Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

Bangkok

In the heart of Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar and Laos to the north, Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the south, Thailand, formerly the kingdom of Siam is extremely varied.

In the south, there are beaches surrounded by coconut palms and rocks that emerge from the sea and which attract a host of tourists every year. In the center of the country, an alluvial plain makes the land fertile. To the north, there are many archaeological remains and thousands of temples. And finally, there’s Bangkok, the capital since 1782, a bustling metropolis where all of the country’ economic, political and cultural resources are situated, and where the traditional and the contemporary live side by side. This land of the Thais for more than a thousand years has had a very dramatic history. Numerous kingdoms, principalities and empires coveted it, invaded it and reigned over it. In 1767, the old Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese. The capital was moved to Bangkok. Built on the Chao Praya River, it is nicknamed the Venice of the Orient. Crossed by numerous canals, many houses and business offices are built on stilts. In the late 19^th century, the city became prosperous and was transformed. Many canals were covered over, traditional wooden houses disappeared and replaced by tall buildings and commercial centers. Today, Krung Theop, the name given to the city by the local inhabitants has a double image: a traditional quarter with numerous khlongs, the Thai name for the canals, and the modern city with long endless avenues, a business center where most of the hotels are located and emblematic monuments such as the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Golden Mountain, the pavilions of the Wat Phra Kaero royal temple where we find the venerated Emerald Buddha, near the Chao Praya River.

A legendary luxury hotel

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is legendary luxury hotel located in a unique site on the Chao Praya River, the “River of the Kings.” For more than 135 years, royal families, writers and seasoned travelers have made this palace their vacation site.

Today, with its 358 rooms and 35 suites all facing either the river or the garden, and in spite of some renovation, the legend lives on in a luxurious and contemporary atmosphere. The dark wood furniture, silks and sculpted wood give each room an English inspired style combined with Thai touches, as is the house of Jim Thomson, the former owner. There are three buildings: a modern wing perpendicular to the Chao Praya where we find the majority of the rooms, the central part, or Garden Wing which faces the river and the Original Wing, the oldest part where we find the Author suites, perhaps the mot beautiful suites in the world. These veritable museums of decorative art all bear the names of celebrated Anglo-Saxon writers who lived in them including Joseph Conrad, as early as 1888, Somerset Maugham in 1922, followed by Noel Coward, James Michener, John Le Carré, Graham Greene, Tennessee Williams, John Steinbeck, etc. The day begins in this mythical palace with breakfast on the hotel’s main terrace on the edge of the river where the activity is colorful and continuous.

After a day of touring Bangkok, why not swim a few laps in the pool, discreetly hidden by the surrounding trees, before having tea accompanied by some delicious scones in the colonial décor of the Authors’ Salon? For complete relaxation, guests can try the Oriental Spa, the best spa in the world. Located in a magnificent Thai house on the other bank of the river, a number of different treatments are available assuring total well-being.

For dinner, there are no less than ten restaurants to choose from, all of which welcome their guests in a refined setting. The top of the top however, is undoubtedly the Sala Rim Naam where Thai cuisine reaches incredible heights. Dishes include an extraordinary Tom Yam and green curry served at a candle lit table on the banks of the River of Kings.

In all the rooms and suites, just before going to bed, guests find under their pillow, a quotation by a famous writer on the benefits of sleep…a thoughtful gesture before a well-deserved sleep.