Salisa Chanyutthakul |
Upon doing research for this hotel review, I learned that the Royal Orchid Sheraton has earned the title of one of Bangkok's best luxury resort-style hotels. The hotel has won numerous awards and accolades, including being voted one of the top 50 ‘World's Best Hotels in Asia 2007’ by the readers of Travel and Leisure magazine, and also named to the ‘Condé Nast Traveler (USA) Gold List’ for six consecutive years.
The Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel is located on the Eastern bank of the famous Chao Phraya River. The unique location offers a panoramic view of the traditional Bangkok way of ‘river life’. The waterway in front of the hotel is always busy with interesting river traffic and people to gaze at while sipping a drink at one of many food and beverage outlets.
The hotel itself offers full five-star luxury, service and amenities. All of the rooms feature Sheraton’s famous ‘Sweet Sleeper’ beds that are ultra-comfortable! After inspecting the rooms I went outside to check out the recreational facilities. The hotel offers two swimming pools, one intended at pleasing the children and another one for those who want to relax with some peace and quiet. The fitness center is large and well equipped. Unlike a lot of other hotels, the fitness center is open 24 hours a day, which is especially useful for travelers suffering from jetlag. There is also an outdoor jogging track for guests afraid of jogging in Bangkok’s crazy traffic and tennis courts located within the hotel confines.
Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel |
Next was a tour of the Royal Orchid Mandara Spa by the very friendly staff. The treatment rooms were luxuriously decorated in traditional Thai fashion. Signature services included the Mandara massage, Elemis Aroma Stone Therapy and Ayurvedic massage. I continued on with a tour of the Royal Orchid’s four restaurants and two bars. One interesting dining option was the river-side ‘Thailand Tonight’ venue which offers a nightly Thai food and barbeque seafood buffet. Entertainment is offered in the form of traditional Thai music and dance. This restaurant is popular enough that it attracts many customers from outside of the hotel.
The location of the Royal Orchid Sheraton is quite convenient. There is a bridge link to the River City Shopping Complex which is known for its arts and antiques available for sale. The hotel also offers complimentary shuttle boat service to the Saphin Taksin Skytrain station every 30 minutes, giving guests convenient access to all that Bangkok offers. In addition there are two public piers adjacent to the hotel offering public transport.
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