Centre Point Hotel Silom

Outside, the street is alive with the noises of the outdoor market and happy shoppers who are visiting the malls. The property itself is a gray high rise building, and doesn't look particularly attractive from the street. Inside, the atmosphere is calm and serene -- the cool lobby with its marble accents and eastern-style wooden shutters and room dividers create an inviting space. Gold accents from the golden woven sun shapes hanging on the walls and huge floor-to-ceiling shimmering gold mosaic wall compliment the dark blue cushions scattered on the creamy sofas. Modern rugs soften up the marble floors, and the lighting from the spotlights is dimmed at night to create a more sultry environment. The other main public space is the outdoor pool, an attractive area that is kitted out in smart wood decking and has adorable stone elephant statues dotting the perimeter. In addition to the typical sun loungers and parasols, there are beautiful rattan nest chairs that have soft cushions inside, so guests can curl up and get comfortable, whilst at the same time feel shaded from the sun. The pool does become shady in the afternoon when the sun disappears behind the building. With a host of on-site amenities and a location that's close to the shopping, the hotel attracts mostly couples and families.

Located within minutes walking ofthe Bangkok riverside, Centre Point Silom is close to Wat Yan Nawa, Sri Mariamman Temple, and Snake Farm. Also nearby are River City Shopping Complex and the Asiatique River Front. The hotel is handily connected to Robinson Mall, which has a host of restaurants and retail shops, as well as a quirky street market with hawkers selling their local delicacies. The hotel is close to plenty of well-known chain restaurants, such as McDonalds, KFC, and Starbucks, as well as noodle stalls. The hotel sits in close proximity to both the sky train and the river for treks to some of the temples on the tourist circuit. The BTS sky train is also very handy for journeys to other city locations, and guests should take the time to figure it out, as it cuts out the heavy traffic and the not-so-safe tuk tuk rides. If guests want to visit the Grand Palace, it's an easy 20-minute jaunt up the river on the ferry, and the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho takes about 15 minutes to reach via the ferry. For a night market to end all night markets, guests should make their way to Sukhumvit Soi 38, which takes half an hour on the bus, and is an open-air market that has nearly every local delicacy you could hope to try.

The rooms at Centre Point Silom particularly suit long-stay guests because they feel more like apartments thanks to their kitchenettes with combined washer/dryers and microwaves. Classically decorated in creams with gold and brown accents, the rooms are minimal in decor thanks to their all-white walls and white kitchens. The place feels welcoming and spotlessly clean, and the smart wooden floors in the living areas and the modern carpeted bedrooms with beds that have swan origami towels sitting on them and tasteful Thai artwork hanging above the headboards leave a good impression. All of the rooms have the standard perks, such as air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, plush king-size beds, and safes. Most rooms have balconies but some guests have complained about the lack of outdoor furniture. In each kitchenette there's a washing machine/dryer, full-sized refrigerator, microwave, modern electric cooking stove top, and ironing board and iron. Bathrooms are huge and look chic in their all-white tiles. The self-drying electronic toilet seat is a kooky extra, as are the deep-soaking whirlpool baths.

The fitness center has every machine a gym bunny would need, and it sits beside a posh sauna area. There's a hair salon, one meeting room, and an executive lounge for business meetings which has a lovely model ship in it. The free breakfast buffet is very good and guests can make their own coffee using Nescafe machines. The meeting room and conference rooms have good natural light, and up-to-the minute facilities such as projectors.To top things off, there's an adorable little library with a good range of books and DVDs that guests can take up to their rooms. The outdoor pool is a lovely area and is surrounded by palm trees, although the noise of the busy traffic below can still be heard.