Photo Review: A Junior Suite at the Siam Hotel in Bangkok

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When I mentioned to a friend recently that I needed to spend a single night in Thailand's bustling capital city, he told me I had to check out the super-chic Siam Hotel. I knew I wouldn't be able to write a full review of the property, but I wanted share some pics from the trip since the hotel is so visually appealing. It's hosted many top celebrities, like Madonna and Katy Perry, and is endearingly private since it's located along the Chao Phraya River, away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, but also just a 30-minute taxi ride from all the action. So here's the quick photo review.

How to Book

Rooms here start at $400 per night, which is pricey for the area. Your best bet is to book through either American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) or to pay with the Citi Prestige Card and take advantage of its nifty 4th Night Free benefit. Since I was only staying one night, I used my Platinum Card from American Express to book my stay through Amex FHR. I love going through FHR because of the exclusive benefits — when I did this for my recent stay at Amanyara, I ended up scoring three room upgrades! At the Siam, you'll get noon check-in, a room upgrade upon arrival (if available), daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4:00pm check-out, a $100 food and beverage credit and complimentary Wi-Fi. Note that by booking through Amex FHR, you won't be eligible for the 5x points on hotels like you normally would be when booking a stay directly through amextravel.com.

Check-In and Lobby

The Siam Hotel is like being in an oasis in a city of craziness. There were big palms in the lobby and three floors of rooms.

The 39 rooms in the hotel include three types of suites, two types of villas (which face either the pool or the river) and one cottage.

There's a big snooker table for guests to use; Americans may have to read up on the sport to play by the rules.

Here's a peek at the sofas around the fountains in the spa area on the lower level.

The Room

I loved my room, even if it was just a little junior suite. It's styled like an apartment; there's a handy adjustable lamp for reading, trunks that served as side tables on either end of the bed and a digital clock radio.

By the window, there was a reading nook with pillows that got a lot of light.

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The weird thing about this room was the door was electronic — I had to push a button down to open and close it and it locked automatically. It's one of those design features that's more annoying than helpful. There were times when I didn't close it correctly, but it still looked cool!

A big soaking tub sits in the middle of the open bathroom.

The bathroom ceiling was really tall and the shower head easily passed the TPG shower test.

Around Town

There was a great little bar along the river where a friend and I had cocktails.

Just be careful at night — that little pool with the lilies isn't well lit. You could fall in rather easily.

There's also a shallow pool along the river with little cabanas. They were empty when I was there.

River taxis take guests to and from the city.

Overall Impression

I experienced great service all around and it was a great-looking place. It's expensive, though, especially for Bangkok, where some of the nicest hotels can be quite cheap. While you can't use points to book a room, it's ideal for a one-night splurge after a grueling 24 hours of travel; the stay totally re-energized me for the rest of my Asia visit. With so many other points-hotels in this town, I probably won't stay here again, but I'm glad I was able to experience it, if only for a night.

Have you ever stayed at The Siam Hotel in Bangkok? Tell us about your experience, below.