Bangkok is quite possibly the greatest city in the world for luxury hotels.
Designed by Belgian starchitect Jean-Michel Gathy, the hotel comprises a set of cascading buildings connected by bamboo-fringed courtyards. From the cavernous lobby to the double-height hallways lining the rooms, the space is bright and airy, making it feel more like a resort than a city hotel. While the marble-heavy design is decidedly contemporary, Thai touches can be found in the little details: terraced waterscapes in the main courtyard resemble the flooded rice paddies of rural Thailand, while wall-sized artworks commissioned to local artists by Gathy himself depict the folds of a monk’s robe.
Restaurants Up the fun factor with elaborate designs by AvroKO, and art enthusiasts will appreciate the hotel’s private gallery, which showcases up-and-coming Thai talent in collaboration with Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
The entrance to the hotel made one hell of a first impression, with oversized plant pots and dramatic, waved walls, opening out onto an interior courtyard pond.
The combination of lighting and textures was very impressive indeed.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Four Seasons hotel without a variety of extravagant floral arrangements to greet guests.
After a brief walk along a water-lined path, I arrived at the main lobby area. Once again the design had the effect of making one feel small: with gigantic tassels hanging from the outer walls, leading to a glowing orange inner sanctum that felt like a window onto the Earth’s core. A circular window was carved into the ceiling with suspended golden shards shaped like the glistening point of a drill bit.
Not your typical luxury hotel lobby.
The long hallway that led beyond the lobby has a much more residential feel and featured wonderfully elegant furniture, modern art, and more floral displays. At the very end was a piece of art depicting the Chao Phraya River, upon whose banks the hotel sits. Everywhere I looked there was a comfy chair I wanted to sit in, a sculpture I wanted to look at, a book I wanted to pick up. Also located in this area was The Lobby Lounge: a coffee shop/ bar which was open throughout the day and gave a real buzz to the space. Afternoon teas were particularly popular, with well-dressed locals filling both the indoor seating areas as well as the magnificent lakeside terrace.
The fact that a city hotel even has an enormous artificial lake, surrounded by lush foliage, is astonishing in its own right. Sure, the Peninsula has some nice gardens and is also on the river (albeit on the wrong side), but this is something else entirely.
The audacity of the architecture here is really quite something. Directly outside our building was another lakeside seating area, this time with views of the pool and the Chao Phraya river – together with an incredible copper-paneled art installation.
As I stepped into the building where our room was located, I was immediately enamored with the aesthetic. The hallways were incredibly spacious and bright, with benches and artwork dotted around to make them feel more like an art gallery than a hotel. There were even shagreen handles inside the lifts!
Premier River View Room
The room opened onto a small reception area, with an enormous full-length mirror perfectly positioned next to the wardrobe. This kind of architectural demarcation between the door and the rest of the room is a clever design trick that made the whole space feel a lot more residential. The first thing I saw upon entering the room was a vase sitting inside an illuminate lacquered insert. Similar pieces were dotted throughout the room.
The wardrobe space was plentiful and I was as delighted, as always, to hang my clothes on the wonderful Four Seasons hangers.
An additional slimline wardrobe was provided, which contained waffle knit dressing gowns and a very high-quality beach bag. The beach bag was another subtle indicator that this was not to be the usual Four Seasons city hotel experience.
The bedroom was very spacious and featured various sitting areas, in addition to the supremely comfortable Four Seasons bed that we all know and love. The technology and design around the bed were amazing though. The intricate bedside lamps hung above the tables meant that all the table space was free to use. Additional reading lights were built into the extended headboard and universal power and multiple USB ports featured on both sides – together with a series of well-labelled light switches.
One side of the bed featured a Bose speaker and the other had an iPad, pre-loaded with the Four Seasons app (which I much prefer to just use on my phone).
The bathroom also featured sliding panel-style doors, which meant that the bedroom felt even larger. This also meant that the bathroom benefited from a source of natural light, as well as river views. A beautifully presented welcome amenity awaited us on the dining table and a bowl of fruit by the chaise longue was replenished daily. In addition to the chaise and the dining table, there was a very comfortable daybed area, located just behind the giant TV set. On one side of the daybed, there was a small literature rack featuring a variety of magazines as well as books on Thai culture. A series of QR codes were also provided, featuring information on various aspects of the hotel.
The view from the windows was very relaxing indeed, lounging on the daybed and watching the boats go by was a fantastic way to pass a lazy hour or two in the mornings. The location of the tower not only ensured excellent views, but it also meant that we were only a few footsteps away from Riva del Fiume (the hotel’s fantastic Italian restaurant) as well as the magnificent riverside swimming pools.
Behind the TV, on the other side of the daybed was a luggage area, providing ample space to open cases. Additional storage space for closed cases was available at the top of the wardrobes.
This backed onto the room’s very well-stocked minibar. I particularly enjoyed small details, like how the saucers echoed the shagreen motif found in the railings around the hotel or how fresh milk had been provided (rather than plastic cups of creamer) AND scissors had been given so that the carton could be opened cleanly.
Bathroom
The bathroom felt sleek, modern, and inviting. The dark tones contrasted beautifully with the brightness of the bedroom, imbuing the space with a deep sense of tranquility. There was an abundance of counter space on either side of the two sinks and the various bathroom amenities were very tastefully presented. So many bathrooms feel sterile due to a lack of greenery.
The oversized bath was quick to fill and when the panels were drawn shut, the corner position next to a softly illuminated vase was very cozy and relaxing.
The toilet and enormous rainfall shower were located within separate cubicles, at the back of the bathroom. The shower was truly excellent though and thanks to the positioning of the glass door, you could shower with a wonderful river view – if you left the sliding wall panel open. The toiletries had a great smell and texture to them and were made by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
Service
Housekeeping was fantastic, with truly top-tier service provided. I never once bumped into them and never had to call to have them service the room.
Presumably, they coordinated with my breakfast visits and performed turndown when I was at the pool in the afternoon. Small gifts have become increasingly common
During turndown the curtains were drawn, pillows arranged correctly and slippers placed upon pressed linen mats. Toiletries were methodically arranged and placed on smaller linen mats.
Courtyard Pool
The hotel’s courtyard pool was located well away from the main hustle and bustle of the riverfront area and we never once saw anybody using it. The clean lines and wide spacing between the impossibly comfortable loungers.
Gym
The gym was located directly behind the pool and was an incredibly large and impressive facility. Not only was there a huge variety of Technogym stations, but there was also a smith machine, preacher bench, and a variety of different bars.
A full selection of kettlebells, medicine balls, and dumbbells was also on offer dumbbells topped out at a very impressive 42kg. It’s not often you see dumbbells over 20kg in hotels, let alone this!
Art Gallery
The hotel features an art gallery connecting the main lobby area with the riverside pool and restaurants. This was actually a very impressive space and felt like a legitimate gallery, rather than just some random afterthought/gift shop.
Riverside Pool
The crowning glory of Four Seasons Bangkok is without question the stunning riverside pool complex. Even before catching sight of the pools themselves, as you exit the art gallery, the various ponds and waterfall walls let you know that something magnificent awaits.
The landscaping at this property is truly off the charts. It’s incredible what they’ve done here. My usual path to the pool was from above, walking a few steps down from the entrance of our room block. At the base of the stairs, there was a station set up with towels, water, sunscreen, and reading material. Attendants were on hand all day long and would immediately come over to greet us as soon as we approached.
The pool area encompassed two main lap pools, together with a very shallow kids’ pool. Padded loungers were available around the edges of the pool, with mesh loungers located within the shallow waters of the lagoon-like expanse.
Thai-style daybeds were also offered at the very back of the pool area.
Boat Service
Being a riverside property, the Four Seasons Bangkok offers a complimentary shuttle boat service to guests. This departs from the pier that sits directly in between Four Seasons and Capella, with boats shared between the two properties. The boat service stopped at both Taksin pier, for connections with the BTS skytrain, as well as the very impressive new ICON Siam mall.
In addition to the wonderful landscaping and extensive leisure facilities, I found Four Seasons Bangkok to have an absolutely incredible range of bars and restaurants.
I love it when a hotel’s restaurants feel like proper dining destinations, somewhere that you’d go out of your way to visit, even if you weren’t staying at the hotel.
Four Seasons Bangkok is an absolutely spellbinding property. This hotel is a tremendously exciting new proposition in a city that already offers so many alternatives within the luxury space.
Other riverfront properties pale in comparison to the beautifully manicured campus shared between Four Seasons and Capella next door.
The dining options are fantastically varied and of such high quality that one could easily spend five nights here and never tire of the restaurants on site.
The room hardware is not only beautiful and thoroughly modern, but the design is also wonderfully considered in terms of ergonomics. In the public spaces, the architecture is as impressive as any hotel I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter.
The signature Four Seasons service is everywhere to be seen too, with staff quickly adapting to guests’ preferred levels of formality.
