Silom / Bang Rak

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G

★★★★★

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G is the best all-round base in Silom for travellers who want a polished, design-conscious hotel without paying riverside luxury prices. It stands at 188 Silom Road in Bang Rak, the heart of the city's business, dining and nightlife district, a five-minute walk from Chong Nonsi BTS station on the Silom line and about two minutes from King Power Mahanakhon and its SkyWalk. The hotel has 469 rooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows and a contemporary, slightly playful design, signature bedding with an extensive pillow menu, and city views from the upper floors that stretch towards the river. The food and drink line-up is a real strength. Scarlett Wine Bar and Restaurant on the 37th floor serves French cooking and an excellent wine list with sweeping views of the Chao Phraya and the skyline, and it is one of the best-value view bars in Bangkok; TIVA on the second floor blends Thai and Italian cooking; and 25 Degrees, a burger restaurant and bar, is open around the clock, which is handy after a late night in Silom. The Playground lobby lounge is a lively meeting point, and the outdoor pool has its own bar. For downtime there is a well-equipped gym, G Spa, a sauna and steam room. The hotel is popular with business travellers during the week and hosts events in its 38th-floor ballroom, so expect a busy lobby at times. Silom on the doorstep means street food on Soi Convent and Sala Daeng, rooftop bars, Patpong night market, and Lumphini Park a short walk away, while the Skytrain links you to Siam in a few stops and to Saphan Taksin for the river boats. It is a modern city hotel rather than a resort, and the rooms are efficient rather than huge, but the location, views and dining make it excellent value.

Choosing a room: book a higher floor for the views, and a room facing west if you want to see the river and the sunset. Standard rooms suit couples and solo travellers well; families and longer stays should look at the larger rooms and suites. Ask for a room away from the lifts if you are a light sleeper. Breakfast can be added, but Silom's street-food breakfasts of rice porridge, grilled pork and coffee are excellent and close by.

Making the most of the location: walk to Lumphini Park early in the morning before the heat, ride the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin for the Chao Phraya river boats to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, and save the Mahanakhon SkyWalk for sunset. In the evening, Silom's lanes fill with food stalls, and Sala Daeng and Soi Convent have some of the best casual eating in the district; the Blue Elephant cooking school is a short ride along Sathorn. Come back for a nightcap at Scarlett, where the river lights are spectacular. Taxis are easy, but traffic on Silom Road is heavy at rush hour, so use the BTS whenever you can.

Who it suits: couples who want style and views without luxury prices, first-time visitors who value transport links, business travellers, and night owls who want Silom's dining and bars on the doorstep. The trade-offs: it is a big, busy city hotel, the pool is pleasant rather than spectacular, and Silom is noisy and crowded in the evening. For river romance, look at the riverside hotels; for walking access to the old town, the Rattanakosin boutiques. But as a practical, stylish base in the centre of modern Bangkok, it is hard to beat.