Chakrabongse Villas Hotel, Bangkok

The accommodation at Chakrabongse Villas is essentially split into two types, with the smaller rooms housed in the former servant quarters and the larger suites situated in separate teak wood villas.

The three smaller rooms are firmly Moroccan in influence, with dark-wood window frames and brightly painted interiors. The tapestries, paintings and furnishings inside the rooms all hail from Morocco or India, brought back by Prince Chakrabongse following his travels around the globe.

Specially commissioned by Narisa Chakrabongse when the hotel first opened, the four larger suites are all located in rustic teak wood cottages. All are traditionally Thai in style but each one has heaps of individual character. The Thai House Suite was originally a 19th-century stilt house in Ayutthaya but was carefully disassembled and rebuilt piece by piece here, while the River View Suite is one for the romantics, with fine views of the Chao Phraya River and tropical gardens.

The hotel's restaurant, Aharn Thai, spectacularly looks out over the Chao Phraya River from an open sala (pavilion). If you'd prefer, there's also a riverside open-air terrace fronting the restaurant – this is especially gorgeous at night in front of the golden glow of Wat Arun. Breakfast here is at any time you like – you just need to let the hotel know a time the night before each morning. The à la carte offering is delicious, with a selection of cooked food, fruits, toast, juices and traditional Thai dishes available.

Lunch and dinner both use a set menu that changes on a daily basis. There's absolutely no question about the quality of food here – every meal was once enjoyed by the Thai monarchy straight from the palace kitchens. Each dish lives up to its regal reputation and just to give you a flavour of what you might expect, deep-fried soft-shell crab, crab meat curry and juicy river prawns have all featured on the menu. This is a meal you'll never forget.

Chakrabongse Villas is right on the doorstep on many of Bangkok's top sights, including the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, so you're well-placed to make the most of the city. If you want to explore a little faster than on foot, the hotel has complimentary bicycles you can use for zipping around the capital's streets.

Being on the riverbank, the hotel also offers a selection of cruises. By day, glide the tranquil canals which branch off the Chao Phraya, stopping off to wander the stilted communities which line the Thonburi side. In the evening you can enjoy a sunset cruise in the hotel's comfortable Riva speedboat, seeing the Grand Palace and Bangkok's temples bathed in golden light. Fancy something more adventurous? A little-known excursion Chakrabongse Villas offers is the opportunity to go canoeing along the river at midnight!

The hotel's swimming pool and serene leafy gardens are among the most relaxing places in all of Bangkok. Across the river, Wat Pho temple is famed for its massages and the hotel can organise for one of the temple's staff to give you a massage in the privacy of your own room.

Embark on a tropical retreat in the heart of Bangkok, an idyllic stay for honeymooners. 

• Select from an array of opulent villas nestled within the hotel's gardens, each featuring its private pool.
• Immerse yourselves in the offerings at the hotel, from private dining experiences to couples' massage treatments.
• Cruise along the Chao Phraya River in a private boat, and enjoy a glass of champagne. 
• Delight in the flavours of traditional Thai cuisine with a daily-changing set menu at the hotel's restaurant.