The best boutique hotels in Bangkok

Veritably tucked away on a quiet stretch of Sathorn Road, the Sukhothai caters to those seeking boutique touches amplified by a healthy dose of luxury. The hotel’s design embraces the rich tapestry of Thai culture, with subtle cultural and religious imagery woven into the architecture, and the service is second-to-none. Throw in top dining options like La Scala and Celadon, plus a downright lush garden all around the property, and it’s easy to see why the Sukhothai is such a raved about boutique hotel.  

A soothing sanctuary on the fringe of the city’s neon-gilded Yaowarat Road, Shanghai Mansion captures the mystique of, fittingly enough, late 19th-century Shanghai. Each room comes with stunning interiors sure to please fans of chinoiserie: four-post beds with intricate carvings and soft silks. And the open-air, ground-level Shanghai Terrace feels worlds away, too, with jazz streaming through the speakers.

Owned and operated by a Thai-British book publisher of royal lineage, this Old Town boutique hotel is every bit as stately as you may imagine, considering it was once the home of HRH Prince Chakrabongse. It has only six suites, all within a brilliant green garden setting beside the river. Between the dark timber flooring and all the elegant trappings, the whole place feels like it was plucked right out of The King and I.

Thirty-nine suites and villas, snuggled tight between coconut palms and the steady Chao Phraya River, offer a nearly unrivaled level of intimacy. The boutique element here almost gives way to bespoke. Besides the usual—but no less high-end—spa, fitness, and food options, The Siam also boasts a very unusual sak yant (the sacred Buddhist tattoos made famous by Angelina Jolie) service, performed by one of the country’s most revered sak yant specialists… on site.  

This small hotel on Sukhumvit Road occupies an old teakwood house, built by one of the owner’s grandparents during World War II. Facing the Saen Saeb Canal, the whole space, including all 25 guest rooms, is decorated with Thai silks and antiques. There’s even a fantastic restaurant called Na Aroon attached to Ariyasomvilla, serving vegetarian-friendly Thai dishes.

1920s Shanghai meets Bangkok at this Sukhumvit boutique hotel. Cabochon is filled out with antique furniture, old books, polished marble—even French double doors. It’s definitely a throwback, and a beautiful one at that. It also has a great Thai restaurant on the premises called Thai Lao Yeh, where guests can sample food from Chiang Mai and Laos.

There’s a theme here: take an old home beside the river, renovate it to cater to 21st-century needs, and you get some of the most enchanting boutique hotels in Bangkok. Praya Palazzo was more than a home, though—it was a private mansion built in the 19th century and left for dead until only recently. Apart from its unique Italian-style architecture and backstory, the hotel’s other noble selling points include a massive lawn, a beautiful pool, and an ambiance that feels pretty much away from it all.

This seven-room hotel, inside a beautifully restored teakwood building that once housed a small fish sauce factory, is as charming as they come—and it offers great value, too, starting at less than 100 US dollars per night. Each room features a different color scheme and layout, and most have balconies extending out over the Chao Phraya River. The location, set within the peaceful grounds of Wat Pathum Khongka yet just steps away from the colorful chaos that is Bangkok’s Chinatown, is also one-of-a-kind.