Amanda de Guzman

Bangkok’s boutique hotels truly set a global benchmark for creativity, value, and service.

Sometimes, a hotel isn't just a place to sleep – it's an invitation to feel different in your own skin.

My first tattoo – a flower on my lower back, dismissively dubbed a “tramp stamp” by pop culture – has long been a symbol of my complicated relationship with growing up. Once a youthful rebellion, it's now a quiet badge of honour for having survived adolescence.

Like many other people, I savour a good hotel – the heady rush of luxury distilled into a tastefully furnished space; the joy of being swaddled in 500-thread-count sheets and giant marbled bathtubs.