Seven

Ten years ago, most Bangkok lodgings were either big luxury hotels or grimy backpacker dens. Things have changed, thanks to a string of new small-scale properties. Seven, one of the latest, occupies a town house on a quiet street in the happening Sukhumvit neighborhood. A collaboration between two Thai designers and a cutting-edge London graphic arts firm, the hotel’s interiors include six guest rooms individually decorated with murals inspired by Buddhist philosophy. In contrast, furnishings are clean and spare—crisp white linens, angular tables and chairs. The atmosphere is more like a pied-à-terre than a hotel: guests receive cell phones to use during their stay, plus a tip sheet on the most buzzed-about bars and restaurants in town.