Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok

Commitment to quality

Sirin P Wongpanit

The Nation

The Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok offers nothing less than a top-of-the-line five-star experience. Rooms have recently been renovated and now boast Thai accents.

Ask anyone if they want to spend a weekend at the Four Seasons and the answer will be nothing but gleeful acceptance. The hotel, after all, is considered an institution when it comes to local five-star hotels. And the fact that the whole place has just been renovated can only be more good news.

Established in 1983, the Four Seasons Bangkok features 353 guest rooms (including 34 suites), seven excellent restaurants, a spa and all the first-class facilities one would expect from a top-notch establishment. The renovation which began a couple of years back has now been fully completed and guests can expect to see shiny new things and technological amenities when they check in.

We checked into one of their Premier Rooms (formerly known as Junior Suites), which is a sprawling 72 square metres. Among the amenities are a big teakwood desk, big comfortable sofa and chairs and a 42-inch plasma TV that can be turned in any direction. Our room had a great view of the pool terrace and the hotel's tropical garden.

There's a bedroom area, living-room area, function area, big bathroom, walk-in closet area with safety box, dressing table and a lot of space where one can get dressed. The bathroom has a very tempting big bathtub where one can spend a good time relaxing in the cosiness of a warm bath - something that can give one a good glow for a special dinner.

The decoration of the room features a clever mixture of hi-tech components and traditional Thai beauty such as Thai woodworks and paintings You can hook up the TV to your iPod. Near the bed is a Bose alarm clock, MP3 player and CD player and radio.

In terms of service, the Four Seasons is a tough act to follow. They have excellent services in all areas that I tried out. The employees manning the concierge desk answered all of my questions thoroughly and had genuine smiles and warmth.

For those who enjoy special attentiveness, consider the Executive Club services for US$45 (Bt1,560) per room on top of the room rate. For that fee, you will get a freshly cooked breakfast (with daily fresh fruit juices, custom-cooked eggs and excellent freshly baked bread with unlimited peanut butter too!), evening cocktails, 24-hour concierge services, snacks and beverages, an extensive library of latest reading materials as well as 24-hour business centre facilities with staff to assist, and much more. This Executive Club is an excellent choice for business travellers.

The hotel's health club is open 24 hours, and is just the place for those who need to unwind after a long flight. You can also opt for one their massage therapies (each lasting about 60 minutes) to ease out the stress. I recommend their wonderful oriental massage, which is a mixture of aroma-therapeutic massage and Thai-style ache-reducing treatments, and is just wonderful for a tense body. The hotel also has a large swimming pool with poolside bar.

The Four Seasons Bangkok is second to none when it comes to fine dining. Among their seven outlets, Biscotti serves delicious Italian dishes, Spice Market has Thai food and Madison specialises in premium steaks. Also, the hotel's legendary Sunday brunch, which combines food from all of their outlets and unlimited drinks, is one of the best gourmet treatments you will ever get for yourself if you have the time and money.

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Four Seasons at a glance

High point: The overall atmosphere and amenities are hard to beat. The Four Seasons Bangkok, although a member of a global chain, does have some Thai designs in their rooms. The Thai-style hospitality and services also make staying here a real pleasure. Also, their location in the middle of the city centre is fabulous for business travellers and for those accompanying them because it is close to major shopping centres in Bangkok.

Low point: The price! You have to be willing to pay for it. However, they have a wide range of rooms, including Superior, Deluxe, Premier and Suites. After all it is a five-star hotel and you will not be disappointed by the pampering and services you get when staying here.

Find it: 155 Rajdamri Road, Bangkok 10330

Pay for it: Rates start at about $300 per night until August 31.

Phone it: (02) 250 1000

Browse it: www.fourseasons.com/bangkok