Guests are welcomed with jasmine hand garlands as they enter the lobby, which features large teak bells, white-marble tiles, Thai-silk chairs, a latticed ceiling with 25-foot lights, and a pair of bronze elephants on intricately carved plinths. The hotel has been a favorite among international business and leisure travelers and celebrities since it opened in 1879.

The Sukhothai stands at the end of a tree-lined boulevard in Bangkok’s central embassy district. Some 80 meters (80 yards) back from the road, the Sukhothai sits quietly surrounded by water features and jacarandas (flowering shrubs/trees). Inside its column-lined lobby, business guests can enjoy refreshments. Glimpses outdoors of a rippling pond or green garden fleetingly appear between the lobby’s series of columns and mirrors, which are decorated with granite, teak, and copper décor, and artifacts from the Sukhothai historical period.

The Peninsula Bangkok stands some 100 meters (300 feet) back from Charoennakorn Road overlooking the Bangkok’s central Chao Phraya River. The lobby opens into a large dining/entertainment area with 10-meter (30-foot) ceilings and windows overlooking the riverfront. A live band plays throughout the afternoon and evening as business and holiday travelers mingle and enjoy light refreshments.