The Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel is a posh urban retreat located in central Bangkok. The hotel offers a slice of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle of the city center. The structure’s old world charm has been maintained through the years, and for good reason. The décor is a symphony of tradition and elegance, as the lobby sets the tone for what you should expect from the hotel. The architecture is traditionally Thai and spotted with a mix of contemporary and traditional teak furniture. Lush gardens and Koi-filled ponds surround the building and as you walk inside, the gorgeous hand-painted silk ceiling panels and wall murals almost immediately warrant your attention. You could even opt to dine or snack in The Lobby, and marvel at the attention to detail with respect to the meticulously curated interiors. Every corner here is thoughtfully curated and if you, like me, spend a lot of time looking for instagrammable corners- you’ve come to the right space.
The Anantara Siam Bangkok is situated walking distance from one of the city’s popular shopping and entertainment districts. Additionally, the sky train BTS Ratchadamri station is barely two minutes away, ensuring that other parts of the city are easily accessible. The hotel is close to attractions such as the Wat Arun Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, and Wat Phra Kaeo Temple, all of which can be reached within half an hour by taxi.
The 354 rooms and suites at Anantara Siam are tastefully decorated with Thai paintings and artifacts, teak furniture, and silk fabrics, thereby staying true to the hotel’s traditional roots. Choose from five room and five suite types, all of which offer views of either the pool, tropical gardens, city-life, or the neighboring golf course. As a delightful touch, each room at the Anantara Siam comes with a complimentary smartphone with unlimited calls and Internet access. Guests are more than welcome to use the phone when traveling around the city, making communication and transportation an absolute breeze so you no longer have to worry about buying a local sim when you arrive.
The cuisine offerings are one of Anantara Siam’s biggest selling points as the hotel premises boasts of ten restaurants and bars. Besides snacking in The Lobby or ordering room service, guests can also choose from a wide variety of settings and cuisines. The Terrace is a poolside, all-day dining spot known for its Mediterranean and Thai Cuisine, perfect for casual meetings. The hotel also has four cuisine-specific restaurants including an Italian kitchen-to-table concept called Biscotti, steakhouse designed by Tony Chi called Madison, traditional Japanese sushi bar and restaurant called Shintaro, and ‘Bangkok’s Most Delicious Thai Restaurant’ as voted by city residents, called Spice Market. We enjoyed an experiential meal at the Spice Market and the chefs were very attentive and entertaining us with facts and stories about the restaurants colourful past and some of the ingredients that go into the dishes. The dress-code in all these establishments is smart casual and Madison is the perfect date night spot for a celebration with bae.
Special occasions can be marked by visiting Dining by Design, Anantara’s signature private dining concept that is set amidst a layout of a hundred candles and swaying palms. This makes for a gorgeous spot for that romantic candle lit dinner or a proposal.
For those who rank thirst quenchers high up in their list of priorities, Aqua has you covered. The open air dining and cocktail lounge is located within a garden setting and boasts of a bar menu that lists fresh juices, handcrafted Thai cocktails, draught beers, and iced drinks, both soft and hard. The hotel also has a café and bakery called Mocha and Muffins, ideal for dissipating your caffeine and sugar cravings. I would have my daily latte at Mocha and Muffins as I left the hotel each morning. As a side note, don’t forget to give Anantara Siam’s famous Sunday Brunch a try. It is available at Aqua, Spice Garden, and at Madison.
Healthy living is another area that the hotel excels in. Anantara’s Balance wellness concept covers almost all your wellbeing needs and offers a choice of Balance Wellness Programs that can be tailored to your requirements. The Anantara Spa offers a variety of massages, and treatments including body wraps and scrubs, healing facials, grooming treatments, and even a mud bath, in addition to four signature pre-planned spa packages. Physical wellness can be taken care of by the 24-hour gym, swimming pool, squash courts, as well as the dedicated studio for yoga, aerobics, and spinning. You are spoilt rotten here at the Anantara Siam and there’s no reason why you should skip these activities.
Verdict- The Anantara has really well-appointed hotels but the Siam is really sought after for its location and the restaurants it has to offer. It’s easy to assume that escaping Bangkok’s chaos once in the heart of the city is impossible. However, the Anantara Siam Bangkok is likely to surprise you with unparalleled hospitality, kid friendly services including babysitting and a plethora of dining options. In a city of skyscrapers, the charming not-so-tall structure has an air of royalty about it. The interiors are designed to relax you, rest those nerves and envelope you in serene environs. The presidential suite does come at a price but its worth every baht because it is fitted with all the amenities one can dream of and can easily accommodate 18 people, making it the ideal place to host your dinner. A calming oasis in the middle of the city, the Anantara Siam Bangkok is an ideal location for those keen on covering all the elements that Bangkok has to offer, whilst providing a fabulous place to stay the night in. We cannot wait to be back so I can dive right into the juicy steak at Madison and put my dancing shoes on before I head out. Special thanks to Vibha for organizing such a wonderful stay and to all the staff members for making my trip truly memorable.
Quick Notes:
Address: 155 Ratchadamri Rd, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Phone: +66 2 126 8866
http://siam-bangkok.anantara.com/
Photo Credits- Dhruv Sethi- https://www.instagram.com/dhruvsethi7/
