My mission to see if Capella Bangkok – the ‘best hotel in the world’ – lives up to the hype

The World’s 50 Best organization recently expanded its repertoire from bars to beds with the 50 Best Hotel awards.

I look at the one that won first place: the Capella Bangkok.

As with most luxury hotels, there is an army of staff waiting for arriving guests, and I am quickly led through the enormous lobby to the Living Room. In this library-like space – a staple of Capella hotels – check-in begins with a welcome drink (I opt for a Coke, although options include sparkling wine and guava juice).

The 101 rooms, suites and villas all overlook the river. My riverside room covers 61 square meters and feels enormous, despite being the smallest accommodation category.

The clever positioning of a sunken balcony area, separated from the bedroom by glass walls, is why I think I purchased a corner suite in the first place.

Large expanses of glass provide an abundance of natural light, and it is only later that I realize that behind the bathroom mirrors there is nothing but an internal glass wall between me and the bedroom, with floor-to-ceiling windows.

For a nanosecond I panic because the red lights on top of distant skyscrapers are phones of office workers laughing at the oblivious, half-naked Capella guest (me).

The Capella Bangkok tops list of 50 best hotels in the world for 2024 – Tamara Hinson checks in

Capella Bangkok has 101 rooms, suites and villas all overlooking the Chao Phraya River

“Like most luxury hotels, there is an army of staff waiting for arriving guests,” Tamara notes. Upstairs is one of the hotel’s luxurious ensuites

Lots of extras have been added (including power sockets and USB ports, thank goodness) – the non-alcoholic drinks from the minibar are free and my highlight in the bathroom is the set of boxed toiletries that fit together to create a scene reveal the river.

Outside my room, I’m fondly reminded of a James Bond villain’s lair.

Despite being close to the center of Bangkok, there is a huge sense of space, and it often feels like I am the only guest as I walk through ceiling-high doors that silently open to reveal cathedral-like public spaces with fantastic river views .

The other side of the Chao Phraya River, with its tangle of cranes, is nothing to write home about; it is the river itself that makes the view.

During the day it’s bustling, a constant stream of fishing boats and river taxis chugging along what’s known as the lifeblood of Bangkok.

Later they are replaced by tourist-laden party boats that beam retina-burning spotlights from the dance floors on the upper deck. That’s why it’s worth choosing your seats carefully at the riverside Phra Nakhon restaurant, where iPad menus maintain minimalism.

I enjoy eating outside and watching the flow of party boats, even if my pomelo salad comes with a Shakira soundtrack. Slightly more sedate is Mauro Colagreco’s Michelin-starred Cote, for dishes inspired by the Italian and French Riviera.

Tamara notes that ‘despite being close to the center of Bangkok, there is a huge sense of space’

“It often feels like I am the only guest as I walk through ceiling-high doors that silently open to reveal cathedral-like public spaces with fantastic river views,” writes Tamara. Upstairs is the tea room

‘I suspect few guests stray far from the property and prefer to relax by the pool or in the spa [above]’, says Tamara

“Despite the free river shuttle,” Tamara writes, “there are endless reasons to stay put.”

Tamara writes: ‘I’m not sure how the hotel feels about it [best in the world] brace. Maybe it’s a blessing and a curse. When a hotel is named the best in the world, my radar goes up a notch.”

My fellow guests include a brash Brazilian guest shouting business deals into his phone at dinner, and six Americans discussing their love of Fiji at breakfast.

When I’m not lounging in my room with office workers, my favorite spot is Stella, the art deco cocktail bar and – when I’m there – the backdrop for the hotel’s nightly Cin Cin hour, when guests enjoy complimentary drinks .

I suspect few guests stray far from the property, preferring to lounge poolside or in the spa. When I ask a concierge for directions to the Siam SkyTrain station, she assumes I mean Icon Siam, the upscale mall nearby, and seems bewildered. I want to go further away.

Granted, despite the free river shuttle, there are endless reasons to stay, ranging from family-friendly activities like painting workshops to muay Thai masterclasses.

Tamara explains that the hotel offers activities including painting workshops and muay Thai masterclasses. Upstairs is a panoramic studio

Tamara says it’s the river that ‘makes the view’, adding: ‘During the day it’s a hive of activity, a constant stream of fishing boats and river taxis passing by what is known as the lifeblood of Bangkok’

LEFT: Tamara’s chic bathroom. About her room, she says, “It feels huge, despite being the smallest accommodation category.” RIGHT: One of Tamara’s dinner meals at Capella: shrimp and mushroom soup

I’m not sure how the hotel feels about its award. Maybe it’s a blessing and a curse. When a hotel is named the best in the world, my radar goes up a notch.

Maybe it’s because I’m British, but the night before I stayed in a hotel in Singapore and there was a small milk jug in my minibar. Luckily I take my own tea bags to the Capella, because my tea-related supplies amount to about three tea bags (of which only one is an English breakfast) and there is no milk.

I also find it somewhat frustrating that the television hangs a bit crookedly on the wall. Minor complaints, but perhaps complaints that should not exist in the best hotel in the world.

That’s how it is? I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels, and I would say no, but after all there are a lot of hotels.

I can think of several that could gain higher positions in my own top 50. These include London’s Shangri-La the Shard, with its beautifully appointed bedrooms, Hoshinoya Tokyo, an insanely luxurious ryokan, and Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore, where the attentiveness of the staff always blows me away.

Best in the world? Maybe not. Top 10? Certainly.