Just a couple of days before I check in, the Capella Bangkok has been awarded The World’s Best Hotel 2024 and The Best Hotel in Asia 2024 by The World’s 50 Best Hotels. The team is quietly jubilant, of course. But apart from the initial whoops of joy, not much has changed at this 101-key ‘city resort’. That’s because quality and smiling service have been baked into the property’s DNA right from when it began operations. Today, it’s a well-oiled machine that delivers a distinctive experience in a city that is awash with awesome hospitality.
A riverside resort in the centre of the city
As I enter the double-storey lobby, I’m struck by how the Chao Praya River I’m entranced by through the floor-to-ceiling windows is the serene soul of the property and the iconic Charoen Krung Road on the other side of the hotel, said to be Bangkok’s oldest paved thoroughfare, gives it its gravitas.
The luxury five-star hotel is large, even though it comes across as warm and accessible. All 101 accommodations including their two-bedroom family suites, and villas on the river’s edge offer a panoramic view of the river with either a private balcony or a verandah with a jacuzzi plunge pool. The Riverfronts are on lower floors, offering riverfront or pool views, while Riverfront Premiers on floors five to 10 are all panoramic Chao Praya views.
They also have Verandah rooms on the third level, which are great if you would prefer the luxury of a private plunge pool and jacuzzi. And then there are the seven Private Villas, built as residences with exclusive access, where you’re invited to ‘discover the heartbeat of home’.
The river laps at the edges of your private garden and plunge pool. The sprawling understated interiors spell uber luxury. This Villa by Capella Bangkok is the perfect foil for private time as well as hosting intimate gatherings with family and friends.
The key features
My Riverfront Premier room is actually a spacious suite with spectacular views of the Chao Phraya River. Its proportions are generous, all of 61 sq metres, a king bed, several seating options, my own private balcony with an ample diwan to lounge on, and an extremely comfortable workspace. Only, with THAT view, it’s a little unreasonable to expect me to focus on my laptop, right?
I’d much rather soak in the glorious bathtub in the travertine marble bathroom as I watch long barges glide over the river and luxuriate with the Etoile de Siam bath products exclusively prepared for Capella Bangkok by from La Bottega.
What they call the ‘walk-in wardrobe’, is literally a whole other room with plenty of hanger space, a dressing table, and a unique arrangement where you can hand over items for washing or ironing to your butler through a handy hidden door that allows you your privacy. It’s little touches like these that make you realise how thoughtfully the hotel has been designed for the comfort of its guests.
I could spend all my time ensconced in my room, operating the blinds, ordering room service (my breakfast table was sensational, to say the least!), and playing my choice of music on Bluetooth, all via the convenient bedside tablet. But Capella Bangkok entices you to step out of this comfortable cocoon with its many offerings.
The Living Room, where their Culturists (more on them later) usher you in and start the pampering right at check-in is also a cosy centre for activities throughout the day and a very stylish space made for Cin Cin hour sundowners and socialising every evening.
Where dining is a destination
At the Capella Bangkok, there’s an array of restaurants and dining venues to pick from. The jewel in their crown is certainly the two Michelin-starred Côte imagined by the celebrated chef Mauro Colagreco, which brings together the flavours of the Mediterranean and the colours of Thailand in a ‘Riviera to River’ concept menu.
And, under the sunroof of the conservatory-style Phra Nakhon all-day restaurant named for the original name of Bangkok city, it’s all about abundance and authenticity with every region of Thailand finding representation on the menu. The freshness of the produce is testament to Chef Kannika’s longstanding relationships with local farmers and fisherfolk around the country, while every dish evokes the complexity of tastes of Old Siam.
Over many memorable meals here I ate my way through the extensive menu, including the vegan and vegetarian options, and not a single dish was disappointing! They even have a Western section, with Oscietra caviar and David Herve oysters headlining it.
Cocktails across the board are beautifully crafted and always moreish, but especially so at their nightclub Stella, all class and bejewelled white peacock. Drink in the mood as one of their scintillating live bands performs under a splendid chandelier, while you savour sips from the brilliant Bangkok-inspired bar menu designed by charismatic beverage manager Roberto Castro Rodriguez.
The indulgent Signature High Tea Experience with a dessert trolley of dainty Alice in Wonderland-themed delicacies at the Tea Lounge in the lobby, served on exquisite crockery, is highly recommended, even if you aren’t a hotel guest. If premium teas or herbal and floral infusions aren’t your thing, you can even try a pour of the Capella Bangkok Signature Diamant Champagne, bottled exclusively for the hotel by the Vranken Pommery house. It’s evident that luxury runs through every dining set up at the Capella Bangkok.
Even the poolside cabanas give you the option of barefoot luxury in the form of a set meal from Phra Nakhon that can be enjoyed while lying back on the cushions after a fabulous swim. And the Greenhouse, which grows a vast variety of organic herbs (used in their drinks and dishes) that you can request the chefs to walk you through, hosts curated experiences where you can pick herbs and use them in a recipe that you create.
The holistic whole
Everything is so wholesome about Capella Bangkok and that’s what sets it apart from being yet another chain hotel in a big capital city. For example, the Auriga Wellness spa on the premises is almost a separate destination in itself. When you embark on that holistic journey tailored towards wellness in one of their seven treatment suites (two of which are set up for couples’ therapies) in a secluded section of the hotel, you know it’s just the tranquil hideaway you needed.
The therapists are beyond excellent (going by mine, who had the best instincts as well as incredible training), ensuring any muscular kinks are ironed out most effectively with just the right amount of pressure applied. Expect international-style dressing areas, a sophisticated water therapy zone, plus elegant steam rooms, saunas, showers, and a relaxation lounge that not only offer you the pre- and post-massage herbal concoctions that others do but a thoughtful heated poultice for any sore muscles. A serene spa garden and a fitness centre that is operational 24/7 round off the wellness experience perfectly.
Neighbourhood watch
Capella Bangkok’s approach is a rather evolved one encouraging its guests to discover the city through offerings within the hotel (traditional Thai snacks in the room, activities centred around the local, and that stellar drinks menu at Stella) as well as by stepping outside its perimeter. The Capella Culturists are a team of highly skilled (and highly entertaining!) concierges who have been trained to bring the best of Bangkok’s history and culture to you or take you to a Bangkok that you didn’t even know existed. These resident culture seekers have scores of tricks up their sleeve — from guiding you to the latest treasures along Charoen Krung Road, arranging walking tours of Bangkok’s eclectic local café culture, signing you up for private meditation sessions with the head monk of a 250-year-old temple, or recommending the best dishes to order at the famous Michelin-starred food stall Jay Fai.
At check-in, you’re introduced to all the best experiences on offer as well as the schedule for their very convenient complimentary shuttle boat which stops at a pier right outside the hotel. Even the most high-end tourist will find this traditional water transport quite charming.
River of dreams
The Chao Phraya River may not technically be a part of Capella Bangkok. But it’s nothing short of brilliant how the hotel has harnessed its majestic presence, used its riverfront location as a way of encouraging its guests to get around Bangkok in the traditional style, and taken its dreaminess and stirred it into the heady mix of its offerings.
The hotel is efficient and energetic in every way and yet it wears a beautiful aura of age-old calm, which perhaps emanates from the ancient river. And that’s a qualification precious few of the world’s best hotels can claim.
The Riverfront Premier suite costs $1396 ++ per night and comes with luxury airport transfers. The Capella Bangkok is located at 300/2 Charoenkrung Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand, and is approximately an hour’s drive from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
