Bangkok has played elegant host to choosy travelers ever since it first opened for business in 1782. The city’s most illustrious executive hotels (e.g. the Four Seasons, The Peninsula, and the century-old Oriental) exemplify heartfelt hospitality, true comfort, soothing design, and modern luxury. Such long-standing Thai traditions are further accentuated by the kind of careful quality that stems from fierce competition. There is little room for mediocrity or humdrum in this, one of Asia’s most visited cities. On the contrary, a review of Bangkok’s newest business hotels showcases a healthy dose of individuality.
    The city’s most recent surprise is the brand new Le Méridien Bangkok. The 24-story, all-glass low-rise sits unexpectedly on a colorful street in the nonstop neighborhood of Bangrak. The distinctive 282-room hotel opened its doors in December 2008. Guests arrive through a glass façade, inscribed with transitional black-and-white photography, before stepping up to the sunlit marble floors of an airy, silver-hued lobby.
    Each of the 388-square-foot suites manages a soothing blend of minimalism and personality—the austere look of black satin lamps, square white bathtubs and rainshowers is softened with romantic touches, like Illy chocolates and ancient Thai calligraphy painted on the walls. Remote-controlled night shades and day blinds allow for privacy or city views, and bedside touch-screen phones let guests access everything from flight schedules to local city guides.
    The well-stocked gym is restricted to hotel guests, and the white-pebbled walls of the intimate spa bring an organic cool to the spaceship purity of the rooftop pool area. Dining is equally artistic, from the Asian grace of the Bamboo Chic restaurant to the experimental flavors and casual ambiance of Latest Recipe. Bangkok’s newest address is bound to become a favorite of the aesthetic-savvy business traveler.
    In a different manner, the more traditional Amari Watergate hits all the right notes of a sound and luxurious business hotel, from the all-encompassing Wi-Fi hot zone to the sizable working desks and insulated double-glass windows that quiet street noise outside the hotel’s 569 rooms. Fourteen years of tradition have already granted the distinguished, central high-rise a reputation as one of Bangkok’s preferred executive homes, but new improvements are the result of a recent comprehensive, floor-by-floor renovation.
    The three Executive Floors, offering private reception and 24-hour butler service, are accessed by private elevators and connect to the two-story Executive Lounge on the 32nd floor. The pragmatic yet huge (775 square feet) Executive Suites invoke the sublime (Jim Thompson Thai Silk upholstery) while keeping it fun (yellow rubber ducks in private Jacuzzi tubs) and charming (golden sinks filled with rose petals). Other features include 20 conference and meeting rooms, one of the largest and best-equipped hotel gyms in the city (with two squash courts), an eighth-floor grassy-green rooftop garden, complete with walking paths and tropical trees, and a posh European bakery that dips its own chocolates.
    For something a little more loose-collared, venture a few blocks away to central Bangkok’s trendy Siam Square. Siam@Siam is not an e-mail address, but rather the visually-striking vermilion hotel tower, which opened here in December 2006. A team of talented Thai designers from the local fine arts university have managed to create something glamorous, using polished bare concrete, naked rebar and bundled railroad ties.
    The trendy, industrial chic achieves a part prehistoric, part post-apocalyptic look without sacrificing the natural and earthy comforts of its 203 rooms. Nearly half are executive suites featuring solid beds, reliable Wi-Fi, and a daring color scheme of burnt orange and brown. A deep, black infinity pool seems to flow right into the city below, and the outdoor café seating of the executive lounge is one of the most perfect breakfast perches in Bangkok. High-tech conference rooms are available for small meetings, but most business takes place among the cushions and chessboards of the very swank, yet laid-back Bar Eleven (on the 11th floor).   
    Indeed, luxury comes in many flavors in the Thai capital, though its preferred expression is a bit over-the-top—imagine a lotus-shaped skyscraper whose gargantuan lobby entrance opens up on the 23rd story with a grand display of square marble pillars, backlit smoked-glass floors and dazzling diamond chains hanging from the stratospheric ceiling. At the newly opened Centara Grand at CentralWorld, the ear-popping elevators carry guests to a world high above the Bangkok skyline. A jog on the treadmill leaves you with the sensation of leaping over the tall buildings beyond, and a multi-course meal at the exquisite French restaurant Fifty Five (on the 55th floor) is a transcendental experience.
    Nine executive stories lead up to the panoramic World Executive Club on the 51st floor. All 505 rooms are fairly large, but the white-stone, dark-wood, and sleek-mirrored executive suites are immense, with generous sitting rooms, gracious king-sized beds and tricked-out media outlets. All this represents the upright arm of the adjoining Bangkok Convention Center—the largest in Southeast Asia, holding up to 6,000 patrons.
    An equally impressive skyscraper hotel is lebua —after just two years, the gold-domed State Tower is a landmark at the southern end of the city. A member of the Preferred Hotel Group, each of lebua’s 357 rooms measures at least 710 square feet and provides guests a staggering view from individual alabaster balconies. Kitchenettes are standard, and Bulgari products accent the high-luxury bathrooms. Larger multi-room suites feature Persian carpets, crystal chandeliers, and walk-in wardrobes.
    For the ultimate case of vertigo, travel to the 63rd floor for the iconic Skybar, where the nighttime view is surreal and Manhattan-esque, or head to the distinctive swimming pool, which hangs suspended from one end of the building. Dining options are numerous, though the starry-skied outdoor restaurant Breeze (on the 51st and 52nd floors) is noteworthy—for both its sophisticated Pan-Asian cuisine and its creative chef.  
    On the opposite side of the city, in Phaya Thai (by the Victory Monument), the contemporary Pullman hotel caters to a corporate clientele. The 386 rooms are divided between two glass-sided buildings separated by a blissful courtyard of manicured trees and geometric koi ponds. Executive treatment (in the executive suites) is all in the details—like in-room yoga mats, suit pressing, and free Internet (broadband and Wi-Fi). The calming swimming pool, with its spacious sun deck and open-air bar, is one of the many splendors at this pristine hotel.
    Two more Bangkok addresses deserve consideration—the Marriot Resort & Spa is a classic, which sits on the overgrown jungle of the city’s opposite bank. A free, five-minute boat transfer allows you to escape the worst of Bangkok traffic and enjoy the calming attributes of tropical Asia, while still getting the job done. Also of note, the Sofitel Sukhumvit is set to open later this spring on the city’s busy west side. Expect reliable French traditions, subtle, soothing décor, and signature L’Occitane bath products. There is no shortage of options in Bangkok, and this is surely a city where expense accounts reach that extra bit further. But when it comes down to it, it all depends on your mood and how high you want to go.

DETAILS

Amari Watergate
847 Petchburi Road; tel. 66-2653-9000; www.amari.com/watergate
Bangkok Marriot Resort & Spa
257 Charoennakorn Road, Samrae Thonburi; tel. 66-2476-0022; www.marriot.com
Centara Grand at CentralWorld
999/99 Rama 1 Road, Patumwan; tel. 66-2100-1234; www.centarahotelsresorts.com/cgcw
Lebua at State Tower
1055 Silom Road, Bangrak; tel. 66-2624-9999; www.lebua.com
Le Méridien Bangkok
40/5 Surawong Road, Bangrak; tel. 66-2232-8888; www.lemeridienhotelbangkok.com
Pullman Bangkok King Power
8/2 Rangnam Road, Thanon-Phayathai, Ratchathewi; tel. 66-2680-9999; www.pullmanbangkokkingpower.com
Siam@Siam
865 Rama 1 Road, Wang Mai, Patumwan; tel. 66-2217-3000; www.siamatsiam.com
Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit
189 Sukhumvit Road Sol 13-15, Klongtoey Wattana; tel. 66-2630-2103; www.sofitel.com