Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FROM LITERATI TO GLITTERATI
Now a famous grand dame, the Mandarin Oriental (
Click here
) started as the seafarers' version of a Th Khao
San guesthouse. The original owners, two Danish sea captains, traded the nest to Hans Niels Andersen, the
founder of the formidable East Asiatic Company. Andersen transformed the hotel into a civilised palace of
grand architecture and luxury standards. He hired an Italian architect, S Cardu, to design what is now the
Authors' Wing, which was the city's most fantastic building not constructed by the king.
The rest of the hotel's history relies on its famous guests. A Polish-born sailor named Joseph Conrad stayed
here in 1888. The hotel brought him good luck: he got his first command on the ship
Otago,
from Bangkok to
Port Adelaide, Australia, which in turn gave him ideas for several early stories. W Somerset Maugham
stumbled into the hotel with an advanced case of malaria. In his feverish state, he heard the German manager ar-
guing with the doctor about how a death in the hotel would hurt business. Maugham's overland Southeast Asian
journey is recorded in
Gentleman in the Parlour: A Record of a Journey from Rangoon to Haiphong,
which
gave literary appeal to the hotel. Other notable guests have included Noel Coward, Graham Greene, John le
Carré, James Michener, Gore Vidal and, er, Barbara Cartland. Some modern-day writers claim that an Oriental
stay will overcome writer's block - though we suspect any writer staying these days would need a very gener-
ous advance indeed.
Sukhumvit
SUK 11$
HOSTEL
( 0 2253 5927;
www.suk11.com
;
1/33 Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; r incl breakfast 500-1600B; ; Nana
exit 3)
Very well run and popular, this rustic guesthouse is an oasis of woods and greenery
in the urban jungle that is Th Sukhumvit. The basic rooms are clean and comfy, if a bit
dark, and the cheapest ones share bathrooms. Although the building holds nearly 70
rooms, you'll still need to book at least two weeks ahead.
BED BANGKOK$
HOSTEL
( 0 2655 7604;
www.bedbangkok.com
;
11/20 Soi 1, Th Sukhumvit; dm 390B, r 800-1200B; ;
Phloen Chit exit 3)
This new hostel manages to maintain a homey feel despite the industrial
design theme. The convenient location and friendly service make up for the rather hard
dorm beds.
PREME$
HOSTEL
