Luxury Hotel Review: Banyan Tree Bangkok, Thailand

Where Is It: Strategically located in the central business district in the Sathorn/Silom area, and only 40 minutes from Suvarnabhumi International Airport. 

Why Go: It’s an urban resort in the heart of Bangkok, with great service and a fabulous rooftop bar and dining venue.

Best For: Stylish couples, luxury travellers, romantic getaways. 

Three Things We Loved: The 360 degree panoramic views from the 61st floor, the exceptional facilities, the attention to detail throughout.

Overview:

Bangkok’s tallest luxury spa hotel, Banyan Tree, sits close to everything in the city yet feels a million miles away from the hubbub. An icon of urban tranquillity, the 61-storey property is famed for its open-air rooftop space that was converted from its original feature, a helicopter deck. As the city’s only five-star all-suite hotel which combines luxuriously spacious accommodation with several world-class dining experiences and an award-winning spa, it radiates opulence and comfort. The expansive and tastefully designed, light-filled lobby and lounge areas feature high ceilings, comfortable furniture, exotic floral arrangements and wafting scents that delight.

The Accommodation: 

Guests can choose from over three hundred beautifully furnished city or river view rooms and suites across seven categories. These consist of Deluxe and Premier Rooms, Banyan Tree Club, One and Two-Bedroom Suites and Spa Suites which feature an additional room to facilitate in-room spa treatments, ideal for a romantic getaway. There’s even a split-level Presidential Suite which plays host to local and international dignitaries and celebrities. The accommodation is tastefully designed to showcase the essence of Thai heritage, while fusing the most modern amenities to ensure ultimate comfort. Even the lowest categories are surprisingly spacious, filled with natural light and affording stunning views of bustling Bangkok. All rooms and suites feature state-of-the-art entertainment systems.

Where We Stayed:

We enjoyed a beautiful room in the hotel’s Serenity Club, a space which spans the 50th to 58th levels. The accommodation is huge and elegant in design, offering stunning views of Sathon Road and the Chao Phraya River, and with expansive areas for living, working, sleeping and romance. Renovated in 2016, it features a lineup of contemporary furnishings and modern amenities. The bathroom is designed for relaxing moments, with twin black granite basins, a rain shower and an oversized bath with twin headsets. A selection of herbal teas and coffee is available and the addition of an aromatherapy burner with daily changing aroma oils adds to the relaxing ambience of this luxurious city sanctuary. A perk of staying in the Serenity Club is having access to the Club Lounge on the 19th floor. This offers a delicious complimentary buffet breakfast in the mornings, and in the afternoon High Tea is enjoyed with free flowing wine and Thai beer accompanied by a smorgasbord of light snacks. A free, fast Wi-Fi connection is available throughout the hotel.

What Else Is There:

There are seven world-class restaurants and three bars to be discovered. Acclaimed worldwide is the al fresco rooftop Vertigo restaurant and Moon Bar, which has a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the city and some of the best international cuisine on offer in the city. Seating nearly 250 guests, the space comes alive at sunset for guests and locals alike, to enjoy the avant-garde ambience in full view of the Thai capital. Just below on level 59 is the award winning nouvelle Cantonese cuisine restaurant, Bai Yun. The Japanese restaurant Taihei offers fine Japanese dining – also with a view - and the Banyan Tree signature restaurant, Saffron is known to be the place for a delectable meal. If you really feel like leaving the resort, there’s the elegant vintage-styled teak rice barge, Aspara, which provides the opportunity for an elegant dining and drinks while cruising along the majestic Chao Phraya river. Meanwhile, the hotel’s Spa offers one of the city’s most luxurious spa experiences using only natural ingredients in one of sixteen spacious and well appointed treatment rooms. Here you can indulge in rejuvenating massages and pampering beauty and hair treatments performed by warm and caring professional practitioners within a serene and relaxing environment. There’s also a swimming pool and gym, the latter of which is one of the biggest and best equipped I’ve seen. 

The Verdict:

The hotel prides itself on attention to detail and impeccable service, and it delivers on both. As soon as you step in from the heat and fervour of the city, the staff can’t do enough for you (there’s even a complimentary tuk tuk shuttle service to the shops). Ideal for a romantic getaway, the rooms are unusually spacious, and the hotel’s understated elegant décor, with plenty of natural light and sweet smelling aromas, relaxes you immediately. Your entire vacation could well be spent within Banyan Tree’s glamorous walls - and why not?