City Hotel
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
9.5
Rosewood Hong Kong
A vertical estate on the Kowloon waterfront whose art-filled interiors, harbour-view rooms and formidable dining set Hong Kong's current standard.
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City Hotel · £££££
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand — Southeast Asia
9.4Editorial score
Editorial research. Profiled through in-depth editorial research; Browntravels has not yet stayed at this property. How we review
Bangkok's storied riverside original, welcoming travellers and writers since 1876 with legendary Thai service and a beloved Chao Phraya setting.
Few hotels anywhere carry their history as gracefully as the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Trading on the Chao Phraya since 1876, it hosted the steamer-era novelists whose names now grace its Authors' Wing suites, and the whitewashed original lounge—all lattice, palms and afternoon tea—remains one of Southeast Asia's most atmospheric rooms.
A sweeping renovation of the River Wing brought silk-lined, contemporary-Thai interiors and balconies to every river-facing room without disturbing the house's soul. That soul is the staff: multi-generational, astonishingly attentive, and famously capable of remembering a guest's preferences across decades. The garden pools and riverside terrace give the property the ease of a resort in the middle of the metropolis.
Across the river by private teak shuttle boat lies the hotel's celebrated Thai restaurant and a spa set in a traditional teak house, where therapies draw on Thai healing traditions at the highest level. French haute cuisine, a jazz bar and the definitive riverside barbecue round out the venues. It is not merely a hotel but an institution that keeps earning the title.
Why stay here
- 150 years of continuous riverside heritage
- Service culture regarded among the world's best
- Teak-house spa and Thai dining across the river
- Garden pools and terraces on the Chao Phraya
Things to consider
- The historic wing books far ahead for its handful of suites
- Riverside location means traffic or boats to reach new-town Bangkok
Rooms & Suites
331 rooms and suites, most in the renovated River Wing with balconies over the Chao Phraya; the Authors' Wing preserves colonial-era character.
Dining
Nine venues including riverside Thai fine dining, classical French, a storied jazz bar and the famous riverside terrace breakfast.
Spa & Wellness
A teak-house spa across the river offering Thai-rooted therapies, plus two swimming pools set in tropical gardens.
The Browntravels Verdict
The sentimental and practical choice in Bangkok: living history, river romance and a service standard that still sets the bar.
Last updated 5 August 2026
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Live rates and availability for Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and nearby stays — or book directly with the hotel.
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