Whether it's adventure, wellness or the call of the big city, there’s a perfect hotel for every Thailand escape
The high-style city break: 137 Pillars Suites & Residences
What They Say: Situated in Bangkok’s fashionable Thong Lor district, the 34-suite 137 Pillars Suites & Residences is the last word on luxury accomodation in the country’s capital. Taking its names from royal periods in Thai history – Rattanakosin, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai Suites, and Thonburi – the suites offer private dining rooms, wine cellars and a butler service. The Sky Bar infinity pool has some of the most incredible views of the Bangkok skyline while the hotel restaurant, Nimitr, is a master class in fine dining.
What We Say: With some of the best eateries (especially Japanese), bars and clubs around the corner, 137 Pillars Suites & Residences couldn’t be better located for the discerning traveller. But, with fine dining options as well as the best view in the city from the pool, you’d be hard-pressed to leave. The personal butler service elevates an already stratospherically stylish experience.
The LiT Bangkok Hotel
What They Say: The perfect combination of high design and comfort, LiT Bangkok Hotel offers a ‘home away from home’ experience for travellers to the capital, with accommodation ranging from studio spaces to one, two and three bedroom lofts. The Kiriya Spa offers a complete escape from the high octane energy of the city, with four unique packages that draw on Thailand’s renowned history of wellness and massage.
What We Say: Less than 200 metres from the capital’s shopping hub as well as a string of hip dining options, LiT Bangkok Residence is the perfect spot to drop-and-go when you’re only in the city for a night or two before heading on to the islands. The hotel itself is a design showstopper and, at sunset, the elevated pool-bar deck turns into a party hotspot for the district’s young and fashionable.
The health retreat: THANN Wellness Destination
What They Say: A unique wellness offering from Thailand's leading skincare brand, THANN Wellness Destination is an oasis of calm and serenity, a much needed reprieve from frenetic city life. Set along the banks of the Noi River in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, two nights spent at the retreat, which comprises 42 rooms, suites and poolside villas, will leave even the weariest of guests feeling recharged and renewed.
What We Say: From sunrise yoga sessions on the river bank to unrivalled skincare and massage treatments at the spa, two nights at THANN Wellness Destination is to enter an otherworldly sense of peace and calm. There are three restaurant offerings but the Tea Room (which doubles as a museum-like showcase of ancient artefacts) is where you want to be, with a menu firmly focused on light, healthy fare. Make sure you spend some time in the spa’s three temperature-controlled aromatherapy baths where life’s stresses literally melt away.
The island escape: Paradee
What They Say: Tucked away between two coastlines on the southern tip of Koh Samet island (part of the national park) you’ll find 40 thatched villas hugging the shoreline, executed in Thai teak, rattana and silk that perfectly blends them into their coastal jungle setting. There’s a host of ocean-based activities available, and the island offers an amazing nightlife scene without the tourist traps of Phuket. Transfers are available from Bangkok's airports.
What We Say: Samed Resorts could not have chosen a more appropriate name when they dubbed this resort Paradee. Even the speed boat transfer from the mainland to Koh Samet feels like something straight out of a Thailand tourism ad. Arriving at Paradee expect to be met by the staff welcoming you with refreshments before whisking you away to your luxury villa. Be sure to make use of the island hopping and ocean snorkeling activities, as well as the Thai cooking classes and sunset cocktails on the deck. For the more conservation orientated, a trip to the nearby turtle sanctuary is an opportunity to get up close with the gulf’s more unique reptile species.
This article is part of a series on travel to Thailand. For more information on travel to Thailand please contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand SA representative at www.tourismthailand.org.
