Attracting a growing number of increasingly demanding visitors, Bangkok is substantially renewing its hotel offer. And then some.
By Cécile Balavoine Photos Ludovic Maisant -
The first luxury hotel to open in Bangkok, the Mandarin Oriental has preserved the colonial character of its origins. Ludovic Maisant
Thailand's tourism figures continue to point upwards. In 2015, 26 million visitors crossed the borders of the former kingdom of Siam. This year, the 30 million mark should be passed. Growth rhymes with excellence, because Thailand's objective is to move upmarket. This is currently reflected in an acceleration in the opening of luxury hotels and designer boutique hotels. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's going on in the rest of the country in Bangkok. There are plenty of construction sites featuring the name of an international hotel star...
Thailand's tourism figures continue to point upwards. In 2015, 26 million visitors crossed the borders of the former kingdom of Siam. This year, the 30 million mark should be passed. Growth rhymes with excellence, because Thailand's objective is to move upmarket. This is currently reflected in an acceleration in the opening of luxury hotels and designer boutique hotels. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's going on in the rest of the country in Bangkok. There is a plethora of construction sites featuring the name of an international hotel star. There is a marked trend towards the development of residences with hotel services for wealthy owners. Although this concept, which originated in the United States, has already been emulated around the world, it has only recently caught on in Thailand. But the capital's most legendary hotels are getting in on the act, starting with the famous Mandarin Oriental.
The Como Metropolitan exudes serenity, combining sophisticated design with a sense of purity. Ludovic Maisant
We still simply call it the Oriental, as Somerset Maugham, Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall once did. This sumptuous hotel legend has grown, adapted to each era and continues to shine. From its beginnings in 1876 as a tiny, immaculate white colonial house on the banks of the Chao Praya, it will soon be offering luxury residences on the other side of the river. Judging by the level of service and the elegance of this palace, where a plant arrangement of 30,000 flowers, renewed every week, greets visitors on their arrival and where strings of jasmine perfume the corridors and boudoirs, we can already imagine what luxury the future residents will be surrounded by. Like hotel guests, will they be able to call on their personal butler at any time of the day or night? Will they too have the privilege of being served lemongrass granita and other exquisite refreshments while lounging on a deckchair facing the most beautiful swimming pool in Bangkok? We can only imagine...
The trend towards flats with hotel services is obvious, especially as Ritz-Carlton, the ultra-luxury arm of the Marriott group, has also taken the gamble of offering 200 of them, without even having a hotel in Bangkok. The chosen location is sure to appeal, as it is on the top floors of the MahaNakhon tower, the capital's new icon. It's here too, but between the 1er and 20e The 159-room Edition Bangkok boutique hotel, part of a recent range of design hotels already established in Miami, London and New York and developed jointly by Marriott and Ian Schrager, the pioneer of luxury and lifestyle establishments, is due to open soon.
In other good news for business travellers looking for something new, Bangkok is set to welcome another high-profile player to its ranks in early spring 2017: Park Hyatt. Even before it exists, the 222-room hotel aims to establish itself as a luxury urban oasis. Occupying the top 24 floors of a tower above the Central Embassy mall, it will feature numerous roof terraces and a splendid swimming pool.
At the St Regis, a butler service is available for all rooms and afternoon tea is a popular choice for business meetings. Ludovic Maisant
Despite all these openings, there is no shortage of hotels with a proven track record in Bangkok. Such is the case of the St Regis, which opened five years ago in front of a racecourse, giving it its very special charm. Designed to satisfy a demanding business clientele, this five-star hotel with 176 rooms - nearly a third of which are suites - is the only one in the capital to offer a dedicated butler to each guest, whatever the room category. This means you can enjoy the services of a real personal assistant who will take care of organising meetings, transfers or dinners...
Purity and zenitude
In a very contemporary spirit, the Como Metropolitan, part of a Singaporean chain, plays on purity and sophistication. Located between the Sukhothai and the Banyan Tree, it is set back from an avenue lined with luxury hotels. The beauty of the place is expressed in the simplicity of its lines. In a spirit of Zen, its lobby features a majestic sculpture of a lotus leaf. Its 169 rooms are just like the hotel itself: sober, but also "technologically advanced". An address whose discretion is equal to its distinction, with a swimming pool that is also one of the most pleasant in Bangkok.
On the French side, following the opening of the Sofitel So in 2012 - a landmark in contemporary luxury - Accor opened a Novotel in the Sukhumvit district this year. The French hotel group has also firmly established itself in Bangkok, which is now its headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region. So there's still plenty to look forward to in terms of So French, yet made in Thailand.
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