In late 2020, Capella Bangkok opened to join a string of luxury hotels on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, sharing a private driveway with the Four Seasons in the heart of the trendy Charoenkrung district. Just four years later, an international ranking crowned it the very best hotel on the planet.
So, what makes this 101-room city hotel so special? Let’s start with the view. The hotel is designed so that every room faces the same way, out over the Chao Phraya River. Suites have floor-to-ceiling windows serving skyline from every angle – even from the bathroom sinks – or you could stake claim to your own riverside patch with a stay in one of the hotel’s ultra-exclusive villas, complete with a plunge pool and private tropical garden.
Every room and suite is decked out in a soothing Japandi style: think cream and honey tones, wooden partitions, and plenty of space and light. Beds are, of course, ridiculously plush, thanks to pillowtop mattresses and Egyptian cotton sheets. Bathrooms are spa-like, with rainfall showers, a free-standing tub and his-and-hers sinks. There’s nothing too over-the-top here, but it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into anticipating what a guest might need – and what might make them smile. Take the bedside touchscreen that allows you to control the lighting, the blinds, and pretty much anything else in the room. Or the fragrant ‘bath tea’, or the vanity kits printed with vintage photographs of the river.
Capella Bangkok landed its ‘world’s best’ accolade largely on the grounds of its above-and-beyond service. There’s no doubt a well-studied understanding of the guest experience on display here, from a turn-down service that gifts cakes to your bedside to breakfast bundles for early check-outs. All this is part and parcel of the experience Capella – as a brand – wants to offer its guests. But you’ll find that any interaction you have with a staff member here will be unflinchingly loyal, gracious and warm – in our eyes, the very best of Thai hospitality.
The two on-site restaurants – two-Michelin-star Côte by Mauro Colagreco and the riverfront Phra Nakohn – elevate Capella Bangkok to one of the capital’s most desirable dining destinations. The former is a Mediterranean affair, serving beautiful Riviera-inspired tasting dishes, while the latter offers authentic, flavour-packed Thai food, with a spectacular location right on the water. Breakfast (a mixture of a la carte and buffet bits, with both Western and Thai options) is served on Phra Nakohn’s sun-dappled terrace – an enviable way to spend a morning, that, feeling the day warm up around you while you slurp coconut water straight from the shell.
There’s also art-deco cocktail bar Stella, which is pretty much the benchmark for a brilliant hotel bar. It’s decadent and fun, with a menu printed on the plumes of a handheld fan handed to you in a little box, and drinks themed around Bangkok’s neighbourhoods, landmarks and cultural icons.
Auriga, the spa, carries out a range of soul-soothing treatments – many using Thai ingredients like mung bean and Hom Mali rice – plus some unexpected practices, like sound healing. There’s also a tea room (get the coconut matcha) and a pool (with river views, obviously). But one of Capella Bangkok’s greatest offerings is its dedicated team of ‘Culturists’, who design bespoke itineraries for guests to really get to know the side of the city they most want to see, be it spiritual sites or street food.
Is it the world’s best hotel? Certainly, it’s without fault. Capella Bangkok manages to achieve something quite elusive: creating, for guests, the warm feeling of coming home, while being extraordinary enough to feel miles away.
Nearby
- KodTalay seafood buffet: Atop an office building is this most unique of dining experiences: a lively rooftop where you can go all in on an all-you-can-eat barbecue seafood buffet for under B600.
- Warehouse 30: A converted warehouse space packed with indie galleries, boutiques and coffee shops.
- Yaowarat Road: The epicentre of Bangkok’s street food scene is a 40-minute walk from the hotel (or a 15-minute drive).
Address: 300/2 Charoenkrung Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Price per night: From approx B32,838 per night
Closest transport link: From BTS Saphan Taksin station, you can walk to Sathorn Pier, where the private pier offers a shuttle boat to the hotel.
Book now: [https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/capella-bangkok.en-gb.html?aid=2427673]
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