Sprawling and legendary riverfront opulence

Noteworthy for: The Mandarin Oriental is one of the oldest in Asia, and was the first hotel in Thailand.

Popular plate: Start your day off in style with an alfresco breakfast at The Verandah, the hotel's riverside terrace restaurant.

Synonymous the world over with impeccable customer service, the Mandarin Oriental has been providing Bangkok's waterfront with colonial splendour and a merry-go-round of famous faces since 1879. The likes of Joseph Conrad, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Sophia Loren have all passed through its illustrious doors over the years, and no doubt bore witness to the (now slightly dated) piano bar when it was in its heyday.

Unfashionable lounges aside, the colonial decor continues to work its magic in the guestrooms, and with eight different restaurants and bars to choose from, many visitors tend not to stray too far from the hotel—especially when they discover the famous Ayurveda spa, which has long been heralded as the most beautiful in the world. If massages aren't your thing, relax in the splendour of the Author's Lounge.