The Siam on Bangkok’s riverfront is a luxe boutique hotel that opened its doors for guests this June. The riverside in Bangkok which became a ghost town as the evening set in is undergoing some sort of a renaissance with stylish cafés, bars and restaurants coming up and Siam is sure to give a fillip to the movement. The man behind the boutique hotel is Thai-American musician–actor Krissada Sukosol Clapp. The 39-suite luxury retreat is designed by Harvard-trained designer Bill Bensley and his team. Individually designed rooms and villas successfully conjure up the feel of the Old Siam.
Antiques Showcased Throughout the Hotel
The hotel is spread over a 1.2 hectare lot. The highlights of the property are the four traditional Thai teakwood houses that were salvaged by Jim Thompson. There are lush gardens on the property and Bensley has lived up to his reputation as a landscape architect. Not only the rooftops are green but you find pocket gardens in most unexpected of places. The main building features a fountain encircled by palm trees and the soaring atrium above it compares to Paris’s Musée d’Orsay. Mr. Clapp’s personal collection of European and Asian antiques that includes French engraved glass doors and even old Thai movie ticket stubs, has been showcased strategically in the hotel.
The Suites and Villas are Rather Spacious
The smallest of the 28 suites in the hotel measures a significant 80 square meters. Each one has been designed on a theme as diverse as beauty queens, cinema and the military. The villas which number 11 are not only spacious but palatial. They come with rootop terraces and pools. The décor is Chinese, Thai or colonial. The largest of them is called Connie’s cottage and originally belonged to Connie Mangskau, a socialite. The hotel boasts of some unusual and unique features including a Thai boxing ring, outdoor yoga terrace, luxury spa, riverside infinity pool, and private pier for river excursions. The neighborhood is not the best for shopping and a little away from the famous Bangkok party scene. The hotel provides boat transfers to the Saphan Taksin BTS Station. The taxis also stop plying after 7pm. The Siam is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
