We spent five wonderful nights at Ariyasomvilla and would recommend this lovely hotel to anyone looking for a quiet place to return to after busy days of sightseeing. Surrounded by lush vegetation and featuring a gorgeous pool, it was easy to forget about the bustling city down the street. We were greeted with refreshing iced tea at check in and were pleased with the attentiveness of the staff throughout our stay. The property is beautifully kept and antique decorations made it feel like we were staying in someone's home. We stayed in a standard room on the third floor to the rear of the hotel. The room itself was gorgeously decorated, and I appreciated the little touches such as the fresh fruit, orchids and the bottle of citronella spray. The bathroom had a big tub and separate rain shower, with luscious smelling bath products that the staff kept refilled.
Breakfast was served every morning in the ground floor restaurant and was included in our room rate. Guests can choose from an extensive menu of Western and Asian dishes, all either vegetarian or seafood based. We enjoyed everything we sampled though I would steer clear of the vegetarian bacon. Those two words have no business being together.
Twice we had dinner at the hotel – the night we arrived because it was convenient and again because it was delicious. Both times we ordered the fiery Penang curry with chunks of fried tofu sweetened with coconut cream as well as the pad thai with tofu. The former was spectacular though could have used more of the delectable sauce while the latter was beautifully presented with a latticework of fried egg and crushed peanuts on the side. The prawn cakes deep fried to crispy perfection and served with a plum dipping sauce were also a highlight. The desserts were advertised as being made fresh daily by the owner, and even though they weren’t remotely Thai, we enjoyed them all the same. Order the chocolate tart, you won’t regret it!
Ariyasomvilla was a good base for sightseeing, conveniently located near the Phloen Chit metro station. We usually took the train to Saphan Taksin station (one transfer) and caught the public ferry going north. It was time consuming but we loved cruising along the river and getting to see more of the city. Should we be lucky enough to visit Bangkok again, I would definitely stay at this hotel.