Last Updated on March 8, 2026 by Adrienne
We kicked off our big trip to Thailand with several days in Bangkok, and took advantage of the fact that hotels prices in Southeast Asia are very cheap by Western standards to stay at a hotel that would otherwise be out of reach: the 5+ star Peninsula Bangkok. Despite the comparatively budget price tag, we had the full luxury hotel experience, from opulent rooms and gorgeous pools to splendid dining and attentive staff who anticipated our every need. Our stay at the Peninsula Bangkok is up there with our overwater bungalow in Bora Bora and our honeymoon hotel in Santorini on my short list of my all-time favorite hotel experiences.
As a travel advisor, I can hook you up with perks at the Peninsula Bangkok including a $100 resort credit, complimentary daily breakfast, an upgraded welcome amenity, and a confirmed room upgrade at booking if available. I also have access to similar perks at many other luxury Bangkok hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental and the Park Hyatt. Reach out to me at adrienne.miller@fora.travel if you’re interested in booking a hotel with these perks!
Location
The Peninsula’s location is perfect for exploring Bangkok in a short amount of time. They operate free shuttle boats across the river to several stops including the Saphan Taksin BTS station, where you can hop a ferry boat up the river to the Old City or get on the skytrain to go anywhere else in the city. These boats run essentially on demand and we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes for one. The fact that we crossed the river to come “home” every day gave a feeling of separation from the busy city that I really enjoyed, without adding any significant amount of transit time to our day.
Rooms at the Peninsula Bangkok
We were upgraded from the Deluxe room I had booked to a Grand Balcony room that had a gorgeous view of Bangkok, especially at night.
The spacious room was well-appointed and tastefully decorated in an elegant, wood-paneled style with a marble bathroom. When we checked in there was a basket of fresh fruit and madeleines with chocolate dipping sauce waiting for us, which was just what we needed after more than 24 hours of travel.
Dining at The Peninsula Bangkok
Complimentary breakfast was included with our reservation, and the breakfast at The Peninsula Bangkok is one of the best I’ve ever had at a hotel. There was a stunning amount of choice, from pastries that tasted like they came straight from a bakery in Paris to solid renditions of American favorites like omelettes and waffles to Asian dishes like noodles and fried rice.
We also dined one evening at the Peninsula’s gorgeous waterfront restaurant, Thiptara. The food and ambiance were both excellent.
We didn’t have a chance to try the other on-site dining options, but The Peninsula also has Mei Jiang, a Cantonese restaurant, The Lobby, where an elegant afternoon tea is served daily, and a pool bar.
Pool and Public Areas
The public areas at The Peninsula Bangkok are as lovely as the rooms. The tiered pool is the centerpiece of the hotel grounds and is a wonderful place to relax and escape from the chaos and heat of the city. There’s a mix of shade and sun on both the pool deck and in the pool itself, and the water is very warm.
The decor was right up my alley: there are plants and fresh flowers, especially purple orchids, everywhere and (of course) lots of elephants. My favorite piece of art was the elephant dressed up like a Peninsula bellhop. So cute!
Service
As lovely as the rooms, food and public areas of the Peninsula Bangkok are, if there’s one area where the hotel truly shines it’s in the service. Every staff member was incredibly kind and attentive and did their best to make our stay as fabulous as possible. I can’t recommend The Peninsula enough if you’re visiting Bangkok.
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This hotel looks fantastic! I’m the exact same way – no need to splurge on the hotel unless it’s a big part of the destination. And a luxury hotel that is “ridiculously affordable” is music to my ears!
It was great! 🙂 One of the awesome things about Southeast Asia is how affordable everything is – and the price difference is most significant with respect to lodging, since that’s such a big part of total travel costs.
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