Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

Commonly known as "The Oriental," this hotel first opened as a seaman's lodge in 1876 and became Thailand's first luxury hotel. Its history is inseparable from the literary world; the "Authors’ Wing" has hosted legends such as Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, and Noël Coward. The building is a colonial-style masterpiece that has survived the rapid modernization of Bangkok, maintaining its position as the "Grand Dame" of the Chao Phraya River. Despite numerous renovations, it preserves a distinct, turn-of-the-century Siamese elegance, serving as a gatekeeper of the city’s historic riverside soul.