The Sukhothai Bangkok

South Sathorn Road is lined with office towers and embassies, making The Sukhothai's first impression all the more striking: a calm, low-rise hotel set among gardens and still water. Lumphini MRT and Lumphini Park are within walking distance, and Silom and Sathorn's restaurants and bars are a short taxi ride away.

The hotel takes its name and design cues from Sukhothai, Thailand's ancient capital, with careful renditions of its chedis and pagodas. The look is modern and contemporary, but the textures, colours, and scents are unmistakably Thai, and the hotel celebrates its 35th anniversary.

Rooms are divided between the Main Wing and the more contemporary Club Wing, where some rooms and suites have private balconies and guests can use the Club Lounge. Every room comes with a Nespresso machine, a large high-definition TV, a Harman Kardon sound system and luxury bath amenities.

Book the Sunday brunch before you arrive. It's a Bangkok institution, with premium ingredients and live cooking stations. The rest of the week, seven restaurants and bars range from Celadon, one of the city's renowned Thai restaurants, to an Italian restaurant and a poolside café. Chocolate lovers should head to the lobby salons for the chocolate buffet, and the hotel bar is the place for an evening cocktail.

The Sukhothai Spa is set within 7,000 square metres of gardens, with a hammam and treatments rooted in Thai tradition, from lemongrass and ginger scrubs to herbal steaming rituals. The 25-metre infinity pool sits among the lawns, and the fitness studio features a steam room, sauna, and jacuzzi, designed with wood, bronze, and clay tiles inspired by the Sukhothai period.