Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

In this legendary 1887 hotel and modern tower, many of the 393 rooms now have floor-to-ceiling windows, with spectacular views of the busy Chao Phraya River. Book on of the split-level Garden Wing Rooms, for traditional sophistication or Authors' Suites, for opulent Thai style. The hotel has rich literary history; Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, Noël Coward, James Michener all stayed at the Oriental. Take a moment for dim sum in the 1930's-inspired China House, one of the hotel's nine restaurants. The hotel also has a garden pool and a spa located across the water and reachable by ferry. Guests can attend a cooking school or troll the lobby for celebrity sightings. Wander into the Bamboo Bar for perfectly mixed cocktails like the Singapore Sling.