The DNA: Billing itself as a “minimal luxury hotel”, the hip Samsen Street Hotel is a former sex motel in Bangkok’s old red-light district. The once dark and discreet 1970s building has become an extroverted hotel that borrows extensively from the informal architectural languages of South-East Asia. Green scaffolding components invert the original, nondescript, almost-Corbusian concrete facade together with a street food market that promotes a valuable aspect of Bangkok culture. The north-west veranda makes space for special street-facing performances.

Seen: The Architectural Review, Good Design Australia

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 46 rooms, including dorms (21-32m2) (226-344 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2021 • architecture & interior design: Chat Architects ❌ no parking available • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk