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In the years that much of
Southeast Asia grappled with armed conflict and the struggles of
modernization,
Bangkok evolved into a place of optimism, opportunity,
and change. Expatriates, soldiers, foreign correspondents and
journalists from the West flocked to Bangkok for its rich culture and
decidedly sensual flair, an exotic city looking to will its way into the
21st century. Opened in the fall of 1998, the Bangkok Peninsula, a
stunning tower on the Bangkok skyline growing out of the West Bank of
the Chao Phraya River, is a monument to this ambition. Persevering
through the Southeast Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s, the
Peninsula Bangkok is now the piece de resistance in the city’s luxury
tourist district, a hotel that holds its own shore of the river, and its
own place at the very top of any list ranking Asia’s best hotels.
Stepping into the expansive
and ornate lobby, one immediately recognizes the fusion of the Western
entrepreneurial spirit with the carnal, spiritual traditions of Thai
culture. Teak climbs the walls from floor to ceiling, and magnificent
glass windows frame the downtown Bangkok skyline. Indeed, every nuance
in the hotel’s design is pointed toward its vistas—the ‘W’ shape of the
39-story, 370-room hotel means that each room looks east over the pool
and gardens, and across the Chau Phraya river to the city’s downtown
Thanon Silom district, and Bangkok’s hotel icons of generations past
like the Shangri-La. In the Peninsula, ranked as the best hotel in the
world by Travel + Leisure in 2003, Bangkok’s skyline has a new piece de
resistance for its distinguished visitors.
 Rooms
here set a standard one would struggle to find anywhere else. High
ceilings, stylish teak accents, and an average room size of 46 square
meters allow guests at the Peninsula to gaze out at the Bangkok skyline
from a glorious, roomy space. Sleeping and sitting areas are distinct,
as is the oversized triangular business space before the
floor-to-ceiling windows. With state-of-the-art technology, blinds can
be drawn or shut, and lights dimmed or brightened at the touch of a
button. The business desk features an oversized working space, broadband
Internet access and a private fax machine, perfect for keeping pace with
the world outside your window. Twin vanity suites are featured in the
spacious marble bathroom, along with separate shower/bath and custom
Peninsula bath products. Two cable televisions, including a hands-free
unit above the bathtub, and a CD player with surround stereo sound in
all rooms provides guests with all the entertainment technology they
could want. If not for the incredible and vibrant city outside, one
would be hard-pressed to find good reason to ever leave the exquisite
comfort of the Peninsula’s suites.
But to do so, one would miss
the extraordinary dining experiences available at the Peninsula. An
early morning breakfast on the terrace, beating the humidity and
watching the sunrise on another Bangkok day, is a moment of solitude in
a frenetic place. Watch the first long tail boats of the day break the
river’s relative overnight calm is one of the simple pleasures enjoyed
at the Peninsula. From either the water’s edge or in the downstairs
indoor seating area, The River Cafe & Terrace serves up three
international buffets daily, featuring Western and Asian specialties
served up in the restaurant’s unique open kitchens. For the best in
authentic Thai cuisine, foreigners and locals alike find plenty to
appreciate at the atmospheric Thiptara, where diners enjoy Thai feasts
under riverside teak pavilions, or salas, in a homestyle Thai family
environment. From the Thai-style honey-roasted peanut amuse bouche to
start, the cuisine is unforgettable, a delicate fusion of its best
flavours and purest ingredients to create an innovative and exotic menu
that lingers on the palate long after the last bite. It is simply the
most exquisite Thai experience available in a city bursting with great
restaurants, and just one of several top-flight dining rooms in the
hotel.
Jesters, which features an
exotic and eclectic mélange of the personalities of Pacific Rim cuisine,
moves beyond the Empire’s borders to find inspiration for its dishes,
and for its upbeat, nouveau chic contemporary space. Set just above the
Chau Phraya behind broad and unbroken sheets of glass that welcome in
the skyline, this is the Peninsula’s canvas for fusing American and
Asian culture in style, design, and food, and the results are
impressive. For true Cantonese cuisine, Mei Jiang is a must-visit, and
afternoon tea in the lobby is a classic Thai tradition that should be
enjoyed as the late day sunshine
refracts in the windows as they reach skyward. For drinks, other
refreshments, and an exotic oasis in the heart of Bangkok, the
Peninsula’s unique three-tiered landscape pool is an unlikely paradise
so close to the urban bustle of the city. For nightcaps, martinis in the
hotel bar are the perfect tonic, as is the live lounge music played
nightly. And for the VIP guest, there is a treat altogether unmatched in
the world’s great business hotels. On the hotel’s top floor, directly
accessed by private elevator or from the rooftop helipad, is Paribatra,
the Peninsula’s helicopter lounge. Exquisitely decorated as a monument
to the history of flight in Thailand, the rich and famous can relax and
unwind after a busy day, sipping cocktails in one of the most unique
museums anywhere.
Guests can work up a
sweat—and work off the weight of so many extravagant meals!—at the
Peninsula’s own exclusive fitness center, a perfect antidote to the
stress and flurry of urban Bangkok and modern life. The perfect enclave
for anyone seeking to relax, be pampered, or work up a healthy sweat,
the Peninsula’s fitness center is ideal. Included is the use of the
aerobics studio, private locker rooms with sauna, steam room, and
Jacuzzi, two floodlit tennis courts, and even a sports bar with water
and fresh fruit, and other post-workout refreshments. In a city like
Bangkok, finding your own quiet and personal space is critical for
balance and harmony of self, and in every respect, this is what the
Peninsula successfully provides. Hotels ought to be sanctuaries,
providing comfort in the unfamiliar, and luxury in the exotic. By all
accounts, especially the world’s foremost travel magazine, few if any
hotels worldwide can offer its guests what the Peninsula can.
Stay at the most amazing
hotel in the capital city of one of the world’s amazing kingdoms, and
you have a launching point from which to experience all that Bangkok has
to offer. Culinary experiences, cultural field trips, lifestyle
programs, and great shopping excursions can all be arranged through the
hotel’s own Academy Director. See Bangkok the way it was meant to be
seen, and get a true sense of how this exotic city is destined to
flourish in the decades to come.
Where
to Stay
The
Peninsula Bangkok - 333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
Tel: 66 (0) 2861 2888, Fax: 66 (0) 2861 1112
Email The
Peninsula Bangkok
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Peninsula Bangkok Home
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