In May 2022, I checked into the St. Regis Suite at The St. Regis Bangkok. Located along Rajadamri Road next to the Royal Bangkok Sports Club and conveniently offering direct access to the Ratchadamri BTS Skytrain station via its second level, the 228-room luxury property is a short walk away from the famous Erawan Shrine as well as the Ratchaprasong commercial district comprising a vast universe of shopping and dining experiences – from Siam Paragon and Siam Center to centralwOrld, one of the largest shopping centres in the world – all connected via a sheltered skywalk.
Nearby hotels include Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel and InterContinental Bangkok.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Old-world luxury near Ratchaprasong shopping district.
The must-dos (if any): Enjoy breakfast at VIU, take a dip in the swimming pool, frolic in the hot and cold vitality plunge pools at Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa.
THE ST. REGIS BANGKOK
Launched in April 2011, the luxury hotel plays it suitably stately with its soaring ceilings, white marble surfaces and patterned furnishings and carpeting, all accompanied by splashes of Thai motifs and colours. Upon arrival, guests are whisked from the brightly-lit ground level lobby to the 12th level reception for their check-in. A separate elevator connects them to their guest rooms, which go all the way up to the 24th floor.
The hotel boasts various dining concepts – international buffet restaurant VIU; modern European restaurant IGNIV Bangkok; the elegant The St. Regis Bar; lounge concepts The Drawing Room and The Lounge; pool-side Pool Bar; Japanese modern izakaya Zuma. The private wine/event space Decanter is not open to the public.
Wellness facilities are situated on the 15th level. The 24-hr Exercise Room is equipped with an impressive array of Technogym machines as well as a Muay Thai boxing ring (the first of its kind in a Bangkok luxury hotel), while the outdoor infinity pool and whirlpool is set in a surprising calming lush tropical landscape. The Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa offers various treatments in partnership with cellular skincare brand Swiss Perfection, with relaxation facilities available for guest use such as rain showers, Thai herbal steam rooms, twilight rasul, hot and cold plunge vitality pools, a foot reflexology water walk and relaxation pods. The spa facilities were exceptional – I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the vitality pools, which made my body felt all prickly and rejuvenated after all the hot/cold alternations, and had a jolly time fiddling with the functionalities of the shower pods which allowed customisable lights and jet tempos/intensities. The outdoor whirlpool with recliner bed jets also gave me an extended moment of rest and relaxation – the tropical-landscaped space made me fleetingly forget that I was in a city high-rise.
THE ST. REGIS SUITE
Located on the hotel’s highest floors, the 102sqm St. Regis Suite offers direct views of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club’s expansive emerald golf course from both the bedroom and the living room through floor-to-ceiling windows. Possessing the features of a serviced apartment, the suite’s kitchen is equipped with various Siemens appliances such as a refrigerator, dishwasher, convection stove and microwave oven as well as a Miele Nespresso machine. The pantry offers TWG and Chaidim tea sachets along with various snacks, including chocolate from IGNIV Bangkok and dehydrated dragonfruit and durian crispy rolls from Thai brand Kunna, while the minibar offers a selection of spirits and wines (think Gordon’s gin, Moet & Chandon champagne and Hennessy VSOP cognac).
The living room is furnished with a dining table, sofa seating and a large work desk, while the bedroom is fitted with a king-sized Sealy Posturepedic bed with pillow-top mattresses made with 300 thread count-Egyptian cotton linens and feather down comforters, which helped me land one of the best hotel room sleeps ever in recent memory. The cavernous master bathroom offers a walk-in wardrobe and individual marble vanities on both ends of the space, with a walk-in rainfall shower and a noticeably deep and spacious bathtub for your soaking pleasure. The suite also offers a separate guest bathroom near its entrance for any group misadventures with street dining. Bathroom amenities are from British anti-ageing skincare brand Elemis.
The hotel’s age is fairly evident from the suite’s furnishings (including some rust marks on my vanity mirror), while the room was not in an ideal state when I checked in, with visible hairs left in the bathtub and the bed runner being left in storage as opposed to being laid on the bed.
DINING
Breakfast is served at international buffet restaurant VIU on the 12th level. The buffet breakfast comprises a selection of cold cuts, pastries, dim sum, fruits, cereals and juices; an egg station offering staples such as Eggs Benedict alongside options such as Green Poached Eggs, Mango French Toast and Thai Omelette with Pork; a soup noodle station which offers ingredients such as pork balls, beef balls, fish balls and shrimp balls along with your choice of either vermicelli or thin rice noodles; a Thai specialty station which serves dishes such as Poached Chicken Rice, Red BBQ and Crispy Pork and Mango Sticky Rice; as well as a variety of Asian staples such as Congee, Stir Fried Noodles with Vegetables and Deep Fried Dough Sticks which you can pair with soy milk or condensed milk. Beyond breakfast, the restaurant serves various buffet menus, including a sumptuous Signature Sunday Brunch.
Other 12th floor concepts include afternoon tea space The Drawing Room as well as The St. Regis Bar, an airy and elegant setting featuring soaring windows, sweeping views of the golf course as well as live music. The brand’s signature Bloody Mary cocktail is presented here in the form of the Siam Mary, a concoction made using Thai chillis, basil and lemongrass. Marriott Bonvoy Elite members can redeem their welcome cocktail and evening canapes here – we had the cutely monikered Rum Rum Titanium (Spiced Rum, Apple, Ginger Syrup, Lime) as well as the Ambassador’s Choice (100% Agave Tequila, House-made Orange Syrup Rosemary Tincture, Spiced Chocolate Bitters), both of which did not pussyfoot with ABV. From their regular menu, A Ritual Fizz (coffee beans infused limoncello, double cream, lemon juice, sugar syrup, orange flower water, soda water) played like a trippy citrusy send-up of Bailey’s, while the heady Manhattan Club Cocktail (local spices infused JW Black label, Mancino Rosso vermouth, Mancino Bianco vermouth, St. George absinthe verte, aromatic bitters) takes siege with masculine intent.
The ground floor features the Michelin starred modern European fine-dining restaurant IGNIV Bangkok by Andreas Caminada (“igniv” means nest in Romansh), sexy Japanese modern izakaya concept Zuma as well as coffee, cake and pastry space The Lounge. Rounding up the F&B concepts is the Pool Bar, which offers pool-side seating in a space which marries monochromatic colours with tropical greenery.
CONCLUSION
The hotel’s accommodations may betray their age, but the dining concepts are good and the wellness facilities at Clinique La Prairie Aesthetics & Medical Spa fairly commendable. A good choice if you are seeking a luxury hotel near the Ratchaprasong shopping district.
The St. Regis Bangkok
159 Rajadamri Road
Bangkok, Thailand, 10330
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