The buzz: Charoen Nakhon is home to a new, sky-high hotel by the riverside,
Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok Riverside, further solidifying the area’s growing popularity as a visitor hot spot. Anyone around ICONSIAM over the past year would have noticed the large development happening across the street—this is it. While its towering golden facade fits right in with the growing mass of luxury shopping and hotel options in the area, it’s not pitched as a luxury venue and actually finds its niche in the mid-range ballpark, so there is going to be wide appeal for both domestic and foreign visitors to the area.
The location: This is arguably the hotel’s strongest selling point—and we say that knowing what other hotels are nearby. The amount of restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars within a few minutes walking distance feels like it challenges what you would get in Phrom Phong or Thonglor. The hotel is attached to the ISC Lifestyle Complex, which houses over 200 shops to visit, and right across the street is ICONSIAM, arguably the city’s most popular shopping destination right now. If you need a breather from the crowds, though, head to Micro System Coffee no more than 100 meters from the hotel, which doubles as a coffee roaster and bar on weekend nights—there’s also two chonky cats named Moon Luad and Aluminium that wander around the venue looking for head scratches and posing for photos. Holiday Pastry is one of the neighborhood's most viral sweet (and savory) pastry shops with an interior washed in buttermilk and raw umber tones. Save our Souls is a must-visit for craft beer enthusiasts with its rotating selection of domestic and international beers on tap. Artisanal ice cream is also having a moment in Bangkok right now, and Charoen Nakhon’s best is 10010 Bar Ice Cream Parlor. All of these are one-to-five minutes walking distance, and the area has a lot more.
The rooms: Given the hotel’s elevation on top of the ICS Lifestyle Complex, all of the rooms and suites come with skyline views of the surrounding area, with half of them facing the Chao Phraya River and the other half facing the city skyline to the west for beautiful sunset views. The 241 available rooms range from 24 sq.m. to 32 sq.m. for standard rooms and 50 sq.m. to 72 sq.m. for suites, with options for a single king-size bed or two twin-size beds in most cases, and many of the amenities you’d expect—LCD TVs, super soft linens, mini fridges, WiFi, workspaces, and built-in sofas that can accommodate a third guest if needed.
The amenities: One thing that stands out about the HGI Riverside Bangkok is the views from the public areas, specifically the fitness center and outdoor pool, which both offer angles of the Chao Phraya River and downtown Bangkok that few other hotels in the area can. The all-day dining venue, Together & Co., echoes this theme with floor-to-ceiling windows that let all the vibrancy of Charoen Nakhon seep inside while you munch on a wide range of international and Thai favorites. The venue also boasts a grab-and-go retail space called &ToGo. All of this is in addition to the fact that you are sitting atop the ISC mixed-used development, which includes some 200 stores just an elevator ride away.
Thinking about staying in Charoen Nakhon to see one of Bangkok’s fastest growing areas? Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok Riverside offers both affordable rates and arguably one of the best locations to explore the area on foot.
Book your stay here.