WHAT'S IT LIKE? This expansive hotel first opened in 1986, with its 25-story Shangri-La Wing, five years later adding the smaller Krungthep Wing, an independent tower with its own reception and lobby. A $60-million refurbishment, including the Shangri-La Wing’s Deluxe rooms, was recently completed.
Shangri-La’s lush, fragrant grounds, including palm trees, bougainvillea, orchids and bird of paradise plants, create a tropical haven from the buzzing streets of Bangkok. Western décor blends with Thai motifs and artwork, and the ambience is one of warmth and tranquility.
WHERE IS IT? Stretching almost a quarter mile along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Shangri-La Bangkok is about half an hour from the airport by taxi, depending on traffic, which can be quite unpredictable. Just steps from the hotel’s Krungthep Wing is the Saphan Taksin Skytrain, with access to the city’s business and shopping areas, as well as MRT subway connections. Plenty of shops and restaurants, as well as street vendors, are within walking distance.
HOW MANY ROOMS? 801 guest rooms include 672 rooms in the Shangri-La Wing (626 rooms and 46 suites) and 129 rooms in the Krungthep Wing (119 rooms and 10 suites)
ROOM FACILITIES Guest rooms have views either of the river or the city, 24-hour satellite TV, three telephones, complimentary broadband Internet, computer data ports, voicemail, radio, coffee/tea-making facilities, safes, mini bars, and marble bathrooms.
My Deluxe room in the Shangri-La Wing featured river views, and although on the small side, at 386 square feet, was comfortable, with a working desk and chair, a flat-screen TV, DVD player, a window seat, and Simmons bedding. The marble bathroom featured a separate bath and rain shower and plush bathrobes and towels.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS When I had dinner at the hotel’s spacious two-level Angelini Restaurant & Bar, the chef was happily tweaking the menu, which featured Italian cuisine, using traditional ingredients with modern touches. The delectable results even extended to the cocktail menu, as I happily sampled one concocted with jalapeño peppers, tequila, and lemongrass. Angelini’s lower-level lounge features an international selection of 200 wines and cocktails, and an outdoor terrace.
Shang Palace restaurant specializes in Chinese cuisine by chefs from Hong Kong. The Lobby Lounge in the Shangri-La Wing serves cocktails and traditional afternoon tea, and the Riverside Lounge in the Krungthep Wing offers drinks and snacks. Alfresco café NEXT2 features all-day international dining. Shangri-La’s Horizon luxury yacht offers day trips to Ayutthaya and nightly river dinner cruises, with an international buffet.
Shangri-La Bangkok’s Salathip Thai Restaurant occupies a cluster of Thai-style teak pavilions and also offers outdoor riverside seating. During my alfresco dinner at Salathip, which I enjoyed just a few hours before my flight back to the U.S., I reveled in such dishes as stir-fried soft-shell crab with pepper sauce and duck in curry sauce, while being entertained by a graceful Thai dance performance—a memorable send-off to my stay.
BUSINESS FACILITIES The 24-hour business center offers Internet access, fax, photocopying and translation services. The Shangri-La Grand Ballroom has 14,633 square feet of open space and can accommodate 1,500 people for cocktails or 1,000 for banquets, and 16 meeting rooms include high-speed Internet access.
Helicopter service to the airport can be arranged from the hotel’s rooftop helipad, and the hotel’s BMW 7 series fleet is available to guests for airport travel and appointments within the city. The hotel also offers a free morning shuttle service to the business and banking districts of Sathorn and Silom Road. Horizon Club Floors, including the Horizon Club Lounge, are in the Shangri-La Wing.
LEISURE FACILITIES The hotel’s fitness center includes a gym, steam room, rooftop tennis courts with night lighting, and squash courts. Of the two outdoor pools, I opted to relax at the Krungthep Wing pool, which I found to be quieter and more secluded. CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, features private spa suites and signature therapies inspired by traditional Asian healing philosophies.
A free river shuttle service departs from the hotel’s pier to River City, an art and antiques center, and the hotel also offers nightly shuttle service to Chinatown and the Suan Lum night bazaar.
VERDICT It was easy to forget that I was smack dab in the heart of one of Asia’s most populous cities at Shangri-La Bangkok, as it felt more like I was unwinding at a secluded tropical resort. Service was stellar, the accommodations plush, and the hotel’s outstanding selection of restaurants means plenty of impressive options for entertaining clients or meeting with colleagues.
PRICE Rates start at THB 5,100 for a Deluxe room.
CONTACT Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, New Road, Bangrak, Bangkok; tel. 66-2-236-7777;
www.shangri-la.com/bangkok.
