DavidO

I was last in Bangkok in 2007… see my site inspections from that trip here. Last trip I stayed at The Peninsula on the river; this time I wanted to experience the downtown area. I did not visit the MO or the Peninsula, but JessicaO did stay at the MO and will report on her stay.


Four Seasons Bangkok

We were guests for three nights at the FS Bangkok. The best luxury value in downtown Bangkok, the Four Seasons was originally built 31 years ago as a Peninsula. Its lobby resembles the Peninsula Hong Kong and features beautiful hand-painted ceilings and an amazing mural on the grand staircase. Branded as a Regent shortly after it opened, the hotel became a FS following the purchase of the Regent chain by Four Seasons.

Four Seasons has the largest footprint of any hotel in Bangkok, the hotel’s central wing flanked by two wings built around courtyards. With a total of 354 rooms, it is larger than most FS properties. Lead-in Deluxe rooms are better proportioned than those at the neighboring St. Regis; they are a bit wider with better closet space. Deluxe View rooms are identical in size and layout but feature views of the Sports Club. Being an older hotel, however, bathrooms are not as as up-to-date. Deluxe rooms have just a single vanity, bathtub, step-in shower, and toilet (not in a WC). The single vanity should not be an issue if you're on business traveling alone.

The hotel has recently been renovated; guest rooms are styled with dark wood, textured wall treatments, and decorative panels behind the beds, all of which creates an attractive Asian feel. Rooms are decorated in one of two color schemes, red/orange/yellow and purple/green/yellow, both of which I found attractive.

Beginning with the Jr. Suite category, bathrooms have dual vanities and a separate WC.

Executive Suites are larger than Jr. Suite with 1.5 baths and a door between the bedroom and living room. This level and above enjoy Club privileges.

For a real WOW, consider the Jim Thompson Suite (named after silk designer Jim Thompson). A 2 BR Suite on the 8th floor overlooking the Sports Club, this suite has British Colonial styling — painted wooden ceilings and walls — creating a very residential feel. I am told that this is Hillary’s favorite suite.

The hotel has a great restaurant - Spice Market, a spa, and a very large outdoor pool; Cabana rooms have direct access to the pool area.


St. Regis Bangkok

Right next door to the Four Seasons, the St. Regis Bankok is a new hotel, just 3 1/2 years old (having opened April 1, 2011). It is an example of St. Regis’s “Glass House” style (contemporary) as opposed to the “Metropolitan Manor” style (think of the formal elegance of St. Regis New York). St. Regis Bangkok is a modern hotel with a quite attractive contemporary elegance. White marble floors, black with white-veined marble accents, and grey silk wall paneling all contribute to an atmosphere I’d enjoy making home for a few days.

The front door leads to a public lobby with entrances to two restaurants and a brand new lounge. Zuma, a Japanese restaurant, is decorated with a Zen feel and the aroma of the charcoal robata grill fills the air. Jojo, an Italian restaurant, is also beautifully decorated; we enjoyed dinner there with GM Holger Jakobs — Claire enjoyed her breast of duck and my fish was moist, light, and flavorful … a most excellent dinner, even in our jet-lagged condition.

An elevator takes guests to the main lobby on the 12th floor from which a second bank of elevators provides access to the 227 guest rooms and suites which occupy floors 16-24. There are additional restaurants and lounges on the 12th floor, including Viu, an all-day restaurant with a homey “open kitchen” feel; this is where Virtuoso guests will enjoy the breakfast buffet. “Viu” refers to the view enjoyed by guests in the hotel — a panorama of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club across the street with its private golf course, fields for rugby and soccer, tennis courts, and even horse racing on the second Sunday of each month.

All Virtuoso guests will enjoy an upgrade at booking from Deluxe to Grand Deluxe — “grand” referring not to size but the frontal view of the Sports Club across the street. Being on the 16th floor and above, the view of the Sports Club is totally unobstructed and quite interesting. Rooms are generously sized with King (or Queen Queen) bedding and a desk and seating area in front of the windows. Bathrooms are everything you would expect with dual vanities, soaking tub, step-in rain shower, and WC. The richness of the materials and variety of colors, textures, and patterns all contribute to an aesthetically pleasing environment. Rooms range from 45 - 47 sqm; my one critique is that the room we were able to see (# 1704) seemed a bit “long and narrow” to me.

For a WOW, book a Caroline Astor Corner Suite, quite a value. Entering a large living room, the Suite provides an impressive Master Bedroom with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the view of the Sports Club. Even the soaking tub has the same commanding view. Each Caroline Astor Corner Suite has an available Queen-Queen second bedroom, making a great 2 BR Suite.

St. Regis has an attractive, small outdoor pool, a well equipped gym, and a Elemis spa. This new hotel is a real winner in the heart of downtown Bangkok.


The Siam

The takeaway — The Siam feels like an Aman resort without the minimalism. Open for two years, it has just 28 suites and 11 Pool Villas. Room layout resembles Aman rooms with the same horizontal symmetry, but both the styling of guest rooms and the decoration of the resort (I would call it French Colonial) is filled with interesting and attractive details. Guestrooms have one-of-a-kind antiques, and the owner’s collection of memorabilia is displayed throughout the resort — everything from Ming vases to antique typewriters to photographic equipment from many decades ago.

But this is only half of the story. GM Jason Friedman (who has previously worked both with Aman and FS Tented Camp) is utterly passionate about The Siam and Bangkok. Jason will gladly sit down with guests and help them plan their stay. Here’s his own description:
Lead-in Siam Suites are a large 80 sqm. The doorway leads directly into the living room with the sofa, centered against the front wall of the suite, facing a flat screen tv (a non-Aman element). Moving into the bedroom, the King bed is centered in the room facing an even larger flatscreen TV. The desk and workspace are behind a short room divider at the foot of the bed. The bathroom is beyond the bedroom and equipped with a soaking tub centered against the far wall, two vanities, step-in shower, and WC.

Siam Suites upgrade to Riverview Suites, 25% larger at 100 sqm and with a different floor plan. The living area is at the far end of the room to take advantage of the river view.

There are eleven Pool Villas, each featuring a private plunge pools in its courtyard. Their interior space of the villas is on two levels, the living room on the lower level and the bedroom on the higher level.

In addition to a wonderful restaurant (we enjoyed our lunch immensely), The Siam has a spa, fully equipped gym (with a small boxing ring!), a beautiful pool, a library anda business center, and a screening room (a living room like setting in which small groups can watch movies on a large projection screen).