Review: Four Seasons Bangkok

Located in central Bangkok, the Four Seasons is one of a handful of five-star hotels, which along with the Grand Hyatt, the St. Regis and the InterContinental, forms a phalanx around the Erawan Shrine. It is truly a location that offers the best of all possible worlds, with not only the shrine next door which attracts more visitors than any other temple in the Thai capital, but it is also within walking distance to some of the best shopping malls in Asia, including CentralWorld and designer boutique heaven, Siam Paragon.

Those who first enter the Four Seasons Bangkok may feel a slight sense of déjà vu, as there is something unquestionably Peninsula about the grand marble staircase that descends onto the lobby. This is not unfounded, as the property, which opened in 1983, was in fact, originally the Bangkok Peninsula. This then became The Regent, before it was officially rebranded as the Four Season Bangkok in 2003. This is why although much of the interior design is extremely modern, with a lobby that is designed by Wilson & Associates (the same interior design firm behind the Four Seasons Hong Kong), there are a few areas that can seem a bit dated.

Nowhere is this more evident than at the swimming pool. Perhaps due to the ultra-modern lobby and the sumptuously appointed Junior Suite (above) we were staying in, we were somewhat surprised by the pool, which is large, square and has a distinct 1990s feel about it. Located right by the pool, however, is a spa by Mspa, with beautiful suites that combine elements of Thai architecture with decadent touches such as Roman tubs (below). We were recommended to try the Four Seasons balancing massage, which uses your choice of specially blended oils, categorised by seasons. We picked the citrusy summer oil, and our masseuse gave us one of the best massages we have ever had, using an impressive array of acupressure and deep strokes to work out all the kinks, especially around our neck.

As we were staying at the Junior Suite, we had access to the Executive Club (below) where breakfast is also served, with attention to detail evident throughout. For example, there is not just one type of honey available with your yoghurt, but four: wild, sunflower, logan flower or straight from a honeycomb. It is these little touches that elevate what would be a standard spread to something much more delicious: we loved how the smoked salmon on toast had a choice of condiments including horseradish cream, capers, cornichons and pearl onions; while the Thai congee station had pickled cabbage, Chinese topping and deep-fried shallots as toppings.

For lunch, we tried Spice Market (below), the Thai restaurant. The décor is charming, with spices, dried groceries and old-fashioned scales scattered throughout, as well as billowing sails from the ceiling and Chinese-style wine caskets stacked high. The food is simply excellent: among our favourites was the lemongrass salad, which was spicy, sour and aromatic with deep-fried shrimp, nuts and shallots; as well as the Massaman curry, made with fork-tender cuts of Australian short rib. Sadly, we did not have time during our short stay to try all the other dining outlets at the Four Seasons Bangkok, which includes the steakhouse Madison, Japanese restaurant Shintaro, and Italian restaurant Biscotti.