by Lee Cobaj and Tom Vater, The Telegraph, July 13, 2017
An expert guide to the best hotels in Bangkok with rooftop pools, including the top places to stay for pool parties, modern design, lively poolside bars, relaxing spas, stunning views, and locations including Downtown, near Sukhumvit Road and Sathorn business district.
W Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
With its camp contemporary design, hugely popular bars and restaurants and enthusiastic staff, this glitzy hotel in one of Bangkok’s chicest neighbourhoods is a blast. Throw in a swanky rooftop pool (famed for its riotous Songkran pool party), a space-age spa, large rooms and luminous city views and you’ve got yourself the full Bangkok party package. Rooms are cool and cosseting, predominantly black and white with large subway-tiled bathrooms (stocked with Bliss amenities), huge televisions (with free movies) and glitzy city views. Read expert review. From £146per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The Indigo sits at a happy crossroads between heritage and contemporary style. The lobby has an eclectic feel with golden guns serving as lampshade stands and comfortable seating that is reminiscent of a modern Thai living room. The infinity pool on the 24th floor is modest but offers stunning views over the city while the 24-hour gym is compact but well equipped. Massages and spa visits can be arranged by the hotel. The bright second-floor Metro on Wireless restaurant features signature dishes by Thai celebrity chef Ian Kittichai. Most rooms have balconies and offer views over Wireless Road or the city. Read expert review. From £91per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
AVANI Riverside Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The AVANI Riverside sits on the western bank of the Chao Phraya river, south of central Bangkok. The high-rise hotel offers 248 spacious, bright and plain rooms and suites, all with sweeping river views, as well as a small spa (also with great views) and a well-equipped fitness centre. The very attractive infinity pool on the 26th floor is 25 metres long and truly conveys a precipitous feel. Dinner is served at the Attitude Rooftop Bar and Restaurant on the 26th floor. Diners can enjoy the spectacular views. Read expert review. From £118per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Plaza Athénée Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The Plaza Athénée has strong royal connections. The palace of Princess Valaya Alongkorn once stood on the property and a shrine to her daughter is found in the rooftop garden. The hotel’s classic Thai design is inspired by the princess and features many Thai ‘colonial’ style aspects, such as rich tapestries, sumptuous carpets and early 20th century-style furnishings. The 28-metre freeform pool on the fourth floor rooftop is great for a good swim and there’s an adjacent children's pool. The garden next to the pool offers fantastic views of downtown Bangkok’s jumble of skyscrapers. Read expert review. From £117per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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The Okura Prestige Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
9Telegraph expert rating
This lavish high-rise hotel sits right in the middle of all the action, just a stone’s throw from the thriving downtown Sukhumvit Road area and a mere few steps from the Sky Train. Interiors are sumptuous and grand, there's a Far Eastern ambience in the bedrooms, there's excellent Japanese cuisine on offer, and an infinity pool with cracking views over downtown Bangkok. The Okura has three restaurants. Yamazato offers great Japanese dining, based on the centuries- old traditional Kaiseki Ryori (Japanese haute cuisine). There are also two teppanyaki tables and a well-stocked sushi bar. Read expert review. From £165per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Sofitel So Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
9Telegraph expert rating
It’s all about style at the Sofitel So, and in this respect the hotel is pretty much in a league of its own in Bangkok. Christian Lacroix designed the hotel logo, the playful staff uniforms and the executive lounge. The large infinity pool has great views over Lumpini Park; there’s a small but perfectly adequate gym and a well-equipped spa that continues the hotel’s aesthetic marriage of loud French style and gentle Thai ambience. The rooms are divided into five groups following the five elements in Chinese culture – water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Read expert review. From £149per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Sivatel Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The Sivatel is a simple and smart high-rise hotel in downtown Bangkok, close to public transport as well as the city's shopping and nightlife districts. At 22 metres in length, the Sivatel's pool is among the largest in downtown Bangkok, with great views over the city. There’s also a gym offering regular aerobics, yoga and weight classes free of charge. A well-equipped spa by the pool offers a variety of massages and body scrubs. All rooms are located between the 17th and the 27th floors, so the views of the surrounding cityscape are incredible, with most offering sunset vistas. Read expert review. From £115per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Dream Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
9Telegraph expert rating
Bangkok’s funky, five-star Dream Hotel offers futuristic rooms, fantastic Asian and Western breakfasts and an unbeatable location on the Sukhumvit Road. For those who like their hotel to be an experience in itself, the Dream delivers on almost all fronts. This place oozes Kubrickian cool from its glitzy bright lobby all the way to the über-modern rooftop pool and adjacent bar. Would-be celebrities, hip couples, business travellers and nightlife aficionados all pitch up here to enjoy its excellent value for money. Read expert review. From £35per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The family-friendly Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn is a large, elegant hotel in Bangkok’s business district, close to the river and main tourist sites. The infinity pool is large, offers great views of the surrounding cityscape and there’s a bar attached for poolside cocktails. The Eastin is a culinary paradise. The Chinese Chef Man serves excellent Cantonese cuisine, a great variety of dim sum and teas. The bright Luce Restaurant has views of the pool and offers an extensive Italian menu. A children’s playroom and a spacious gym round off the picture. Read expert review. From £94per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
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The Continent Bangkok, Thailand
8Telegraph expert rating
The Continent is a smart and friendly hotel in downtown Bangkok, minutes away from shopping and entertainment areas and as close to public transport options as one can get. The 153 rooms are divided up into four themes – forest, space, ocean and desert, which determine the colour tones of the furnishings and the photographs that grace the walls. The rooftop infinity pool is small but offers stunning views across Bangkok’s skyline There’s a bar up there, so guests can enjoy their sundowners while taking in the glorious vistas. The Medinii Restaurant on the 35th floor serves decent Italian cuisine, prepared with an Asian touch. Read expert review. From £88per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
This article was written by Lee Cobaj and Tom Vater from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCredpublisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].