, cocktails in the evenings, and a selection of appetisers. We were able to dine riverside outside for breakfast if we chose, which we did on a couple of occasions, but the selection in the lounge was just as good as the main restaurant. Our room had stunning views of the river and the city skyline, and was incredibly comfortable. Beautiful beds, crisp linens, luxury feather pillows, probably one of the best showers we have ever had in a hotel, and L’Occitane products. The air conditioning was quiet and effective, and we had fresh fruit each day plus complimentary water in the room too. Really lovely. Yes, slightly older in style, but luxurious all the same.

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Dining was excellent, and there was a choice of nine venues. We only sampled the Thai restaurant ‘Salathip’, which was riverside with great views and delicious food. Breakfast was in the international restaurant, with a huge selection of fresh fruit, juices, egg station etc everything you would expect from a 5*. There was also an Italian restaurant, which our friends ate in, and they said the food was delicious. In addition to the hotel restaurants there was a Shangri-La river boat which did evening cruises. We watched it each night sailing slowly away, from our riverside bar stools, while all manner of different craft meandered their way around it, a beautiful scene. 

The biggest compliment to the hotel however must be to the staff. Thai hospitality at its very best. Everywhere we went the staff asked how we were, smiled, bowed, and were genuinely concerned for our welfare and that we were enjoying our stay. First class service all the way. 

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We visited the Sirocco Bar at the State Tower on one of our nights, and this fabulous dining venue was literally around 10 minutes walk from the Shangri-La. (See separate blog on the restaurant, expensive but the views of the city were absolutely incredible).

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Having not been well on arrival we decided to just chill and relax at the hotel rather than tire ourselves out exploring, and as we had been to Bangkok on numerous occasions in the past we had already enjoyed the major sights. We did notice signs for the Skytrain though, and discovered the Saphan Taksin station is adjacent to the hotel, so we are sure it would be very easy to explore the city from the hotel’s location.

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We absolutely loved our stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, a beautiful location, amazing staff, wonderful food, a large swimming pool set in stunning grounds, lovely rooms and comfortable beds, what more could one want from a city centre property? Would we go again – absolutely, 100%.

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