24-Hour Room Service: Reflections Bangkok

Some hotels are hard to find; others are impossible to miss. Reflections, with its raspberry-pink façade, falls firmly into the latter category. The art hotel in north Bangkok is a celebration of all things kitsch. Pop art prints hang on yellow walls, flowers are painted on the ceiling and a lip-shaped telephone sits on the pink reception desk. Despite the sensory overload, the overall effect is vivid, eclectic and chic. The 30 rooms have been created by 25 different artists and are no more predictable. From Single Mom, a bright, toy-filled space for mother and offspring, to a serene temple-style retreat, no two rooms are alike. The spa aims to provide respite from a bustling city, and it does so without resorting to a pale palette: red lanterns, pink walls and orange drapes provide a vibrant backdrop for treatments. Testament to its cool status, by night crowds of stylish locals sit on the Seventies plastic seating that surrounds the lantern-lit pool while tucking into sushi and pink cocktails.

LOCATION

Reflections Rooms, 81 Soi Aree, Phaholyotin 7 Road, Bangkok (00 66 2270 3344; www.reflections-thai.com). In Soi Aree, north Bangkok, a five-minute walk from Ari station on the city's celebrated SkyTrain network.

Time from international airport: Half an hour from the current airport by cab, for around 300 Baht (£4.50); when Bangkok's new airport opens, it will take twice as long.

COMFORTABLE?

Favourite rooms include minimalist 410, in which a CCTV camera records your every move (the video is then yours to take home); the Czech room in 301, for its corner balcony and wooden bathtub; My Secret Flower in 408, which has Japanese-style partitions and floral motifs; and the vivid graffiti-scrawled walls of Freak Show in 308. Those on a budget can stay in an on-site "hostel" building, sleeping six.

Freebies: A Reflections wash bag contains green tea shower gel and shampoo as well as the usual paraphernalia such as shower cap and a toothbrush. A pair of white flip-flops are available for guests in every room to use during their stay.

Keeping in touch: Wireless internet in the lobby and internet connection in the rooms.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Doubles start at 2,460 Baht (£36) while a hostel bed costs 850 Baht (£12), both including breakfast.

I'm not paying that: La Residence (00 66 2233 3301; www.laresidence bangkok.com), an arty boutique hotel in the Silom district, has doubles for 1,819 Baht (£27), including breakfast.