The Top 5 Bangkok Hotels in 2018
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.
Related: The 2018 World's Best Awards
Situated on the banks of Chao Phraya River, the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, which took top honors this year, first opened as the Oriental in 1876. It’s played host to literary titans like Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, and Graham Greene, as well as entertainment icons like Noël Coward. Today’s visitors get a sense of that storied past— especially in the guest rooms, which are accented with sumptuous Thai silk fabrics and teak furnishings.
Directly across the river, the Peninsula Bangkok (this year’s runner-up) won readers over with its immersive guest experiences, which range from private Muay Thai kick-boxing lessons to a tour through the backstreets of Bangkok to explore lesser-known temples and food stands. Back at the hotel, relax in your luxurious guest room, which has a marble bathroom, walk-in closet, and panoramic views of the river and skyline.
Claiming the No. 3 slot, Banyan Tree Bangkok occupies a soaring skyscraper in the tony Sathorn neighborhood, near Lumphini Park. Guests love Moon Bar, perched on the 61st floor atop the building — one of the best places in the city to take in Bangkok’s stunning sunsets. “The rooftop bar was the highlight of our trip,” said one effusive reader.
Read on for the full list of winners.
4. Shangri-La Hotel
Score: 90.40
2 of 5
3. Banyan Tree
Score: 90.67
3 of 5
2. The Peninsula
Score: 93.17
4 of 5
1. Mandarin Oriental
Score: 96.07
Although Bangkok is one of the busiest cities in Asia, the Mandarin Oriental is a veritable oasis of calm. Here, guests congregate in the restful Authors’ Lounge, a colonial-chic space serving traditional afternoon tea, and the holistic Oriental Spa, which is set inside a restored teak house and offers Western and Thai treatments (we love the full-body scrub of grated coconut and jasmine rice). Don’t miss dinner at Le Normandie, a Michelin-starred French restaurant with crystal chandeliers, white-glove service, and panoramic views of the Chao Phraya River through floor-to-ceiling windows.
See all of our readers' favorite hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and more in the World's Best Awards for 2018.