We've been to Bangkok several times and usually we can't wait to leave Bangkok to go to the Islands to find good service, peace, quietness and relax. This time was different. We arrived at the MEtropolitan hotel and loved this place immediately. It is very well located and most of all, it is beautifully designed, and the swimming pool is lovely. We had a butler taking care of us, Chanchai, and he was top class and very useful. The breakfasts are excellent, the rooms spacious, with spectacular views on Bangkok. Frankly a very nice place to stay. Very mixed (gay, straight) but very fashion style.

This is a great hotel and won't dissapoint. Beautiful rooms and top service. The restaurant has great food and the breakfasts are pretty swish. Be warned though the restaurant is very expensive as you'd expect. We loved our stay the only downside was the location, we preferred staying on the river with the other bigger hotels.

We decided to spend a little more for our first few days in Thailand to recover from the 24hr trip. I am glad we did. The Oriental and other top end Bangkok locations are not my style (although I don't doubt that they are very nice). Many other places seem to try to be like the Oriental, but for better rates, such that the design goal is the same, but with differing levels of success. This often leads to middle of the road places that are filled dumpy furniture and fixtures that resemble those of the typical top end hotels, but end up for me just seeming cheap and depressing. These places are not cheap, just less than top end, and as such, I would rather pay less and get less somewhere else that is not pretending to be nice, as the illusion is lost on me. The Metropolitan is thankfully not on this spectrum. It is a mod decor hotel. All clean lines and serene atmosphere. No pretend colonial decor. The beds are comfy, the bedding is top quality. The staff is friendly and attentive, without being in your way. The pool is ample, and when I was there almost always empty. There were usually 3-10 people around the pool, working on their skin cancer, but we always had the pool to ourselves. The shower area is spacious and serene -- towels everywhere -- plenty of private showers, steam room, huge hot-tube, all decorated with well chosen tone-on-tone nicely tactile tiles. Again, I almost never saw another person in this area. I never shared the hot-tub with anyone. There is also a full compliment of Spa treatments.

The free breakfast was among the best breakfast experiences I have ever had. I usually do not bother with the free hotel breakfast, even at nicer hotels, as they typically suck. This is an all you can eat buffet (which sounds bad, I know) with menu items as well. There is copious amount of fresh fruit, delicious yoghurt parfaits in tiny cups, each topped with "chefy" house-made toppings, amazingly good cold cuts of salamis, turkey, ham, as well as toast and pastries and freash juices. The pastries were my least favorite part (it is usually the opposite for me, the pastries are very good for Asia, but the meats and yoghurts are just that good here. And this is just the buffet! There is a full menu from one of Bangkok's premier kitchens to choose from, as well. To put it another way, if this breakfast was not free, I would have paid for it and eaten it everyday and been happy about it. I have never experienced this anywhere in terms of a free breakfast.

The restaurant for diner here is one of Bangkok's best.

The location is good for shopping (higher end) and close to the train (skyway?). It is not the most charming neighborhood, but to give you a gauge, I prefer the older parts of town to the Sukhumvit (by a wide margin). It is about 200 Baht in a taxi to anywhere the train or water taxi did not take us, so not a real issue. I could spend a couple days here and never (or hardly ever) leave the grounds, between the breakfast, the spa (even including only what is free), the gym, the room, the pool, the sun deck, more food, and round and round again. I rarely feel this way about a hotel.

I also reviewed the Phranakorn Nornlen which I also liked for completely different reasons. I highly recommend both places.

From the moment we arrived, to the day we departed we received excellent service. Concierge, room service and front desk staff went out of their way to assist us. On arrival (as honyemooners ) we were upgraded to a terrace suite with champagne. The room was huge with a delightful outside shower. The buffet breakfasts are amazing - everyone should indulge in a Met Breakfast. Ultra trendy clientele - and located nice and close to the bar/club area of Patpong. Can't wait to go back!