Nestled amongst Bangkok’s historic palaces, temples and museums, and alongside the River of Kings lies this expansive 39-room luxurious retreat. Dubbed “The Siam”, this boutique gem is about on three acres of premium river frontage, transporting friends to a bygone serenity suffused with priceless antiquities, quintessential Thai attract and modern comforts. The Siam consists of non-public pool villas and distinctive entry to Bangkok’s historic palace district. At The Siam, friends have the distinctive expertise of exploring Bangkok by boat from the resort’s non-public pier. In terms of rest, take pleasure in a pampering session at The Siam’s seductive spa or just unwind with a sundown cocktail on the resort’s riverfront bar.
With a hanging million-dollar reinvention, The Siam has pulled out all of the stops in the case of enhancing the aesthetics of its inside house together with a daring new black and lightweight gray checkered courtyard with a hovering glass pyramid roof. Fashionable and practical, friends are welcomed right into a temperature-controlled atmosphere earlier than indulging in a very culinary expertise curtesy of The Siam’s signature Chon Thai Restaurant.
The Siam stands out for its means to satisfy the rising calls for of at this time’s fashionable traveller whereas concurrently staying true to honouring Thailand’s heritage. Real kindness, authenticity and a caring angle are all Siamese attribute that this resort strives to keep up. Be it for an in a single day escape or final non-public riverside journey, its no secret why The Siam was topped as one of many “most iconic inns of the final century” by Architectural Digest Journal. LUXUO speaks to Nick Downing, the final supervisor at The Siam resort to seek out out in regards to the resort’s distinctive choices, curated artworks and future plans for enlargement.
Inform us about your expertise in hospitality and the way it began?
Being an solely baby of oldsters who travelled avidly, I suppose I used to be all the time destined to fall in love with inns and totally different cultures. Whereas I used to be at college learning Enterprise and Data Techniques, I really wrote to all of the five-star inns in search of an entry stage job. Fortunately Hyatt Regency Perth provided me the night time porter place and the remaining is historical past. I used to be learning throughout the day and dealing the nightshift. Hyatt was my hospitality basis; together with me in all their coaching applications and selling me by way of the ranks and finally ended up transferring me to Park Hyatt Canberra because the Entrance Workplace Supervisor. From a stable ten-year interval with Hyatt, alternatives opened forward of me to take wonderful positions starting from opening Palazzo Versace to wonderful experiences in Maldives, the Seychelles, Cambodia, Thailand and different nations across the Indian Ocean.
When did you be a part of The Siam resort?
I really joined The Siam household in late 2016.
What’s the DNA of The Siam resort and the way does the resort differentiate itself from different high-end boutique inns in Bangkok?
I all the time assume phrases equivalent to “luxurious” and “boutique” are fairly generic phrases nowadays with out actual which means. I usually really feel “boutique” inns are all about fashion however someway lacking soul or coronary heart. Finally it needs to be greater than a easy design. That being mentioned, we clearly have a surprising Invoice Bensley designed property within the royal district of Bangkok. Nonetheless I consider the key is that we’re household owned and independently managed. The Sukosol household lead by Khun Kamala has all the time given us the liberty to do no matter it takes to succeed. Our major purpose is to make sure we’ve blissful friends and a contented group. This may in the end result in success as a property, creating an distinctive fame for crafting memorable experiences past merely checking out and in.
The Siam is thought for providing distinctive non-public pool villas however what do your visitor love most at The Siam?
We’ve got so many options on the resort which differentiate us. Friends love the truth that we’ve so many hidden corners to discover. Whether or not or not it’s the Vinyl Room with an incredible assortment of vinyl data to take pleasure in, or the non-public screening room to take pleasure in watching that favorite film with your loved ones. Our Opium Spa which not solely incorporates a haven of unique house but additionally the chance to obtain a conventional Sak Yant tattoo from a Grasp. Or maybe it’s the chance to take pleasure in a category with our chef by the river studying some key Thai recipes. Friends continually point out the sense of house all through the property. Most resort designers or homeowners would have put over 100 rooms on a website of this measurement, whereas The Siam was created to make sure a way of exclusivity and serenity, a real sanctuary to retreat to after a day exploring the frenetic power of Bangkok.
How simple is it to entry Bangkok’s vibrant metropolis centre utilizing the Chao Prayah river?
That is the important thing to the visitor expertise of The Siam. Friends reap the benefits of our non-public water limousine than runs on a schedule all through the day for our friends to discover key historic websites and head out for wonderful meals or purchasing experiences. Journeys are organized by way of their butler and coordinated relying on their needs. Not solely does this escape Bangkok’s notorious visitors snarls, it additionally ensures that friends can precisely plan their day understanding they may get someplace or return to the resort at a particular time, in the end maximising their time with us.
Each element at The Siam resort tells a narrative with an emphasis on reinvigorating native craft, arts, tradition and group. Inform us extra about its exterior in addition to inside design and ornament.
The Siam was designed by Invoice Bensley who all the time has a way of drama to his properties. The Siam is now totally different and is sort of hanging. A mix of Deco and Asian influences. Dramatic black and white scenes all through the resort. Nonetheless as a result of each Bensley and the proprietor’s love for the reused and repurposed, the vintage and curious, the entire resort provides the ambiance of and Resort and Museum with its corridors and rooms stuffed with art work and antiques from round Asia and past. Proudly owning member of the family, Krissada Sukosol-Clapp is thought for continually adorning and styling areas across the property as he finds new items or inspiration. The most recent is the Bar at The Story Home which had taken a dramatic flip with pink accented items and a gothic fashion chandelier. Each latest additions for the shock of our common friends.
Inform us extra in regards to the particular relationship between The Siam and Thai luxurious model Jim Thompson?
In 2022, it was determined to transform our well-known Connie’s Cottage from a visitor villa into public house. We had numerous concepts what to do with the areas. Nonetheless it was proprietor Khun Kamala who instructed we open discussions with Jim Thompson (as an internationally recognised iconic thai model) to see if they might be occupied with a proper collaboration to take over all or a part of the villa. This was particularly related as Jim Thompson options within the historical past of the 4 vintage Thai homes which can be on the property. We then had a dialogue with the incoming CEO Frank Cancelloni who was additionally trying to associate with different iconic Thai manufacturers. We finally got here to settlement for them to take the bottom flooring as a small retail house which might introduce our friends on to the model with the thought to entice them to go to their revitalised and relaunched Heritage Quarter downtown. I’m happy to say the partnership and collaboration has been a fantastic success for each events.
Learn Extra: Right here’s What Occurred on the Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter Grand Opening Social gathering
What The Siam has on supply on tremendous eating?
Our signature restaurant is the riverside Chon Thai Restaurant. Nonetheless slightly than happening the “tremendous eating” route, we’ve most popular to concentrate on distinctive home-style delicacies for our friends to take pleasure in one of the best flavours from Thailand whereas sitting within the historic environment of century-old wood Thai homes.
To counter this conventional Thai expertise; throughout the covid interval we selected to create a brand new eating expertise on the different finish of the resort known as The Story Home. A hanging Bensley designed renovation was accomplished and a dramatic collection of rooms stuffed with Krissada’s antiques, artworks and furnishings created an area for friends to expertise a menu of latest culinary choices with flavours from all over the world. Opening Govt Chef, Blair Mathieson was purchased again to launch this restaurant and I’m delighted to see friends take pleasure in a variety of choices with many plant based mostly specialities additionally.
Will The Siam expertise in Bangkok be reproduced in different elements of Thailand? What are the plans for model enlargement?
In November 2019, we really introduced plans for The Siam Chiang Mai. The Sukosol household have bought an unbelievable website which lends itself to create an expertise distinctive for Chiang Mai. For us, it’s essential that any new visitor expertise we create in Chiang Mai (or elsewhere) can also be a logical and is a welcomed extension to the one we’ve created in Bangkok. Finally Covid paused this undertaking and we hope to revisit this within the close to future and convey the undertaking to life.
Bangkok is quickly altering. What are among the challenges the town is dealing with post-Covid in attracting extra vacationers from the Southeast Asian area and past?
The Bangkok skyline is altering day by day and is unrecognisable from ten years in the past. This features a multitude of latest resort developments stretching from downtown to the riverside with extra to come back within the subsequent few years. The problem comes not solely from elevated native competitors but additionally from different nations and areas. Ease and price of journey to and from any nation is important in addition to the security and safety of travellers whereas visiting. Though travellers have quick reminiscences and have a tendency to revert to previous journey habits in a brief time period, it is usually important for any nation to be politically steady. Thailand continues to show its resilience and continues to look ahead with hope.
To finish this interview, inform us one secret that you’ve got by no means shared about The Siam resort? Maybe a hidden location or a secret expertise?
There may be not a time period that we aren’t fascinated by the subsequent visitor expertise we create or find out how to elevate The Siam to new ranges. Whether or not or not it’s bettering an area or searching for new methods to impress friends. For instance we’re beginning a collaboration with an area photographer who has taken metallic plate classic portraits and we’re introducing this distinctive expertise for our friends. I can not share the precise particulars however we’re at the moment trying on the feasibility of one other visitor expertise that will positively be a primary for any Bangkok or certainly any Thailand resort. However sorry, you’ll have to look ahead to these particulars!
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