Casa Nithra

There’s a plush, romantic feel to the earthy-toned decor throughout Casa Nithra, which predominantly attracts couples. The six-story property’s deep-red exterior stands out as considerably more modern and high-end than the surrounding buildings, while the impressive entrance has water features and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors leading to the serene lobby. Inside, the chic space has tan-colored floor and wall tiling, and a gorgeous stone front desk with a brick splash-back wall. High ceilings sport wood latticework and a suspended rectangular light fixture. Tub seats, benches, and little cube-shaped stools in velvety fabric provide seating. Simple, elegant hallways feature attractive floral-patterned floor tiling and traditional Thai murals, while the intimate-feeling Sirin restaurant has blackboards with reams of Thai-script chalk etchings that bring an arty touch. On the sixth floor, the gorgeous rooftop pool sits on an elegant gray tiled deck fringed by shrubbery, and there are temple views and trendy partly submerged lounge chairs.

Set right on busy Samsen Road at the corner of a quieter side street, Casa Nithra is an easy walk away from Khao San Road and other Old Town attractions, yet it’s far enough away that it’s not right on top of the area’s clubs and pubs. This charming neighborhood is home to numerous other hotels and guest houses, plus restaurants, coffee shops, lower-key bars, and old-school Thai businesses. However, travelers keen on shopping at Bangkok’s famous malls or exploring other downtown sights will find it’s a trek to the Skytrain and subway, and traffic can be heavy.

• 10-minute walk to Phra Sumen fort 
• 10-minute walk to Santi Chai Prakan Park
• 11-minute walk to Khaosan Road
• 12-minute walk to the Phra Athit river ferry pier
• Six-minute drive to the Grand Palace
• 11-minute drive to Wat Pho temple
• 13-minute drive to Victory Monument Skytrain station 
• 13-minute drive to Wat Arun temple
• 14-minute drive to Hualamphong subway and mainline railway station
• 16-minute drive to Siam shopping malls and Chinatown
• 29-minute drive to Don Muang International Airport
• 31-minute drive to Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Casa Nithra’s 74 spacious, air-conditioned rooms are stylishly decorated along the same lines as the hotel’s public areas. That means lots of dark wood and shades of brown. Decor gives a modern feel while incorporating Thai design touches. The 280-square-foot (26-square-meter) Superior Double and Twin Rooms have comfortable beds against towering leather headboards, simple dark-wood bedside tables, and striking black downlighting suspended from ropes. Rooms feature sleek wood-panel flooring, and each unit has an elegant armchair and a well-sized desk with a gray-marble countertop. Gold patterned accent-wall detailing adds a wink of metallics. Larger windows make the 344-square-foot (32-square-meter) Deluxe Double and Twin Rooms a tad brighter, while 431-square-foot (40-square-meter) Suites add stylish neutral daybeds and iPod docks. A handful of Superior and all Deluxe Rooms have small, unfurnished balconies with limited views, while Suites lack balconies and have only small windows. Standard amenities include wall-mounted, 32- to 40-inch flat-screen TVs with cable, phones, safes, minibars with beers, soft drinks and snacks (no wine or spirits), and coffee- and tea-making facilities,. Note that street-facing rooms can get noisy, especially at night. Connecting rooms are available on each floor, though only in the Deluxe category.

Superior Room bathrooms are handsome but on the small side, with brown wall tiling, white rectangular sinks set into attractive black marble vanities, and generously sized walk-in showers with power showerheads. All bathrooms have windows (with blinds) to the bedroom. Larger Deluxe Room bathrooms swap walk-in showers for shower/tub combos set into black marble. Suites have huge spa-style bathrooms with gorgeous freestanding slipper tubs centered on brown mosaic floor and wall tiling, plus large separate walk-in showers, and both wall-mounted and miniature toiletries. Hairdryers, bathrobes, and slippers are provided in all units.

Casa Nithra lacks a gym or spa, but otherwise offers a good range of facilities for a four-pearl property. The gorgeous rooftop pool deck has a decent number of contemporary lounge chairs (with towel service), and a bar that serves good cocktails and stays open until late evening. The breakfast buffet served at Sirin restaurant (for a fee) is popular, and the extensive a la carte lunch and dinner menu includes a range of hard-to-find Thai dishes plus a small selection of sandwiches. The restaurant is also good at catering to specific dietary requirements, and there's outdoor seating on a terrace just shielded from the sidewalk. Room service is available until late evening. The front-desk staff are particularly friendly and helpful, and the hotel offers flexible check-in times; there’s also a travel agent beside the drop-off point at the entrance to the lobby. Internet terminals are available for guests to use, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the property (though the signal is better in public areas than in rooms). Limited free outdoor parking can be found right beside the hotel.