Luxury accommodation at the Shangri-La Bangkok

After adding two more new countries to our list by travelling down the Mekong River in Laos and making a short but sweet visit to Siem Reap in Cambodia we were back in Thailand!

At the beginning of our three week trip to the region we very briefly stopped at Bangkok airport before making the short flight up to Chiang Mai. This time we were here to explore the city for 3 days.

I made no secret about why I didn’t fall in love with Bangkok. But that doesn’t mean our stay in the city was all bad. We did have an enjoyable stay at the Shangri-La! We are all about balance when we travel – and we definitely like to have a few luxury hotels on the list when we do big trips like this.

Checking in: Shangri-La Bangkok

We decided to take the SkyTrain from Bangkok Airport to Saphan Taksin (the stop is literally moments from the hotel) which took about 35 minutes. There are two changes but it costs about £10 for two.

Walking up to the hotel, I realised the staff probably thought we were in the wrong place as we had backpacks with us. It didn’t fill us with the greatest feeling on our arrival… Once inside we were greeted at the desk by a lovely lady who sat us down to fill out some forms and offered us a refreshing tea.

The hotel lobby here is a huge, tranquil place with soft music playing and the most delicious fragrance.

The Shangri-La Bangkok is a very large hotel with over 800 rooms, 10 dining options, 3 swimming pools, gardens and a spa. We were staying in a Krungthep River View Room which has a balcony overlooking the Chao Praya river.

The Rooms

As you walk into your room you realise the elegance of the hotel. The spacious rooms feature Thai-inspired furnishings, soothing colour palettes, high ceilings and chandeliers. It feels like a relaxing place instantly. Which is a great feeling in a city like Bangkok!

The grand marble bathrooms have a bath and separate shower and are filled with L’Occitane toiletries. These little touches make it feel like you’d happily spend a hazy afternoon away from the heat to relax for a few hours.

We had read that the rooms in the Krungthep Wing can be noisy as you are closer to the traffic on the bridge but we couldn’t hear it. And I’m glad we chose a room with a balcony as the views at sunset were quite beautiful. Every evening we enjoyed a beer here before heading out into the night.

The rooms here were spotlessly clean and everything in our room worked but it did feel a little dated in design. Perhaps that is just my taste.

Hotel Facilities

The swimming pool by the Krungthep Wing is lovely and tranquil and enhanced by being on the river front. There is a larger pool by the original wing of the hotel, which also has more loungers surrounding it. Though it was filled mainly with families so a little noisier.

There are also tennis courts and a luxury Spa for you to enjoy if you have the time.

There are a number of different dining options at the hotel including a Cantonese restaurant, an Italian restaurant and the Horizon Cruise which allows you to enjoy dinner along the river on their private river boat.

We only ate breakfast in the hotel as we had too little time to try anything else, but the breakfasts here are pretty epic! It is £20 per person so not cheap. But, the selection of food on offer is incredible! There is such an array of cuisines and dishes for you to try. There are the usual breads, pastries and cereals. Or there is dim sum and more western dishes like bacon and sausages. There is also an egg station and noodle station making your breakfast to order and just how you like. If you like it a bit lighter then you can choose from the wonderful selection of fresh fruits, juices and shots.

You honestly won’t need to eat until dinner. I love a big meal to start the day so I really enjoyed the breakfasts.

Need to know

• There are two wings to the Shangri-La Bangkok: the Shangri-La Wing and the newer Krungthep Wing. The rooms in the latter all have balconies and this is the newer wing of the two. They have separate entrances and the Krungthep Wing is much closer to the SkyTrain.
• The location of the hotel means it has easy access to the Skytrain which is Bangkok’s best public transport system. The hotel is located in Silom, close to business district.
• Being on the river means can also take river boat.
• It is approximately a 35 minute drive to the airport.

Overall

Because of the location of the hotel (being close to the business district), there is a business travel feel to it, but there were families and couples around too. We ended up booking the Shangri-La Bangkok because (as standard) we left organising our trip quite late in the day and as it was over the festive period our top hotels were already booked.

I have to admit that although there was nothing wrong with our room and the hotel is definitely a luxurious option when staying in Bangkok, we didn’t think the service quite matched. Not that we received any bad service, but you know when you get the feeling because we weren’t big spenders at the hotel we didn’t receive the same treatment. I mean I know this happens, but you shouldn’t know it’s happening, if you know what I mean!

The Shangri-La Bangkok is a beautifully grand and luxurious hotel and it’s location makes it perfect for using the SkyTrain, but the service for us wasn’t that of a true 5 star hotel.

Have you been to Bangkok? Where would you recommend to stay?

Shangri-La Bangkok

89 Soi Wat Suan Plu Khwaeng Bang Rak
Khet Bang Rak
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500
Thailand

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