Having been a visitor to this Grand Dame twice, I swore to myself I would return no longer as a visitor, but as a guest. And so my partner and I booked ourselves a room for two nights and three days to attend the South East Asian Write Awards which was held at the Royal Ballroom and to celebrate my partner's 35th birth anniversary. Arriving at the hotel by taxi, we were greeted with warm and genuine smiles and greetings, followed by offerings of fragrant flowers. We were then ushered to our room which faced the French Embassy and the famous Chao Phraya river. Upon entering, we saw our King sized bed swathed in Thai silk and bed linens that felt like it had a million thread count. It seemed like they knew why were staying at the hotel because from the moment we changed our clothes to something more comfortable, the new Executive Chef Stefan Trepp, together with an assistant and our floor butler, we were given a table of sumptuous fruits, a delicately carved Watermelon etched with our names on it, fine chocolates, French macaroons, a Dragon boat made from white chocolate, strawberries which were hand dipped in both white and milk chocolate and a chilled bottle of Champagne!
We then decided to take a dip in their two swimming pools and explore the facilities of the hotel. It was difficult to leave the hotel as there were so many activities and restaurants to experience. Their offerings continued on with more gifts, such as two birthday cakes, fresh flowers and more fruits! Our room was regularly kept clean even if we didn't ask them to make our room. Everyone knew our names and everyone treated us like VIP guests. We realized that all the guests of the hotel were treated the same way. That's what we loved about MO Bangkok, consistently impeccable service and professional care was given to all guests. This hotel truly deserves to be at the top of the list of Tripadvisor's best ranked hotel in all of Bangkok.

- Very well maintained facility with friendly, efficient staff and top-notch service
- The check-in was easy, quick and smooth. They quickly ushered me to my room where they did the registration. Thus, I didn't have to stay long at the reception
- I was staying on 7th floor and there was even a floor butler dedicated to lead the service on that floor
- The location-by-the-river makes it really unique, charming and special. Also, it would take a boat ride to go to the gym which can be an experience in itself. However, it also means that you may have to wait for 5-10 minutes in the dock to get the boat (for a very quick 5-minute trip across the river). Hence, if you're type of the person who likes to go for a quick run at the gym right before it closes, then it can be a challenge for you. However, all you need to do is to properly time your visit to the gym (and also the gym trip can be rather challenging i fit rains or too cold outside since the boat is open)
- The boat service also takes you to the closest BTS station. I haven't tried it yet.

Overall, highly recommended to stay when you are on leisure or romantic getaway in Bangkok. However, while this hotel is still quite close from city center (e.g. Central World, MBK, etc), you would still need to rely on taxi to get around. In other more locally centralled hotel, it can be convenient to take tuk tuk, BTS or to walk due to the location. Also, I don't think there are many options to dine anywhere near the hotel.

Last December we had an opportunity to stay at one of the classics of the world - first hotel in Bangkok, celebrating its 135th anniversary - Mandarin Oriental. Check-in was painless, done in our room by an experienced person. Room, with river view, was lovely, well appointed (with little office) and with lovely personal touches that awaits guests (beautifully smelling fresh flowers on your bed, for example. Service is immaculate, Christmas tree was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and the hotel is, obviously, the place to be seen in. Every evening there were people going in and out to and from different functions held at the hotel. My only gripe - some stuff could be a bit more profficient in english but they are working on it I was told. Dinner on the river terrace is a must with plenty of boats going up and down, beautifully lit. Hotel is a must if you can afford it. It is a Grand Dame of hotel industry worldwide. Next visit to Bangkok will, surely, see us there again.

Once my wife and I made a plan to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in Thailand, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that we would stay at the storied Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. Having been aware of the fact that it is widely regarded as one of the world’s great hotels, I always hoped to be able to stay there, despite feeling a little skeptical whether any hotel could really live up to such a stellar reputation. Happily, its reputation is well deserved and the hotel did not disappoint. Aside from its beauty, history and relaxed elegance, the staff was unbelievably welcoming, genuinely friendly, gracious, kind and attentive. We could not get over the fact how many of them remembered our name during our six night stay. Several staff members made a point of inquiring how my wife was feeling once it became known that she was ill on our first day. We received the most gorgeous flower and orchid arrangements in our room each day along with beautifully presented exotic fruits. The hotel could not be more comfortable. Attentiveness to detail is no cliché when talking about the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. This is the very best managed hotel I have ever experienced. If a luxury hotel stay in Bangkok is in your future, there should be no other choice! We would gladly return.

David S. Bush
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
USA