The Peninsula Bangkok

Review of The Peninsula Bangkok

BusinessClass.com review by Varun Sharma

The Peninsula Bangkok, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, enjoys one of the city’s most serene and peaceful riverside locations – an urban oasis on the River of Kings. Thirty-seven stories high and offering 370 of the most spacious guest rooms in the city, the property features 62 elegant suites including the enormous Peninsula Suite – boasting its own landscaped terrace and private helipad access. Each guest room in the unique wave-shaped building has been specifically designed to feature a riverside view.

There are six restaurants, bars and lounges and a three-story, colonial-styled spa with an 88 metre (289 foot) three-tiered outdoor swimming pool with adjacent salas and loungers, a tennis court and a fitness centre with state-of-the-art equipment. Guests enjoy valet parking and airport transfers in a chauffeur driven fleet of Rolls Royce and BMW 7 series cars.

For getting about town, the hotel offers customised Tuk-Tuks and ferry services via Peninsula’s four restored rice barges alongside a Helipad and a helicopter service and lounge offered.

More hotel reviews

Location

10/10

Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, The Peninsula, Bangkok is close to the Sathorn Bridge and adjacent to the Saphan Taksin Skytrain Station, within easy access of business and shopping districts of the city.

Several of the city’s famous attractions such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and Dusit Zoo are within easy reach.

The property has four private shuttle boats making a number of free daily roundtrips between three piers on the river, alongside a fleet of customised green Tuk-Tuks. For those who prefer to travel in luxury, there is also a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars.

Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Muang Airport are just 45 minutes from the hotel and The Peninsula Bangkok offers a VIP “Fast Track Service” that will speed you through luggage reclaim and immigration to your limousine for onward transfer to the property.

Accommodation

9/10

The light, airy and spacious guestrooms of The Peninsula, Bangkok are some of the most elegant and roomy in Bangkok, furnished in a classic style with Thai nuances. With sweeping views over the Chao Phraya River and the Bangkok skyline, they offer a minimum of 46 square metres (495 square feet of space), tablet technology in eleven languages, bedside electronic panels to control lighting and temperature control at the touch of a button and LED Blu-Ray HD flat screen televisions with cable and other entertainment options. The deluxe marble bathrooms with walk in showers and separate soaking tubs, also offer wall mounted TVs and hands-free telephones. The deluxe balcony rooms situated on the fourth to the twenty-fifth floor, have, as the name suggests, balconies looking out over the river and city with walk in closets and dressing areas.  The Grand Deluxe balcony rooms are even larger with similar facilities but are higher up the tower with better views. Amenities include daily fruit baskets, Nespresso coffee machines, complimentary shoeshine, luxury bathroom toiletries, televisions with sound systems and an audio-visual smartphone and iPad docking station for streaming.

There with 62 elegant suites with five key themes – The Peninsula Suite, The Duplex Suite, The Thai Suite, The Grand Terrace Suite and The Terrace Suite. They all offer those incredible uninterrupted views, and the elegant suite design includes Thai and Asian influences such as rich, silk fabrics, teak flooring and original artworks.

Two of these types – the 330 square metre (3,509 square feet) Duplex Suite and the 364 square metre (3,885 square feet) Peninsula Suite are particularly palatial.

The Duplex Suite is split over the 36th and 37th floors and has the feel of a private mansion with a spectacular double-height sitting room complete with minstrels’ gallery, styled with antiques, rich comfortable seating and classic artwork. It enjoys private landscaped terraces on each floor complete with a whirlpool and sun loungers. 

The Peninsula Suite meanwhile is luxuriously appointed with lacquer screens, Thai silks and luscious fabrics, teak wood floors and partial panelling, oriental carpets, chandeliers and hand-picked antiques.  Guests arriving via helicopter are whisked via the exclusive Paribatra Helicopter Lounge to the completely private luxury apartment-styled residence.

Situated on the 34th floor, there are walk-in closets, baths with fabulous views, two bedrooms, a butler’s room, a dining room for ten, a private gym, a study, two sitting rooms and an expansive landscaped terrace offering the opportunity for al fresco dining under the stars.  

There are dedicated rooms for those with disabilities.

Service & Facilities

9/10

The luxurious, richly decorated Peninsula Spa is located in lush, landscaped gardens along the riverbank, a three-story, colonial style 1,774 square metre (19,000 square foot) building. With 14 treatment rooms and four suites, the Spa also houses a number of private suites with steam showers and an en-suite whirlpool overlooking the Chao Phraya River. This sumptuously designed facility also offers a Tea Lounge and relaxation rooms. Traditional methods from European, Oriental and Ayurvedic philosophies seamlessly combine with contemporary comforts in the personalised treatments at The Spa.

For those keeping fit whilst travelling, the adjacent fitness centre offers state of the art training equipment, separate saunas, a plunge pool, whirlpool and aromatherapy steam rooms.

The Peninsula also offers daily complimentary fitness and cultural activities every day including yoga classes, aqua fit, Sourdough making classes, Pilates, mindfulness breathing classes, among other offerings.

For those seeking to simply relax, there is nothing better than the majestic 88-metre, three tiered swimming pool lined with both loungers and 12 traditional Thai cabanas running straight down to the river, perfect for watching the world go by. For the active traveller, the facilities also include a tennis court.

For the romantic minded, take a cruise on one of the hotel’s restored Thai rice barges and sail along the river at sundown, enjoying cocktails and canapés as the boat sails down the River of Kings to the ancient Temple of Dawn. 

For one off experiences, The Peninsula Academy looks for opportunities to offer unique and unprecedented access to historical, cultural and local lifestyle experiences in each of their destinations. In Bangkok, this might include becoming a DJ for the day at Bangkok’s Eazy FM radio station, trying out Muay Thai kickboxing or exploring the secrets of Thai herbs.

Style

9/10

When you see the signature green cars, the lions by the entrance and the white uniforms with pill box hats, you know you will soon be in the luxurious embrace of a Peninsula hotel.

In Bangkok, there are all the familiar Peninsula touches – a fluid contemporary style intermingled with Asian and Thai accents – understated and elegant. The service is renowned, friendly and unobtrusive, the facilities extensive but it is the extra touches that always make the difference, those unexpected experiences designed by The Peninsula Academy or the concierge, happy to enhance any stay if they can. It can also be as simple as a glass of ice-cold water unexpectedly offered after a swim in the pool or by an invitation to join a yoga class in the gardens or to make sourdough bread.

With so many outstanding luxury hotels in Bangkok, The Peninsula stands out by enjoying more of the feel of an urban resort, a world away from the bustle of Bangkok, ensuring that every stay puts you immediately into a holiday state of mind.

The Peninsula Bangkok is part of The Peninsula Hotels group, Asia’s oldest hotel company established in 1928 in Hong Kong and now operating prestigious luxury properties in ten major cities, all synonymous with heritage, innovation and glamour.

Restaurants & Bars

10/10

Thiptara Restaurant enjoys an unbeatable riverfront location, surrounded by banyan trees and lush tropical gardens and is styled around traditional Thai salas, tiered on a couple of levels – one literally steps away from the water. Tables offer privacy with a menu offering authentic Thai cuisine. Some of the herbs used come from the property’s herb gardens.

For all day dining, The River Café & Terrace offers a wide range of international dishes alongside Thai favourites on a riverside setting. Watch Thai longboats sail peacefully by under the shaded awnings or enjoy watching the action of live cooking stations indoors.

The River Bar at the far end of the River Café & Terrace is perfect for relaxed drinks with everything from fresh fruit smoothies to a selection of classic and contemporary cocktails especially the bartender’s Thaijito, a refreshing blend of Thai rum, peach schnapps, fresh lime juice, lime, mint and pineapple. Alternatively, head for The Bar, an intimate space of dark wood panelling, rich teak floors and comfortable seating with just a note of the Art Deco, just off the entrance.

For occasional drinks, power lunches and Peninsula’s signature Afternoon Tea, The Lobby is the natural choice. Comfortable sofa seating alongside tables and chairs, soaringly high ceilings with dazzling chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows, simply relax to the accompaniment of live music. It is also perfect for people watching – either inside or on the terrace.

At Mei Jiang, try authentic Cantonese recipes from the south with modern twists in an elegant space overlooking the gardens and the riverfront beyond. The menu offers handmade dim sum, stir-frys and seasonal specialities. Alongside the cuisine, the restaurant will offer unique tea pairings to further elevate the aromas and experience.

The Pool Bar will keep sunbathers and swimmers hydrated and happy with cool drinks and light bites either on one of the loungers by the pool or under the private traditional Thai Salas, which can be hired for the day.

Sustainability

The Peninsula Hotel Group aims to deliver the highest standards of luxury in a responsible and sustainable way where they can. They believe in having a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the local communities in which they operate.

Initiatives include responsible sourced seafood, tea, coffee and chocolate, transitioning away from single use plastics, using eco-friendly cleaning solutions and low temperature laundry and using energy efficient lighting. When refurbishing hotels, they source most of the woodwork and furniture from sustainably managed forests and use where possible, Green Label Plus certified carpets made from wool rather than nylon. Wallcoverings feature 10% recycled content and water-based inks, materials and paints for improved, indoor air quality.

What We Love

  • The service – typically Thai, typically Peninsula – faultless, friendly, genuine …
  • The Spa – an incredible building that offers every known treatment. The 88-metre swimming pool is a sight to be beholden.
  • The location – on the banks of the Chao Phraya River - close to The Grand Palace, Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) … you are at the centre of everything Bangkok!

BusinessClass.com helps you find the best offers on any hotel by comparing the prices of all leading hotel suppliers in a single search.

More hotel reviews