Hello, I’m SINAE, a travel writer.
When you travel to Thailand two or three times a year, you naturally end up staying at quite a number of hotels. Among them, there are certain places that remain memorable not because they are the newest or most fashionable, but because of the atmosphere and scenery they offer.
Today, I’d like to introduce the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Riverside Bangkok one of the Bangkok hotels I remember most fondly for its beautiful view.
Set directly along the Chao Phraya River, it is a wonderful place to simply slow down and watch the river flow by. Bangkok can often feel intensely urban, but from here, the city takes on an unexpectedly peaceful rhythm.
Over 40 Years of History – Classic Luxury by the River
Opened in 1983, the hotel is now more than 40 years old. One of the greatest advantages of being established so long ago is something newer Bangkok hotels often struggle to replicate: space and location. The property occupies a remarkably generous riverside site, and its position along the Chao Phraya is excellent.
The hotel underwent significant upgrades around 2010–2011, followed by further renovation work around 2019 and during the quieter period that followed. As a result, although the building itself has considerable history, much of the interior today feels surprisingly polished.
The overall impression is not ultra-modern luxury, but rather a refined, classic style that has been carefully maintained over the years.
The full name is Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Riverside Bangkok. It is worth mentioning that this is an entirely different hotel from Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, located in the Sukhumvit area. The names can occasionally cause confusion, especially for first-time visitors to Bangkok.
As soon as I entered the hotel, a staff member came over to help with my luggage. It was a small gesture, but exactly the kind of effortless service you expect from a five-star property.
Inside the lobby was that familiar fragrance I have encountered at Sheraton hotels around the world – what I jokingly think of as the distinctive “Sheraton scent.”
I visited during the Christmas season, when a tall Christmas tree stood prominently in the center of the lobby. Behind it was an emerald Buddha statue that looked remarkably similar to the famous image at Bangkok’s Grand Palace. I remember stopping for quite some time just to look at it.
The staff at the check-in counter were equally welcoming, which made the arrival experience particularly pleasant.
👉 Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok- Check rates on Agoda
👉 Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok – Check rates on Expedia
Newly Renovated Rooms with Beautiful River Views
The overall design of the rooms leans heavily toward warm wood tones, giving them a very traditional and classic character. You can certainly tell that this is not a newly built hotel. At the same time, my impression was less, “This hotel feels old,” and more, “They have maintained an older property remarkably well.”
As a Marriott Titanium Elite member, I received a high-floor room with Club Lounge access, which also meant an excellent view. This is where staying at Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Riverside Bangkok becomes particularly rewarding.
When hotels undergo renovation, it is relatively easy to update furniture, carpets, and wall finishes. Completely changing the bathroom layout, however, is considerably more difficult. Here, the renovation felt much more comprehensive than I had expected. Even the bathroom had been thoroughly updated and included a separate shower booth.
The room itself was generously sized, particularly by city-hotel standards, and retained the warm, comfortable atmosphere that I tend to associate with Sheraton properties. There was a proper table where I could work, which I personally appreciated, and the sofa was positioned facing the river so that guests could sit comfortably while enjoying the scenery outside.
And then there is the sunset.
As evening approaches, the Chao Phraya turns golden, while ICONSIAM rises directly across the river. Watching the light change over the water from the room was easily one of my favorite parts of the stay.
During certain weekends, year-end celebrations, and special holidays, you may even be able to see fireworks from the hotel. So depending on when you visit, the view itself can become part of the entertainment.
Two Swimming Pools – Including a Pool Over Two Metres Deep
If the swimming pool is an important part of your hotel stay, this property deserves serious consideration. Many Bangkok hotels have excellent rooms but rather compromised pool areas.
Some are surrounded by dense clusters of high-rise buildings – I felt this to some extent at Conrad Bangkok – while many rooftop pools technically offer a city view but ultimately look directly toward more buildings. This hotel is very different.
On the ground floor, there is a large adults-only swimming pool with sections more than two metres deep, positioned directly beside the Chao Phraya River. Beside it is another spacious garden pool surrounded by greenery.
It is increasingly rare to find a central Bangkok hotel that can dedicate this much ground-level space to gardens and swimming pools. The atmosphere almost feels like a tropical resort hidden inside the city.
Interestingly, I even found the pool grounds more spacious and naturally landscaped than those at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. For families traveling with children, the garden pool is especially appealing.
Despite being right in central Bangkok, the setting can make you feel as though you have travelled much farther away from the city. There is greenery, water, space, and the river immediately beside you.
It creates the kind of atmosphere where relaxing comes very naturally.
Breakfast – One of the Better Sheraton Breakfasts
Breakfast was another pleasant surprise. In terms of atmosphere, the restaurant reminded me somewhat of Millennium Hilton Bangkok, probably because both hotels sit directly along the Chao Phraya River.
Having stayed at both, however, I found the personalities quite different. Millennium Hilton feels slightly more vertical and urban, with the atmosphere of a contemporary high-rise city hotel. Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Riverside Bangkok, by contrast, feels noticeably more resort-like.
The breakfast selection was extensive enough that it immediately felt appropriate for a traditional five-star hotel. There were numerous hot dishes, different noodle options, egg dishes, and a wide variety of local Thai food, making it easy to try several different flavors in one meal.
You certainly will not leave hungry. I particularly remember the bakery section being excellent.
Rather than trying to be overly trendy, breakfast here felt generous, familiar, and well executed – the kind of substantial international hotel breakfast that appeals to a wide range of guests.
Sunset Drinks by the Chao Phraya River
Around sunset, I strongly recommend setting aside some time for coffee or a cocktail beside the river. Across the water, ICONSIAM gradually lights up as evening falls, creating an entirely different atmosphere from daytime.
It is a wonderfully romantic way to spend an evening. Bangkok is famous for its glamorous rooftop bars, but sitting beside the Chao Phraya offers another kind of charm altogether.
There is no need to rush upstairs to the highest floor of a skyscraper. Sometimes simply sitting close to the water, watching boats pass as the city lights begin to appear, feels considerably more atmospheric.
That sense of openness is one of the hotel’s greatest strengths. Unlike a typical tower-style property where most of your time is spent moving between elevators, rooms, and restaurants, you can actually stroll around the grounds here.
In the evening, you can walk slowly through the garden or sit beside the river with a cup of tea. For Bangkok, that amount of space feels surprisingly luxurious.
Location – Especially Convenient for River Cruises and ICONSIAM
River City Bangkok and its pier are located immediately beside the hotel, making the property particularly convenient for exploring the Chao Phraya by boat.
Another major advantage is the hotel’s complimentary shuttle boat service, connecting guests with both ICONSIAM and Saphan Taksin BTS Station. This makes it surprisingly easy to move between the riverside and other parts of Bangkok without relying entirely on taxis or dealing with the city’s notoriously heavy traffic.
For sightseeing, the boat ride itself is also rather enjoyable. Instead of simply being a means of transportation, it offers another opportunity to experience Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River.
For anyone planning a Bangkok dinner cruise, the location becomes even more practical, as many cruises depart from the River City area right next door. You can leave the hotel and reach your departure point within minutes rather than dealing with Bangkok traffic before your cruise.
It may sound like a small advantage when looking at a map, but once you are actually in Bangkok -particularly during evening rush hour – it becomes a very meaningful one.
Final Thoughts
Bangkok is arguably one of the best cities in Asia for a proper hotel stay. There are countless luxury properties, and competition is exceptionally strong.
Even within that crowded market, Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers Riverside Bangkok left me genuinely satisfied. It may not be Bangkok’s newest hotel, nor does it try to compete through cutting-edge design.
Instead, its appeal comes from something increasingly difficult to reproduce: a vast riverside site, mature greenery, generous rooms, two large swimming pools, beautiful sunsets, and decades of accumulated character.
For me, that combination made the hotel feel less like a conventional city property and more like a quiet riverside resort hidden in the middle of Bangkok.
And sometimes, classic – when it has been properly maintained – can be far more memorable than simply staying somewhere new.
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