my son and i stayed at the shangri-la in bangkok for two days and it was a completely enjoyable experience from start to finish. the location is perfect for sightseeing as many of the temple complexes are accessible from the river and the hotel is located next door to both the central pier and the sky train. the sky train provides a fair bit of access to the interior of the city and runs straight through the heart of the silom entertainment and shopping district. the views of the river are also lovely and when the place is lit up at night and one can see the illuminated boats on the river, it is a spectacular sight.
the hotel is beautifully decorated with an interesting combination of thai heritage accents and modern that works. the rooms are a comfortable size, elegantly furnished with a built-in couch in the window and fabulous bathrooms. the toiletries are good quality and the towels thick, absorbent, and like new. the entire hotel is immaculate and in excellent condition.
the italian restaurant is modern, yet comfortable, but spread over 3 stories and involves stairs unless you know which level to enter. all of the food was well-prepared with the exception of the gnochetti which was unremarkable. the cheese plate was excellent.
the thai restaurant is in a beautiful heritage-style complex on water's edge and the food was good. cocktails in both restaurants were imaginative and well-prepared. the service was very good.
the spa is especially lovely and the thai massage was excellent. the ambiance is worth the trip to the spa alone.
the pool is right next to the river's edge and very inviting, but it was full both days we were there and we just decided to skip it this time. there is a more exclusive wing on the hotel with its own pool, but it is a simple rectangular pool and didn't seem to be available to all the guests.
the hotel shops are lovely, but expensive, and we didn't buy anything.
we would definitely stay here again.