I stayed at the hotel recently named the best in the world. After spending $900 for one night, I’m not sure I agree.

The entrance to the Capella Bangkok felt understated.

I happened to be on vacation in Bangkok when the results of the annual World’s 50 Best Hotels were announced a few weeks ago.

Each year, 50 Best ranks hotels based on votes from a panel of 600 industry experts around the world. This year, Capella Bangkok took the top spot.

It’s owned by the luxury hospitality brand Capella Hotel Group, which I was familiar with because I’d stayed at Capella Sydney when it opened in 2023.

I had a wonderful stay and was curious if the Bangkok hotel matched the service levels and amenities of its Australian sister property.

Considering I stay in around 50 hotels a year for work, I have some high standards and wanted to see for myself if Capella Bangkok really was the best in the world.

With an open mind, I booked a room.

From the outside, the hotel resembles a utilitarian building.

Capella Bangkok didn’t look fussy from the outside. 

From the outside, Capella Bangkok has a clean, almost utilitarian look. Its square, uniform exterior overlooks the city’s Chao Phraya River.

I thought it resembled a cool, unshowy Scandinavian office building with a subtle and assuredly simple design.

It’s understated, hinting at unfussy luxury compared to its peers — say, the famously sumptuous Mandarin Oriental.

I had booked the cheapest room available.

The lobby had some massive artwork. 

My visit was during Bangkok’s low season, but the cheapest accommodation, a riverfront room with a king bed, was $900 a night.

My booking included a $90 resort credit, breakfast, drinks from a (non-alcoholic) mini bar, yoga sessions, and access to shuttle boats to IconSiam and Taksin Skytrain station.

Even with the credit, this is easily the most expensive entry-level room I’ve seen in Bangkok. Even the cheapest rooms at the five-star The Siam Bangkok cost about $130 a night less.

For extra context, the Capella’s 6,400-square-foot presidential villa could cost as much as $9,000 per night.

I checked in early at a private lounge.

I got a complimentary cocktail as I arrived.

I arrived at 2 p.m., an hour before the hotel’s official check-in time.

Guests are received in the hotel’s private Living Room lounge. As I checked in, I was served a complimentary drink and given a cold towel.

Although I was early, my room was available, and a concierge walked me through the hotel’s hangar-like corridors. The public spaces are adorned with abstract art in earthy tones, and the aesthetic is elite but subtle.

It immediately felt like a low-key retreat for the wealthy, not a place to see and be seen. The staff I saw all wore AirPods, like hip Secret Service agents.

My room delivered an excellent first impression.

Even the entry-level riverside rooms are spacious and airy.

The 660-square-foot room was impressive. I liked the modern Asian-inspired design with a mixture of different wood finishes and clean lines.

It was complete with a king bed, desk, couch, mounted TV, and walk-in closet.

The bathroom was spacious, too.

The bathroom had two large sinks. 

I appreciated the beautiful bathroom, which had a chic, egg-shaped tub and a separate rain shower. The double vanity had plenty of storage and options for mood lighting, too.

I could see the river from my private balcony.

My balcony view was still nice. 

My riverside room was on the second floor.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of light, and the view from them was mostly treetops, though I imagine there’s more to be seen higher up.

The balcony was simply furnished but felt nice.

The lounger came with pillows, too. 

It had a large, cushioned lounger that could easily fit two people.

The top-tier attention to detail really stood out.

The walk-in closet easily fit all of my clothes.

Premium amenities were present throughout the space, including a tablet that controlled just about everything, including the lights.

I loved the little touches, such as a leather day bag for my poolside accessories, spruce shoe trees, and a clothes brush. There were also complimentary cookies, soft drinks, and bonbons waiting for me.

With just 24 hours to try everything, I headed to the hotel’s spa.

The Auriga Wellness facility has a Vitality Pool.

During my trip, I booked a spa session at Capella’s gleaming Auriga Wellness facility.

It offered unique treatments in addition to more typical Thai massages. I booked an hour of Tok Sen, a traditional Thai healing practice that involves getting your back tapped with a small hammer.

Before my appointment, I relaxed in the Vitality Pool and used the steam room. The spa has the air of a high-class country club, and the treatment and therapist were both excellent.

I was excited for the nightly happy hour, but I had an underwhelming experience.

The happy hour was hosted in the hotel’s Living Room. 

I loved the nightly happy hour I’d experienced at the Capella Sydney, where the hotel’s culturists (essentially personal concierges) gave presentations on interesting topics while elaborate cocktail services promoted socializing among the guests.

The happy hour at Capella Bangkok left something to be desired.

I arrived to find just one family in the lounge, and they soon left. The staff were attentive and served me drinks, but sadly, there were no presentations. It felt a little flat.

When I asked about Capella Bangkok’s on-site culturists, I was told I could contact them by WhatsApp if I had questions or wanted them to arrange activities for me.

I messaged them with a few general queries, and they were responsive and helpful. However, I was never even given their names, which further made the service feel much less personal than it did in Sydney.

I couldn’t try the Michelin-starred restaurant, but Phra Nakhon was a decent substitute — and I liked the cocktails at Stella.

The hotel’s Thai restaurant, Phra Nakhon, was a decent substitute for its signature dining room.

I was disappointed the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Côte By Mauro Colagreco, was closed the night I visited.

Instead, I enjoyed excellent squid and great service at its Phra Nakhon Thai restaurant, which was much livelier than the happy hour.

After dinner, I headed for a nightcap at the hotel’s craft cocktail bar, Stella, an atmospheric nook with an upscale, retro feel to it. It was Jazz Night, but the live music seemed to be lost on the small crowd, who were all looking at their phones.

The bartender mixed me a perfectly sweet and savory Gin Basil and the service was great, but the atmosphere was a little underwhelming.

My stay came with breakfast at Phra Nakhon.

Eating breakfast by the river was an excellent start to the day.

I returned to Phra Nakhon the next morning for breakfast, having lazily slept through the complimentary sunrise yoga session.

I loved its al fresco riverside terrace and the options offered by the buffet and à la carte menu. I ordered a runny poached egg, my low-stakes way of testing a hotel breakfast service. A boiled (possibly coddled) egg came back. It was tasty, but not what I ordered.

Although everything was delicious and the servers were as sunny as the morning, the meal didn’t quite pass my test.

Service levels were high, but I’m not sure they were the best in the world.

There were a lot of great aspects to the hotel, but some details were lacking

The hotel offers flexible check-in and check-out times based on availability, so I was glad I could extend my stay by a few hours.

I used this time to luxuriate in my room and take a dip in the hotel’s beautiful pool. Attendants brought me towels and cold water, another reflection of the generally high levels of service during my stay.

However, we have to be a bit picky when we’re talking about the supposed best hotel in the world.

In terms of service, I was still a tad disappointed I had to chase down my culturist and that my breakfast order wasn’t on point.

And although I appreciated Capella Bangkok’s complimentary pressing service, I found it a little confusing. It wasn’t clear if the service light worked, so I had to chase down housekeeping to make sure I had a shirt for dinner.

The Capella Bangkok was an excellent hotel, but not the world’s best, in my opinion.

I’d say Capella Bangkok is a great hotel but not the best. 

My experience of the Capella brand, both here and in Sydney, is an overwhelmingly positive one. Sydney was one of the best hotel experiences I’ve had, which is especially remarkable as it had just opened.

At Capella Bangkok, I feel some services could be tightened up a little or personalized — more could be done with the happy hour that I so loved in Australia.

I know I’m splitting hairs with my notes here, but these are the details that matter at the highest levels of hospitality.

Overall, Capella Bangkok feels like a fine high-end urban resort for more reclusive types.

Although I agree that it’s an impressive spot and likely one of the best hotels in Bangkok, other five-star spots in the city (The Siam and The Four Seasons, for example) are more my speed and offer better value.