THE PLACE
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
THE LOCATION
Sitting astride the mighty Chao Phraya River, zippy, teak shuttle boats connect the hotel's main complex with its gym, cooking school and Thai restaurant on the facing shoreline. Since it opened in 1876, when Thailand was Siam and the hotel was The Oriental, it's been a luxurious, tranquil destination in a frenetic city, whose population now numbers 6 million.
THE SPACE
The list of world leaders, royalty and celebrities who have stayed is as wide as the river it straddles, but the Mandarin is probably best known for the legendary writers who once called it home. Suites in the historic authors' wing are named after past guests and furnished in the style of their time. They include Joseph Conrad, James Michener and Somerset Maugham. The hotel is also an integral part of Bangkok life: locals dine there, take tea or a Thaijito cocktail in the newly refurbished Bamboo Bar, or simply visit to see the breathtaking floral displays.
THE ROOM
I love a hotel where your bags are in the room before you; the dressing room to be precise. Wirat, my butler, offers to unpack them. I decline but accept a glass of chilled lemongrass tea while exploring this 10th-floor mandarin room, with entrance hall, combined bed and sitting room, marble bathroom, and balcony with table and chairs. It is large and embraces a soft green furnishing theme in the cushions, bedcover silks and wallpaper. On the desk there's a welcoming letter on thick embossed paper and closed with a red wax seal. A large bowl of tropical fruit sits on the coffee table. It's the epitome of style, but I'm constantly drawn to the floor-to-ceiling windows, with their view of the river below and the sprawling city beyond.
COMFORT FACTOR
From the doorman to the bellboy and receptionist, I'm greeted by, "Welcome home". And home is exactly how this hotel, winner of countless awards over the years, feels. Although it's large, with 393 rooms in three wings, and busy, there are lovely sanctuaries, such as the tree-lined swimming pool and the library with cabinets of books signed by guests including George Bernard Shaw and John le Carre.
SPA
My haven at the spa is a timber-lined suite with private shower and steam room. The massage bed is on a raised platform where masseur Panawat applies peppermint and lavender oils before finding tension and knots ("Ooh, another one") all over my body. He promises me "new shoulders" and "new legs", but I've drifted off in a sweet surrender of utter relaxation.
FOOD
There are eight restaurants, from the French Le Normandie to a seafood buffet at Lord Jim's and Sala Rim Naam Thai, where I sit outdoors at a riverside table and tuck into spicy Eringi mushroom salad, sea crab in coconut milk and crispy perch wrapped in betel leaves with tangy sauce. Traditional afternoon tea in the authors' lounge is a must.
STEPPING OUT
I do so once only and not to any famous sites. I take the hotel river shuttle to nearby Saphan Taksin and a skytrain for 30 minutes to Mo Chit and Chatuchak weekend market. I could wander its 8,000 stalls over 14 hectares, but I've come for blue and white ceramics and they're found in sections 17 and 19. When I have as much as my airline hand luggage will accommodate, I head back and, after 35 degrees and 100 per cent humidity, "Welcome home" never sounded so fine.
THE VERDICT
The Mandarin Oriental is one of the world's great hotels for history, luxury and exemplary service. It's not cheap, but it's worth experiencing, if just once.
HIGHLIGHT Service on a whole new level
LOWLIGHT Having to leave
GETTING THERE
Many airlines fly between Bangkok and Australia. Getting to the hotel could be the biggest challenge. Bangkok traffic is legendary for all the wrong reasons and the car journey from airport to hotel can vary greatly. I arrived and left on a weekend and the journey was fast - about 45 minutes one way.
ESSENTIALS
Mandarin Oriental, 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok. Superior room, $443 per night; author's suite, $1428. See mandarinoriental.com/bangkok
The author was a guest of the hotel.
