Shanghai Mansion

Intimate, oriental-style design accommodation in the midst of bustling authentic China Town, formerly known as Shanghai Inn

Opened in 2006, refurbished in 2008/9, Shanghai Mansion is superbly sited for those who wish to stay in the heart of Bangkok's jubilantly chaotic China Town, and who appreciate quirky interior design. Rising above a supermarket (don't be put off by the mall-like exterior), you reach the second-floor lobby by escalator or lift. Architect Julian Coombs has sought to reflect the colour and character of its namesake; think decorative umbrellas, plush red silk cushions and antique birdcages - some for sale.

The hotel has added a Chinese restaurant on the third floor but lost its spa, perhaps a wise move before this last Noughties bubble bursts. The new lobby lounge, in opulent ‘30s Shanghai style, is a great place to bring your laptop (there's free WiFi throughout). Or gaze from the library down through the colourful hanging umbrella-decked atrium onto which the stained-glass-windowed rooms look. But the Shanghai Mansion is really all about its rooms – great fun in either chinoiserie chic or pre-war Colonial, with cushion-bedecked 4-poster beds and lantern-dominated bathrooms.

Highs

• Unusual Chinese-tastic experience, with the ability to plunder Chinatown by day and night, and bed down in the middle of it all when it gets too much
• Contemporary chinoiserie or pre-war Shanghai-style rooms will provoke a gasp upon entering, and are romantically intimate
• Free WiFi in rooms and public areas (an internet-enabled PC is in the library, another in the lobby)
• Little or no traffic noise (and the traffic in Chinatown is bad)

Lows

• Superior Rooms are on the small side and lack natural daylight - opt for one of the Deluxe rooms instead
• Thin doors in superior rooms mean that, audio-wise, nothing is left to the imagination; common areas are noisy, so make sure your room is away from reception and common areas
• Check-in can be rather disorganised; staff speak limited English