There is nowhere more beautiful than Thailand. The initial mixture of fantastic weather, beautiful beaches, incredible food and charming people makes Thailand the ultimate holiday place to go for solo travellers, couples and families alike. The sun is definitely sunshine in Thailand – through the food, with the people, through the bliss from the place. If you’re looking for a Thai escape, we can’t recommend the beautiful Banyan Tree more.
About Time was lucky to see three of the Banyan Tree Hotels throughout Thailand and that we can report they are very, good news. Within our Thailand series, each week we’re giving you information on each one of the three Banyan Tree Hotels – kicking off having a city break in Bangkok. If you’re searching for a Thai adventure, here’s what you ought to know:
For a town Break: Banyan Tree Bangkok
Expect: An oasis in the heart of the bustling city. Bangkok is manic, inside a great way. Here you'll feel the air thrum within an exciting whirl of exotic cuisine, stunning temples, panoramic cityscapes and endless shopping – but you can get lost in Bangkok. The sprawling metropolis includes a huge amount to provide – food, entertainment, shopping and vivacity – and you might need an escape from the mania, that is where Banyan Tree is available in.
The Hotel: Banyan Tree Bangkok, a luxury hotel, offers a sanctuary for your senses with elegant rooms, classic service blended with native hospitality, and integrated spa offerings. Among the tallest and most innovative spa hotels within the city, Banyan Tree Bangkok stands as an icon of urban tranquillity – and among the very best rooftop bars in the world. Honestly, it needs to be seen to become believed.
Accommodation: Their rooms vary from Deluxe Rooms to Presidential Suites. At the Deluxe level, you may expect a personal living room, en suite bathroom, personal aromatherapy burner with essential oils and 2 televisions. You can expect great views of Bangkok – the Deluxe Room has views north and river to the south. It goes all the way as much as Presidential Suites which is the ultimate luxury – a split-level duplex having a spiral stairway, bubbling jet pool, relaxation jet shower and electronically controlled curtains to provide you with full rein of the suite stay. The area may be the height of luxury – using its own diner, glass walls, complimentary mini bar or even a pillow menu. Heaven.
Facilities: The hotel has the largest Club Lounge in Bangkok, a fantastic spa, a fine-dining restaurant and, most importantly, one of the best rooftop bars in Thailand. For that health conscious, there’s a health club with yoga, aerobics, pilates, stretching and step lessons, steam and sauna rooms, as well as a beautiful outdoor swimming pool. Otherwise this could happen: shimmering beneath the sky by having an outdoor deck around the 21st floor, the swimming pool is fringed by green plants to produce the feeling of swimming within the tropics, using their own juice bar to keep you refreshed during the day.
Food: They’ve got some fantastic dining options. For something unique and special, their Apsara Dining Cruise enables you to try the highest quality Thai food whilst floating across the river in Bangkok – dreamy. There’s the cruise where you can dine as you sail on board a beautifully appointed riverboat. Think: delicious crab claw in coconut broth, steamed snow fish with lime and coriander, Massaman lamb curry with ajard and decadently prepared Thai desserts as you cruise down the waterway hubbub of Chao Phraya River past Bangkok’s famous sites. If you’d rather stay on dry land, the breathtaking al fresco rooftop restaurant and bar, Vertigo and Moon Bar, is incredible for cocktails, and, for a nibble, Saffron serves authentic Thai food. The stuff of dreams.
Why Stay Here: Bangkok has a huge amount to offer. For day trips, the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market incredible. The market is central to the cultural identity of Ratchaburi, and it is well known to visit connoisseurs across the world. It’s very exciting – haggle having a vendor over fresh fruit, vegetables or other local splendours and watch floating canoes paddle down and up the town canal. They’ve also had a sensational spa – Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok has won three recent awards, including Asia’s Leading City Spa Hotel on the planet Travel Awards. Come for Banyan Tree’s signature Tropical Rainmist experience, and forget the bustling city outside as you allow yourself to melt in to the amazing massage.
