The chic sleep: The Siam, Bangkok
Escape the city throng and experience the delights of old Bangkok in this relaxed riverside setting. By CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER
On the gramophone, the jazz sax plays a high-note riff that drowns out the croaking of the frogs and the gurgle of our private courtyard fountain. Our butler mixes a sunset cocktail, and fishes out rogue jasmine blossom from the hotel’s plunge pool, above which the banana-palm fronds nod and the sky turns purple. Encased in this tranquil bubble at The Siam, you would never dream that the burgeoning metropolis of Bangkok is only a 30-minute boat ride upriver. Since its opening in 2012, the hotel has become a popular venue for celebrity guests, who are drawn to the hotel’s homespun intimacy and private house-party vibe. With its collections of rare books, vinyl and Neolithic pottery, monochrome Art Deco interiors characterized by roll-top baths and four-poster beds, rattan chairs, old leather trunks and mosaicked pools, each of the 39 rooms carry the Bill Bensley design flourish.
Owned by Thailand’s musical hoteliers, the Sukosol family, The Siam is the particular passion project of the younger son, Kriss – an actor, a pop star and a knowledgeable collector of art and antiques, many of which are displayed in the museum-worthy corridors of the hotel. Kriss can also suggest an itinerary of the best antique shops, access to Thai boxing matches at the nearby Ratchadamnoen Stadium, and an onsite tattoo master, practicing one of the most ancient of oriental arts. Staying here is a chance to get under the skin of the real Bangkok.
THE DETAILS
Sleep
Hidden away behind high walls, Connie’s Cottage (which sleeps two) offers the most romantic and spacious refuge imaginable, with its own plunge pool and private butler on hand. This 100-year old structure, with its up-tilted eaves and teak columns, was originally salvaged from the ancient city of Ayutthaya by the legendary and charismatic antique collector/secret agent Connie Mangskau and her friend, the famous American silk merchant, Jim Thompson, in the ’50s. However, the Riverview Suites are equally elegant and romantic.
Must do
Take a river trip to buy fresh produce in the nearby floating markets, then try your hand at a private immersive cookery lesson in the wonderful Chon Thai restaurant.
Recharge
After a Thai boxing lesson in The Siam’s private ring with the master boxer, head to the hotel’s spa and unwind as you experience one of the best massages in city. For a slower workout, book ahead for a kundalini yoga session with owner Kriss’ wife, Mel.