The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok does not just raise the bar on what a 5 star luxury hotel should be, it breaks the bar and replaces the bar with a titanium diamond encrusted bar. For context: I have stayed at 5 star, 4 star hotels all over the world. As far as 5 star properties I've stayed at other Mandarin Oriental properties as well as Four Seasons properties and Relais and Chateau properties aplenty. I am providing this context to let you know the frame of reference for top of the line 5 stars is something I am well versed in. It is not simply that MOBKK as a physical property is kept up in such a pristine manner, it is not simply that the food and beverage across the board, the hotel grounds and gathering areas reach perfection, it is the staff, top to bottom the entire staff, every single staff member you encounter is so on the ball, so committed to the guest experience, no staff member at this hotel is asleep at the wheel. Everyone jumps in to assist a guest. Literally in the lobby for example a random staff member could be walking through and notice you coming out of the elevator and sense your body language indicates you might have a question brewing, they will dart to you and say "do you need anything? Anything I can help you with?" It's crazy! Now to some details. The concierge desk ahead of my trip was proactive, attentive and flawless in helping me design private tours during my 5 night stay, organize my spa treatments, my dining reservations and much more. The transportation to and from airport is beyond deluxe and makes you feel so cared for coming into such a big and robust city. The driver let's the hotel know when they are pulling up and a personal greeter and check-in concierge greets you curbside and just whisks you up to your room and checks you in there. Lovely welcome package of food treats and beverage awaiting in the room. Literally every touch attended to. My room was divine. It was on a high floor facing the Icon Siam (which is the louder busier side of the Chao Praya view but it is the one I wanted since I was going to be there leading up to and including New Year's Eve I wanted more action in view). If you have young kids in tow that need a much less busy outside aspect you might want to choose the other side. The breakfast buffet (and I am not a breakfast person) is beyond belief. I looked forward to this breakfast buffet every single morning and I was in mourning the last day I was having it. It's quite hard to describe how amazing it is so I have put some photos so you can see for yourself. The room service which I enjoyed on one occasion was amazing. The 24 hour room service menu is mouth watering and extensive. I went to the Bamboo Bar for a night cap and to hear the lovely jazz ensemble several nights after dinner and it was a real treat and a total vibe. I used the "shuttle boat" which really is a huge ornamental delux ferry to go to Icon Siam which is right across the river and to the Spa which is also right across the river. I had one Spa service which was a 90 minute deep tissue massage. I would say this was the more lackluster event of my stay in that likely because this is a big well known hotel brand their masseuses are liability adverse so instead of a deep tissue massage it was a very gentle stroking of the skin. The table wasn't a table but a hard matt on the floor with no crevasse for your face to cradle. There was a hard elevated pillow with a crevasse in it. The whole set up was not very comfortable or effective to be honest. That said, the spa is beautifully appointed and the staff there are lovely and attentive. I attended the New Year's Eve gala set alongside their outdoor riverfront spaces and it was beyond excessive as to food and beverage buffets. The fireworks display at midnight on the river barges was next level and the live band that played at the gala event was truly world class. Every floor of the hotel has a 24 hour butler at a podium. The butler was very sweet and attentive. This aspect for me was the one thing that was maybe a bit too much just because you cannot leave or enter the corridor or your room without a big greeting and conversation and during a 5 day stay there are moments where I just want to go to my room or say "hi" and leave it at that. Since my room was close to the butler station on my floor there was also a fair amount of chatter I could hear whenever I was inside my room by virtue of the butler attending to other guests who were in the corridor. For me it just changed the peacefulness of the room interior and the corridor just outside. Again, high class problem to have no complaint but just an observation based on my sensibilities. To sum up: If you are Bangok GO to MOBKK and treat yourself, you deserve it.