Hotel Heaven

After over a week without a real meal, I decided, why not go all out and treat myself to something special? So, on a lovely Sunday morning, I headed to The Sukhothai's Sunday Jazz Brunch with my friend Meg. The Sukhothai is one of the top, 5-star hotels in Bangkok, famous for its brunch and Thai restaurant, Celadon.

The pond outside the brunch room at the Sukhothai

When we got to brunch, we had no idea what we were in for, let alone that it was a three-hour affair. We got there, ordered bellinis and water, and headed to check out the brunch spread. There was a sushi bar, a pasta station, a meat-carving station, crudite with an array of interesting dips, stuffed vegetables, steamed vegetables, a cheese board with over 20 cheeses paired with honey and dried fruit, dim sum, tempura, a salad station, prepared Indian dishes, breads galore, lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters, I could go on and on. There was also a separate dessert room, which included a chocolate fondue station, with a selection of different chocolates for dipping and fruits and dried fruits to dip. I had a five-course meal, it was incredible.

After our marathon of a brunch, we walked around the Sukhothai compound. Unlike other luxury hotels, this one has a distinct Thai mark and feels like it's an urban getaway. We checked out the spa, which we had received a 500B gift voucher for from brunch--they had quite the array of treatments. We also checked out the silk gift shop, Almeta. The silks are some of the finest I've seen--I'd love to buy some of the bedding (the duvets are filled with pieces of silk!) and place settings. The man who works in the store was so nice, and as I talked about Gigi (there was an adorable dog bed I wish I could have gotten for her), he told me about his 15 dogs.

Having fully explored the Sukhothai, we moved on to our next destination, The Oriental. The New York Times and everybody else says that of all the top-notch hotels in Bangkok, this is the place to stay, and let me tell you, all of these people are right. Granted, I didn't see any of the rooms, but even before you enter the hotel itself, you can smell the gardenias, an immediate sign that you've arrived at an oasis, escaping the city, with its strong , unavoidable and often jarring smells.

The feeling of an oasis away from the city at The Oriental

Meg and I walked around the grounds--the pool is lovely and the seating area, right on the river is a prime spot to watch the sunset. We had tried to have tea in the famous Oriental Tea Room, right off a beautiful garden, but it was closed for a private party, so we opted for the seating by the river. Sitting there on the veranda, snacking lightly and watching the sunset go by, we were both so relaxed and at peace, completely forgetting that we were in Bangkok.

The pool at the Oriental

The veranda at the Oriental with a view of the Chao Praya River

After the sunset, we headed on the Oriental's shuttle boat across the river to check out the spa and the hotel's Thai restaurant, Sala Rim Naam. The restaurant, which is lovely and has Thai dancing, has a very authentic feel and also has gorgeous views of the river; the ambiance is only enhanced with candles and lotus flowers. The spa was also one-of-a-kind, even though we didn't have any of the treatments, we browsed the menu. The offerings sounded spectacular. The spa even has a survey and will interview you to determine the optimal treatments for you, the best oils to use, and other specifications that should be made, just for you. They also offered us a tea that was very tasty.

Still in awe of the Oriental, we decided to head next door to the Peninsula, which is on the other side of the river in Nonthaburi--although the Oriental's spa and restaurant is on the other side, the hotel portion is on the main side of the river. The entrance to the Peninsula is far grander, but the rest of the hotel doesn't feel as Thai as the Oriental or as grand, but still a lovely hotel. We walked around it for a bit, but were limited to only a small portion since there was a wedding going in. Seeing a hi-so (high-society) Thai wedding was certainly interesting, even from afar. The wedding portrait of the couple was done in the style of the portraits of the Royal family, and the photos were all taken in front of this huge orchid wall.

The tall Peninsula Tower at night

So, after seeing this whole other side of Bangkok, that I don't ever see, I returned on the Skytrain to my apartment, very content with my day of luxury.