
Looking for where to stay in Bangkok? We just found our new favourite hotel with authentic Thai cuisine, live music, luxury spas and slick service
Bangkok: the Thai city of Angels, city of incredible street food, city of amazing shopping, city of colourful neighbourhoods. To say we love this city is a complete understatement. Sure, we have our regular places that we love to stay, but when The Luxury Collection invited us on a culinary journey to spend three days with their Executive Sous Chef to learn about his cooking philosophy ahead of the upcoming Epicurean Journeys Pop up Dining event, and hooked us up with ritzy accommodation at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit no less, how could we resist?
Location, location, location
I always thought coming to Bangkok meant you had to commit some serious time just sitting in traffic. I was wrong. With the handy location of The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, you can avoid the craziness of Bangkok’s bumper-to-bumper madness. The hotel is walking distance to the famous Terminal 21 (shopping, tick), it has direct access to the Asok BTS station – so you can whizz around the city (exploring, tick) – and it also has a lovely five-star spa (tried and tested), frangipani-lined pool and multiple restaurants making it seriously difficult to leave the hotel (in-house indulgences, tick). Bangkok traffic, phiff!
The Restaurants
When you have had a full day in the shops (or even by the pool, for that matter), sometimes you want to have a great epicurean experience without leaving the hotel, right? We loved the variety of restaurants at the hotel – from high end Thai, to Italian, to Bangkok’s only Dine in the Dark restaurant.
We started with the Thai restaurant – Basil, which has four dedicated menus from North, Northeast, South and Central Thailand. It was the B.O.M.B; totally loved every mouthful. Must-try dishes include Kanon Buang Pla Salmon (crispy pancake, steamed salmon, bean sprout, coconut flake and coriander), Larb Had (grilled chicken mince wrapped with mint, parsley in a lettice leaf), the classic Tom Yum Goong (can’t get enough of this spicy prawn and mushroom soup), and the Gaeng Khau Nua Yang (a grilled beef red curry). We also couldn’t get enough of the Grande Dessert Trolley – a selection of divine coconut, lime and mango desserts. Delish.
We also did a tasting at the Dine in the Dark restaurant, located in BarSu – which was a completely out-of-this-world experience – which everyone needs to try at least once. It really does give you an appreciation of the senses.
The Spa
In a hectic city like Bangkok, having a spa sesh without leaving the hotel is a Godsend; perfect for that total ommm-calming sensation (and to avoid that traffic). We booked in for a two-hour Thai massage on arrival at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit spa, and it was incredibly firm (for a medium pressure request) but incredibly good. I felt like I had done a workout without the work – I was completely stretched and massaged into a post-workout feeling (which suits my athletic style to a tee).
The Jazz, Literally
One of Bangkok’s liveliest jazz bars is The Living Room, located within the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. Sophisticated and comfortable, this is a classy bar with smooth, velvety jazz sounds – with talented musicians taking the stage every night. Set in a circular room with heavy black drapes, this is an A-1 music venue, which attracts musicians with an international following – and you bet it’s another reason we’ll be returning to the Sheration Sukhumvit.
The Service
Finally, I can’t ignore the amazing service at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. Maybe I am not used to travelling to five-star hotels, in world-class travel destinations like Bangkok – but everything was so easy here, and all the staff couldn’ve have outdone themselves; you did feel like an absolute princess (or rock starn depending on your alter ego). I definitely came home thinking I could easily check in for a week of R&R, and just kick back in Bangkok and happily not leave the hotel (is that bad?). Seriously, I will be booking a return trip as soon as I can sneak it onto the credit card. As Arnie says, “I’ll be back”.
Thank you to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel at 250 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand, for hosting our stay. We loved it!