The Peninsula Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand
I
f this hotel were a woman, I would propose.
Elegant, sleek, worldly, sophisticated and suffused with Old-World charm, the Peninsula is one of the best in Bangkok. It holds your hand, caresses you and whispers in your ear. It’s love at first visit. Towering over the frenetic Chao Phraya River – and a rapid ferry ride to the shopping and business enclaves (and the BTS) – this gracious hotel personifies class and luxury. “We make your visit special,” says Khun Kee, the Director of Public Relations, as she took my impressed Director, Khun Bew and me from room, to spa, to pool, to the restaurants. And much to relate here: it’s eye-opening and superb. Arrive by car, riverboat or helicopter. Travel in a Rolls
88
BEST OF CLASS
Royce or a custom, open-air tuk-tuk. It is grand. Plush. Oozing style. It’s a favorite. And it was honored at the Top City Hotel in Asia in 2012 by Travel + Leisure. Its 370 spacious guest rooms (each a sumptuous 46 square meters) and classical suites, rising 37 floors, all provide sweeping, river views of the City of Angels. The three-tiered pool flows toward the river. Tennis courts and a Fitness Center keep you buff, and the restaurants insist that you indulge (try the idyllic Thiptara, for Thai food by the river; Mei Jiang is award-winning). The spa is magic. Romantic? You bet. Business? Voted third best business hotel in Asia-Pacific. A must.