The Vibe: A truly intimate and authentic alternative to the slick high-rise international hotels of Bangkok.

The Area: Siamotif Boutique Hotel is located along the Bangkok Noi Canal. To stay here is to get away from the chaos, while only being 20 minutes by car from main attractions like Chinatown. Bangkok’s canal neighborhoods are enchanting; there are wild orchids, wooden fences, and rustic houses perched on stilts above the river. Gates and clothing lines are decorated by prayer flags and laundry, and laneways are dotted with small shrines to ancestors. Staying here, you’ll truly get a sense of every-day life in Thailand.

The DNA: When the owner, Maii, inherited this 75-year-old Thai river home from her father, she transformed it into an elegant bohemian getaway, where tropical plants flow off wooden balconies, resident kittens scamper and the murals on the bedroom walls are hand-painted by local artists. The wooden floors are cold and smooth as you slip off your shoes at the front door and enter the open, atrium-styled lower level of a traditional Thai house. The vibe and service match seamlessly – a homestay married with the little luxuries of a personable, boutique hotel.

Suite-Me-Up: There are only seven rooms. Each is named for the theme, with design touches to match. In the Flowery Room, for example, Chinese-red walls are hand painted in scrolling trees and blossoms and antique, carved-wood doors lead to the bathroom. In the Celadon Suite, the aqua walls are embedded with pieces of pottery and a roof balcony comes with two bean bags for river-watching during al fresco happy hours.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 7 rooms (15-25m2) (161-269 sq ft) • no parking available • no pets allowed