Development in Bangkok has more than recovered since political unrest and anti-government protests made travelers and hoteliers wary back in 2014. As of December 2017, there are 17 hotels with 4,972 rooms in the pipeline, according to data and analytics specialist STR, and those numbers are only expected to grow with numerous design-driven properties set to open in the city.
Housed on the upper 24 floors of the curvilinear Central Embassy tower residing among the gardens of the former British Embassy, the Park Hyatt Bangkok opened last May with interiors by New York and Toronto-based Yabu Pushelberg. Natural stone and a minimalist décor combine for a sophisticated aesthetic, while the 190 guestrooms and 32 suites feature Thai accents scattered about natural materials, including white oak timber doors and sycamore veneer wood panels. The English history of the building can be seen in AvroKO’s three-floor Penthouse Bar + Grill, crafted to “celebrate and honor both cultures while creating a rich and eclectic tapestry of experience,” says firm principal William Harris, one of four partners at the New York firm, including Greg Bradshaw, Adam Farmerie, and Kristina O’Neal. Hyatt also unveiled the Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit in the city’s Phrom Phong district late last year, with a design from local firm ASC Interior that pays tribute to the surrounding culture. Details such as local artifacts in the lobby and white Thai art stucco plaques that mimic the country’s temples in the Gallery Kitchen offer “a sense of Thai elegance,” says the firm’s executive director Anita Srisakulchawla.
Akaryn Hotel Group will launch the upscale, boutique Akyra Sukhumvit Bangkok nearby in February. The 50-room property is the second hotel in the city after the recently opened Akyra Thonglor Bangkok. Local firm Paradigm Shift will integrate classic Western styles with traditional Thai design and culture “to create an experience and sense of value while portraying a cultural transition from past to present,” explains managing partner Jirada Jennunthakajorn. Guestrooms will feature floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, while the rooftop deck offers views of the city from the pool bar, sun loungers, or cabanas.
Later in the year, New York firms Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture and Ian Schrager Company will team up for Schrager’s latest EDITION property, which will open on five floors of the OMA-designed MahaNakhon building—the tallest skyscraper in Bangkok—with 154 guestrooms, a boardroom, lobby bar, pool, outdoor banquet terrace, spa, and two restaurants. Opening this month, another soaring building will house the 171-key Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, a collaboration between architecture firms Gensler and D.I. Design with interiors by André Fu (founder of Hong Kong’s AFSO) and AvroKO, which conceived three of the six F&B outposts topping the building: Bull & Bear on floor 55; the New York-inspired Loft one floor above; and the glittering Champagne Bar on the 57th floor, all connected by a sweeping black metal and brass staircase. Throughout, expect heady views and an Art Deco aesthetic mixed with elements from the Thai Lanna culture—Art Nouveau metal screens done in rose gold in the Loft, intricate ceiling coverings including a woven red Lanna fabric, and handblown glass light fixtures. The residentially informed guestrooms boast floor-to-ceiling windows, handtufted rugs covering hardwood floors, and Thai-inspired details. The spa, meanwhile, is informed by the magnolia flower, marrying cosmopolitan features with local influences.
The Capella Bangkok—located on the Chao Phraya River—will launch at the end of the year, a collaboration between San Francisco’s BAMO and HBA; in addition, Bangkok-based Pia Interior will design the hotel’s Auriga Spa. The 101-room all-suite resort celebrates the city’s local flavor, including “the eclecticism of its culture and vibrancy of its people,” says Country Group Development CEO Ben Taechaubol, the owner and developer of the property. “We not only sought to reflect this in the design, but created this hotel in equal part for the local community.” A restaurant conceptualized in collaboration with Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco will deliver his personal interpretation of Thai culture.
Yet one of the biggest forthcoming developments is One Bangkok, a $3.5 billion, 41-acre plot of land in the city’s central business district recently purchased by food conglomerate Fraser and Neave. Five hotels, as well as offices, residences, and retail, are expected to be completed by 2025.
