Loy La Long

There are riverside hotels and there are hotels right on the river. Artsy Loy La Long, taking over a century-old wooden house near Chinatown, firmly belongs to the latter category.

Most of its rooms—all recycled wood, floral curtains and mis-matched furnishing—open to verandahs and balconies with the murky Chao Phraya sloshing just beneath your feet, while the pillow-strewn lobby lounge delivers front-row river views with a cold beer and a jazzy soundtrack.

Luxury lovers might find it a little too back-to-basics (the river doesn’t smell of roses after all), but anyone after a slice of laid-back Bangkok life – for a very reasonable price – will soon find themselves plotting their return.