Everything Random

Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort was once Marriot Riverside Hotel that opened in 1992 – hence the nature of its architecture that reflects the opulence of that era. The early ’90’s was historically the rise of Thailand’s economy and the country’s first wave of construction growth was seen between 1989 to 1995, only halted by the Asian contagion a few years after.

Hotels like Anantara gives you a lot of space, that sometimes, a person looking at it from a business perspective in this time and age will say it had a lot of waste. But that waste makes Anantara special, because it does not make you feel short-changed: wide hallways, a magnificent centrepiece pool, and amply-sized rooms.

The restaurant serves good breakfast and dinner buffet – fairly international. The dining area overlooks the Chao Phraya river. It just gets very busy sometimes, that securing a spot near the river is quite challenging.

The resort has trees and garden pockets and it makes you feel surrounded by nature. You rarely see properties with the same feel in Bangkok these days, especially because a lot of the properties make sure that every square meter provides dollar revenues.

There is also art everywhere that walking around the property sometimes feel like stepping into a gallery of a museum. Even the lobby looks stunning, highlighting the best of Siamese art. Even the boat that ferries you to other parts of the city via the river is artistically covered in wood and decorated with lanna carvings.

The service is quite good – crew are attentive to guest requests. The only question now is whether the hotel group that owns Anantara – Minor Hotels (who also owns NH, Oaks) – will be able to retain the charm of the property that starts to show some signs of decay. In this part of the world, hotel upkeep is sometimes sacrificed that sometimes, you get to feel that you are staying in a hotel that once was great, but not anymore.