The Metropolitan is absolute hotel perfection. The young, funky, good looking staff bend over backwards to help, yet are completely unobtrusive and have none of the stuffy formality of chain five star hotels. They were more than happy to go out and get us tickets to a music festival on the night we arrived and a dinner reservation at Bo Lai the next night. The lobby exudes style with its high ceiling, clean lines and funky house music. (No cheesy piano player singing Sting covers in the corner at this hotel!!). There's free wifi in the lobby too.

Out Metropolitan room was as huge and peaceful as all the other reviews attest. The large bathroom was just beautiful and the amenities really are worth souveniring - it's rare to have such high quality toiletries on offer in hotel bathrooms. We didn't hear a sound from the corridor or neighbouring rooms. Housekeeping do an incredible job on their twice daily visits to the room, replenishing cloud like towels and making the bed with the finest Egyptian cotton sheets I've ever slept between. The bed was extremely comfortable and big enough to get lost on.

Breakfast in Cyan is a definite step up from typical chain hotel buffet mediocrity. There is still a buffet selection of fruits, cold cuts, bircher museli, cereals, yoghurt, bread, pastries and juice while hot dishes which are far more immaginitive than bacon and eggs are ordered a la carte.

The pool area is great. The pool is a good size at 20 metres, drink service is prompt and friendly - try the devine Met Belnd juice; beetroot, passionfruit and carrot - and all the beautiful people in the pool loungers are checking out their wallpaper* or Luxe guides to Bangkok deciding which restaurants and clubs to go to when night falls.

The location is quite convenient. Silom Rd is only a 10 minute walk and there's a metro station 5 minutes away. Of course taxis in Bangkok are plentiful and dirt cheap. Some drivers don't know the Metropolitan, but most do know the Banyan Tree next door. Hotel staff can also give you a card with the address in Thai and a little map. The Lumpini night market is also only 5 minutes away. There has been a marked increase in the number of funky young designers selling clothes, as well as the usual tourist souvenirs and tatt.

Finally the spa treatments deserve special mention. We both had the 90 minute signature treatment which was simply heavenly. The environment of the spa and the changerooms with mosaic jacuzzi and steamroom is a million miles from the noise, dust and fumes of Bangkok just outside.

I wouldn't even contemplate staying anywhere else on subsequent visits to Bangkok. The Metropolitan is simply everything a hotel should be.