The Bhuthorn: A sepia-tinted stunner

The Bhuthorn, an intimate B&B, is a sepia-tinted homage to the early 20th century, an age when the city's well-to-do went nuts for all things European.

Filled with gold-gilt mirrors, old Bangkok prints, claw-footed lamps and teak furniture, it looks like a leftover from King Rama V’s era. And genuinely is: it occupies two century-old shophouses and overlooks an adorable, heritage-listed square in the old city.

Restored and run by two Thai architects, the three rooms, each with flatscreen TVs and free wi-fi, are sumptuously decorated. Breakfast is taken in an ickle courtyard teeming with potted ferns.

And you're only -- get this! – a 300-meter walk from the Grand Palace. Perhaps best of all, this hood teems with celestial (and cheap) Thai food. Beyond their fretted wooden doors, painted in regulation green and yellow, neighboring shophouses whip up authentic Thai dishes for peanuts (try the excellent Chote Chitr).