Freelance writer Jonathan Siskin attended the grand opening of
the Conrad Bangkok hotel in March. His report follows:
f I had expected to see Anna
and the King of Siam twirling around a dance floor, I would have
been only mildly disappointed.
As it was, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, of what now, of course, is
Thailand, sent his eldest daughter, Princess Ubolratana, to the
ceremony marking the official opening of the newest luxury hotel to
come on line in the kingdom, the 394-room Conrad Bangkok hotel.
And a performance by members of the Cirque du Soleil acrobatic
dance troupe added to the festivities as the hotel group opened its
third Conrad property in Southeast Asia and its 15th around the
globe.
Hotel for all seasons
The Conrad Bangkok is one of several buildings that make up a
gleaming new office/condominium/shopping complex known as All
Seasons Place.
The hotel is connected to a shopping mall that contains an array
of up-market, brand-name stores, boutiques and restaurants,
including a few well-known U.S. chains such as Starbucks and Burger
King.
The complex is located in the heart of Bangkok's business and
embassy district. It is a five-minute ride by shuttle bus to the
Skytrain, Bangkok's elevated light rail system, which is the most
hassle-free way to get around the city.
The hotel has three room categories: Classic, Deluxe Corner and
Executive. More than half (220) are in the Classic category and, at
436 square feet, each provides more room than the standard hotel
room.
The most innovative aspect of the interior design is the
bathroom's free-standing bathtub and "deluge" shower stall.
Each Classic room is wired with high-tech equipment, including
Internet access, a data port and dual-line phones. A
laptop/fax/printer set-up is provided on request.
The 86 Corner Deluxe rooms are larger (570 square feet) and are
furnished in contemporary Thai style with silks and polished
woods.
There are five floors of Executive Rooms that offer exclusive
access to the Executive Lounge, where complimentary buffet
breakfast is served daily and hors d'oevres and drinks are
available every evening.
Another selling point is the first-rate spa and fitness center.
The Conrad's Seasons Spa consists of 12 treatment rooms offering a
varied menu of massages and full-body treatments plus a
hairdressing salon.
Across from the spa is the BodyWorx fitness center sporting
techno-gym exercise machines plus a sauna and whirlpool. There also
is a lagoon-like outdoor swimming pool, two tennis courts and a
rooftop jogging track.
The hotel caters to the meetings market and contains one of
Bangkok's most versatile meetings and conference facilities for
small and midsize groups, with a ballroom that can host up to 1,500
guests for receptions and 800 for banquets.
Its function rooms are outfitted with audiovisual and lighting
equipment and can accommodate 1,200 guests (theater-style), 700
(classroom) and 320 (boardroom).
The hotel has a business center, 24-hour concierge and room
service as well as express check-in and checkout.
Drinking tea, eating rice
Wining and dining stand out, beginning with Drinking Tea, Eating
Rice, an elegant 100-seat Japanese restaurant.
At the 90-seat Liu, guests dine on Cantonese, Shanghainese and
Szechuan food, while the Cafe@2 offers an international buffet for
breakfast, lunch and dinner, with cuisine ranging from down-home
American to exotic Indian.
The hotel's main entertainment venue is the 87, which has
emerged as the place "to see and be seen" for Bangkok's beautiful
people. Another nightly gathering place is the Diplomat Bar, which
attracts a mix of local trendoids and hotel guests.
Rates
The Conrad Bangkok extended its introductory rate of $87 per
night for a Classic room, originally available through May 30, to
July 26, and $117 per night for an Executive Room, also valid
through July 26.
This is a substantial discount, as the rack rate is $240 for a
Classic Room and $285 for an Executive Room.
The rack rate for a Deluxe Corner is $260. Executive Suites
start at $400, an Executive Suite with Terrace is $500 and a Deluxe
Suite is $700; all rates are commissionable at 10%.
Southeast Asia is by far the Bangkok hotel's No. 1 market, with
most guests coming from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore
and Taiwan, and the rest of the guests divided among Europe and the
U.S.
At the time of the property's opening in March, Conrad Hotel's
president, Clem Barter, said business was strong, with an occupancy
rate fluctuating between 70% and 80%.
Since the advent of SARS, the business impact has been mixed,
according to a statement released April 29 by Conrad Hotels.
The statement went on to say there had been no reported cases of
SARS within any Conrad properties but that the company has
implemented a contingency plan in its hotels in Hong Kong and
Singapore.
At press time, Hong Kong and Singapore remained on the World
Health Organization's short list of affected areas. Vietnam, the
only Southeast Asia country on the list, was removed on April
28.
A tent card in the Conrad Bangkok reassures guests that air
conditioning in all public areas, including restaurants, are
ozone-treated to protect against airborne viruses and bacteria.
Get More!
For more details on this article, see Call Thailand free of SARS.