The choice of rooms are Superior River Wing in teak and Thai silks, Deluxe River Wing with a light and airy feel, Deluxe Stateroom for more space with a prime river front view, Garden Wing Room colonial style.

The choices of suites are: executive, deluxe, Author's, Siam, Selandia, Oriental.

Leisure activities: spa daily 7am-10pm, swimming pool, sports centre, Thai cooking school, Cultural programme, Oriental shops, day care centre.

Dining choices: Le Normandie for French cuisine; Sala Rim Naam for buffet lunch or set Thai dinner with a traditional Thai dance show or Terrace Rim Naam for Thai a la carte by the river; The Riverside Terrace for dinner buffet; Ciao for Italian pizza and ice cream; The Bamboo Bar, a jazz bar; Lord Jim's for a lunch buffet or a la carte dinner; China House just outside of the hotel for regional Chinese cuisine; The Verandah for all day a la carte dining, cakes, breakfast; Authors' Lounge for English afternoon tea.

Security was high with police and plain clothes security in the immediate area as the king of Spain was leaving. Their guidelines discourage you bringing local guests to your room when you check in, especially those wearing flip flops. The dress code are long pants and shoes for men. If you want to consider booking here for New Year's, it's already full.

Ten-minute walk from Skytrain S6, Saphan Taksin station.

River boat stops by and hotel has their own private boats.

As we went into the reception area, I was blown away by the regal bouquet which stood proud and high; have a look at the picture, as words will not do it justice. From there, the eyes automatically switch over to the ceiling, where lighting takes on a super-special look. Here again, I choose to show you a photo of these luminaries, as they defy description.

The aura of elegance is in the air; guests are dressed to the nines as they glide across the marbled floors. Everyone seems to speak in hushed tones as if not to break the magic; we sat for a half hour in one of the many conversation groupings of couches and armchairs. The single bud on the coffee table seduced me, and the camera continued to click.

As we got up to look around, I noticed a bookstore in the corner nearest the door leading to the pool area, along with one of the 10 restaurants on the premises. Wonderful pictorial volumes awaited hungry travelers like ourselves; magazines of international repute lined the shelves. It was terribly narrow as I made my way to the back, but the gifts were very tastefully selected. This is the place that Chuck finally found his Nancy Chandler map of Bangkok. I recommend this map to anyone contemplating a trip to this city; it's fun, and I hate maps normally.

We headed outside and I admired the foliage and manicured garden; did Somerset Maugham see what I saw? To my right was a cafe with small bistro sets outside the doors; further down was an incredibly elegant restaurant. To the left, guests were lazing around the pool, their smallest needs being attended to. Huge potted plants around the pool ensure privacy. Is it any wonder that the Oriental Hotel keeps getting voted best hotel in the world, year after year?

The most expensive room here goes for $2,200 and is appropriately dubbed the Oriental Room. Through the glass windows of the reception area, you can see the Peninsula Hotel towering over the Oriental. That's another upscale choice.

The Oriental borders the Chao Praya River, so transportation is within steps of your room. It is also in the very heart of the downtown area; it's hard to imagine that this structure has existed since the late 1800s. It became well known to Americans at the time of the Vietnam war, due to the proximity of Bangkok. I'd love to stay here for one night, and let my curiosity take me through the entire building and its grounds.