An oasis of calm in a crazy city

We stayed at the Sukhothai on arrival in Bangkok - my first trip to Thailand. The hotel is one of the most beautiful I have ever visited - both our room and all of the public areas are elegantly styled. The attention to detail was wonderful, with fresh flowers and fruit in our room every day.

We enjoyed every aspect of the Sukhothai experience - from the jetlag busting massage and facials that we booked to simply chilling out by the pool for an hour or so before heading back out into the chaos of Bangkok.

The food was also fantastic - it was a challenge to hold back on the wonderful breakfast buffet, but worth it for the legendary chocolate buffet that we indulged in one afternoon. The formal Thai restaurant was superb - unfortunately we ran out of nights before we could try the other restaurant.

We found it easy to get into town, either down to the river to catch a boat in to see the sights or directly by taxi, but it was often a struggle to leave.

Most beautiful hotel ever, but unfortunate Bangkok influence

One of the most beautiful hotels I've ever stayed in, with Sukhothai artwork displayed everywhere, gorgeous gardens and rooms decorated with teak everywhere, from the bathroom floor to the headboard with intricate with inlays. The Concierges were mostly helpful and friendly although a few came across as overly pretentious and arrogant. The in-hotel Thai restaurant was not so special, so don't even bother.

One perk that the hotel management promotes is an elegant, safe,

in-room massage given to you by professional masseuses. When my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to this option, we got a bit of a surprise. The masseuses were anything BUT professional in that they attempted to provide way more of a Bangkok experience than we had wanted. We cut short the massage and communicated our displeasure to the management, as we didn't really think that was the kind of activity that the hotel should be endorsing.

Soothing - for the spirit and the wallet

We ended our Thailand adventures in November 2004 in Bangkok with 2 nights at the Sukhothai. For the online price (expensive by Thai standards but not at all by US/NY standards), we thoroughly enjoyed a 5 star experience. The decor is stunning in a classy, understated manner. We just loved the grounds, which are very well maintained. Amenities are fine - we stayed in standard rooms, average size, really quite nice teak bathrooms. We also enjoyed rleaxing by the pool. Service level was high but not fantastic. We did use the concierge for restaurant recommendations/reservations which worked out well. Unfortunately, the Celadon restaurant was closed for renovations - would have liked to have tried it. Also, we did not think to make spa reservations in advance, and there was no availability when we arrived. Still, the overall experience is like a relaxing oasis in the middle of the city.

Can you say posh?

This place is really fancy. I loved it. A great place to land after 25 hours of traveling. Food was great, service was great and design was fantastic. Only thing we didn't like was exiting our room and seeing a construction site for a view, but they were in the midst of expanding, so hopefully that part will be integrated and beautiful. The location is a bit strange, on a busy street. You wouldn't want to walk too much, although we did a bit. Pool was splendid too.

All in all, well worth the high price.

Over-rated

Ok, so the hotel was packed as it was Christmas, but for a hotel of this standard it is unacceptable to let standards slip so much - staff weren't quite on the ball.

Food at the poolside bar wasn't great, though it was one of the most expensive meals I've ever had in Bangkok!

The pool area itself a dissappointment - the website leads you to believe that there is loads of room etc, etc, however it is relatively crapmed and the sun sets behin the hotel very early in the afternoon.

The rooms are beautiful and the location of the place is good, it's just that over-all the hotel isn't quite as marvellous as it is cracked up to be.

I would possibly stay here again but only on a lastminute discount deal - it is not worth paying full price for.

Oh and the other guests (from Europe, Asia and of course, North America) seem to think that they have "arrived" through staying at the Sukhothai and act in the arrogant way they think they should act in when staying a hotel of this class. While on holiday I would rather not be surrounded by people who seem to think they need to convey their self-perceived status and relative wealth through supreme rudeness, both to staff and fellow guests.

All in the Details

The Sukhothai achieves staggering excellence by succeeding at the small details. Nothing is gratuitous here; neither in design nor service will you find glitter and dross. But you will find a hotel that can probably claim to be the world's most elegant.

The Sukhothai embraces the best aspects of Thai sensibility and design to create a guest experience that emphasizes luxury and comfort. Colors are rich and muted, the lobby is airy and dignified, hotel workers are confident and gracious, and the rooms are subued and relaxing. No element has been overlooked. You won't hear elevator bells or vaccuum cleaners; the turndown service is topped off with fragrant jasmine blossoms wrapped in a leaf resting on your pillow; and throughout the hotel you'll find beautifully tended water gardens with blossoming lotus plants. Every day your room will be replenished with fresh fruit, orchid blossoms, and a platter of truffles tastefully arranged to mimic the Sukhothai's classic Thai logo.

The hotel is centrally located in the Sathorn district, five minutes from the Lumphini subway stop and short taxi or public transit jaunts from the tourist-oriented Silom and Sukhumvit areas. The Lumphini Park night market is a few blocks away. But chances are that you'll find yourself tempted to skip Bangkok's attractions and instead enjoy the hotel's amenities.

Be sure to take in the Sunday brunch at the Sukhothai's Collonade restaurant. It ranks among the world's most opulent brunches and qualifies as one of the few exceptions to the hotel's embrace of the understated (they offer a foie gras platter, a crepe stand, and an array of fresh seafood that puts the Grand Central Oyster Bar to shame).

The Sukhothai is expensive - especially by Thai standards. But there are deals to be had (check the hotel's website for the latest offers), and if you're not interested in spending USD$185 a night for a room for your full stay in Thailand, book a cheaper hotel and then end your trip with a bang by staying at the Sukhothai your last few nights in the kingdom. It will be a memorable, gracious, understated, elegant, and truly Thai experience.

Wonderful!

We stayed here January 2004. I know this hotel is in the list for one of the world's hippest hotels. And believe me, it is. It's so nice. It has a Thai ethnic touch and everything is done subtly and tastefully. If you look at the center courtyard through the window, it feels like the concrete is floating on water instead of ponds build into the concret. The double-door room (their standard room) is huge and actually doesn't feel like a usual hotel room, more like a luxury studio. The bathroom and double closet is the size of another room. They have chocolate afternoon buffet every Sunday and you can have everything chocolate for about $20+. I was very impressed with the staff. Even the cleaning lady spoke very good English and acted very professional and was able to help me. The price included breakfast. Because we had an early flight, the staff delivered a 50+ inch round table full of food into our room free of charge. I must say the American style breakfast is the best I've had from any 5-star hotel so far. The pastry was perfect. In terms of the in-house restaurants, the Italian restaurant is pretty good, but the Thai restuarant near the pond is just so-so. I'd go somewhere else for Thai food.

Amazing hotel

I can't praise the sukhothai enough. I've stayed there several times and this trip I even tried another hotel in town just to see how it compared. There is no comparison. Sukhothai is just the best. From beautiful rooms, to a convenient location, to a fantastic thai restaurant, to a luscious spa and of course the most amazingly conscientious and helpful staff. I can only gush.

A Stunning Refuge in Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night and were whisked away to the Sukhothai. We were welcomed like royalty, even at the that hour.

Our room was sensational -- silk and teak everywhere, tiny silk elephants on our bed (to take home later), a spacious bathroom, fresh Thai fruit, and the breakfast (included) beyond belief.

The grounds are sensational. In the midst of downtown Bangkok, it's trees and flowers everywhere. The pool was tranquil and large, with a swarm of pool boys. Nice athletic facilities too. There's a center plaza that all the rooms surround that has water flowing, birds, and the works (there was a wedding there while we stayed).

We can't say enough of this place. It's small enough to be cozy, large enough to offer all the amenities you could possibly need, and not on the tourist belt along the river.

Just one hint: not all taxi drivers know about this place. Be sure to get the business card the hotel offers with the name written in Thai.

Fantastic Service

Located in a convenient part of town for business and a great location for tourists (walking distance to the night bazzar and kick-boxing) and just beyond comfortable walking distance to Patpong nightclub area. Fantastic rooms, executive suites are very large and great value. I have stayed here on over a dozen occassions and all of the rooms are great. The rooms overlooking the pool are smaller than normal, but have a balcony with sunbeds. Service is excellent, even by the normally very high Thai standards. Both Thai and Italian restaurants are excellent. Bar and cafe are acceptable but nothing great.

Highly recommended.