De Phanakron Boutique Hotel: The Most Unique Hotel In Bangkok – A Must Stay In 2023
During our recent trip to Bangkok we were delighted to work with and stay at De Phanakron Boutique Hotel which was an amazing step into luxury in the busy capital city of Thailand. The rooms surpassed our expectations and the treatment from the staff made us feel so welcome. The most unique thing about this hotel is that every room illustrates a different story of times long ago in Thailand and transports you into living under the reign of King Rama V and King Rama VI.
We were very kindly gifted our stay in order to experience this hotel and after staying we happily agreed to promote this rare find of a hotel.
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Location
De Phanakron is situated in an amazing neighbourhood that sits around Samsen Road. The road is considered to be one of Bangkok’s oldest roads so this historic themed hotel fits perfectly in. Around the hotel are many local Thai restaurants serving some truly delicious fresh street food. Plus there are multiple convenience stores within a few minutes walk should you need to pick up any extras.
Walking into the main Khao San Road area should take less than 15 minutes and transport can be easily arranged through the hotel. Other notable attractions nearby include The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and The National Gallery which are all on its doorstep.
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Rooms
During our stay we were delighted to sleep in the John Samson & Son Department Store Room which was an amazing mix of half hotel room and half museum showcase. The theme of this room comes from the time that British fashion arrived in Thai stores and portrays perfectly the merging of these two cultures. John Samson and Son were leading characters in luxury tailoring and perfectly captured the identity of Bond Street London and transported it to Siam.Â
The room was stocked with every amenity one could wish for in any upscale hotel such as: Modern Coffee Machine, Soft Towels, Single Use Toothbrush and Toothpaste plus Shower Toiletries. The mini bar was well stocked too and there were bottles of drinking water for guests upon arrival. We really felt like we did not have to worry about forgetting anything and that all of our needs were met.
After backpacking Asia for around 6 months at this point we unfortunately got quite used to sleeping on not so comfortable beds sometimes with just a jumper as a pillow! These days felt long gone however as soon as we laid our heads on the pillows of our bed. The duvet was both cozy and cool and this led to a wonderful night of peaceful sleep.
The bathroom despite the antique look was modern and clean. The wash basin had an amazing dressing table around it which meant we could spread out our toiletries and really unpack and relax in the room. The pressure of the shower was just right for us and we could choose between cooling the water off; great for the hot Bangkok days or turning the water up for a great soak in the warm water.
A major plus for us was the standard of the wifi, which was speedy and reliable. As Digital Nomads it is an important factor for us when picking a hotel to stay in and De Phanakorn did not disappoint.
Rooms Themes
The overall aim of the hotel is to teach guests about different snapshots of history, predominantly times from King Rama V; reigned 1868-1910 and King Rama VI; reigned 1910-1925.We were very kindly allowed to have a look around some of the other themed rooms and were very impressed with the diversity and overall story that they conveyed, here are some of our favourites:
This grand green room was the most impressive of all and we loved the sturdy four bed posts that gave it a very sophisticated feel. The impression of the room was complete luxury and this is fitting as it is inspired by the life of an historic Duke – Sri Rajchasongkram. Back in his time only the lucky few were privileged enough to live in this type of room but now you can experience the life of a Duke for yourself.
This unique room that sleeps six people is supposed to be a history lesson in the Yod Market but to us it looked like a kids playground and the bunkbed of our childhood dreams. The beds themselves are actually in the style of market stalls plus in the middle of the room is a traditional food cart which we cannot imagine how people carried all day.
A great nod to the cafe downstairs is this ornately decorated Chinese Tea room which is lined with multiple gold ornaments which just oozes luxury. This Deluxe King Room shows an insight into the introduction of Chinese tea into Ancient Thai culture and is something that we believe is often forgotten about in Thailand now.
This room was a lovely surprise to us as we too have a great interest in photography and we loved the walls which were covered with historic photographs. The images depicted important places, events and general life dating back to Siam under the reigns of King Rama V and King Rama VI. We love the idea that pictures capture memories and here in this room are some untold memories just waiting to be discovered.
Kanin The Rabbit Tea Room
For Breakfast we sat down in the hotel’s on-site cafe which was a perfect start to the day.Â
Aidan ordered the American breakfast with the full works and he was treated to an up-market and refined dish. Jaimee went for the French toast two days in a row and swears it’s the best she’s ever had. Please see for yourself when you stay, or if you just want to check out the tea room then you can easily make a reservation.Â
With such a beautiful name; Kanin is actually Finnish for rabbit, you would expect the interior to match and you would not be disappointed.Â
This quaint tea room is a beautiful step into an explosion of many senses. The hanging decorations such as flowers and origami bunnies add a lovely ethereal feel to the cafe. The foliage and colourful bird models just add to the boutique charm of the place.Â
It felt very natural to sit and enjoy one of the teas from their extensive collection. We tried a fruity blend and it was refreshing and light. It went down perfectly with the coconut rabbit cake that we quickly devoured too. The bunny figure was just too cute to eat.Â
On top of these treats the cafe offers traditional Thai dinners, which we are excited to try next time we visit.
Library:
Something that we were surprised to find inside of this hotel was a small library perfect for anyone who is working whilst travelling or just wants a peaceful seat to read a book. The decoration, of course, is on theme with an amazing mix of playing cards, rabbits and feathers adorning the surfaces. It was great to be able to sit at a desk and get some work done, so this hotel would really be great for any digital nomads too.
Staff
We were really impressed by the staff who made us feel straight away at home and comfortable. They helped us with some recommendations of places to explore and were very generous and kind. Thank you to everyone who was working at the time.
Conclusion
After a calming two nights stay in this hotel we felt refreshed and ready to take on the bustling city. The interesting theme of each room really captured our imagination and gave us a different insight into the history of Thailand. We left feeling better than before we checked-in and were really spoiled as guests. The staff were a highlight of the stay as they went above and beyond what is expected of them. The breakfast itself was worth coming back for and the speciality teas were a delightful treat. All of this convinced us that this hotel is very worthy of our recommendations and we urge you to stay at this unique boutique hotel.
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