It was the rooftop bar that lured me, and many of my travel companions, to the Avani Riverside Bangkok Hotel. I was staying right next door at Anantara Riverside Hotel Bangkok, so it was just a short walk across the road to visit Avani.
Some of my fellow travel writing pals were staying at the hotel and after hearing their glowing reviews I decided to ask about accessible accommodation and returning for an inspection. I didn’t expect to be offered one as I was leaving the hotel at 11pm at night but I’m never one to turn down the opportunity to look at accessible accommodation.
My evening clutch purse was not armed with my tape measure unfortunately, so I don’t have the usual measurements, but hope the photos will give you some idea of the features.
ACCESSIBLE ACCOMMODATION
The bedroom was not overly large but there is room on either side of one bed to transfer from a wheelchair.
All features are lowered throughout the room including the safe, iron and clothing hanging rack inside the wardrobe.
Being a tea addict I was happy to see a kettle and facilities for tea and coffee making in the room.
Some rooms have the option of interconnecting with another room.
ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM
Although not a huge bathroom there is circulation space for a wheelchair user.
All amenities are lowered, the shower is fitted with a flip-down shower seat, rails and a height-adjustable shower head. Lever taps are fitted throughout and the vanity has room for a toiletries bag (yay!).
FACILITIES
Spectacular views of Bangkok dazzle guests using the infinity pool and visiting the rooftop bar. On a balmy evening it was the best way of relaxing and enjoying the city from afar.
Sitting on the terrace I felt removed from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and yet I was only minutes from the action.
DINING
Given all my meals were provided throughout the conference I had no cause to eat at Avani but many of my writer pals staying at the hotel gave the breakfast options the thumbs up. They reported they were spoilt for choice with plenty of hot and cold options.
You can read more about Avani Riverside Bangkok Hotel here.
NEARBY
A modern shopping centre is joined to the hotel with a limited range of shops and restaurants. I’m always happy to find options for meals outside of a hotel, both for variety and budget reasons.
Larger shopping centres are a 10 minute taxi ride away from Avani. The taxi fare from Avani was less than $10 to get to the Asiatique Market. This was where I did lots of shopping for the kids. BJ was particularly delighted with his new Simpson’s t-shirts which cost around $10-$15 each.
My first visit to Asiatique The Riverfront Market was at about 7pm and the traffic in the surrounding area was chaotic. I sat for a long time in a taxi in traffic to get there. Local Thai people, plus tourists, flock to the market in the evenings. On my second visit I arrived before many of the markets had even opened and it was easy to get to the market but I did need to wait for them to all open. It’s a staggered opening. I’m told 6pm is a good time to arrive to find all the markets open. However, I suggest arriving earlier to avoid the traffic jams. There are plenty of food outlets to get something to eat while you wait for the market stalls to open. My local guide told me stall holders believe it is good luck for the rest of the evening once they get their first sale. So, stall holders are keen to do a deal on their first sale. Many will bargain hard saying “First sale today!”.
The majority of the market is easy to get around and there is an accessible bathroom facility, though it was locked and I was unable to check it out. I found the prices at Asiatique much cheaper than the market in Chiang Mai, and also much easier to navigate with a wheelchair as the majority of the market has good pathways.
I’ll be sharing more on my trip to Bangkok soon.
